US Equestrian has selected four athletes to represent the United States in the Longines League of Nations Ocala CSIO5*-LLN event. The competition, set for March 17-22, 2026, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, will feature top international teams. The team is led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland and Team Leader Lizzy Chesson.
The announcement highlights the U.S. Jumping Team's participation in the prestigious Longines League of Nations tournament, a key event in international equestrian jumping. Scheduled from March 17 to 22, 2026, the competition takes place at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. It begins with preliminary activities on March 18 and wraps up on March 21.
The selected athletes, listed alphabetically, include Lillie Keenan from New York, N.Y.; Laura Kraut from Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; Aaron Vale from Williston, Fla.; and McLain Ward from Brewster, N.Y. These riders will compete in a format that pits the top ten teams worldwide against each other. Each team fields four athletes in the first round, with the three best scores counting toward the total. The top eight teams advance to the second round, where three athletes per team—chosen by the chef d'equipe—compete in reverse order of standings, and all scores from this round factor into the final results.
Key highlights include the $350,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO5* on March 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main team competition on March 21, starting with round one at 5:15 p.m. ET. The event will be available to stream on FEI.TV, with US Equestrian members and fans eligible for a 10% discount on ClipMyHorse.TV Premium subscriptions.
This selection underscores the ongoing support for high-performance programs from the USET Foundation, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and various sponsors. Fans can follow updates via USA Jumping on Facebook and Instagram, or US Equestrian on multiple platforms, using the hashtag #USAJumping.
