U.S. Jumping Team Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor Robert Ridland called upon a quartet of experienced athletes to secure a home victory in the second leg of the Longines League of Nations™ 2025 series in Ocala, Florida, this past weekend. Lillie Keenan and Argan de Beliard, Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25, Laura Kraut and Dorado 212 and McLain Ward and Ilex delivered a series of powerful performances to secure the U.S.’s first Longines League of Nations victory in front of an elated 8,000-strong home crowd.

The series returned in 2025 after the immense success of its inaugural campaign in 2024, with the incredible facilities of the World Equestrian Center in Ocala again playing host to the second of four qualifying legs.

After a closely fought battle, Germany settled for second place, finishing on five faults and just one time penalty behind the host nation. Belgium and Ireland finished in third and fourth place respectively, both coming home on 13 faults and split only by their team’s combined time from round two.

Challenging Track

Ireland’s Alan Wade designed a fitting test for the league’s 10 teams who started in reverse order of their finishing positions from the opening leg of the Longines League of Nations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, last month. His track saw faults spread around the course, but the Longines combination of a vertical-oxer-vertical at fence six proved more challenging than athletes had originally anticipated, and the vertical-oxer double at fence 11 also required careful negotiation.

Only seven of the 40 athletes answered every one of Wade’s questions in round one, three of those belonging to Team USA and two to Germany. Pathfinder Keenan, the second athlete out on track, provided the ideal start for the U.S. as she and her trusty partner Argan de Beliard delivered a perfect performance and the first clear round of the competition. Olympic champion Christian Kukuk matched that score for Germany as did Darragh Kenny, first out for Ireland, and last to go following their first leg win in Abu Dhabi.

With four athletes from each nation starting in round one, each team was allowed to discard one score. When Vale returned with four faults for Team USA, Andre Thieme picked up one time fault for Germany and 20-year-old Tom Wachman also recorded four faults for Ireland, Germany edged into the lead with two athlete rotations of round one remaining. Kraut and Ward remained faultless to guarantee the U.S. would go through to round two on a zero score, putting pressure on Germany and Ireland.

Germany’s Sophie Hinners delivered another flawless performance but when her partner Richard Vogel couldn’t best Thieme’s score of just one time fault, they finished on a first round score of one for second place.

Daniel Coyle and stalwart Cian O’Connor both lowered a pole for Ireland to finish in third after round one on eight faults just ahead of Great Britain, who was equal on faults but with a slower combined time. Belgium, France, Italy and Sweden made up the top eight teams qualified for the second round as the Netherlands and Switzerland dropped out of contention.

Unique Format for Round Two

The Longines League of Nations’ unique format sees only three riders from the eight qualified teams return for round two, with the pressure of no discard score adding another element of excitement and suspense. Adding to the atmosphere, the second round was over an identical track but at night under lights. Despite the added element of difficulty, many athletes improved on their first-round performances, with 12 returning zero scores second time around.

Winners of Thursday’s 5* Grand Prix, Kukuk and 11-year-old mare Just Be Gentle, consolidated that form when they delivered the first double clear as first to go in round two for Germany. Keenan swiftly matched this to ensure Team USA held onto their narrow lead after the first athlete rotation of round two. Second round clears from Niels Bruynseels and Emilie Conter saw Belgium creep into contention. Kenny returned on four faults for Ireland, but Longines League of Nations’ rookie Wachman and his mentor O’Connor kept their nation’s podium dreams alive by delivering scores of one time fault and a clear round respectively.

However, the battle for podium position was always between the U.S. and Germany. Second out again for Germany, Thieme returned four faults, a score mirrored by Kraut to see Team USA hold onto their one fault advantage with just one rider remaining. Displaying a level of composure and professionalism beyond her years, Hinners posted her second double clear of the 2025 Longines League of Nations series adding pressure to Ward, the U.S.’s anchor rider and former world number one.

As the last athlete on course and with no margin for error, Ward knew that only a clear round would seal victory for Team USA. Carrying the hopes of 8,000 enthusiastic spectators cheering for a home victory, he delivered just that aboard the spring-heeled Ilex. In doing so, he produced one of just four double clears, the others being posted by teammate Keenan and German riders Kukuk and Hinners. Hinners and Iron Dames Singclair warrant a special mention as they remain faultless after four rounds of jumping in the 2025 Longines League of Nations, having produced a double clear in the opening leg in Abu Dhabi last month.

First Win for Team USA

Team USA’s home victory marks their first Longines League of Nations’ win. At the 2024 Final champions, Germany finished second just one fault behind the U.S., with Belgium and Ireland taking third and fourth place respectively both on 13 faults and split only by a margin of one second when their team’s combined times from round two were required to determine their final placings.

France finished in fifth place, just ahead of Great Britain in sixth. Italy, Sweden and Netherlands finished seventh, eighth and ninth respectively while Team Switzerland was eliminated after their first two athletes, Edouard Schmitz and Janika Sprunger, failed to finish their rounds.

After two legs of the Longines League of Nations 2025 series, Ireland and Germany sit at the top of the standings on 170 points each. France is in third place on 150, just ahead of Team USA on 140 in fourth, Belgium on 130 in fifth and Italy holding onto sixth place with 120 points.

The Longines League of Nations moves onto Europe as the third of four qualifying legs is staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in June where the world’s top 10 jumping nations battle for one of eight coveted places at the Longines League of Nations 2025 Final in Barcelona, Spain.