It Came Down to the Last, Like Every Great Nations Cup Story Does

Richard Vogel and Cloudio entered the ring for the first time that day.

It was the second round of the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows and the German Team had dominated the first, performing like machines with three clear rounds from Christian Kukuk, Sophie Hinners, and Daniel Deusser. No other team had performed so faultlessly, not even Team Great Britain, who sat atop the leaderboard after round one, only because of the blessing of the drop score, which had eliminated the 8-fault round by their first-to-go rider.

Team Germany had no need of a drop score. Instead, Vogel elected to save his horse any unnecessary exertion and lead him fresh into round two.

But it was a risk. To learn the course, to know the course, to return to the ring more knowledgable—that is the advantage gained with a second round. That advantage put against performing with a horse that is perhaps more fatigued, less fresh.

And Spruce Meadows, with its vast grass ring, its large jumps with long, heavy poles, is an easy place for a horse to feel fatigued.

It’s the 50th anniversary of the most famous show jumping venue in North America. The place is awash with history and prize money. A gravy train of prize money has attracted the best of the best in the world to this unlikely spot south of Calgary, a place that 50 years ago was a flat, treeless cattle feedlot.

Watching the livestream, I’m treated to video after video celebrating the dream of the Southern family. I see the original building in 1975 with its iconic circular drive, sitting lonely on land that I’m used to seeing filled up with rings, barns, buildings, plazas, and meticulous landscaping. But why Spruce Meadows? Funny to think that the current President and CEO, Linda Southern, was only eight years old when she suggested that Meadows be in the name and, in her childish hand, made a drawing with stick-like trees surrounding it, so that it became Spruce Meadows.

One hundred and sixty spruce were planted to make the name make sense, but they died while the poplars thrived.

And now, at the Spruce Masters, which takes place every September, we have 11 countries competing to win the BMO Nations Cup. Round one welcomed Mexico, Austria, Netherlands, France, and home country Canada, all of whom were eliminated, as only six teams moved on to the second round.

As simple as the Germans made the first round look, not everyone had such an easy go of it. We saw foot after foot go into the Netherlands-themed water jump, whose curvy wall at the entrance and cute decorative windmills distracted the horses. We saw riders and horses “make a hash” of the triple combination, which came right after the Irish-themed triple bar. We saw someone tumble over their horse’s head and take out the USA-themed Mount Rushmore wall like a bowling ball aiming for a strike.

Entering Round Two, we had Brazil, Belgium (alive with Philippaerts, three of them!), USA, Ireland (two Coyles, nearly competing with Belgium in the family way), Germany, and Great Britain.

Brazil and Belgium had little chance, with first round scores of 12. The contest would be between the top four teams, who all sat on 4 faults or fewer.

Ireland made a few small mistakes, a foot in the water, an unlucky rail, and ended their valiant effort with 8 faults, a total of 12 for the day.

USA did all it could, coming back with four clear rounds. Lillie Keenan and Laura Kraut both went double clear, and 22-year-old rising star Elena Haas and her mount Claude converted her first-round 8 faults into a spectacular clear round in a emotionally affecting performance. Aaron Vale elected to add a fourth clear to the roster in an attempt to improve the team’s overall time, with a blitzing performance that shaved four seconds off his first attempt.

But Team USA was destined for bronze, hanging on to 4 faults from the first round, as the top two teams, Great Britain and Germany, battled it out at 0 faults.

That brings us to Vogel and Cloudio entering the ring, the penultimate combination to go in the second round. The second round began for the Germans with Christian Kukuk, who, with his mount Cepano Baloubet, touched the first of the triple. The Germans had lost their drop score.

But so had the British team, made up of Matthew Sampson, Ben Maher, Joseph Stockdale, and Donald Whitaker, with another 8-fault performance from their first rider. Both teams followed up with clear rounds from their second- and third-to-go, so determination of the winner was all down to the anchor riders.

And there’s Vogel on his fresh horse, and there’s Vogel and Cloudio clearing every jump with ease and precision. “Look at this!” says the commentator, impressed, watching the world’s fourth-ranked rider execute to near-perfection.

But near-perfection only. In a shock move, Cloudio hits the front rail of the French-themed last fence, a wide oxer over a liverpool, and sends it rattling noisily to the ground. Team Germany is on a score of four faults!

And that leaves Donald Whitaker of Team Great Britain, the last rider of the day, to determine the winner. He is aboard Millfield Colette, that glorious 12-year-old Cornet Obolensky mare, that gorgeous, athletic grey beauty who won my heart with her staggeringly wondrous performances at the European Championships. If being part of a show jumping family dynasty is not enough to give you confidence (perhaps it’s not, perhaps it comes with expectations that leave you teetering), having a horse under you like Millfield Colette will do it.

So here we are. Give us a clear round and you’ve won the day.

And he does it. And she does it. And they do it!

They jump that last fence, leaving every French-themed rail up, the rider rips off his helmet and holds it aloft, pumping his arm, Millfield Colette tours the ring at a gallop, Whitaker shouting in triumph! The camera cuts to Team Great Britain’s ultimate hype man, Matthew Sampson, his smile nearly breaking his face, leading his team in celebration: Team Great Britain is the winner!