The first day of jumping saw 46 combinations and nine teams contest the course set by Brazil’s Marina Azevedo, the first female jumping course designer in the history of the Pan American Games. The first day of Championship competition starts with a Table C speed class where faults are converted to time and penalty points assessed based on the fastest time on course. With four riders, all teams except Uruguay can drop their worst score.

Eight teams are vying for the three Olympic team qualifying spots available at this competition. Defending team and individual champions Brazil have already confirmed their spot in Paris following their 4th-place finish at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2023 in Barcelona. This leaves the USA as the top contendors, but Canada will also have to head off Colombia, Argentina and Mexico who have all fielded strong teams.

Canada finished the first day in third with 9.62 faults behind Brazil in first with 4.32 and Colombia in second with 7.29. One of the many surprises of the day was to see the USA in 5th with 12.37 faults behind Argentina in fourth with 12.01 faults. While McLain Ward on Contagious and Laura Kraut on Dorado 212 were both clear, rails by Kent Farrington on Landon and a refusal by Karl Cook’s Caracole de La Roque dropped them in the ranks.

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