SIRE-eventing.com

Sire Eventing has a new clinic

Imti's son Zameer's first riding lesson.

Tags: Zameer

Jumping & Dressage Clinic with
Equestrian Olympian Imtiaz Anees &
USDF Gold Medalist Suzanne King

Sunday March 29th at
Moonlight Equestrian Center
Dallas, GA
Tel: 770-443-7475

Levels
Beg Novice, Novice, Training & Prelim

• Jumping Clinic $65
• Dressage Clinic $65
• Joint Clinic $130
• Auditors Welcome $15
• Trailer In/Facility Fee $15

Stabling can be provided with advanced notice for $25PN All horses must have proof of Coggins and current Strangles vaccine.

To sign up for the clinic please go to www.moonlightequestriancenter.com
or fill out this clinic entry form.

Last date for entries March 15th 2009, all checks are non-refundable after March 22nd.
Questions??? Please call Nicky Robertson – 404 242 7825
or email info@moonlightequestriancenter.com

BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!!!

Anky Van Grunsven claimed her third consecutive individual gold medal at the equestrian stadium in Hong Kong tonight (Tuesday). Lying second, but only 0.24% behind Germany’s Isabell Werth after Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, the Dutch star came into her own in the Freestyle to Music (Kur) which in recent years she has made all her own. And as Salinero danced his way to victory, Werth had to settle for silver with Satchmo while fellow team gold medallist, Heike Kemmer, claimed third with Bonaparte.

It was a night filled with emotion, and the tension was palpable as Sweden’s Jan Brink and Briar laid down the standard with a lovely performance as the first five-strong group showed their paces. “I’m very happy with my horse,” the rider said after recording a score of 73.450% which, when combined with his Grand Prix Special result, gave him an overall mark of 71.205%. “Briar is a stallion so he suits powerful music. He can feel the music and you try to make the music go according to the horse,” he pointed out.

FRIENDSHIP

Brink was quickly overtaken by Emma Hindle as the second session got underway however, the British rider earning a mark of 74.250% to complete with a combined score of 72.345% with Lancet who showed great coordination and rhythm, particularly in passage, to the beat of the Bee Gees. And this was a colossal achievement for the 33-year old rider who revealed tonight that her Olympic appearance was little short of miraculous.

“Two weeks before I came here I had an operation for a tumour,” she explained to the stunned assembled press. “I could only ride in walk when I arrived in Hong Kong and Lancet was brilliant - usually he’s difficult when you are getting on and off him, but he seemed to know I wasn’t well and he just stood there for me for a change.” She only discovered the presence of two ovarian cysts during a team check-up and she had to undergo surgery right away. But with extraordinary support from the British team she still made her Olympic appearance - “I had lots of help with my horse - people kept saying ‘we believe in you, you can do it’ - but it took a huge effort from the team and a lot of physiotherapy and work in the gym to get me going again,” Hindle pointed out. “Everyone was so positive and so kind, I’m really proud of my horse and proud of my friends. When you are sick you find out who your real friends are, and many of my rivals turned into my best friends,” she said.

One of her greatest supporters was Princess Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein who, last Saturday, helped Denmark to team bronze. “She rode Lancet every day, she lives four hours away from me and she’s a really good friend,” the rider pointed out, and one of Emma’s other great supports was her Irish groom Niamh Meehan who stayed with her at the hospital and who was there when the rider was informed that she had been selected for the British team.

The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud was next to take up pole position with some lovely piaffe and passage from his 13-year old mare Nadine but, last into the second session, Mexico’s Bernadette Pujals and Vincent relegated the Dutch partnership with an energetic display that was bursting with expression but which faltered due to several mistakes. “I think it was my nerves,” Pujals said afterwards, “the music was all over me and I was too hectic,” but this is a partnership full of promise.

ENTERTAINING

As the final session kicked off Russia’s Alexandra Korelova and Balagur really entertained the packed arena who sang their way through her Broadway score as she rose to the top with her versatile grey, but she felt she could have done better. “Balagur is very clever,” said the 31-year old from Nizniy Novgorod, a large town in central Russia that lies 400km from Moscow. “He doesn’t want to be a police horse again, he knows that a Dressage life is better and more interesting and he likes to work to music and he likes to do it well,” she explained. This was her second Olympic Games with the amazing 18-year old who has known more career-changes than most throughout his interesting life. From Orlov Trotter breeding stock, and by one of Russia’s most famous trotter breeding sires, he showed little interest in racing himself and so ended up for a year in a Russian circus before being sold on to work as a police horse in Korelova’s town where she spotted him.

She took a video of him and sent it to German trainer George Theodorescu who said “buy him immediately!” and, although already 11-years of age, he was capable of Grand Prix Dressage work within five months of purchase. Another seven years later he has been to two Olympic Games.

HEAT

The heat was turned up when Isabell Werth entered the ring with Satchmo, the four-time Olympian making a wonderful entrance and producing fabulous passage to quickly rack up some big scores. But then the 14-year old gelding suddenly had a difficult moment when asked for his second piaffe in an almost perfect repetition of the moment he experienced in the Special last Saturday. Werth knew she might have trouble, long before she entered the arena. “I hadn’t forgotten what happened the other day but if I wanted to win I had to take the risk,” she explained. “My horse is outstanding and my feelings for him don’t change because of the mistakes he made - I just have to work to get his confidence back again,” she pointed out.

She still earned 78.100% for the perfection of many of the other movements which included brilliant flying changes and her combined total left her on 76.650% and well out in front.

Team-mate Heike Kemmer and Bonaparte kept their rhythm to the sound of the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” to score 75.950% which gave them an overall total of 74.555% and put them in second place and they remained there despite a special ride from America’s Steffen Peters with the 10-year old stallion Ravel. Their ability to synchronise movement to music was exceptional, and the big horse, whose transitions were superb, seemed to feel the rhythm himself. However with a mark of 76.500% and a total of 74.150% he would have to settle for third spot as the reigning champion entered the ring.

BIG ENTRANCE

Anky Van Grunsven made a big entrance and went into action right away to the romantic sound of her “Dance of Devotion” theme, which was created by Wibi Soerjadi, picking up big marks from the outset. Salinero was responsive and keen but the Dutch rider didn’t overdo it - she knew after Werth’s uncomfortable moment that a good ride rather than a risky one would be enough to earn her third Olympic title, and so it did. Although she had to admit that her final halt didn’t go quite as planned. “I really like to ride to music and after I heard Isabell’s score I knew I needed to do a good test but without risks. It went well except for the last halt today - it just didn’t happen but I thought ‘let’s forget about it, it doesn’t matter!” she said afterwards scoring 82.400% which gave her the winning total of 78.680%.

“It was a horrible week for me here,” she admitted, “I like Hong Kong and I like the people here but the pressure on me was huge,” she added. “In Athens I had nothing to lose so I was more relaxed but this time I felt I have to have the gold medal to keep up the standard and in the Grand Prix Salinero was tense,” she pointed out. “In the Special I tried more and then Isabell had her mistake but today I was more relaxed - I decided to do as good as I can and I tried to stay calm during the warm-up. I decided that if I didn’t feel safe in the ring I wouldn’t do the changes on a curve but here I am now - I have won a third gold medal and I am the most spoiled person in the world because I have had two wonderful, wonderful horses!” she said.

Bronze medallist Heike Kemmer was happy with her result. “My horse did a super job over the three tests and today he was very fluent, I had a good connection to his mouth, his noseline was correct and we were working together - I was very pleased” she said.

Silver medallist Isabell Werth said she had no clear explanation for what it is that makes Satchmo sometimes object to certain movements but she is determined to work through and to bring him back to his best. “We have been nearly too good for the last three years and it is a bit of a shame that this has happened at the Olympic Games, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen here but we have team gold and it was very close between Anky and me - I really lost it in the Special,” she explained. However now it’s a case of putting it behind her and moving on - and the London Olympic Games in 2012 are another target. “I’m going to work towards that, it’s a new challenge and I think I’m the youngest rider here so I can go!” she said with a laugh, looking at her two rivals on the podium.

Will Anky be back in 2012? She doesn’t really seem to think so. “I think there is maybe two more years left for Salinero and that will be it,” she said tonight, “and all I want to do now is ask that Penfold Park can be opened up for me tomorrow so that I can give Salinero a nice hack out.” As Olympic champion, the rider who has dominated her sport now for many years will, no doubt, find those gates wide open.

Here is the link to the full results and judges’ individual marks.

Tags: dressage

Tuesday 8/19/08 at 7:15 AM - 11 AM - Dressage Individual Grand Prix Freestyle (dressage to music)

Thursday 8/29/08 - 7:15 AM - 11:45 AM - Jumping Individual Finals

Tags: dressage, General, Show Jumping

Here is a link to the EURODRESSAGE Web site that has the order of go for the Olympic Grand Prix Kur to Music.

Tags: dressage

The USA pipped Canada for team Jumping gold in a thrilling third-round jump-off at Sha Tin Stadium in Hong Kong tonight (Monday). And Norway climbed all the way up from overnight joint-sixth place to take bronze thanks to a spirited team performance.

The Swiss had to settle for fourth ahead of Germany and The Netherlands in joint-fifth while Great Britain, down to just three team-members due to the loss of John Whitaker and Peppermill, finished sixth. As Swedish luck ran out, they plummeted from third to eighth while the Australians slotted into ninth place but the Aussies, also with just three in their side, fought a tremendous battle after pathfinder Peter McMahon broke his collarbone in a fall in the practice ring.

To take a medal with just three riders however is a remarkable feat by any measure. Team Canada’s day began with the news that Mac Cone’s horse, Ole, would be withdrawn as he was unsound, but nothing was going to kill their hunger for a share of those Olympic medals. “The odds are that you have no chance with a team of just three but you gotta try,” said Canadian hero Ian Millar tonight, and try they did, to the very end.

TENSION

There was huge tension in the British camp right up to the start of the competition as they awaited the Appeal Committee decision in relation to John Whitaker’s participation. Whitaker’s 11-year old stallion was withdrawn yesterday because he was stiff and uncomfortable, but was considered fit for duty again today. And when the Ground Jury met this morning (Monday) at 11am to consider a request from the British team, it was agreed that the horse and rider could compete in tonight’s second round of the team event.

However seven of the nine qualified teams then lodged a protest following which the Ground Jury upheld its earlier decision but when the teams formally launched an appeal to the Appeal Committee who met at Sha Tin at 4pm local time today the objections were upheld and the British rider was declared ineligible to jump.

The rule which was applied was Article 264.4 from the FEI Rules for Jumping Events which states that “a full Nations Cup team comprises four competitors each riding the same horse throughout the competition. All members of each team must take part in the first round, except as stated in paragraph 4.2 below and in paragraph 7.2″. Paragraph 4.2. states that “if a team, comprising four competitors, cannot improve its placing in the first or second round after its third competitor has completed his course, the fourth competitor may be withdrawn”. A clear or four-fault round from Whitaker yesterday would have improved the British result.

A 13-fault opening effort from Nick Skelton and Russel put the final nail in the British coffin as the competition got underway tonight.

THE TEST

Another track full of questions and surprises faced horses and riders once again - Leopoldo Palacios and Steve Stephens presenting them with flair, colour and creativity.

A left-hand turn after the opening vertical led to the triple bar followed by a dog-leg to the 1.50m white oxer at three and then a check of control and positioning at the skinny, snaky planks at fence four. A left-hand bend to the vertical at five was followed by another big question over the first of the three doubles on the track - would horses be distracted by the liverpool water-trays under both the opening oxer and the vertical second element? Now the pressure was full-on with acceleration required on approach to the narrow open water - 4.10m wide - with just four good strides to the next double, vertical to vertical, at fence eight. This would prove pivotal. A turn-back to the oxer at nine, a right bend to the planks at 10 and a left-hand turn brought horses down the final line. And here the brightly-coloured wall at 11 was followed by a double of oxers at 12 and then, on a curving line, the final vertical at 13.

“It’s a difficult track - it was very technical yesterday and even more so today,” said Belgium’s reigning World Champion Jos Lansink whose stallion Cumano is clearly really enjoying his jumping again after a long lay-off due to injury. “The course builder is using the water fences very cleverly,” he pointed out after putting in one of the earliest tours of the course, picking up just two time faults. “The water is going to be a problem for a lot of riders,” he added, and he was quite correct.

A GOOD START

The first-day joint-leaders from the USA made a good start when McLain Ward’s only mistake with Sapphire was at the water, and when Laura Kraut’s Cedric put in a spectacular clear they were looking very strong indeed. “Tonight he was completely relaxed,” Kraut said afterwards. “We had a mix-up in the practice ring when he thought a shadow was a groundline but things like that don’t bother him, it just made him more attentive, and he felt amazing in there. My biggest worry was about the liverpool double but he soared over it. It’s hard to believe how much he has come on over the last year. In May 2007 we jumped in the Super League in Rome and it was too much for him but he has decided to peak at the right moment - I’m thrilled with him,” she pointed out.

The joint-leaders from Switzerland however were in trouble right away. Pathfinder Christina Liebherr had a nightmare ride with No Mercy who lived up to his name when dragging her at break-neck speed around much of the track and, having hit the oxer at three, put a foot in the water and lowered the oxer at nine she had to pull up in front of the second element of 11 before circling to finish. “He is either a genius or a crazy horse, and today he was a crazy, crazy horse,” the rider said in resignation after putting 23 faults on the board.

Team-mate Pius Schwizer meanwhile made an amazing recovery when Nobless M threw in an objection on the approach to the vertical at five, and did well to complete with just five faults this time out.

All eyes were on the Germans who, so surprisingly, were trailing the field after yesterday’s opening round but any hope of a rapid climb up the order would be halted by 19 faults for Marco Kutscher when, in an effort to take a sharp check after a strong ride to the water, he stopped Cornet Obolensky in his tracks. Clearly unsettled, the handsome stallion completed, dropping several fences on his way home.

RISING

The Australians however were really rising to the challenge and Laurie Lever’s excellent four-fault effort with the brave Drossel Dan was followed by a fabulous clear from Edwina Alexander and Itot du Chateau. If last man in, 23 year old Matt Williams, could hold it together they would be challenging for a medal at the end.

Lying fourth overnight, the Norwegians were also making good progress despite a 12-fault result from pathfinder Stein Endresen when Morten Djupvik and Casino lowered only the second element of the double at fence eight and Geir Gulliksen picked up just five with Cattani. The Dutch were unable to make any real headway, eight faults for Angelique Hoorn and O’Brien and a good five-fault round from Marc Houtzager and Opium followed by an unhappy 27 from Vincent Voorn and Alpapillon-Armanie. And the Swedes, in overnight third, were fading fast too, Peter Eriksson’s good opening four-fault result with Jaguar Mail followed by 20 from Lotta Schultz and Calibra and 17 for Helena Lundback and Erbblume - they couldn’t claw their way back from there.

The Canadians however were blossoming under pressure - Jill Henselwood paving the way with a superb clear, one of just five on the day, from the aptly-named Special Ed and Eric Lamaze keeping them right in the game with just a single mistake, at the second element of the penultimate double, with the big-jumping Hickstead. And as it came down to the closing stages it was clear that the weight of Canadian responsibility would fall on the mature shoulders of nine-time Olympian Ian Millar.

The line-up was already taking shape, the Germans finally finished off when Ludger Beerbaum’s All Inclusive stopped when the partnership could not find the distance from the water to the following double to complete with six faults while Australian hopes were finally dashed by 17-fault round from Matt Williams. “I did too much with my horse in the warm-up, and halfway around the course I paid the price,” the young man said philosophically.

A GREAT DEAL

The Dutch just couldn’t stay afloat despite just a single error for Gerco Schroder and Monaco but Norwegian anchorman Tony Andre Hansen produced another fabulous round with Camiro. Hansen has been training with former Irish rider Gerry Mullins for the last six years and he has honed to skills to great effect over the past 12 months - his one time-fault the only addition to the Norwegian scoreline. “I want to thank Gerry a lot,” he said today, “he pushed me and pushed me and here we are now - I owe him a great deal,” he added.

It was clear that Norway would now take bronze but it took a foot-perfect round from Ian Millar to secure the Canadian position and, if Beezie Madden could leave all the fences up when last to go with Authentic then the Americans would take gold ahead of them. But a foot on the tape at the bogey water ensured a jump-off instead, both teams now sharing a total of 20 faults apiece.

You could cut the air with a knife as McLain Ward led the way in the third and final round, throwing down the gauntlet with the coolest clear from Sapphire over the new track which asked for a strong gallop to the new final oxer, and when Henselwood hit the wall, now fence two, the Canadians began to look vulnerable. Laura Kraut piled on the pressure with an amazing ride with Cedric who also left the fences intact but Lamaze pulled it back for Canada when producing the quickest time, 36.35 seconds, with Hickstead. If Will Simpson made a mistake then it would all fall back on Millar again, but a powerful clear from Carlsson Vom Dach sealed the deal - it was all over and the US held that precious gold while the Canadians had to do with silver. That wasn’t really a problem for them though, because they have waited a long, long time for this.

HISTORICAL

It was an historic Canadian moment because they have not held an Olympic medal since Tom Gayford, Jim Day and Jim Elder took gold in Mexico City in 1968 - a full 40 years ago. And at 61 years of age, the record-breaking Ian Millar was very happy with tonight’s result. “I’ve been riding on Canadian teams for 39 years” he said, “and there have been a lot of good days but the Olympic Games have never gone my way so to be part of this is remarkable. I want to say thanks to my great team and horses and to the team that have been behind us all,” he added.

“When Mac’s horse was out this morning it didn’t seem like we had any chance of a medal, and then Jill inspired us all with her great ride. She left us no choice but to have a real go - she set the standard and we had to follow” he explained. And, even though he will be 65 when the next Olympic Games are held in 2012, he is looking forward to it already. “I’m going to try again for London - I’ve picked out the horse already!” he said.

The Norwegians meanwhile were relishing their bronze, a first-ever Jumping prize for their country which has not taken part in the equestrian Olympic contest since 1992. “When we qualified at the Europeans last summer we didn’t really believe we could go this far - you dream that it might happen but this, to us, is as good as winning gold!” said Stein Endresen. “Finally we have a team riding at the same level at the same time - and the team spirit has been unbelievable” said Hansen while team manager, Sylve Soderstrand, added with some satisfaction “the team have stuck to the plan we made two years ago, and that is why we are here today.”

The Americans meanwhile were looking happy if a little stunned and Laura Kraut admitted that the whole of the final sequence of events had taken her by surprise. “I was a bit dazed and confused going into the jump-off, we weren’t really sure it was going to happen until the last minute and our horses were already going back to the stables - there was no time to think about it. I just knew, going in, that I needed to be clear and fast and it just turned into our night - the Canadians made us work for it though!” she pointed out.

“I was sorry because I made my team jump in the jump-off - I should have sealed it in the second round, but I’m glad how it worked out” said Beezie Madden. Team manager George Morris was looking pretty pleased too, because it had worked out just fine.

An American triumph, a Canadian moment to remember and for Norway the reward of commitment and the willingness to work together to make the impossible dream into a reality.

Tags: Show Jumping

HONG KONG (AP) - The U.S. has won the gold medal Monday in Olympic equestrian team jumping, knocking out Canada, which has taken silver.

Norway has won the bronze.

The U.S. got clear rounds from their first three riders in the jump-off. One Canadian rider knocked down a fence, and since Canada only had three riders to the Americans’ four, that clinched the U.S. gold.

The U.S. also won team jumping in 2004 in Athens and has two returning combinations on the 2008 team, McLain Ward on Sapphire and Beezie Madden on Authentic.

Ian Millar, riding in his ninth Olympics, forced the jump-off with a clear round on In Style. The team silver is Millar’s first Olympic medal.

Here is a link to the 2008 Olympics Equestrian Results for Team Show Jumping.

Tags: Show Jumping

Monday 18th Individual Show Jumping 7.15 AM to 11.15 AM EDT US

Click on this direct link to the LIVE Equestrian Video from the 2008 Olympics.

For more Olympic coverage, stories and results, check the links on the right side of this blog.

Tags: General, Show Jumping

Switzerland and the USA share the lead after the thrilling first round of the Olympic Jumping team competition which took place at Sha Tin stadium in Hong Kong tonight (Sunday). Sweden lies third ahead of Great Britain and Canada in equal-fourth, while the Netherlands and Norway are tied for sixth place. But the biggest surprise of the day was the German performance, as the giants of the sport barely qualified for tomorrow’s medal-deciding second round when collecting 20 faults, just squeezing into eighth place along with the Australians.

Steve Guerdat (SUI) aboard Jalisca Solier. With a score of 12 penalties each, Switzerland and the USA are tied for the first place after the first Jumping team qualifier.

The Aussies were well-pleased with their result so far. They started with two 16-fault performances from Peter McMahon (Genoa) and Laurie Lever (Dan Drossel) but Edwina Alexander’s clear with Itot du Chateau, one of only seven on the day, lifted their spirits and then 23-year old Matt Williams produced the ride of his life with his 12-year old gelding Leconte when clear all the way to the very last fence for four faults. Australian team manager Stephen Lamb said afterwards “going last Matt had all the pressure on him, but he handled it brilliantly for a young guy – we are very happy!”

CLEVER COURSE

The 13-fence course designed by Leopoldo Palacios and Steve Stephens was a work of genius and quickly brought the cream to the top. Starting out over an oxer, there was a gentle right-hand curve to a red vertical and then a left-hand run to a skinny vertical at three. It was here that the real work began as the following open water, narrow on take-off but a full 4.5m wide, was on an acute angle with little room for preparation and the fence-judge was busy raising that red flag all evening.

The following narrow red gate had the most slender of pencil-poles on top, a trademark characteristic of Palacios courses, and onward-bound horses found themselves deep to this, and then it was on to a double off a right-hand turn at six. With a triple-bar first element and an oxer to follow this proved influential, and many of the riders reported that the candy-coloured poles were difficult to see - “you definitely needed a horse with good eyesight on this track!” Canada’s Ian Millar commented.

The following planks, flanked by a mighty dragon which, fortunately, the horses couldn’t see, stood a maximum 1.60 metres tall, thus testing control after a forward ride from the previous double, and then the track curved left to the oxer at eight and sharp-right to the line that included a 1.60 m wall at nine with four strong strides to the following 1.50m oxer at 10. The horses that managed to jump clear to here were doing well but the next trap was in the triple combination at 11. Jumped off a left-hand bend it consisted of a 1.55m vertical to a 1.50m oxer and then a 1.55m vertical to finish. Despite the fact that it quickly became clear that the distance inside was tricky, riders kept coming in too strong and suffered the consequences time and again. This was followed by a 1.55m oxer with a 1.80m spread and finally, turning away from the in-gate, the last fence was a liverpool vertical standing at 1.60m.

With the 13 individual riders going first, it was Ireland’s Denis Lynch who first found the key with a great round from Lantinus who picked up just a single time penalty. He had spotted the traps. He almost pulled Lantinus back to walk before tackling the triple combination and explained afterwards “you need to jump the first part as if it’s a fence on its own and then push on for the second two elements - if you go in too forward there, you are going to have some part of it down. The course is very technical and very light - you have to concentrate all the way,” he pointed out.

DRAMA

There was plenty of drama in the early stages, Azerbaijan’s Jamal Rahimov taking a fall from Ionesco de Brekka at the penultimate oxer when the stallion straddled the poles, and the rider was subsequently taken to hospital for check-up but was released soon afterwards. Alexander Onischenko, pathfinder for The Ukraine, only got as far as fence three with Codar as the stallion refused to tackle the following water but it was the eight-fault performance of Christian Ahlmann with Coster who fell foul of the dragon planks at seven and then hit the first element of the bogey triple combination, and the 12 collected by Marco Kutscher and Cornet Obolensky who went in the water and then added eight more en route, that shook German confidence.

The Swedes, in stark contrast, were looking quite solid when Lotta Schultz and Calibra picked up just four faults to add to Peter Eriksson’s eight with Jaguar Mail, and when Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum added another four faults to the German tally, lowering the opening vertical at the combination, there was a gasp of amazement. What on earth was happening to the hot favourites who normally prove so untouchable at this level of the sport? Even Meredith wasn’t really sure what was going on.

“It’s not like we are not used to pressure, it’s just a big surprise here today,” she said afterward. She was happy with her round with Shutterfly - “I was maybe too fast into the triple”, she admitted, but she had expected that her team would have produced better results. So had here been a German miscalculation about their whole approach to this Olympic contest? Had they been over-confident in the early stages? “We had a plan, that we would use the first competition to train a bit the other day - it wasn’t that we didn’t take it seriously but maybe we didn’t get that right,” she said. “We are going to have to go back and sit together and discuss what has happened - it’s certainly not what we expected,” she added.

She said the course was “well set, but when I walked it I thought 50% of horses will jump into the water - there is almost a 90 degree turn there - and at the triple at the end you need to jump in short. We’ve only seen one clear so far, its a good, fair course but we will have to prepare for the second round tomorrow - if we get into the top eight teams tonight. If we do get through we won’t be giving up, we will come out fighting,” she insisted.

BACK IN THE GAME

With three mistakes from Helena Lundback and Erbblume the Swedes began to falter, but then Rolf-Goran Bengtsson produced a sensational fault-free round from Ninja, the very first of the competition, and they were right back in the game - an extraordinary turn-around for the nation that has struggled so hard to survive in the Samsung Super League with FEI series this season and which is currently fighting relegation. With typical understatement Bengtsson said afterwards - “that went pretty well” - as his side registered a final score of 13 faults.

McLain Ward and the brilliant mare Sapphire soon followed with a pathfinding clear for the USA. “I hope the rest of the team has good fortune,” he said, but he wasn’t going to get too over-excited just yet. “It’s not easy out there, only two clears so far but we’ve been building for this for over a year now with a great back-up team - we’ve sacrificed a lot and we will be disappointed if we go home without a medal. The Olympic Games is all about peaking at the right time. Sapphire was less sensitive today and she went great,” he added.

The British were holding their own, Nick Skelton’s eight faults with Russel followed by just four for both Tim Stockdale (Corlato) and Ben Maher (Rolette) but they would soon be hit hard by the news that John Whitaker’s Peppermill was unwell and would have to be withdrawn. “He wasn’t right coming out of the stable,” said Chef d’Equipe Derek Ricketts, “we’re not sure what’s wrong, he may be tied up, but he couldn’t jump like that. John is really very disappointed” the team manager explained.

They would now have to settle for the 16 faults they had on the board which would leave them on level-pegging with the Canadians who were boosted by a fantastic clear from Eric Lamaze whose stallion Hickstead was jumping like a cat. Mac Cone had collected 12 faults with Ole, and things were not looking so good when Jill Henselwood and Special Ed left four on the floor but Lamaze’s clear was followed by just four faults, at the penultimate oxer, for Ian Millar and In Style. And he was in upbeat mood. “Our first two riders didn’t have a good day today but they will clean up their act tomorrow - so see you on the podium!” he said with a smile.

STAYING STRONG

The USA stayed strong, Laura Kraut’s bouncing grey Cedric clear all the way to the very last and Will Simpson (Carlsson Vom Dach) and Beezie Madden (Authentic) collecting eight faults each. Madden however seemed to be en route to a perfect clear only to have an odd moment just before the triple combination when Authentic suddenly shook his head and ground to a halt. “This has happened a couple of times before,” the rider explained, “if he gets an insect in his ear he goes crazy, and he started waving his head and didn’t even see the fence”. She circled and re-presented to finish the course. Without those eight faults the USA would be in the lead as tomorrow’s second round gets underway but instead they kick off with a score of 12.

The Swiss meanwhile were most impressive. Sheer consistency - with just four faults each from Christina Liebherr (No Mercy), Pius Schwizer (Nobless M), Niklaus Schurtenberger (Cantus) and Steve Guerdat (Jalisca Solier) - also registered a 12 fault tally and there is something quietly confident about them. They have been showing uneven results in this year’s Samsung Super League with FEI series, so how to explain this turn-up for the books? “Well we haven’t actually had a bad season at all,” said team manager Rolf Grass, “we were second in La Baule and second again at St Gallen and we haven’t always been in a position to use our best horses and our best riders. But we’ve worked very hard to prepare for coming here,” he said.

Just a single fault separates the joint-leaders, Switzerland and America, from Sweden in third going into tomorrow’s (Monday) second round, while there is just a single fence between the joint-leaders and the fourth-placed British and Canadians. The Dutch and Norwegians carry 17 faults and the Germans and Australians carry 20 as Round Two begins. Rolf Grass was not going to get too carried away by his side’s good result today - “this is a Nations Cup, anything can happen and we are only halfway tonight,” he said, and his anchorman Steve Guerdat was also staying sensibly Swiss - “I feel confident for my team,” he said, “but tomorrow is another day and another course - let’s wait and see.”

And America’s McLain Ward expressed similar sentiments when he said “yeh, we just have to keeping chipping away here, take it one day at a time.”

The full results after the first team and second individual Jumping qualifiers are available on this page.

Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Hickstead were also clear. Here, over the Dancing Lion at Fence Seven.

Tags: Imti's Insight from the Olympics, Show Jumping