Not much to report today other than the news from the show jumpers. I spent the day in the mixed-zone – which is an area the riders visit after their rounds to talk to the press. It’s great to hear the riders’ reactions to their own and their teammates performance, but you miss a lot of the action in the ring so I didn’t see many rounds. In fact, I was interviewing Doda when Eric was on course. I was paying attention, but obviously had my eye on Eric and let out a Whoop! when he was clear which was greeted by a mocking-stern look from Doda.
I’ve just had a chance to listen to some of the better quotes I got today. I thought I would share them with you in sequence so you can follow the thoughts of the riders as the day progressed.
Christian Ahlmann – He and Taloubet Z were the first in for Germany and produced their second clear round.
“It was big enough, but the jumps were quite easy. There were a lot of clear rounds, I didn’t expect that. Taloubet jumped in great shape. The first day he felt really, really good from the first to the last jump. We have a lot of clears today, I didn’t expect that. I’ll really have to stay concentrated because today one fault makes a huge difference. It’s not over, it’s a long way to go.”
– His teammates, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum with Fibonacci & Daniel Deusser and First Class, both had clear rounds while anchor Ludger Beerbaum and Casello were the drop score with four faults.
Ben Maher – Ben & Tic Tac were the second Brits on course, and had four faults. Nick Skelton and Big Star had been in first and had also scored four faults at the water.
“He jumped better today than the first day, actually. Made a couple changes today, he was a bit stronger the first day. It was one of those rounds where I’m not sure if I could have done any more. He was a little strong off the right turn back to the oxer. I felt my distance was good and just held my right hand to keep the line for the water, which was important. He just closed down behind; I think we could do it 10 times and he wouldn’t make that mistake. We are just a little short of luck on our team right now, but there is still a long way to go.”
On appealing the four faults Nick had at the water: “It’s very hard to see with this light. It can be deceptive when the horse actually misses the tape and the boot could be the thing that touched which doesn’t count. That would make a huge difference to our position right now so definitely worth an appeal.”
On what changes were made: “A slightly different bit, one that I’d used before with a slightly different shaped mouth piece that helped me hold him a bit more. With the atmosphere here and the bigger jumps, I don’t know him so well so I just felt I was a little bit the passenger the first day and today I was a bit more in charge. He goes in a rubber Pelham. This was a straighter one as opposed to a round one.”
On the new partnership with Tic Tac: “We did our first show at the end of March. We took is slowly, we’ve done some small competitions getting him fit because he was off for a little while. We went straight into the deep end in Nations’ Cups and really had to find our feet running. Obviously, it’s always an advantage to have your horse from the last Olympics to this one maybe, but I’m not in that position. He’s a great horse and I don’t know whether knowing him for one more month or two more years would have made a difference today.”
– John Whitaker and Ornellaia subsequently went on to have a refusal in the triple combination and lower several fences for a score of 23 faults which dropped the team out of contention for the final round and Whitaker out of the individual competition. A dramatic end to the Olympics for the storied rider who had been tied for first after a clear first round. The rest of the team remains qualified as individuals.
John Whitaker and Ornellaia’s second attempt at the triple combination, you can see that the rail as come off the top of the “A” element.
Sheikh Ali Al Thani – His teammate, Hanad Al Attiyah and Appagino 2, were first in and had five faults.
On the course: “To be honest, it’s not very hard as an Olympic course, but I can understand not to build the course too massive. My horse was in good form today, he really jumped very, very good. I did one mistake. I gave him one unnecessary push and it cost me the clear, it’s an expensive fault for the team.
I’m hoping that my friends get two clear rounds that we have more chance for the team. For myself, as an individual with the result I have, I’m pretty sure I’m qualified for tomorrow as an individual but I prefer that the team go, then individual.”
On his horse: “The horse is Belgian bred but a Brizilian rider bought him as a young horse and brought him to Brazil and then he came back to Europe. I brought him from Europe, but he’s from Brazilian owner. He’s famous in Brazil – everybody takes a picture of him outside, they know him!” (The Brazilian rider that originally owned this horse is Yuri Mansur Guerios)
– The third Qatari, Yousef Al Rumaihi riding Gunder had a single time fault, while the last rider, Bassem Hassan Mohammed and Dejavu, had a rail. The team registered a score of 9 faults and finished in 9th, just one point away from making it into the final in their Olympic debut. All but the first rider remain qualified for the individual competition and will compete again tomorrow.
Kevin Staut – The first French rider was Philippe Rozier and Rahotep de Toscane who had four faults.
“It was really happy. Reveur did a super job today. I had a small touch on the number one but he did an amazing round and now I’m really focused on the results of my two colleagues, Bosty and Penelope. It’s really important to do some clear rounds because we have America leading with many clears. Germany in front. We also have some teams that have some difficulties today. I think it will be really hard to stay in the top eight teams, so I’m focused on the team result. I’m happy for myself, but tonight I have time to think about that, now I’m just focused on the team.”
The French have been plagued with a series of problems. Just days before the Games were about to start, Simon Delestre’s horse, Ryan, had to be withdrawn after an exam found a micro-fracture in his hock. Philippe Rozier, the travelling alternate, was called into action. Then, just two days before competition started, Penelope’s horse, Flora de Mariposa, had a colic scare. The mare recovered to compete in the first competition, but stumbled a bit on landing after a jump, tossing Penelope on the ground, but luckily she walked away.
“It was difficult since we arrived in Rio. We have the injury of Ryan from Simon, he’s a good friend of mine. He was disappointed when he had to leave, but we had to focus on our job and what we had to do. Then the small problem during the night with Flora and then Penelope falling, but then maybe it helps to fight more and to be really, really angry. We are fighting a lot and it doesn’t matter the results will count at the end but we are still here. We are four to compete and will do our best.”
On the team placing 12th at the 2012 Olympics, then earning silver at the 2014 WEGs, and strong contenders here: “For all of us in London it was the first Olympics, and we couldn’t imagine the atmosphere and how it’s different from the WEG or from the European Championships. I think it was a really bad experience, but also really good for Rio. Now we arrived for the opening ceremonies. We have been here for 10 days, which is really long with just one horse. We are all friends so it’s really good, but it’s hard to stay a long, long time away from our stables but it was our choice to be really in the Olympic spirit and I think we are completely in. We know we have to fight 10x more than for a normal show and each day is a new day. We have to qualify for the next day. It’s hard, but we know how it is and in London we were children.”
On his horse: “He’s a super horse. Now he’s 15 years-old but I feel him younger and younger. He’s a big fighter and now he has huge experience because he jumped WEG in Caen and the European Championships in Aachen last year. He was my first choice for the Olympics because when you come here and you have the pressure and everything I know he’s always here. He’s my best friend.”
Reveur’s barn name: “His name is Reveur and I call him Revie. It depends if he has one down or if he’s clear!”
Jur Vrieling – He was the last to go in for the Netherlands and luckily all his teammates had clear rounds as he was eliminated at the triple combination. He had been disqualified from the first competition for excessively hitting his horse after a refusal which meant he couldn’t continue in the individual competition but was allowed to continue for the team only.
On his reaction to events: “The blackest day in my life. The blackest day was the day before yesterday. You train very hard for a show like this. Zirocco was my best mate and then something like this happens. I didn’t react good afterwards. Warming up went good, it’s really disappointing but I can’t blame him. I wish the horse could speak.”
On whether Zirocco had ever refused a triple before: “Never in a triple before – Never. One time in London in a jump-off, but that’s in a jump-off when you turn too short, but never like this. He did all the qualifications for this, he was second in the Dutch Championships. This horse has done so many good things. I respect my horse a lot and will try and get his confidence back.”
Did he disagree with the decision: “I did not disagree with the decision. After he stopped, I hit him in reaction. I really regret it, it’s easy said when you do, but I really do. He’s my best friend and I want to keep it like that. I did wrong two days ago, and I will never do that in my life again. This one thing I can promise.”
On whether the vet could find anything wrong to explain the refusals: “The vet checked that he was all good. We have a top vet who checked him and he looks good, he’s trotting good.
It’s stupid. If I did something special in the training or whatever then I could live with it and I could hit myself on the head and say ‘stupid’, I shouldn’t have done this, I shouldn’t have done that. But this is coming totally out of nothing. For sure the horse has a reason, but I don’t know why.
It’s the most terrible thing that can happen. With Zirocco I said five years ago this is going to be my horse for the Olympics and I went here feeling pumped. I thought I had a really good chance for a medal and then extremely the other side. But I still have my horse. I have to find out why, but I think we’ll never know the reason why.”
Alvaro “Doda” de Miranda – The third of the Brazilians to go, and had a clear round with Cornetto K. Their first rider, Eduardo Menezes had a clear round and the second, Stephan, had eight faults. The team did not tell him that Stephan had been disqualified for excessive spurring.
On the pressure to perform here: “Of course we have the pressure when we arrive here, but like I said yesterday, it’s positive pressure. You want so hard to give to the crowd a clear round it helps a lot to give you an extra push. I’m especially proud of my horse, he jumped brilliant.”
On Stephan’s disqualification: “I didn’t know before I came in the ring. I just got the information on my way here. Of course, we are not happy with that, but rules are rules. We have our best combination going now, Pedro. I hope he’s able to do his job beautifully.
We go as three riders tomorrow. I was talking to the guys here, and in Barcelona, Holland won the gold medal with three riders. It’s more difficult, not the best situation, but it’s possible.
On his family history in Deodoro: “My grandfather was military and the house was just 50m from the arena. The house is still the same. My father grew up here. The reason I ride is because my father was crazy with horses. My grandfather was not from the cavalry, he was infantry. But my father always loved to go to the horse to see and to ride. When I was six-seven years-old we always went to a place 300km from Sao Paolo to ride horses. I loved to wake up a 6am with my father when it was not so warm to go ride around. I wanted so much to go every weekend to the same place, and it was a long way to drive, that my father said we need to be a member in a horse club in Sao Paolo. That’s how it started but everything started here” …. Insert cheering for Eric here and stern look :).
On whether he thought Brazil would be in this strong position at the Games: “I saw Brazil before the games, together with five other countries to fight for any medal. We were very confident. Our season was not brilliant because we were more saving the horses. We have a different situation from the strongest countries because they have more combinations with a possibility to be the four riders. But we saved the horses. In Falsterbo we had 50% of the team that we are here and we were third there. I strongly believed before and now even now more we are very prepared.
Pedro Venis – As with Doda, the team didn’t tell Pedro before he competed that Stephan had been disqualified, but he knew that the pressure was on to have a clear round so they could drop the 8 fault score that Stephan had.
On his first time being anchor instead of Rodrigo: “I knew before because George decided I was the last to go. I spoke a lot with Rodrigo, my very good friend, and he told me good things: to relax and concentrate. Two hours after you walk the course you have to go ride so he helped me a little bit with that. I’m very happy that I have that beautiful horse, Quabri. He’s an amazing horse and he was very good again today.
On what he did for two hours after he walked: I watched a little bit and then I went to the (rider) restaurant there is a television there. I stayed a little bit quiet there. I helped a little bit the other Brazilians. In the beginning of the class I was there.
On working with George: “It’s a pleasure, always, to work with George. He told me that he’s been to 15 Olympic Games so I think for sure he has some experience and for sure he’s helping us a lot!
On the atmosphere: “It’s amazing! I was here in 2007, the Pan American Games, and won the gold medal. I have very good memories from here and we are going to try and stay focused and do the same tomorrow.”
On Stephan: “They just told me now, I didn’t know before… It’s really sad for Stephan and I’m sure he’s going to support us tomorrow.”
Final team competition is tomorrow, should be exciting! Starting order and results are all here.
