The first rider out, Canada’s Jessica Phoenix with A Fine Romance proved that you could get home but she ended up with 76 cross country penalties, and the horse took a decent whack on its stifles, tomorrow morning might be tough.
Then France’s Astier Nicolas on Piaf de b’Neville showed how to master the course. He took all the fast options, working hard to get through the corners, and so cool on the tricky line at the final water, coming to the finish line riding like a jockey hands and heels. Home clear, no time.
Astier Nicolas on Piaf de b’Neville
Sam Griffiths rode a great team round, careful, calculating and Paulank Brockagh showed what a jumping machine she is. 6.8 time.
“It was tough I’m lucky I’m on such an experienced horse. To tell the truth, the worst part was the start box, but I have real confidence in my horse, she got in close to a couple of fences but she is so good in front. I did take a long way and that cost me the time.”
Sam Griffiths on Paulank Brockagh
Celebrating Sam’s ride
Young British hopeful Gemma Tattersall had a wreck of a ride on Quicklook and came home with 89.6 penalties. And the falls started to happen, an Irish rider falls, a Belgian down but seemingly no damage…
Then the first major shock of the day, Sandra Auffarth on one of the world’s great cross country machines, Opgun Louvo. A run off on the fish in the first water, and Sandra is riding in a most un-German manner to get through the course, another run off on the ultra skinny at the last water and 44.8 penalties! Quelle horreur!
Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo gets her act together after the run out
Kiwi last minute inclusion Tim Price falls on a turn, slippery grass (no studs?) and he remounts Ringwood Sky Boy to walk slowly home.
Meanwhile Boyd Martin has cruised home with just 3.2 time on Blackfoot Mystery.
Boyd Martin on Blackfoot Mystery
It seems the French are human after all, Karim Laghuag on the beautiful Hanoverian stallion, Entebbe has two stops and finishes his round hailing a cab over the final skinny in the final water. 50.4 to add to his dressage.
Karim Laghuag on the beautiful Entebbe
Christopher Burton’s ride on his nine year old dressage horse, Santano, at its first four star, deserves to become the stuff of legends. Christopher not only mastered the course but did it so elegantly and the Sandro Hit gelding can really gallop, eating the ground in perfect rhythm (perhaps Sandro Hit does have a place in the world of sport horse breeding after all!) Clear – no time.
Christopher Burton on Santano
“He was so fast I couldn’t believe it, a horse with dressage breeding! I think we can stop calling him a dressage horse now. I had team orders to go the long way at six, then I was up on my time and a took another long one. Big track, first four star, I’m over the moon.”
The rider in front of Christopher after the first phase, William Fox Pitt has a run out and Chilli Morning has an ordinary galloping stride. 30.4 to add to the dressage, and C Burton will go into the showjumping in the lead.
William Fox Pitt and Chilli Morning
Mark Todd is still some sort of cross country genius even in the twilight of his career, and he has the Holsteiner, Leonidas perfectly balanced, hitting every spot – they were amazing through the last water…
Mark was not about to criticize the course: “Glad it was as strong as it was or we wouldn’t be sitting in silver – we walked the course, there were slow options but we knew if you wanted a medal, you had to be brave and go fast…
Mark Todd on Leonidas
Now for Marvellous Michi and Super Sam. Well it is not the usual picture as the rider is fighting to get control of the bay over the first few fences – only Michi’s amazing reflexes and Sam’s athleticism get them home. Clear, no time, lurking ominously in second place behind Burto.
“He got upset before the start, with the sprinklers and saw they other horses, and he got very excited and strong but he is a good horse, he came home…” Michael said afterwards
Michael Jung and Sam
The French seem to have decided to play it tactically, Thibaut Vallette on Qing du Briot takes a few long options but the quick way through the final water to come home with 24.4 time.
Thibaut Vallette on Qing du Briot
Stuart Tinney’s Pluto Mio has decided to be a good pony today, and Stuart as always is giving the grey every chance. What a ride! Just 2.8 to add to that awful dressage score but Australia has moved to the lead.
Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio
“I took a long route at the first corners, jumped the first one just a little off line, then the corner to the gate. He felt super the whole way round, didn’t put a foot wrong.”
He’s not young?
“Neither of us are – but we are happy. The course was right up there with Sydney, Olympics have been a little softer since then, but that was tough. He’s been showjumping well all year, let’s hope he keeps that up.”
Britain’s woes continue. How with the most sophisticated, biggest, grandest eventing scene in the world do they not produce some talented new faces and keep recycling the old ones, like Pippa Funnell who has a run off in the lake with Billy the Biz to add 40.4 to the dressage score.
Pippa Funnell looks all in after the ride
Clarke Johnstone is another classical stylist and his ride on Balmoral Sensation is a delight to watch, just 4.8 time and the Kiwis are looking scary.
But the Germans are not. Julia Krajewski has the softest of stops on Samourai du Thot going into the first water, then another, then another and that long ride home.
France’s Mathieu Lemoine is another riding a recycled dressage horse, Bart L, but the horse can gallop and can jump. They go the long way at the final water, clear – 14.4 time.
Shane Rose and CP Qualified
We’ve still got our secret weapon, Shane Rose and Darcy, great all the way to that dreaded final water and that awful skinny at the end, the horse runs off, second time lands on the jump, and then a third attempt, Shane thinks he jumped it and gets out of the water as fast as he can, but he is pulled up. Three refusals or the horse looking tired? Consensus is that it was a third refusal. But it won’t change the reality that we might be in the lead, but we are now down to three horses.
Jonelle Price is all steely determination, clear with just 8 time on Fairie Dianimo. Ingrid has a run-out in the water with Bobby, 26 cross country penalties.
Jonelle Price on Fairie Dianimo
Trouble in the water for Ingrid
Our team score 150.3, Kiwis – 154.8, France, third, 161, Germany 4th on 172.8.
Do I need to say that tomorrow is going to be great sport? Hope not…
-Christopher Hector
-Photos: Rebecca Ashton
#TwoHearts
#Awesome
#WellDoneGuys
This is nailbiting, edge of the seat stuff. Our team is fantastic! Where is the mainstream media coverage of this outstanding sport? Stuck poolside.
Thank you so much for your vivid and so exciting reporting.
Go Aussies!!!!!
Thank you for some news at last been searching everywhere !! Well done to everyone who got home it sounded a bit too tough at the end, but glad it is not a dressage comp.
Angers me that the major media outlets still ignore our equestrian events. Need to be Sherlock to find them but horse folk are resourceful. .
Awesome yet scarey – come on Aussies!!!!!!! 😄🐴👍
So happy for your photos and coverage. Horrible video coverage. So sad. Go US!!
S
Thank you for a great report and photos
So easy to follow and talking my language !
Very proud of the Australian team
Go Aussies !
Thank you for that explanation. I couldn’t find anywhere , what happened to Shane . Thank you for staying up all night to keep us informed
Have a good sleep today
Thanks so much for the concise update, great rides by our team! Can’t wait for the show jumping!
Great updates and coverage thanks HM. Your site is my first go -to each morning.
I did sit up till 3.30 am this morning and grateful for Ch 7 coverage. Wonder what they’ll show tonight.
Go Aussies.Hope our three remaining horses all trot up sound.
Barb Vial
Honest & fearless reporting! Love it. Always loved that mare of Sam’s so super pleased to see her do so well. I have no idea what happened to our Brits today. WFP seemed (understandably after accident maybe) a bit slow to react to his unfortunate 20 – can’t call it a runout he just didn’t get the turn & didn’t think quickly enough to go left as others did. What the hell was up with Pebbles?! GT has had such an amazing season & I was initially surprised this horse was chosen over Chico Bella P and I’m sure she wishes she was sat of Arctic Soul after the first few! He looked so green. Maybe she was hanging on to him too much. Pippa should have circled right (again like others did) after she had that awkward jump at the 2nd in the last water and with someone of her vast experience I was surprised she didn’t get it right. Can’t comment on Kitty as her 20 wasn’t shown on TV so no idea what happened. Basically it looked as though the Brits were not attacking the course with gritted teeth and Kitty looked terrified. Very uncharacteristic of the whole team and I can’t imagine what spirits are like in Camp GB. This has to be their worst ever performance at a major championship in this phase. Any thoughts on their performance? Do you think my points are fair? Easier said from the couch I know but we are reliable in this phase but the confidence of the whole team looked to be shot after GT’s first round. I was disappointed Nicola wasn’t chosen with One Two Many or Tina as they are so feisty when put under pressure. Today GT looked not so much as she couldn’t cope with the pressure but more her horse was a 5 year old.
Anyway Team AUS were awesome & good luck for tomorrow. At least I can enjoy SJ as no way will GB make up that enormous gap. Bet they all get clear rounds…..!!!
Thank you Chris and Roz, hope all the horses trot up well.no one will be sleeping tonight. how could you. Give our best to Shane,everyone feels his pain.
Holey moley, how exciting! Go Burto – bloody awesome! Can’t wait for the show jumping. Great coverage thanks!!!
Great article Chris and Rebecca! Very exciting reading.
Thanks for the excellent reporting. I had to sleep after Sam’s ride and was praying, as I fell asleep, that the other Aussie riders would do well! So glad to read the good news this morning.
Way to go, Oz! (I’m half Australian, so I am always happy when Oz gives a great performance. : ) Sad that our Canadian team kind of messed up, but Rebecca Howard rode great, and did us proud. I do think it’s a little snarky though to cast aspersions on the legends that the Brits include in their teams. Funnell and Fox-Pitt are kind of legends, and they still bring it all the time (*like WFP in the dressage here!) They have earned respect on the world stage more times than anyone can count, and it is a privilege to watch them ride.
Great report Chris, many thanks for the fair comments as usual and wonderful photos.
Thank you gor this info on xcross country day. So proud of our Australian eventing team. I had been trolling the internet for some news. Shame on channel 7 Australia for the lack of coverage. There has been so much coverage for our swimmers and rugby sevens but very little on our eventing team. #twohearts #olympicequestrian #australianeventingteam #shameonyouchann7australia #iwanttoseemoreequestrianevents
Thankyou (as usual) for a report that matched what I saw – no lilies were gilded.
So glad to have switched over to ch7 (6 in Tas), kept expecting them too go to another sport but they didn’t, it was almost as good as the Sydney 2000 equestrian coverage..
Hoping all event horses, if they don’t jog ‘sound’, only have minor bruising with no long lasting effects? They don’t ask or ‘dream’ about going to the Olympic Games yet they give their all.
Well done Team Australia – now go get icing!
(gotta say, have been a fan of both CH and THM ever since that first magazine in 83 – Thanks :D)
Great report. Thanks Chris and Bec. I stayed up and watched it all. Channel 7 did a great job so well done to them. We saw most of all the important rounds. I concur with your thoughts of the GB riders riders not taking the option after trouble in the water.
Well done the Aussies, A perfect ride from Chris. It was a pleasure to watch. Feel so sorry for Shane. He did his best. Naughty horse not to jump the frog when presented at it. Let’s hope all trot up sound to night and jump clear rounds.
Go the Aussies!!!
Can we claim extra points for the only two US team members to get around or draft them in to the team – both being ex-Aussies *being cheeky* 😝
Thank you for great reporting. Watched it all on Chanel 7 two, lucky in WA it was a bit earlier for us. So good to read your fantastic reports each day.
Great reporting Chris, thank you.
Great report! Thank you so much!
Thank you THM also channel 7 & Vicki
Channel 7 and probably most other media outlets don’t realise how large the horsey community actually is….