All eyes will be on reigning champion Rich Fellers, of Oregon, as he looks to score a repeat victory with the invincible Flexible. Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Irish stallion enjoyed a remarkable 2012 season that included victories in North America and Europe as well as an eighth place Individual finish at the Olympic Games in London.
Fellers will be joined in Gothenburg by his Olympic teammates Beezie Madden, McLain Ward, Reed Kessler, and Charlie Jayne.
Rounding out the U.S. effort two years ago were Florida’s Kent Farrington and R.C.G. Farm’s Uceko. The pair makes their second appearance at the Finals this year.
A trio of up-and-coming talent will travel to Sweden to make their Rolex / FEI World Cup Final debut. New Yorker Katie Dinan is the Individual Gold medalist from the 2011 Adequan / FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. She will be looking to turn heads this week with Grant Road Partners LLC’s Nougat Du Vallet.
The remaining riders hail from California. Karl Cook has been making a name for himself jumping on the West Coast with Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z. Lucy Davis and Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 will look to showcase the form that has consistently earned them top finishes in the U.S. and abroad. Rounding out the U.S. entries is Ashlee Bond who will ride Little Valley Farms’ Wistful. Bond is making her third Finals start and will utilize the experience gained from jumping on many U.S. Nations Cup teams.
“This year’s contingent of American riders is the strongest in years, a group that includes the top-ranked U.S. riders, Olympians, and the 2011 Pan American Games Individual Gold Medalist,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “Equally as exciting however, is the incredibly talented group of under-30 riders who will be representing the U.S., because through their performances on the world stage we will be getting an early glimpse of what the future holds for us.”
