Absence of Canada from Nations Cup Threatened Wellington Competition Until Late Entry from Australia joining Germany, USA Saves CDIO3*
2 months ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Absence of Canada from Nations Cup Threatened Wellington Competition Until Late Entry from Australia joining Germany, USA Saves CDIO3*
WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 9, 2025–The absence of Canada in this year’s Nations Cup threatened the annual competition until a late entry from Australia to join Germany and the United States at the Global Dressage Festival saved the event.
The decision by Canada to not enter a team caught organizers by surprise as it will be the first time since the Nations Cup was launched at Global in 2013 the neighboring country will be absent. At least three teams have to compete in the CDIO3* for the rankings to count in the world standings.
The Nations Cup Feb. 19-23 offers $40,000 prize money for the Grand Prix, Freestyle and Special.
The Nations Cup in Wellington began as mixed Small Tour/Big Tour in 2013 and over the years has seen teams representing more than 10 countries from four continents–Australasia, Europe, North and South America–participate.
The CDIO3* that typically kicks off the trans-Atlantic series became all Grand Prix in 2024 and has been a highlight of Global’s winter-long circuit. It was even staged in 2020, the only one of five countries to hold the event, when life around the world was disrupted by Covid .
Germany has won the four most recent years in Wellington–2021 through 2024–with the USA taking silver each year, with Canada bronze in 2021 and 2022 and Sweden filling third place in 2023 and 2024.
