Yes, it really did get worse. And I know it’s not just me. The people around me in the media tribune are also wavering between boredom and disgust. A new low was achieved this afternoon when Chilean rider Tomas Couve Correa came off at fence eight, the unfortunately named PMU jump (I’m sure the French are unaware that their race betting organization reminds North Americans of pregnant mare urine). This is the biggest fence on course, and it’s been placed right by the entrance/exit to make it extra tough. It’s come down more times today than any other jump, by quite a margin.
Anyway, I was keeping my head down and typing during the Chilean rider’s round because he looked like one of the ones I didn’t want to see. I glanced up when I heard the rails flying and the crowd gasping, just in time to see him get trampled by his horse. It was one of those sickening looking accidents, not helped by the fact that the rider lay face down, not moving. There was a lot of nothing happening for an alarmingly long time, but the paramedics arrived after a minute or two, along with a set of monstrous black screens presumably on hand for a broken horse. Eventually the screens – and rider – made their way all as one out of the stadium. Why there wasn’t an ambulance immediately brought into the ring is beyond me. According to members of the media who who were down in the mixed zone, there was no sign of an ambulance even in the following minutes; instead, the rider was put into a closed room.
We’ve just been updated on the rider’s condition, and it looks like an ambulance finally fetched him to hospital, since that is where they’ve said he is. We’ve been assured he is conscious and his life is not in danger. I do hope he’s okay. I don’t wish injury on any human or horse (please return to my post of this morning to find out who I blame for today’s smorgasbord of bad riding).
So Eric wasn’t that l’amazing this afternoon. Zigali rubbed several rails before one finally hit the dirt, 12a. The crowd made almost as big a collective ‘oh’ when it came down as when a French rider would have a fence down. They went fairly wild when Eric came in to do his round, and he clearly has a pretty substantial fan base here in France – which is no big surprise. He is, after all, one of the most charismatic equestrians on the planet.
Eric at 12a, which came down due to an early lowering of Zigali’s landing gear
Individually, Yann is in 17th place, Ian 19th, Eric 24th and Tiffany is 51st. An individual medal is not in the cards for us, I’m afraid.
The top ten teams go forward to the second round, and I’m happy to report Canada is among that group. The sport will thankfully be both briefer and better tomorrow. Canada needs to finish in the top five to get a Rio spot, and I really want to see that happen. There is another shot of course in Toronto next summer, but it’s more legit to get an Olympic berth at WEG. Currently Canada is in sixth place but the team directly ahead is Brazil, which automatically qualifies as the host country. If our riders have a good day tomorrow, we might not be able to challenge the podium, but we will go away with the first and only Rio team qualification gained for Canada here in Normandy.
If you don’t believe me when I say yet again that this is the Worst WEG ever, please treat yourself to a laugh or three over on Pippa Cuckson’s blog, which she posted almost simultaneously with my Merde Happened post yesterday.
I’ll leave you today with a happy image of my constant companions, husband Jan and dog Chorizo, enjoying what the French do know how to do well – because they do know how to do some things well, even if it’s not putting on a horse show.
My wieners, my wing men
