Dec.23, 2023
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
The United States dressage Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida in 2024 will be at Grand Prix level only, eliminating Small Tour for the first time since the trans-Atlantic series was launched 12 years ago.
As part of a major overhaul of the Nations Cup series that in 2024 lists six countries also will be decided solely by results of teams in the Grand Prix, dropping the widely unpopular format of results of all three levels–Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle. In 2024, the Special and the Freestyle will be individual contests.
A minimum of three teams–down from four previously–will also be required for the results of any Nations Cup to count toward the series standings.
In the year of the Paris Olympics, the changes are given a chance of reinvigorating the series.
In Wellington, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Spain in addition to the U.S. that are all qualified for the Paris Games typically field teams for the Nations Cup that will be staged at the Global Dressage Festival Feb. 21-25. Brazil qualified a team for Paris at the Pan American Games in Santiago two months ago, but with team riders based in Europe as well as at home has not competed at any Nations Cups.
Elimination of Small Tour could have a minor impact on participation that was initially designed to spur entries from countries in Central and South America that may not have enough Big Tour combinations to field a team of three or four rider and horse partnerships.
Of the Nations Cups since the series was launched in 2013, the United States has dominated in Wellington with five victories with Germany claiming the last three titles and Canada the winner in 2017. The inaugural series did not include Wellington and the entire series was canceled in 2020 because of Covid-19. Three events did not have enough teams for the results to count toward the series final.
The complete 2024 Nations Cup series lineup:
Wellington USA CDIO3*-NC Feb. 21-25
Compiègne FRA CDIO5*-NC May 2-5
Budapest region HUN CDIO4*-NC May 14-18
Rotterdam NED CDIO5*-NC June 20-23
Aachen GER CDIO5*-NC July 2-7/07
Falsterbo SWE CDIO4*-NC July 11-14
