Jacob Fletcher Turns and Burns to Keep Adequan USEA Gold Cup Final Lead

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino at the 2015 American Eventing Championships. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It was a race against the cross-country clock today in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Final, with riders stepping hard on the gas in an effort to shave off seconds wherever they could.

The only combination that came in inside the time was Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace, whose double-clear trip moved them from seventh after dressage to third.

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Buck Davidson clung fast to second, turning in a blazing two time fault round on Sharon White’s Wundermaske despite getting a late start from the box. As he predicted in the post-dressage press conference, the course wasn’t quite as well suited to his previously second-placed horse, The Apprentice, who collected 15.6 time faults on the way around.

Buck Davidson and Wundermaske. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

But even four time faults weren’t enough to budge 21-year-old Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino from their cushy lead. The pair made short work of Captain Mark Phillips’ twisty, turn-y course, which Jacob had the opportunity to test-drive on his first horse of the division, Fly Away Ferro. While Jacob describes the horses as “complete opposites,” it gave him a good feel for the track which he was able to carry over to his ride on Domino.

“He was really good,” Jacob says. “He’s such an honest horse and a beautiful jumper, really quick up front, and he backs off the fences so I don’t have to take many pulls. I can just travel in to everything and he doesn’t waste any time, so it was a good course for him.”

Area V is Jacob’s stomping grounds, and there were big cheers going up from the crowd as he galloped around.

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

“I thought, you know, this is Area V’s last year to host the AECs for a while — we can’t not let someone from Area V try to win it,” Jacob laughed. “We can’t just let Buck and his crew come in and win it every year.”

The course rode to plan for most pairs, with the only issue at all being a run-out at the skinny brush ditch-and-wall for Joe Meyer and Sanskrit. Other than that, and a few scrappy moments here and there, it was smooth sailing.

Jacob isn’t one to bet against come the Gold Cup’s grand finale tomorrow — Domino has only had one or two rails over the past year, and Jacob describes him as the best show jumper he’s ever sat on. “If I halfway do my job on a normal day he would jump clear,” Jacob says.

But with glory and a $20,000 check at stake, you can count on everyone showing up with their A game. The division will run in reverse order of go, beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT. We’ll be bringing you all the latest, so keep it locked here!

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