Horse Illustrated Magazine

Bern, Switzerland — The U.S. Vaulting Team took on the top competition in the world last week at the 2024 FEI Vaulting World Championship for Seniors. The team finished fourth overall, with individual competitors turning in good performances over four days of competition in Bern, Switzerland.

Kimberly Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) earned a strong fifth-place finish in the Individual Senior Female division, which saw a total of 28 competitors. Vaulting on Rosenstolz 99, a 2007 Rheinlander gelding owned by Club Ippico Monzese, with lunger Laura Carnabuci of Italy, Palmer placed sixth in the compulsory and technical tests, then earned an impressive 8.803 in her freestyle test to finish fifth with an overall score of 8.349.

Senior World Championship first-timer Caroline Morse (Los Gatos, Calif.) also earned a top-10 finish overall, vaulting on Grasshoper AF, a 2009 American warmblood gelding she co-owns with Jana Morse and lunged by Samantha Matson. Morse finished eighth individually with a personal-best score of 8.156.

Paula Hampshire (Kaysville, Utah), who has represented the U.S. Vaulting Team at past championships as part of the squad, made her international senior debut as an individual at Bern. Hampshire vaulted with Bellmiro, a 2006 Swiss Sporthorse gelding owned and lunged by Dimitri Suhner of Switzerland.

Individual Senior Male

Daniel Janes (Stanwood, Wash.) turned in the top performances for the American contingent in the individual male division, finishing 11th in a competitive division with Caretes Auhoern, a 2009 Holsteiner gelding owned and lunged by Jana Leib of Germany. Janes, a veteran member of numerous past senior championship teams, finished on an overall individual score of 7.818.

Also competing for the U.S. were Jace Brooks (Eagle Mountain, Utah) with Dorian, a 2003 Württemberger gelding owned and lunged by Claudia Petersohn of Italy; and Todd Griffiths (Salem, Utah) with Lightning, a 2015 Quarter Horse/Percheron gelding owned by Raelyn Snyder and lunged by Nicholas Hansen.

Squad

The Pacific Coast Vaulters represented the U.S. team in the squad competition with lunger Carolyn Bland of Great Britain and Eldoctro, the 2009 KWPN gelding Bland co-owns with Emily Rose. The squad placed fifth in the compulsory test and fourth in the freestyle test to come in a close fifth overall with a score of 7.628.

The Pacific Coast Squad at the 2024 FEI World Championships was composed of Francesca Foster (Las Vegas, Nev.), Daniel Janes (Stanwood, Wash.), Maria McLean (Cedar Spring, Mich.), Emma Milito (Brighton, Colo.), Naomi Morgenthaler (Menlo Park, Calif.) and Emily Rose (Santa Cruz, Calif.)

Pas de Deux

Two pairs represented the U.S. in pas de deux competition at Bern. Shaina Hammond (Eagle Mountain, Utah) and Alyssa Stoddard (Eagle Mountain, Utah) earned an overall eighth-place finish for their two tests with Corocoro 2, a 2005 Deutsches Sportpferd owned and lunged by Gudrun Lenz. Allegra Hart (Mebane, N.C.) and Raelyn Snyder (Elysburg, Pa.), finished in ninth place with Snyder’s 2015 Quarter Horse/Percheron gelding, Lightning, and lunger Nicholas Hansen.

Team France won the team gold with a score of 9.239. Germany secured silver with a 8.923 ahead of the host country, Switzerland, which won bronze with an 8.970.

See the full results here.

Replay

The replay of the 2024 FEI Vaulting World Championship for Seniors is available on ClipMyHorse.TV/FEI.TV with a ClipMyHorse.TV Membership.

— Edited Press Release

Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.