After a rainy start to eventing on Saturday, a bright and sunny Sunday dawned and 40,000 people enjoyed the most spectacular day of cross-country over the picturesque grounds of the Palace of Versailles. French course designer Pierre Le Goupil, who also designed the cross-country tracks for both the FEI European Championships and Pan American Games in Chile last year, included 41 jumping efforts for the day that only 10 combinations managed with no faults added. Canada improved its placing to 11th while Great Britain remains the leader followed by France and Japan.
Canada’s pathfinder, Mike Winter and El Mundo, were clear with time faults. (Cara Grimshaw photo)
Canada’s pathfinder was Mike Winter and El Mundo, who had a clear round with 14.40 time faults to finish the day in 38th with a score of 49.60.
“I’m really happy with him,” said Winter of his KWPN gelding El Mundo. “I tried to be a good caretaker of my position of going first and put a score on the board, and a good caretaker of my horse’s well-being to give him the best possible ride I could around there and bring him home safely with a score that can contribute to the team.”
Indeed, the new format, which does not allow for a drop score, played a significant factor over the day when both Germany (second after dressage) and Australia (eighth after dressage) had riders eliminated. Germany’s Christophe Wahler and Carjatan S fell at a skinny element of jump 16, although both walked away unharmed. Australia’s Kevin McNab’s pulled up his horse Don Quidam when he showed signs of lameness on course, which was later determined to be a soft tissue injury from which he is expected to make a full recovery. Polish rider Jan Kaminski and Jard were also eliminated, although the team was already ranked 15th. The result is that Germany dropped to 14th, Australia dropped to 15th, and Poland trails in 16th.
Karl Slezak with Hot Bob were second on course for Canada and had their best result of the year. The pair added just 4.80 penalties to their dressage score for a total of 40.60 to jump up the ranks from 46th to 27th.
“She was phenomenal! She just came out of the box on fire,” beamed Slezak of his mare Hot Bobo. “When she comes out of the box like that, I just know we are going to have a good round.”
Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS had an unfortunate miss early on in the course but finished strongly. (Cara Grimshaw photo)
Riding in the anchor position for the first time, Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS were on form, but the very large crowds at the first water complex rattled the mare slightly, which led a refusal at jump 7b.
“She jumped into the first water beautifully,” explained Phoenix later. “She landed from the corner and just saw the mass of people and just took a moment and went a little bit within herself, came up that bank and jumped beautifully over the skinny and I just didn’t have quite enough room to get her going forward and ahead of my leg again. She jumped up the next bank and just literally never saw the birch rails.”
“You feel like you’ve let your entire team and country down,” said a disappointed Phoenix. “Anyhow, after that we regrouped and she was pure class. I’m so excited for this horse’s future. She just galloped around there with such speed and confidence and just got better and better as she went on. I’m really looking forward to show jumping tomorrow.”
All riders raved about the venue and the crowds, whose cheers you could hear throughout the grounds.
“This is the best Olympics I have ever taken part in,” said Phoenix who was on Canada’s 2016 team in Rio De Janeiro and 2012 team in London. “The venue, the jumps, the design, the people, the way this country is so welcoming, it is second to none and to be able to gallop through Versailles is indescribable.”
Current leader Michael Jung of Germany with Chipmunk FRH rode a brilliant clear to keep his dressage score intact. (Cara Grimshaw photo)
Great Britain, with a score of 82.50, has maintained a narrow lead over home team France, which has 87.20. Ros Canter received an unfortunate 15 faults for a flag issue aboard Lordships Graffalo, without which the team would be more comfortably ahead of France with two no-fault scores.
The team from Japan has jumped from fifth into third on the strength of two clear rounds – the only team that can boast that achievement. Yoshiaki Oiwa with MGH Grafton Street and Kazuma Tomoto on Vinci De La Vigne were both clear, while teammate Ryuzo Kitajima on Cekatinka had just 6.40 faults. All three Japanese riders are based in England. Oiwa purchased Pippa Funnels’s 2019 Burghley winner at the beginning of this year and the horse has remained in her yard ever since while Tomoto trains with William Fox-Pitt. Kitajima trains with Angela Tucker, who has been guiding the team for several years.
Great Britain’s Laura Collette and London 52 had a brilliant cross-country round, adding just .80 faults to their score to finish with 18.30, but Germany’s Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH had no faults and took the lead with a score of 17.80. Australia’s Christopher Burton also was fault-free and maintained his third place with a score of 22.0. Less than 12 faults separates the top 10 individuals and top three teams.
Eventing show jumping gets underway at 11 am local time with the final team competition and moves on to the individual eventing finals at 1 pm.
Results here.
Read Saturday’s dressage coverage here.
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