Friday 29th of March 2024
Features

RIO FOCUS: Eventing

With the Rio Olympics only days away and 24 countries set to be represented in the three day event competition, Kitty Trice discusses the teams and whether the Germans can continue their run of gold medal success. Can the French build on their excellent start to 2016 or will the potential of Great Britain prevail?

Ones to watch:

Germany:

The undoubted favourites for both individual and team gold medals having been unbeaten in championships since the 2011 Lumuhlen European Championships. Team Germany has been in formidable form this year too, with Michael Jung completing the Rolex Grand Slam at Badminton and Andreas Dibowski winning Lumuhlen earlier in June. It would be a brave individual to bet against the Germans leading the competition from start to finish:

Michael Jung

Michael Jung

Andreas Ostholt

Andreas Ostholt

Sandra Auffarth - Opgun Louvo

Sandra Auffarth – Opgun Louvo

Michael Jung, who is hot favourite for individual glory, took the individual title at the London 2012 Olympics on his incomparable partner La Biosthetique-Sam FBW. The maestro has always planned for the precocious Fischer Takinou to be his Olympic mount. The nine-year-old, who won last year’s Blair Europeans by nine penalties, has proven to be consistent and reliable in all three phases and is likely to have improved from his championship debut last year. However, unfortunately due to injury, Michael is no longer taking Takinou and will be partnering his Badminton champion Sam.

The reigning world champion Sandra Auffarth has had a quieter preparation for these Games than her team mates but won the National Championships at Lumuhlen finishing on her dressage score of 32.7. The partnership often lead after the dressage but can incur some time penalties across country. Sandra won individual bronze at London, alongside team gold, and the pair are leading candidates for the individual title in Rio too.

Despite losing her top horse Escada to injury, Ingrid Klimke brings forward her 2014 Pau winner and last year’s Badminton runner-up Hale Bob OLD. The 12-year-old gelding is not the most flamboyant in the dressage phase but is a renowned jumper. The two rounds of show jumping at the Olympics will suit this combination.

This year’s Badminton runner-up, Andreas Osholt, has, until now, been slightly in the shadow of his brother Frank – a former Olympic gold medallist. Andreas stepped into the limelight when he produced an impressive performance in all three phases at Badminton, particularly in the dressage, to finish second to the all-conquering Michael and Sam.

Great Britain:

Competition for the British team has been high this year with the likes of Pippa Funnell, Laura Collett, Kitty King, Tina Cook and William Fox Pitt in the mix. Having being beaten to the team gold by four penalties in 2012, the team members will be eager to go one place higher and end the run of German domination.  The team, which was announced on July 5th, is as follows:

 

Gemma Tattersall

Gemma Tattersall

William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning

William Fox-Pitt

Pippa Funnell and Billy the Biz

Pippa Funnell

Kitty King ©️ The Gaitpost

Kitty King ©️ The Gaitpost

 

Since her championship debut at last year’s European Championships, Gemma Tattersall has been in flying form. Following her third at Badminton on the Arctic Soul with a personal best in the dressage, she won the Olympic trial at Bramham on the lovely mare Chico Bella P.

Gemma announced that she will be riding Quicklook, affectionately known as Pebbles due to her markings, and the pair led the dressage and show jumped clear at Barbury before withdrawing.

William Fox-Pitt’s miraculous return from a life-threatening injury at Lion D’Angers last October has been one of the highlights of the 2016 eventing season. Following two wins at Tattersalls, his first after the accident, William finished ninth at Bramham on last year’s Badminton winner Chilli Morning.

The 16-year-old stallion, who won individual bronze medals at the 2013 Europeans and 2014 World Equestrian Games, is renowned for producing top quality tests when it counts and is equally reliable in the jumping phases.

Former Rolex Grand Slam winner Pippa Funnell will join William as one of the more experienced championship performers on the team. Pippa was called up from the reserve spot after a slight injury to Izzy Taylor’s Allercombe Ellie during training, and there’s no doubt that the former double European champion will rise to the occasion.

Billy The Biz, whose owner Carol Toliver sadly lost her battle with cancer recently, was third at Bramham this season and has jumped double clears in all 2016 starts. The 11-year-old gelding will also be the first horse bred by the Billy Stud to be selected for an Olympic Games.

Following a few years in the wilderness due to lack of horsepower, it is fair to say that Kitty King has had considerable success with her two top horses – 2015 European silver medallist Persimmon and Ceylor LAN. 

Kitty will ride the latter, who is capable of producing a breathtaking dressage test, (he scored  32.9 in the Event Riders Masters class at Chatsworth), but incurred time faults after difficulties in the start box. The nine year old gelding, however, usually excels in the jumping phases – having jumped clear in all of his starts this season.

Mark Todd

Mark Todd

Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo

Jonelle Price

Jonathan Paget & Clifton Lush

Jonathan Paget

Clarke Johnstone

Clark Johnstone

New Zealand:

The legendary Sir Mark Todd will lead the strong New Zealand challenge on Leonidas as they try to better their bronze medal from four years ago at London. In the 1990s, the Kiwis dominated the eventing scene with the likes of Blyth Tait winning both world and Olympic titles on Ready Teddy but had a quieter time at the beginning of the 21st century.

Joining Sir Mark will be the former Badminton winner Jock Paget on ex-racehorse Clifton Lush, Jonelle Price on the diminutive Faerie Dianimo and Clark Johnstone on Balmoral Sensation.

Sir Mark needs no introduction, having won two Olympic gold medals in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics respectively. Having returned to the highest level of the sport in glorious fashion in 2008, he added a fourth Badminton title in 2011. Sir Mark won’t be competing his London 2012 ride NZB Campino but instead will partner Leonidas II, who he rode at the 2014 World Games and has finished fourth at Badminton twice.

Jock Paget is no stranger to the Olympics, having being part of the bronze medal-winning team in London on Clifton Promise, and looks set to produce another wonderful performance with the 17 year-old Clifton Lush. Owned by Frances Stead, the chestnut gelding has finished third at Badminton and fifth twice at Burghley.

Jonelle, who has been dubbed the “fastest event rider in the world”, had the choice between her 2015 Lumuhlen runner-up Faerie Dianimo and the brilliant jumper Classic Moet to take to Rio and has chosen Faerie Dianimo.  She narrowly finished outside the individual medals at the 2014 World Equestrian Games (WEG) and will be riding at her second Olympics.

New Zealand-based Clark finished a fantastic fifth at this year’s Badminton on the 11-year-old Balmoral Sensation. The pair have clearly struck up a wonderful partnership, winning seven of their 10 international starts, and were a joy to watch across country at Badminton.

France:

Following the disqualification of the team at the 2014 WEG, the French have undoubtedly been in determined mood. Team and individual bronze medals at last year’s European Championships demonstrated that the French team are likely to be a force to reckon with in Rio.

Astier Nicolas, who won his local four star at Pau last season with Piaf B’Neville, has dominated the Event Rider Master Series this season and looks a likely danger to the individual medal contenders. Having spent time with Andrew Nicholson he is not slow across country either.

Astier Nicolas

Astier Nicolas

Last year’s European bronze medallist, Thibault Vallette, will make his Olympic debut on the exciting Qing du Briot ENE. After promising performances in all three phases at Blair, this combination has proven it can rise to the challenge of an Olympic atmosphere.

The experienced Karim Florent Laghouag and Nathieu Lemoine make up the rest of the French quartet on Entebbe de Hus and Bart L. Without the great Nicolas Touzaint there is undoubtedly some new young blood in this team and, in such good form they could easily be medal winners.

 

 

The “Dark Horses?”

Ireland:

Three riders are set to make their Olympic debuts for Ireland after Horse Sport Ireland named their team on June 9th. Jonty Evans has been chosen with the 10-year-old Cooley Rorkes Drift and the pair finished a credible 10th at the first running of the Event Rider Master series at Chatsworth in May.

Jonty Evans

Jonty Evans

Clare Abbott and Padraig McCarthy have also made the cut after showing good form at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials with Euro Prince and Simon Porloe respectively. The latter, who won the CCI3* at Tattersalls, has previously been campaigned by Padraig’s wife Lucy Wiegersma and represented Britain at the 2013 Malmo Europeans.

Mark Kyle, who competed at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics, will partner the ten-year-old mare Jemilla who has had good form at CIC3* level this season, finishing fifth at Chatsworth on their last outing.

USA:

It has been twelve years since the American eventing team won team or individual medals, but it plausible that they have a potential medal winner in the forms of Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen. 

Clarke Montgomery

Clarke Montgomery

Winners of Blenheim last season, this partnership has been placed at four star and have led after the dressage phase at Badminton in the past. The shorter format of the Games will be ideal for the 13-year-old gelding as he has struggled with stamina in the past. Clark will make his Olympic debut alongside team member Lauren Kieffer (Veronica).

The highly experienced Phillip Dutton (Fernhill Cubalawn) and Boyd Martin (Blackfoot Mystery) will anchor the team with their previous Olympic experience.

Australia:

The in form Christopher Burton and the 2014 Badminton winner Sam Griffiths head the Australian team. Despite an uncharacteristically luckless Badminton for the pair this year, they have proven championship experience and will look to add another team gold to Australia’s illustrious record at the Olympics in eventing.

Sam Griffiths

Sam Griffiths

Shane Rose © Julie Wilson

Shane Rose © Julie Wilson

 

 

Christopher, who will ride the Saumur winner Santano II, finished third and fourth at Burghley last year and was a member of the Australian team at London 2012, alongside fellow Rio teammate Sam Griffiths.

Shane Rose, who won team silver at the Beijing Olympics, will be riding CP Qualified at his second Olympics after horse injuries ruled him out of the 1996 and 2012 Games.

Stuart Tinney is a man who has tasted gold at the highest level and will be looking to put Australia back at the top of the podium with Pluto Mio. The 18-year-old finished best of the Australians in 11th place  at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and has been placed in the top four in all three starts this season

 

 

 

Sweden:

Due to untimely injury, the Swedish team is slightly lacking in horse power for the upcoming Games – their individual silver medallist from London, Wega, has been quietly campaigned this season at two star after recovering from injury. However her rider, Sara Algotsson Osholt, has Reality 39 on the list and was part of the team to win the silver medal at the 2013 European Championships.

Despite the loss of Shamwari 4 to the USA’s Boyd Martin, Ludwig Svennerstal has two horses on the long list – the unorthodox King Bob and Aspe. King Bob, who narrowly defeated Michael Jung and Takinou in the CCI3* at Strzegom, has previously finished in the top 10 at Burghley.

Niklas Lindback is another member from the London 2012 team to make the list with his 2015 European ride Cendrillon and Focus Filiocus.

The home team:

The Brazilian eventing team has gone from strength to strength over the past decade, with help from the likes of Nick Turner and Sir Mark Todd, and will enjoy performing in front of a home crowd.

Traditionally the Brazilians are more at home in the jumping phases than the dressage but they won team and individual gold medals at the South American Eventing Championships on home soil in 2014. Marcio Carvahlo Jorge broke the trend when scoring an impressive 32.6 at the Event Riders Master series at Barbury and could spring a surprise at Rio with the lovely Lissy Mac Wayer.

Ultimately as a team they are realistically looking at a place, rather than medals, but they will undoubtedly be keen to impress in front of the home crowd.

Predictions:

Team Medals:

·      Gold – Germany

·      Silver – Great Britain

·      Bronze – France

Individual Medals:

·      Gold – Michael Jung and Sam (GER)

·      Silver – Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Luovo (GER)

·      Bronze – Clark Montgomery  and Loughan Glen (USA)

Timetable:

–       5 August – first horse inspection.

–       6 August – day 1 eventing dressage

–       7 August – day 2 eventing dressage

–       8 August – cross country

–       9 August – second horse inspection

–       9 August – eventing show jumping for team and individual medals

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