Magic in Rome: Team USA Triumphs in Thrilling Nations Cup Intesa San Paolo at Piazza di Siena

In the heart of Rome, beneath the pines of Villa Borghese and the timeless charm of Piazza di Siena, the Nations Cup Intesa San Paolo — part of the 92nd edition of the CSIO di Roma – Master Fratelli d’Inzeo — delivered an afternoon of world-class sport and raw emotion.

Cheered on by an electrified crowd, strong top teams battled for glory in the Intesa Sanpaolo Nations Cup, but it was Team USA who stole the show — a triumph built on precision, power, and nerves of steel.

We sent a strong team here, but three of the four riders have actually never ridden their horses in a five-star Nations Cup before,

said the delighted U.S. Chef d’Équipe Robert Ridland.

Karl was the only one of the four who has jumped a Nations Cup at this level. It was a really nice step up for the three of them, and you never know what’s going to happen.

Yet, despite their relative inexperience at this level, the team delivered a performance marked by maturity, trust, and exceptional horsemanship — a testament to their amazing talent.

Two members of the winning team produced two spectacular double clear rounds and during the press conference, expressed their deep satisfaction with their horses performance in such a high-pressure setting.

One of them was the young Keenan who said:

This is the first time Kick On [“Ken”] has ever jumped a Nations Cup, and this was another big ask of him for his team debut to be a five-star Nations Cup, but just like every other time I’ve asked, he just continues to rise to these occasions.

It felt like a real family and team win today riding alongside with my coach McLain, who also jumped a double clear in his first Nations Cup with Imperial. It’s something special when you find success, and the people supporting you are a part of that success in their way too.

The star-spangled team was composed of Laura Kraut with Bisquetta (4/8), Lillie Keenan with Kick On (0/0), Karl Cook with Caracole de La Roque (4/0), and McLain Ward with Imperial HBF (0/0).

McLain commented:

This was actually my first 1.60m course with Imperial, whom we only acquired in February.  It’s a privilege to have this horse on our team. I hadn’t originally planned to bring him to Rome, but we changed the plan and felt ready. Uliano designed a real test today — challenging but fair. There were big, bold fences at the start, a tough triple combination with the chariot in the corner, and a very delicate line to finish. Rome is iconic, and the course lived up to that.

France fought valiantly until the final round, chasing the top of the podium with determination and heart with a total of 8 faults. It was Italy who completed the line up, seizing third place in front of their home crowd, with 20 faults and a faster overall time than Germany.— a result sealed by the brilliant two rounds of Giulia Martinengo Marquet.

Results

Image at the top:The winning U.S. team (from left) Laura Kraut, Karl Cook, McLain Ward, Lillie Keenan and Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. Photo Courtesy Of Piazza di Siena

To hear the comments during the press conference Click:

• here for Laura Kraut
• here for Karl Cook
• here for McLain Ward and his horse
• here McLain commented the Uliano Vezzani's course
• here Lillie Keenan