Tag Archives: Olympic Games

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

Phillip Dutton Wins Eventing Individual Bronze Medal at Rio Olympic Games

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Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – U.S. Olympic Eventing Team member Phillip Dutton capped off three days of brilliant riding by winning the Individual Bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games. Dutton finished on a score of 51.80. Michael Jung of Germany won the Individual Gold medal for the second consecutive time and Nicolas Astier of France took home the Silver medal.

The energy and excitement for the final day of the eventing competition washed over the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro on Tuesday. There were 45 athlete-and-horse combinations that contested Guilherme Jorge’s show jumping course that determined the team medals and the 25 individuals who would advance to the individual finals. Dutton and Boyd Martin, who sat in fifth and sixth, respectively, following cross-country, rode well in the first round, both qualifying for the finals. Dutton was in strong medal position, moving up to fourth entering the final.

Jorge’s first show jumping course was open and inviting, although a combination fence at the beginning and a triple toward the end of the course caused many unnerving moments as rails danced out of the jump cups. Costly rails and time faults shifted the team standings and final positions on the podium. When all was done, France took home the Team Gold medal with a final score of 169.00, Germany secured the Silver with a score of 172.80, and Australia won the Bronze with a score of 175.30. With only two riders completing the cross-country phase, the U.S. team finished in 12th place overall.

In the first round, Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and HND Group’s Mighty Nice took advantage of the turns and gave a professional performance, adding only one time fault and no jumping penalties. This secured his advancement into the finals and put him in medal contention in fourth place with a score of 47.80.

“He jumped great,” said Dutton after that first round. “He bumped his stifle and was not quite as loose as he usually is. My curb chain let go as I was coming to the first fence, not an ideal way to start, but he jumped beautifully.”

With the team medals decided, the final individual round began with a course consisting of nine fences. Dutton’s final round with Mighty Nice was strong but not clean as a rail down came down at fence 4c giving them a final score of 51.8. They would need faults from those ahead of them to make it to the medal podium. When Australia’s Christopher Burton on Santano II, the leader following cross-country, dropped rails at the final two fences, Dutton was boosted onto the podium for the Bronze medal to go along with the two team Gold medals he won for his native Australia in 1996 and 2000.

“It’s been a great weekend for the horse. It’s a great achievement for him. The guy who owned him, Bruce Duchossois, would be proud of him,” said Dutton. “I was happy with fourth but ecstatic with third! It was a grand achievement, although a disappointing day for the team yesterday. So we just had to get up and do our best today. I’m so pleased with the horse; I don’t think I’ve had a horse with a bigger heart. He genuinely loves the sport.”

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate LLC’s Blackfoot Mystery also rode well in the individual qualifying round and were able to secure a spot in the individual finals. Dropping rails at fences 6 and 7, they finished with a three-phase score of 58.90 and entered the individual finals in seventh place overall.

The final round proved troublesome for Martin and Blackfoot Mystery as they had rails down at fences 4b, 5, and the wall at the final fence, number 9. The three rails down dropped Martin to 16th place with a final score of 70.90.

“Obviously I wanted to jump a bit better,” Martin said. “He was a little bit tired yesterday and, to be quite honest, I think I overrode the first rail (in round one) and tried too hard to make him jump it clear and shut his jump down a little bit. The last pole he had he just felt a little bit tired and weary. He really gave 110% yesterday, so he’s not quite as fresh as he usually is, but he still did gut it out in there today.

“It’s disappointing but I have to say this horse tried so hard all weekend. He just had nothing left in the last round. He’ll get stronger and I think it’s still an impressive result. I am very pleased for Phillip. That was huge effort. What a legend!”

In winning his second consecutive Individual Gold medal, Michael Jung of Germany, riding Sam FBW, ended on his dressage score of 40.90, the only rider to do so. Astier Nicolas of France, riding Piaf De B’Neville, took Silver with a score of 48.0.

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FEI, Olympic Games

FEI Reaches Out to New Olympic Equestrian Sports Fans at Rio 2016

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Fans enjoy a ride on Biscuit, the one-tonne mechanical horse at the FEI Equestrian Playground in the Deodoro Fan Park at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. (FEI/ Martin Angerbauer)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 8 August 2016 – With the long-awaited Rio 2016 Olympic Games already well underway and the Eventing athletes heading across country in their campaign for Olympic glory, the FEI is reaching out to fans across the globe – current and new – to showcase the beauty and magic of the sport.

An innovative Equestrian Playground in the Deodoro Olympic Fan Park in Rio, a brand new website dedicated to fans, and a host of exciting #TwoHearts content for everyone to share, are all taking the sport out to the masses, including a funky video Hoofloose – cut loose, showing the Olympic disciplines in a whole new light.

Over the next few weeks in Rio tens of thousands of people will have the opportunity to experience the magic of equestrian first hand at the FEI Equestrian Playground in the Deodoro Fan Zone. The main attraction is a life sized mechanical horse – called Biscuit – which stole the show.

The one-tonne simulator, normally used by professional and amateur riders to perfect their skills and balance using sensors linked to video screens, was shipped from UK-based specialists Racewood to Rio, and is a first at an Olympic Games.

Fans around the world have now have a wealth of content at their fingertips at fei.org, where a new entry point caters to the wider equestrian community and new fans by offering a 360˚ view of equestrian sport. From lifestyle and fashion to the many personalities that make our sport unique or even the rich heritage that underpins equestrian history – we have a lot to celebrate and share. And all the technical content is still there at Inside FEI.

The “Hoofloose” music video unmasks the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing in a unique and contemporary way, reaching out to younger audiences. Produced by Lausanne-based communication agency But First, and featuring the Swiss under-18 high jump record holder Alessandro Consenti, the 2009 Swiss trampoline champion Sarah Chilo and Cirque du Soleil performer Stéphane Détraz, the Hoofloose video taps into urban sports including BMX and Parkour to custom-made music by Swiss band ANTIPODS, with a wardrobe inspired by the classic 80s movie Footloose.

All this activity sits under the banner of #TwoHearts, the FEI’s Olympic campaign engaging people around the world through the most unique feature of the sport, the relationship between horse and human.

“It’s a departure from tradition; some might say it’s pretty radical, to be reaching out to new audiences in this way and we’re excited to help unravel some of the mysteries of our sport and enable everyone to get involved,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez says. “We have a sport for all ages where men and women compete side by side, and there’s nothing quite like the magical partnership between horse and rider.

“Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement for 104 years and is growing in popularity across the globe, so it is the perfect opportunity to harness the excitement and inspire a whole new world of fans to engage in the sport.”

Of the star attraction, Biscuit, she says: “We’re very excited to be welcoming all the fans to the Equestrian Playground and introduce them to Biscuit. There’s nothing like trying out riding for yourself to understand the thrill and skill involved and Biscuit is the perfect partner to give it a try. It’s the next best thing to having a real horse in the Olympic Deodoro Fan Zone!”

The FEI Equestrian Playground is created by UK-based communications agency Twelfth Man and a team of technical experts from London, Berlin, Brazil, Mexico and is based in the 250m2 pavilion in the Deodoro Fan Zone, where visitors can learn all about horses and the thrills of equestrian sport.

Support Olympic Equestrian using social tags #Equestrian #Eventing #Jumping #Dressage #ParaDressage #Rio2016 #Olympics #TwoHearts

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.

The equestrian events in Rio will be staged in the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest Olympic cluster, alongside basketball, BMX, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rugby sevens and shooting.

The countries represented in Equestrian in Rio are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They will compete in:

Jumping: 27 countries, 15 teams, 75 horse/rider combinations
Eventing: 24 countries, 13 teams, 65 horse/rider combinations
Dressage: 25 countries, 11 teams, 60 horse/rider combinations

FEI Media Contacts:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Fabulous French Grab Olympic Eventing Team Gold

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Astier Nicolas and Piaf de B’Neville. (Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 9 August 2016 – France clinched team gold in Olympic Eventing at the Olympic Equestrian Venue at Deodoro Park, with defending champions Germany in silver and Australia slipping from the overnight lead to bronze. In a cliff-hanger of a contest it came down to the last four into the arena to decide the result.

The Australians led as the day began, but with only a 4.5 point advantage over their New Zealand neighbours while the French were just 6.2 further adrift and the Germans were stalking the leading pack over 11 penalty points further behind. France was the only one of the leading sides to go into the closing phase with a fully intact four-member team, however, and in the end that proved the clincher.

The 12-fence track tested the turning skills of horses that took on one of the toughest Olympic Eventing cross-country tracks of all time Monday. But most were jumping fresh and well again and the pure quality of the four French horses was key to success.

Australia’s grip on the lead was severely undermined by a cricket score for their opener, Stuart Tinney, whose horse Pluto Mio kicked out four fences and also went over the time-allowed to collect a very expensive 17 faults. This dropped Australia into bronze medal spot, and left New Zealand out in front despite a single mistake from opener Jonelle Price with Faerie Dianimo. With the luxury of the full four-rider side the French were already looking very comfortable after fabulous rounds from both Karim Laghouag with Entebbe and Thibaut Vallette riding Qing de Briot, but they began to look vulnerable when Mathieu Lemoine’s Bart L got tired towards the end of the track and left two fences on the floor for eight faults.

The Kiwis’ lead, meanwhile, was further enhanced by a great clear from Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation, while the Australians held their ground when Sam Griffiths returned on a zero score with Paulank Brockagh. Their chance of gold was gone, but they would hold onto bronze if the man who has led the individual standings throughout the competition, Christopher Burton, could bring Santano II home without incident.

As the final moments played out, however, the Germans loomed large on the horizon when Sandra Auffarth (Opgun Louvo), Ingrid Klimke (Bob) and Michael Jung (Sam) posted three superb clears to pile the pressure on the three teams ahead of them. The French didn’t flinch, and a foot-perfect run from Astier Nicolas and Piaf de B’Neville meant France posted a finishing score of 169.0 penalties.

It was still all to play for, and legendary double Olympic gold medallist Mark Todd came in as anchorman for New Zealand, but a heart-wrenching 16 faults with Leonidas ll sent Kiwi chances crashing down. Their finishing score of 178.80 left them almost three penalty points behind the Germans and now only an Australian meltdown could keep them on the podium.

And the drama lasted to the very end. Australia’s Burton and Santano picked up eight faults to round up the Aussie finishing score to 175.30 for bronze, relegating New Zealand to fourth, 3.5 points adrift

Todd was tipped for the sixth Olympic medal of his career which would have been a New Zealand record. “That will be one of the biggest lows in my career. The whole week was a roller coaster ride. After yesterday’s cross country we were still in with a chance and then – boom – you’re out. I was hoping to go out on a high. Leonidas is such a good jumper but he got wound up when going into the arena. I thought he would settle but he got more and more rattled,” said the shattered 60-year-old Kiwi legend.

The French, however, were on a high. This is the first gold and only the second medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the country that has only won two previous team medals in Eventing – a bronze in Rome in 1960 and gold at Athens in 2004.

“This is fantastic,” a clearly thrilled Astier Nicolas said afterwards. “There was a lot of pressure going into this, and really I just had to do what I could for the team. But even though there was a lot of pressure, I didn’t let it bother me. I really enjoyed my round and I am very happy. It’s just fantastic. It is an immense pleasure to be part of this team that has won gold for France. It is something we have waited for a long time, and it’s amazing.”

And Nicolas could add to that medal tally as he goes into Tuesday afternoon’s top-25 individual final in the silver medal spot.

FEI OLYMPIC HUB: For further information visit the FEI Olympic Hub which is dedicated to all things Olympic and Paralympic, both old and new: here.

Support Olympic Equestrian using social tags #Equestrian #Eventing #Jumping #Dressage #ParaDressage #Rio2016 #Olympics #TwoHearts

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.

The equestrian events in Rio will be staged in the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest Olympic cluster, alongside basketball, BMX, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rugby sevens and shooting.

The countries represented in Equestrian in Rio are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They will compete in:

Jumping: 27 countries, 15 teams, 75 horse/rider combinations
Eventing: 24 countries, 13 teams, 65 horse/rider combinations
Dressage: 25 countries, 11 teams, 60 horse/rider combinations

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

Rio 2016:

Anja Krabbe
Venue Media Manager
anja.krabbe@rio2016.com
+55 (21) 97556 1218

FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

Aussies in Front after Spectacular Olympic Eventing Cross-Country Challenge

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Christopher Burton and Santano ll. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 8 August 2016 – Australia, Eventing team gold medallists in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, heads both the team and individual standings in Olympic Eventing after a day of cross-country thrills, spills and surprises at the Rio 2016 Olympic Equestrian Venue in Deodoro, topping the teams on 150.3 and with Christopher Burton in pole position in the individual rankings with Santano II. But their neighbours from New Zealand are stalking them closely going into Tuesday’s final showjumping phase, just 4.5 penalties adrift, with the French in hot pursuit in overnight bronze a further 6.2 off the pace.

Germany, London 2012 team gold medalists and leaders after dressage, dropped to fourth on 172.8, while Britain’s William Fox-Pitt plummeted from pole position on the individual leaderboard to 22nd after a runout at the final element of the Ski Jump at fence 20 on a course that all the riders agreed was an enormous test. The statistics tell the tale of a tough day at the office, with eight of the 13 teams reduced to just three team-members, and USA and Russia no longer in contention after retirements and eliminations.

Only Brazil, France and Great Britain will have full four-member sides as Tuesday’s action begins, provided all goes well in the early-morning horse inspection.

Influential

It was clear from the outset that the 33-fence track would prove hugely influential, and with three of the first eight riders biting the dirt it more than lived up to expectations.

Sam Griffiths got the Australians off to the perfect start, however, when cruising home with the lovely Irish mare, Paulank Brockagh, with only 6.8 time penalties to add to his dressage score, and when Burton and his super-talented nine-year-old, Santano ll, produced one of just three zero scores on the day then things were looking even better. That was reinforced by another great run from Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio who put just 2.8 time penalties on the board, so even though Shane Rose was eliminated late on the track with CP Qualified they still went out in front at the end of the day.

With New Zealand pathfinder Tim Price out of the picture after a slip-up on the flat, the remaining Kiwis had no choice but to keep it together and they succeeded brilliantly, the legendary Sir Mark Todd (Leonidas ll), Clarke Johnstone (Balmoral Sensation) and Tim Price’s wife, Jonelle Price (Faerie Dianimo) each collecting just time faults to leave them on a scoreline of 154.80.

Meanwhile, Astier Nicolas (Piaf de B’Neville) set up the French with a fault-free run so they could drop the 50.40 collected by Karim Laghouag (Entebbe) who ran into trouble at the first of the two angled brush fences at 12.  Team-mate Thibaut Valette (Qing du Briot) also faulted at this one but came home with a relatively modest 24.4 penalties to add, while Mathieu Lemoine (Bart L), individually third after dressage, took a careful tour of the track, and the final team tally of 161.00 was good enough for overnight third.

Successive

The German dream of a third successive team title took a hammering despite a brilliant clear from defending team and individual Olympic champion Michael Jung (Sam) when Julia Krajewski (Samourai du Thot) was eliminated, so mistakes from Sandra Auffarth (Opgun Louvo) and Ingrid Klimke (Bob) had to be taken into account to drop the team from first to fourth.

But Jung (40.9 penalties) is stalking individual leader, Burton (37.6), very closely and with less than a single fence advantage the 34-year-old Australian will be under extreme pressure Tuesday. Frenchman Nicolas is just 1.1 penalty points further behind in third, while Kiwi Todd (46.0) just shades America’s Philip Dutton (Mighty Nice) on 46.8 and Boyd Martin (Blackfoot Mystery), 50.9 in fifth and sixth. Burton said his horse is “very inexperienced” so he took some longer options on the course, “but the horse is so fast. I couldn’t believe it… he is a rocket!”

Sensationally, Brazil’s Carlos Parro has rocketed up all the way from 33rd place after dressage to hold equal-seventh spot with New Zealand’s Clarke Johnston (Balmoral Sensation). Riding Summon up the Blood, and on a day when so many of the major stars of the sport failed to find the key to the course set by Frenchman Pierre Michelet, the 37-year-old Brazilian, 236th in the world rankings, will be taking on the very best in the battle for Olympic glory. And his team is lying fifth ahead of The Netherlands in sixth as the new day begins.

Unfolded

As the competition unfolded, riders quickly learned from those who went before them, but tackling the many complex questions on the course still proved a difficult task. The reality was that only a speedy run on the direct routes would be fully rewarded, but that meant risking a glance-off or stop if the skinny combination obstacles in particular didn’t come up right. In all there were 15 eliminations and two retirements while 38 of the 65 starters collected fence penalties.

Of the top 18 riders going into Tuesday’s showjumping phase, the first three all completed without adding anything to their dressage score and the remainder picked up only time penalties. In all, 27 horse-and-rider combinations had clear jumping rounds and this group included some very special horses like the 10-year-old gelding, The Duke of Cavan, who carried Japan’s Oiwa Yoshiaki through the extremely challenging double of brush corners at fence six on the direct route to slot into 17th spot, and the super-honest 13-year-old Ranco who wasn’t going to be rushed but who did himself and his Chilean rider, Carlos Lobos Munoz, justice as he carefully negotiated the entire track to finish 30th.

All four of the British contingent collected both fence and time penalties to slot into eighth place and Fox-Pitt was clearly disappointed at his own result. “I had a very good round; it was just annoying that I went off at that third element (of the Ski Jump). It was my fault entirely. I went too quickly I think… and there was no way I could turn him. He didn’t do anything wrong. Watching those first few horses, you could see the course was asking questions all the way, and a lot of them weren’t coming up with the answers,” he added.

Clear

French pathfinder Astier Nicolas was just third to go with Piaf de B’Neville and returned clear within the time. “It was such a good feeling. I realised the pressure – I had to do well for my team-mates, and that’s a huge feeling. I didn’t expect to have such stress and joy for the team competition. It’s a very demanding course and there’s never a place to drop your reins and let him breathe,” he said after moving up from 11th to third place.

Michael Jung’s clear promoted him to silver medal spot, but he said he didn’t have an easy time before he set off on his cross-country run. “The warm-up was difficult on Sam’s nerves. The loudspeakers, horses galloping by, the cheering spectators. He was already sweaty in the stables. He was overly motivated in the beginning but nevertheless wonderful. He gave me a good feeling and was still fresh at the finish line and staying inside the time was easier than I expected,” he explained.

Mark Todd said, “I had instructions from the team to stay safe and clear. Fence six had me worried but it was mostly a perfect round. The horse (Leonidas ll) was brilliant all the way through. I was told to take one long route and briefly thought, ‘do I disregard the order?’ But then I thought I should better behave myself!”

Exceeded

Individual leader, Christopher Burton, said that finding himself in gold medal spot going into the final day “has far exceeded my expectations!” He’s not getting too carried away, however. “My horse is good at dressage and I was told to take one long route and it worked out, so I’m just going to enjoy today and for tomorrow? Whatever….”

Course designer, Pierre Michelet, felt he had provided plenty of different options for the riders to get themselves around the track. “You could change your mind and take a different route if you needed it,” he said, “but I was surprised there were a lot of run-outs and dramatic things happening!”

Sir Mark Todd summed it all up. “I want to thank Pierre for building this course because if he hadn’t then we (New Zealand) wouldn’t be in silver medal position tonight! The course offered alternatives to everyone; it was perfectly jumpable but if you wanted to made a medal position then you had to go direct and fast.”

The next hurdle to cross is the final horse inspection at 08.00 Tuesday morning before the medal-deciding showjumping phase of Eventing which will begin at 10.00.

Quotes:

Mark Todd (NZL), talking about negotiating the “frog” fence at the end of the Fisherman’s Lake complex: “It was a relief to get over that one. The fences are coming quick and fast… two hedges and then the frog – that is hard at 570 metres a minute. There is no room for error.”

Sam Griffiths (AUS): “It was a tough course and I was lucky to be on such a good horse. I am over the moon. What a star. To go straight overall you must be a gold medal rider.”

Tim Price (NZL), talking about his fall on the flat on the way to fence 24 with Ringwood Sky Boy: “You walk the course so many times, you make so many plans and then you go out and fall over! But that is the nature of the game. I had planned the long route (at 23/24) from the beginning and on the first turn it happened. I am so gutted. My horse is absolutely fine.”

Boyd Martin (USA): “I’m so grateful I was on an old racehorse from Kentucky (Blackfoot Mystery)!  He kept fighting the whole way home. It’s one of those courses where you can’t ease up for one second. You’ve got to jump, get through one fence then think about the next.

“I’m relieved. My biggest fear was letting everyone down, especially the group that bought him, my team-mates, and my country. The biggest thing that motivates me is to not fail. I have to say, I thought I was fit but I’m not (laughs). I ride events week after week after week and I’ve never been gassed (short of breath) after cross country, which goes to show how hard I had to work to get him around!”

Astier Nicolas (FRA): “I feel very proud this evening being in third place amongst riders like these! If I ride until Mark’s age I still have 33 years to go! We have three relatively young talents on our team, and it’s great for us all to be here.”

Results here

FEI OLYMPIC HUB: For further information visit the FEI Olympic Hub which is dedicated to all things Olympic and Paralympic, both old and new: here.

Support Olympic Equestrian using social tags #Equestrian #Eventing #Jumping #Dressage #ParaDressage #Rio2016 #Olympics #TwoHearts

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.

The equestrian events in Rio will be staged in the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest Olympic cluster, alongside basketball, BMX, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rugby sevens and shooting.

The countries represented in Equestrian in Rio are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They will compete in:

Jumping: 27 countries, 15 teams, 75 horse/rider combinations
Eventing: 24 countries, 13 teams, 65 horse/rider combinations
Dressage: 25 countries, 11 teams, 60 horse/rider combinations

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

Rio 2016:

Anja Krabbe
Venue Media Manager
anja.krabbe@rio2016.com
+55 (21) 97556 1218

FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin Stand Fifth and Six after Cross-Country at Rio Olympic Games

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Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Cross-country, the heart of eventing competition, proved to be demanding for the 64 athlete-and-horse combinations who contested Pierre Michelet’s technical course at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro on Monday. Only three entries finished double-clear, and only 26 crossed the finish without jumping penalties. U.S. veterans Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin rode brilliantly and stand fifth and sixth, respectively, entering Tuesday’s concluding show jumping phase. Dutton and Martin were the only members of the U.S. team to complete the course, dropping the U.S. from contention in the team competition.

Technical and bold, Michelet’s course was packed with angles, skinnies, and corners, and it radically changed the individual and team standings. Australia now leads the team competition with a score of 150.30, followed by New Zealand in second with 154.80, and France in third with 161.

Riding penultimate in the order, Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and HND Group’s Mighty Nice set out on course focused on taking the most direct route. They survived a suspenseful bobble at fence 6b, a corner brush, and were able to keep on target and finish with only 3.20 time penalties. Dutton moves forward into tomorrow’s show jumping phase with a score of 46.80.

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

“That (fence 6b) actually surprised me a bit,” said Dutton. “He must not have quite understood it, and then I held him in and just got it done, and then I was just trying to catch up for time. He jumped beautifully after that. He’s not the fastest horse; he’s not a Thoroughbred, but he fought really hard right to the very end and came home nicely.”

Leading the charge as first out for the U.S. on cross-country was Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) on the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate LLC’s Blackfoot Mystery. Cruising out of the start box, Martin produced a fast, clean round, and even after taking the alternate route at two obstacles, picked up just 3.20 time penalties. Adding to his dressage score of 47.70, he finished the day with a score of 50.90.

“This was one of the most physical and demanding courses. It was intense,” Martin said. “He [Blackfoot Mystery] is a racehorse from Kentucky, and he kept fighting the whole way home; he tried his heart out for every jump. He has speed and endurance; I’m so pleased with him.” Regarding tomorrow’s show jumping competition, Martin added, “He’s fit and sound. I think I’ll have plenty of horse for tomorrow.”

Second on course for the U.S was Clark Montgomery (Bryan, Texas), piloting Holly and William Becker, Kathryn Kraft, and Jessica Montgomery’s Loughan Glen. Showing signs of a strong ride out of the start box, Montgomery and Loughan Glen experienced a refusal at fence 4, the first water complex, drifting to the left, something which continued to be problematic throughout the course. Montgomery ultimately retired on course at fence 17b, an open corner that caused trouble for many.

First-time Olympian Lauren Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) with Team Rebecca LLC’s Veronica set out on course looking fit and keen. Their strong ride came to an abrupt end, however, when a hung leg at fence 24, a gate, produced a fall that eliminated them from competition. “It’s certainly not the outcome I wanted,” said Kieffer. “She (Veronica) was being really good and going the direct route. She hit the gate with her right front, and for a second I thought she would save it. My job first and foremost was to get a clean round, and it’s pretty disappointing that I let the team down. She’s fine; she started jigging on the way to the vet box and acting like her normal self.”

Leading the individual standings after the cross-country phase is Australia’s Christopher Burton riding Santano II on his dressage score of 37.60. In second is Michael Jung of Germany with Sam FBW with 40.9 penalties, and Astier Nicolas riding Piaf De B’Neville, representing France, is third on a score of 42.0.

The eventing competition concludes on Tuesday at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro with show jumping.

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Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.

Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department

FEI, Olympic Games

Rio 2016 Equine Athletes Have World-Class Veterinary Care on Tap in Deodoro

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(Right) Brazil’s Dr Thomas Wolff, President of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Veterinary Commission, leads a 130-strong world-class team of veterinary experts, including leading surgeon Carlos Eduardo Veiga (left), anaesthetists, imaging specialists and veterinary professionals from Brazil and around the world at the hi-tech veterinary clinic in the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro. (Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI).

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 7 August 2016 – The world’s best equine athletes at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro are now poised to help their human companions win medals for eventing, dressage and showjumping, and as they focus on the prize they have access to a hi-tech veterinary facility like no other.

Located at the Deodoro stables, the 1,000 sq metre horse clinic features everything needed to keep over 200 horses from 43 countries fit and well throughout the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with specialists ready to care for every need around the clock. The clinic will also be fully operational for the Paralympic horses that will come to Deodoro next month.

Manned by a 130-strong team of veterinary surgeons, anaesthetists, imaging specialists and medical professionals from Brazil and around the world, the clinic includes the latest pathology, endoscopy, radiography and ultrasonography technology, as well as a dispensary, emergency surgery facility with padded recovery boxes, and specialist treatment stables.

The clinic offers routine supportive veterinary care and, should any emergency first-aid be required, the specialists are on-site to treat the horses. Nine specially equipped horse ambulances will also be on the venue if any horses need to be transported to the clinic. In addition to the clinic, a network of physiotherapists is on hand to keep the horses in top form, while the horses’ temperatures, food and water intake, and weight are permanently monitored by their grooms and veterinary specialists.

Chilled out

While the Games are taking place in Brazil’s winter season, there can be weather fluctuations, so keeping horses cool in Rio is a major focus.

Horses cope with heat very differently to human athletes because of their size but, just like humans, getting their core temperature down after exercise is key.

Every day, over 46,000 litres of water and 400kg of ice to chill the water is being used across the Olympic Equestrian Centre just for washing down horses after training and competition.

Tents housing banks of cooling fans, used for both the equine and human athletes, are available at the finish of Sunday’s eventing cross country phase, and next to the training and warm-up arenas for jumping and dressage, keeping Rio 2016’s most-muscled athletes chilled.

“The health and wellbeing of our horses is the top priority during these Games,” said Brazil’s Dr Thomas Wolff, President of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Veterinary Commission. “Many of our horses on site have their own team veterinarians, and it’s great to see how impressed they are with our facilities.”

Wolff (65), who will be working directly with Olympic Veterinary Services Manager, Brazil’s Juliana de Freitas (40), has been the Brazilian Equestrian Federation’s head veterinarian for the last 15 years. He was Brazilian team vet at the Seoul and Beijing Olympic Games, and runs his own practice in Sao Paolo specialising in horses competing in the three Olympic disciplines – Jumping, Eventing and Dressage – and racing.

“Our horses always deserve the very best, and at these first Games in South America, they’re getting just that. We know everything about every horse on site every second of the day thanks to our monitoring system, and with the world’s best veterinary care on offer for our horses we’re now very much looking forward to seeing medals won and new Olympic records set in Rio.”

Support Olympic Equestrian using social tags #Equestrian #Eventing #Jumping #Dressage #ParaDressage #Rio2016 #Olympics #TwoHearts

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.

The equestrian events in Rio will be staged in the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest Olympic cluster, alongside basketball, BMX, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rugby sevens and shooting.

The countries represented in Equestrian in Rio are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They will compete in:

Jumping: 27 countries, 15 teams, 75 horse/rider combinations
Eventing: 24 countries, 13 teams, 65 horse/rider combinations
Dressage: 25 countries, 11 teams, 60 horse/rider combinations

Media Contacts:

Rio 2016:

Anja Krabbe
Venue Media Manager
anja.krabbe@rio2016.com
+55 (21) 97556 1218

FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

Klimke Secures Narrow German Lead in Olympic Eventing ahead of Cross-Country

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Ingrid Klimke’s anchor ride with Bob. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 7 August 2016 – A brilliant ride by Ingrid Klimke maintained Team Germany’s lead as Eventing dressage drew to a close at Deodoro Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro (BRA). But her score of 39.50 with Bob gives the defending Olympic champions only a fractional advantage of 0.2 penalties over the feisty French side going into Monday’s much-anticipated cross-country phase.

In a typical Olympic contest, during which some competitors exceeded expectations while others couldn’t find the performances they were looking for, it was the mark of 39.20 earned by Mathieu Lemoine and the elegant Bart L that put the French right into the frame. So, fourth-last to go, Klimke could feel the pressure, but the 48-year-old daughter of dressage legend Reiner Klimke, who scooped eight Olympic medals during his spectacular career, kept a cool head.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, however.

“Bob was quite excited outside in the warm-up and he was bucking, but when he came into the arena he just went, ‘OK, here I am, I’m ready – if you want let’s go for it!’” she said afterwards.

Little

There’s very little between the leading group of countries going into Monday’s cross-country phase, with the Australians lying third, just over four penalty points behind the French, and the British just one more point further adrift in fourth. The Irish moved up a place to fifth thanks to a great performance from Jonty Evans and Cooley’s Rorkes Drift, while New Zealand and USA share sixth.

First-day leader, Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, remains at the head of the individual standings with Australia’s Christopher Burton hot on his heels, and Lemoine has slotted into third and Klimke into fourth, while defending double-Olympic champion, Michael Jung, is next in line in fifth place. With less than five points separating the top 10 riders, however, and few, if any, expected to avoid time penalties while negotiating the tough track set by French course designer, Pierre Michelet, the stage is set for a tremendous day of cross-country action Monday.

“I haven’t seen such a challenging course since Sydney (2000 Olympic Games). My Bobby is fast and he is a mature horse so he should cope well and I’m looking forward to it. But we know that when we go out there we have to do a very precise job tomorrow,” Klimke said.

Surprises

There were surprises of various kinds as the day-two session played out, with some dreams beginning to unravel while others were just starting to take shape. The latter was the case for Jonty Evans who produced a personal-best score at championship level when posting 41.80 with Cooley’s Rorkes Drift. This has left him lying ninth individually and has anchored his country’s chances going into their more-favoured cross-country phase. The judges clearly appreciated the quality of the canterwork of his 10-year-old gelding, one of 11 Irish-bred horses in the field of 65 starters. Evans said, “I’m thrilled to bits with him; he couldn’t have done any more today – he couldn’t have tried any harder.”

China’s Alex Hua Tian enjoyed some moments of brilliance in his test, but had to settle for 42.40 and 12th place at the end of the day with Don Geniro. “I made two big mistakes; the judges really wanted to give me good mark – but I nailed all the changes I think,” he said. “The first entry was great; he has a massive extended trot but he took an unbalanced step and broke into canter. It’s very frustrating because it’s the extended that gives him his big scores!” he pointed out.

Belgium’s Karen Donckers slotted herself into seventh individually when posting 41.10 with Fletcha van’t Verahof, but it was two competitive results from Lemoine and Thibaut Valette (Qing du Briot) who put 41.00 on the board that kept the French team right in the frame. Meanwhile, Australia’s Shane Rose really did the business with CP Qualified whose 42.50 ensured the 56.80 posted by Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio could be discounted.

Tense

Many of the horses were tense coming into the arena, but Rose reassured his 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding with a big pat on the neck before going to work into the arena, and was rewarded with a very pleasant performance. Last-line British rider, Kitty King, found herself struggling from the start, however, with the Dutch-bred Ceylor LAN. And another for whom things didn’t go quite the right way was New Zealand’s Jonelle Price whose nine-year-old, Faerie Dianimo, broke into a canter during their early trot-work, eventually posting 49.50. “I was very disappointed,” she said “He was really hot in the warm-up but I was hoping for better in the arena. It was too bad it happened at the Olympic Games, but I’m hoping for a much better day tomorrow.”

Klimke’s vital anchor ride for Germany might also have been blighted by over-enthusiasm, but she managed to get all the fizz under control at just the right moment and pulled off that all-important score that has kept Germany out in front in the race for the team medals. “I was so pleased in the end; he did a fabulous test,” she said of the 12-year-old Bob.

Influencing

Every one of the riders agrees, however, that dressage will not be the all-influencing factor in Eventing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Pierre Michelet has thought long and hard about how to challenge the most experienced riders in the sport along with those who have relatively less mileage on the clock.

“I want the best to win without asking too big questions of the less experienced riders. The reputation of the sport is important. I want to challenge the riders and I ask them to find clever solutions for the many options on offer. To get on the podium they will need to be brave, accurate and bold,” he said. There has indeed been a lot of course-walking going on over the last few days as riders make their plans and then alter them and settle on new ones that will get them home on the quickest and safest route.

“This course is not about one signature fence; it’s about clearing all of them! I ask the difficult questions from the start; that is my signature. The first water will be fence no. 4 already. The riders need to be ready from step one.”

Track

Talking about creating the lovely track that wends its way up and downhill through the land that surround the Deodoro military complex, he explained, “We started three years ago, first with an architectural firm to map out the track and the walkways and then the track builders started to work with improving the ground. Then we decided the spots for the fences. I came to Brazil in December for a month and the final details took two weeks. The layout was the same for the test event in 2015, but all the fences are new because of the different level of difficulty,” he pointed out.

Cross-country day looks set to be a thriller, and it seems it’s going to be a wide-open race for the medals right down to the final day. There is almost nothing between the Germans and French at the head of affairs, and with the British so close to the Australians who are currently in bronze medal spot and Ireland, New Zealand and USA a real threat to any of those ahead of them who might lose their grip there’s no room for error over a course that, the night before they take it on, may well be giving many of the world’s top event riders a restless night’s sleep.

Quotes:

Pippa Funnell (GBR): “I was really, really pleased with his [Billy the Biz] performance; I was thrilled with him. There were a few little bits here and there, but if I’m honest I think I’m being greedy; if I think of where he came from three years ago I’m thrilled.”

Kitty King (GBR): “It was slightly disappointing because he’s capable of a lot better; he did some good work but he just made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes. One of his highlights is usually his medium trot, but it’s a massive atmosphere for the horse and he’s only nine. Today wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for but hopefully we’ll pull some back tomorrow.”

Pierre Michelet course designer (FRA), when asked about the Ground Jury’s opinion of his cross-country track: “They said it is fantastic, but they are always polite!”

Nick Turner, Irish Chef d’Equipe, talking about the competitive position of his team after dressage: “We are doing great and now we just need to keep a lid on it. They (the Irish team) just need to keep doing what they’re doing. This result is why these four riders were selected.”

Results after Eventing Dressage, Day 2 here  

FEI OLYMPIC HUB: For further information visit the FEI Olympic Hub which is dedicated to all things Olympic and Paralympic, both old and new: here.

Support Olympic Equestrian using social tags #Equestrian #Eventing #Jumping #Dressage #ParaDressage #Rio2016 #Olympics #TwoHearts

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.

The equestrian events in Rio will be staged in the Deodoro Olympic Park, the second largest Olympic cluster, alongside basketball, BMX, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, mountain biking, rugby sevens and shooting.

The countries represented in Equestrian in Rio are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They will compete in:

Jumping: 27 countries, 15 teams, 75 horse/rider combinations
Eventing: 24 countries, 13 teams, 65 horse/rider combinations
Dressage: 25 countries, 11 teams, 60 horse/rider combinations

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

Rio 2016:

Anja Krabbe
Venue Media Manager
anja.krabbe@rio2016.com
+55 (21) 97556 1218

FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

US Olympic Eventing Team Tied for Sixth after Dressage at Rio Olympic Games

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Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Eventing competition at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro continued on Sunday with the second day of dressage. The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team moved up from seventh place and is now tied with New Zealand for sixth place on a total of 137.50. Lauren Kieffer and Phillip Dutton gave strong performances for the U.S. in a hotly contested team competition. Germany currently leads the team standings on a total of 122, followed closely by France in second on 122.20, and Australia in third on 126.40.

Leading off day two of dressage for the U.S. was Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) on Team Rebecca LLC’s Veronica. The pair performed a beautifully consistent test with expressive trot work, but received low marks for the final collected canter and salute, earning a 47.30. “She was really good,” expressed Kieffer of the mare. “Her trot work was really nice – probably some of her strongest trot work. The walk tends to be her more difficult gait and she was quite good through that. I was happy with the canter. I think she missed the one change, but she seemed to really get punished at the end so I am bit disappointed with our score for sure.” Looking forward to Monday’s cross-country, Kieffer said, “The cross-country is very strong and I have a feeling by the end of tomorrow, today won’t matter much. It’s certainly a very strong track, one of the strongest tracks I’ve ever done. The footing is great through. There are lots of options to get home if you are having trouble. If you want to go for the win, you are really going to have to take some risks and it’s going to be tough out there.”

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Anchoring the U.S. team was six-time Olympian Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) with HND Group’s Mighty Nice. Giving a clutch performance, Dutton rode Mighty Nice to a personal best for the pair at the four-star level, a 43.60. They are now the highest-placed American combination in 15th. With the exception of a bobble in the final flying change, the test flowed nicely and impressed in the canter work. “Obviously, you can always be better,” said Dutton. “The last flying change wasn’t that great, but there’s a lot of atmosphere in there and I couldn’t be more proud of my horse. I was hoping to get close to 40. That’s close to as good as he can do right now.” Turning his focus to cross-country, Dutton said, “I think it’s going to be difficult. I am at an advantage to see how it’s riding [Dutton goes penultimate in the order], but it’s a pretty unique kind of course. I think time is going to play a part and it’s going to cause a fair bit of trouble. It will be interesting to see some team strategies. What they are going to do and how they are going to go. Because the time is going to be hard to get, there is pressure all the way around. It’s going to be a proper competition.”

The top of the individual leaderboard did not change much with Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt maintaining the lead on a score of 37.0 on his horse Chilli Morning and Australia’s Christopher Burton and Santano II holding second on 37.60. Mathieu Lemoine and Bart L took over third individually on a score of 39.20 for France.

NBCOlympics.com Livestream

Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.

Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department

FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Statement from FEI President on Russian National Paralympic Committee Decision by IPC

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“We are very disappointed with today’s IPC decision. Like our Paralympic athletes from all other countries, our three Russian athletes have trained hard to make it to the Paralympic Games and we are troubled that today’s announcement means they cannot participate in Rio. Just as for the Olympic Games, we believe the individual International Federations should be given the opportunity to defend the rights of their clean athletes. Today’s IPC decision does not give us that opportunity. We will not embark on any reallocation process until the appeal period has expired and any potential procedures have concluded.”

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games

US Olympic Eventing Team Seventh after First Day of Dressage at Rio Olympic Games

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Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – After day one of eventing competition at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro, the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team sits in seventh place. Boyd Martin and Clark Montgomery put in solid performances among the 32 combinations that competed Saturday in day one of dressage before the ground jury of Marilyn Payne (USA), Andrew Bennie (NZL), and Sandy Phillips (GBR).

The trailblazer for the U.S. team was Martin (Cochranville, Pa.), riding the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate LLC’s Blackfoot Mystery. Martin guided the gelding brilliantly in the electric atmosphere, scoring 47.70. Martin was proud of the gelding, stating, “He’s still a bit inexperienced and he did get a little bit excited with the cheering, but he kept his cool and did a good job. I was thrilled there were no big mistakes. I couldn’t have asked for much more.” Martin currently stands in 17th place individually.

First-time Olympian Montgomery (Bryan, Texas) was the second ride for the U.S. team, ending his dressage test with a score of 46.60 on Holly and William Becker, Kathryn Kraft, and Jessica Montgomery’s Loughan Glen. The pair has a long history of strong dressage performances; unfortunately, though Saturday’s test started out quite well, Montgomery was a bit disappointed.  “He started out really well and I don’t know what happened,” said Montgomery. “He really sucked behind my leg, where he constantly wanted to walk or stop, but I squeezed every point I could out of him. He was really good in the warm-up, but that’s the sport and that’s horses.”

Montgomery has turned his focus to Monday’s cross-country phase, saying, “He’s a very good cross-country horse. He’s quite reliable, so that’s what we’re all hoping on. That’s how we made the team. We thought coming here that clean cross-country rounds were going to be a big part of the competition and that has definitely turned out to be true with what the course looks like.” Montgomery stands in 10th place individually after day one of dressage.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt stands as the current individual leader on a score of 37.0 on his horse Chilli Morning. Following right behind Fox-Pitt on a score of 37.60 is Christopher Burton with Santano II, riding for Australia. Michael Jung from Germany holds third place on Sam FBW with a 40.9.

In the team standings, Germany, Australia, and Great Britain are at the top of the leaderboard, respectively. The U.S. sits seventh on a total of 94.30, with all countries very close at the top of the leaderboard.

Riding for the U.S. team on day two of dressage will be Lauren Kieffer on Team Rebecca LLC’s Veronica. Anchoring the U.S. team is six-time Olympian Phillip Dutton on HND Group’s Mighty Nice.

Day one dressage results

NBCOlympics.com Livestream

Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.

Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department