Hagen, Germany – The four members of the 2012 Show Jumping European Young Rider Tour headed into Saturday’s Nations Cup at the CSIOJY Hagen looking to showcase the form that had propelled them to top results throughout the week. The U.S. had their work cut out for them as the top 11 European Young Rider teams lined up in the first round, making their task even more difficult as they had drawn first. The team of Catherine Pasmore, Alise Oken, Annie Cook, and Lydia Ulrich produced a solid effort, jumping to a second place finish for Chef d’Equipe Michele Grubb.

Following the first round the U.S. was tied for the lead with the teams from France and Norway on eight faults. In the second round, the U.S. again produced an eight fault performance, with the French just adding four faults to win the class. The team from Norway added twelve faults for third place.

For the second time in two weeks the U.S. jumped to second place in European Nations Cup competition; they were also the runners-up at CSIOY Reims.

Catherine Pasmore (Wellington, FL) set the tone for the U.S. delivering one of only two double clears of the day. Pasmore was jumping in her first Nations Cup of the 2012 Tour and proved unflappable piloting Pasmore Stables’ Z Canta to two fault-free performances, jumping in the lead-off position.

Grubb was extremely pleased with her whole team’s effort Saturday and the way they have come together as a group.

“It was great sport. The girls did a great job and with a little luck we would have won,” said Grubb. “These girls have really come together as a team and are a great group. We are very happy to have finished second behind the French.”

Alise Oken, Annie Cook, and Lydia Ulrich were all jumping in their third CSIOY Nations Cup of the Show Jumping European Young Rider Tour. Oken (Charlotte, NC) rebounded from an eight fault performance in the first round to jump a four fault effort in round two with Hi Hope Farm’s Kaid du Ry.

Riding Signe Ostby’s Banba, Cook (Woodside, CA) had four faults in round one and returned for the second time later in the afternoon with a 16 fault round. Ulrich (Rochester, NY) had a consistent performance in the Nations Cup jumping two four fault rounds on Beth Congel and Up The Creek Farm’s Santos Utopia.

Throughout the week the U.S. jumped to great results at the prestigious German competition. Sydney Shulman (Greenwich, CT), jumping in CSIOJ competition, began the week with a fourth place finish in division two of the Prize of Hof Kasselmann KG with Maria Werner’s Zimza La Bim. Shulman followed up that feat on Thursday by winning the Prize of Sparkasse Osnabrück with John Madden Sales’ Little Lady D’elle. That same day Oken and Kaid Du Ry cruised to a third place finish in the Prize of Handelsstall Rob Gröniger.

Oken and Cook prepared for Saturday’s Nation Cup competition by winning and coming second in the Prize of Elektro Niemeyer on Friday. Oken and Hi Hopes Farm’s Marcus Quintus collected the winner’s spoils with Cook riding Landkorn 5 to second place. Chloe Reid (Washington, DC) and Gevi International B.V.’s Eurocommerce Damascus were 11th in the class.

Pasmore, Oken, Cook, Ulrich and Reid will all jump in the CSIOY Grand Prix Sunday while Shulman will contest the CSIOJ Grand Prix.

For results from CSIOJY Hagen, visit: http://www.psi-events.de/future-champions/sport-2012/start-ergebnislisten/.

The 2012 U.S. Show Jumping Young Rider Tour is made possible through funding by the USET Foundation.

To learn more about the 2012 Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour, and for competition dates, click here.

To learn more about the 2012 Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour, visit: http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alljumping/sjEurope.aspx.

To follow the 2012 U.S. Jumping Team, visit: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2012Jumping/.