Several unexpected eliminations marked the first round of show jumping in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian course designer Guilherme Jorge built a large track, bigger than the first round in London, but it was the final line that caused the most issues. An oxer-vertical combination, off an awkward bend that rode slightly uphill, then 4 or 5 strides to the last jump, an oxer, caused many crashes and refusals today. Notables such as Nicola Philipaerts and Jur Vrieling on Zirocco Blue were disqualified for two refusals, while several others fell off.

Despite the upsets, there were 24 clear rounds produced by favourites like the current number-one ranked rider Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet Z, and defending gold medal champion Steve Guerdat and Nino des Buissonnets. Some lesser-known and/or lesser experienced riders also mastered the test, including the riders from Uruguay, Egypt, and a couple of the riders from Qatar making their Olympic debut.

Despite the rails, the riders were not overly concerned with today’s results. As more than one rider mentioned, if you are going to have a rail, today is the day to do it. The results don’t count toward the team total, and only serve to set the start list for the team final. After the team competition, the top 35 riders (with a max of 3 per team) will advance to the individual final where everyone will start from scratch.

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