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The USET Foundation Congratulates Phenomenally Successful International Young Riders Tour on CSIOY Weirden Victory

June 16, 2010

Gladstone, New Jersey –-– The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to report that the International Show Jumping Young Rider Tour concluded a remarkable debut in Europe with a Team USA Nations Cup win at CSIOY Weirden (NED). Representing the United States of America for the first time overseas were Karl Cook of Woodside, CA, Nicholas Dello Joio of Wellington, FL, Taylor Land of Alpharetta, GA, Michael Murphy of Apopka, FL, and Jennifer Waxman of Chagrin Falls, OH.

“The U.S. Team just got better and better with every show,” explained Michelle Grubb, co-Chef d’Equipe of the International Show Jumping Young Riders Team, along with Ralph Caristo. “They all learned so much during the four weeks we were there, and that was especially evident in The Netherlands as I would have to say the most distinguishing rounds of the tour were the second round and jump off in the Nations Cup at Weirden.”

Team USA started the week off at CSIOY Weirden with great success. The first day of competition was a victorious one for both Jennifer Waxman aboard Shakira and Nick Dello Joio aboard Malcolm. Waxman took home the win in the 1.35m class that morning and Dello Joio captured top honors in that afternoon’s Grand Prix Qualifier for the Nations Cup; Taylor Land finished in third in the Grand Prix Qualifier behind Dello Joio and German Max Weishaupt.

Following those two classes, Grubb selected Waxman, Murphy, Dello Joio, and Cook to the Nations Cup team with their respective horses, Venturo, Katina 12, Malcolm, and Uno de Laubry. The U.S. Young Riders Team sat in fourth place following the first round, but after brilliant performances in the second round found themselves tied with the Dutch for the top slot. In order to break the tie, all four riders from both the Dutch and American teams had to jump-off in what would prove to be a thrilling and pressure filled finale to an incredibly successful tour for the United States. Racing to the finish, Team USA, with both Cook and Dello Joio clear, posted the least number of faults in the fastest total time to take home their very first Nations Cup victory on behalf of the United States over the home country’s Dutch team.

Debuting this year, the 2010 International Show Jumping Young Riders Tour was made possible through funding by the USET Foundation, which was able to provide grants thanks to individual donations to the Foundation and its Campaign to Achieve Competitive Excellence. The Foundation recognizes that today’s developing young riders are tomorrow’s Olympians, and, as such, the support and encouragement of experiences such as the International Show Jumping Young Riders Tour are imperative to the United States’ future success abroad. Therefore, the USET Foundation developed the International Young Rider Talent Fund and continues to identify and work with generous and ardent individuals who are committed to ensure that vital programs such as these are able to continue for the betterment of the sport.

Early in the New Year, “The Young Riders Tour looked like it was going to be a private tour,” recalled Grubb, “which would have limited who could have gone based on affordability. The USET Foundation saw the value of the tour, and really jumped on board and through hoops to open the door of opportunity for everyone. We would like to commend both the USET Foundation’s financial support and the USEF’s swift organization of the Tour, because without them we wouldn’t have been able to have a tour like the one we had.”

The experience overseas, “gave us an opportunity to go to Europe and find out where we stood with all of the other Young Riders in the world,” said Taylor Land, “we always hear about the Europeans, and how much better they are, and it was really great to find out that we could hold our own.” Not only did they hold their own, but in the words of Karl Cook, they learned to think on their own, “It was the first time that any of us really had to think for ourselves, or got to make a lot of the decisions. Of course, we all made some wrong decisions, but that is only to be expected when you’re making major decisions on your own for the first time. To be able to think for myself was a great experience, it was new for me.”

When asked what inspired them to apply to the program, all five riders explained they had always wanted to represent the United States in Europe and that the International Young Riders Program was the perfect opportunity to gain the very experience that would aid them in the future at competitions such as those included in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup Tour. “To be able to have that experience under our belts at such a young age is an incredible privilege that I know we are all extremely grateful for,” expressed Waxman, “it was truly the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“It was really exciting to have three other riders that also have your back, and want you to do well; as a team you’re all helping each other out, and there was also such a great sense of patriotism, being from the United States,” said Dello Joio. Murphy described that sense of patriotism, “Accomplished and honored,” he said of representing America, “not only are you riding for a team, but you are riding on a Team for the United States. When you are putting on the saddle pad with the U.S. flag, walking to the ring with the U.S. cooler, standing in another country and hearing the national anthem play as the American flag is raised with the other nations’ flags, the sense of patriotism and honor, was definitely the biggest thing.”

Murphy’s teammates all agreed that the opportunity to represent the United States overseas was one they will never forget, and for that they all expressed sincere gratitude to the USET Foundation for providing the funds to the USEF so that they could orchestrate the three-show tour that started at CSIOY Moorsele (BEL), and continued on to CSIOY Reims (FRA) and ended at CSIOY Weirden (NED).

Each member of the Team overseas had, at one time or another, participated in the FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAYRC). “NAYRC and Prix De States have been great team experiences,” said Waxman, continuing on to express, “representing a Zone is a lot of fun, but representing your country overseas takes team spirit to a whole new level because you’re not just on a team, but on a Team for the United States in another country.”

“The Developing Riders Tour had never been age specific,” noted Grubb, “but what we came to realize is that we needed to give young riders a chance to compete overseas on a team at the Young Rider level, rather than have that first experience be on the big Nations Cup Tour.”

USET Foundation President and CEO Jane Forbes Clark: “The Foundation is so pleased to have provided the financial support for this important tour. The international experience it provided will prove invaluable going forward, and the results have established our Young Riders as among some of the best in the world.”

United States Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George H. Morris stressed the importance of the program to the future of the sport in this country; his motto is “Participation, Preparation, and Selection”. This nation has phenomenal talent, both in terms of riders and horses, however, “A critical part of this plan is providing a program for our talented young riders to ensure the United States’ success internationally,” Morris said, explaining, “We cannot prepare our Developing/Young Riders at home; they must be a part of the international community. We must give them the experiences and challenges that will prepare them for the rigors of Nations Cup competition on a championship level. Riders proving themselves on these tours will identify themselves and be recognized by selectors and the international community as the future of the United States.”

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