Final Leg to Commence on Sunday at CSIO Barcelona

Lexington, KY – The word “anticipation” doesn’t quite cover it, as the United States Show Jumping Team and its fans expectantly await the eighth and final leg of the 2005 Samsung Super League—the Nations Cup competition at CSIO Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, September 18.

“We’ve got a great team and lovely horses,” emphasized USEF Chef d’Equipe George Morris, speaking from Barcelona. As for the riders designated to represent the United States for this grand finale competition, Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Aaron Vale, McLain Ward and Jeffrey Welles, Morris describes them as “top, top, top.”

A world-renowned series of competitions that holds its own against any other, the Samsung Super League stands as a beacon of achievement, and the competition that awaits those countries good enough to compete is nothing less than fierce. Only eight countries are invited to take part in Super League competition each year, and following the point totals at Barcelona, the country in last place will be dropped from next year’s competition, effectively whittling down the “who’s who” list in the show jumping world.

After a stellar performance in the second-to-last Samsung competition in Aachen, Germany on August 26 (see http://www.usef.org/content/newsDisplay/viewPR.php?id=786), our U.S. Team has all the confidence a four-point lead can bring. Even so, they’re well-aware they can’t rest on their laurels, because with 20 points hanging in the balance for the winner, it’s almost anyone’s game, right up until the end.

Going in to the final competition, the United States stands in the first place slot with 43 points, the German team waits in second with 39, while the team from Great Britain is a close third with 37 points.

Representing the U.S. Team at CSIO Barcelona, Spain, the final competition of the 2005 Samsung Super League, will be:

Lauren Hough of Wellington, FL, with Casadora (1996 Dutch Warmblood mare, owned by Laura Davies Mateo).

Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, with Anthem (1991 KWPN Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by the Summit Syndicate).

Aaron Vale of Aiken, SC, with Artur 28 (1994 Hanoverian gelding, owned by Millstream).

McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, with Oasis (1996 Selle Francais gelding, owned by Double H Farm).

Jeffery Welles of Ridgefield, CT, with Armani (1995 Selle Francais-Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Triton Ventures and Kimmel Yeager Equine, LLC).

“The Samsung Super League is a series of the biggest Nations Cups—eight of the biggest horse shows in the world,” shared a thoughtful Morris. “I’m very hopeful, but you can’t ever tell the outcome in horse sports. We’ll do our best—it would be a great feather in our cap if we could bring home a win.”