The Olympic show jumping medalists are pictured at the top of the page, as the discipline’s individual competition wrapped up in Tokyo. Read the blog to get the timeline of how it all happened.
It’s 6 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time and the individual show jumping medals are at stake in the impressive arena at Baji Koen Equestrian Park in Tokyo. The 30 who qualified yesterday will be riding over a bigger, but just as beautiful, course designed by the brilliant Spaniard, Santiago Varela. (He created a PC, a perfect course, for the qualifier, with clear jumping rounds–four had time faults–to come up with the top 30.)
Everyone today starts with a clean slate; no faults carry over.
I’ll be blogging in reverse order, with the most recent rides at the top of the story. (the faster riders from yesterday’s qualifier go later in the class). At the bottom of the page is a map of the first-round route the riders will take,with a time allowed of 88 seconds. The course is larger than yesterday’s qualifier, and we see many different fences that reflect the culture of the host country. There is the sushi vertical, complete with chopsticks; a Japanese gong and the kabuki triple. The obstacles are all works of art.
Don’t look for an American starter. Each of the three who rode yesterday (Laura Kraut, Kent Farrington and Jessie Springsteen) had the same rail down at the A element of the double, and Laura had 4 faults at the following obstacle as well. It’s a one-and-done way to qualify for the individual final that is not popular with the riders. Read their comments in the second feature story on this webpage.
On the bright side, at least the American horses will be fresh for the team competition Friday, when McLain Ward on Contagious will be up. The question is, who will be out, as only three members are permitted per team under the Tokyo format. Veteran Kent has an older horse; Jessie is in her first Olympics. So we’ll see.
Here’s how it shook out today.
7:50 a.m. EDT: The number one horse/rider combination in the world, Explosion W and Ben Maher, earn Olympic individual gold. Britain now is the sole nation so far that has medaled in all three disciplines at these Games (team gold in eventing, bronze in team and individual dressage.) Aside from Germany, it is the only country to have had back-to-back individual gold medalists (the now-retired Nick Skelton won in 2016).
Ben Maher and Explosion W. (Photo courtesy FEI)
For the second time in a row, Sweden’s Peder Fredricson is silver with the shoeless All In and the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten on Beauville takes bronze.
Peder Fredricson and All In. (Photo courtesy FEI)
All six finalists in the jump-off were fault-free, pretty amazing, considering the challenge of eight jumping efforts that Santiago set for the tie-breaker, which had a 45-second time allowed, not to mention three verticals in the stratosphere at 1.65 meters.
Congratulating Ben, the 2012 Olympic team gold medalist, after his win was a raft of equestrian big names, from Paul Schockemohle of Germany and the USA’s McLain Ward to 2012 individual gold medalist Steve Guerdat of Switzerland.
Following his victory, Ben confessed, “I had a plan, but I don’t really remember it now, to be honest. The team believed that, by being fastest qualifier yesterday, I’d be last in the jump-off today and it threw me off a little bit that that wasn’t the case (he went fourth of six in the jump-off based on his time in today’s first round, not on his time in the qualifier.)
“I wanted to go in there knowing exactly what I had to do,” said Ben, “but Peter Charles and Scott Brash (his teammates from the London 2012 gold medal squad) were watching for me and they said `You’ve just got to go. Do what you’ve done on him in the past’. As I was going through the gate, I knew I didn’t want to be that person who came fourth. I wasn’t going to leave anything on the table.”
This, he realized, was his moment. He had an opportunity and an extraordinary horse who can leave from anywhere and jump a mountain..
“I’ve had many good horses in my career, but I won’t ride another one like him again, and that’s a big statement,” said Ben. “He’s just such an intelligent horse, a fun horse to be around, and he’s a real athlete. He’s not a normal horse. All the nerves that I had coming from the hotel today and when I got here, I came in through the gate and they just went away. I jumped fence one and something just clicks.”
He added, however, ““I don’t know what was more pressure, this or getting married in two weeks.”
Peder Fredricson, Ben Maher, Maikel van der Vleuten.
7:40 a.m. EDT: Here’s how the jump-off happened in the order in which the riders competed.
Daisuke Fukushima of Japan is careful with his guidance of Chanyon, a 13-year-old also by Chacco Blue, Explosion’s sire. His strategy adds up to a clean round in 43.76 seconds for the Japanese rider. It will be too slow for a medal. It’s always tough for the first on course.
Improving on that was Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson with Indiana, clean in 40.76, as she sought to be the first female individual gold medalist in Olympic show jumping.
She was followed by her teammate, Peder Fredricson, in 38.02, on All In. Ben Maher does just enough with Explosion to get him across the finish line in 37.85. Will that be good enough for gold?
Next to go, Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward can’t beat it in 39.71. The Swede is out of the medals. And the last starter, Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleueten with Beauville Z, is close enough to secure third place in 38.90.
Ben wins, Peder gets another silver and Maikel, 20th in Rio, is bronze. (He will learn the hard way that he can’t do the traditional kissing of his medal while wearing a Covid mask).
The jump-off course for the individual final.
Ben Maher and Explosion at the Kabuki triple
Here’s the first round, with the last trip listed first:
7:25 a.m. EDT: The number one horse/rider combo in the world, Britain’s Ben Maher and the Chacco Blue son Explosion W are qualified for the jump-off, which includes eight jumping efforts for six riders–half of them from Sweden! They are Peder Fredricson, hoping for a second consecutive individual medal (he was silver in Rio), Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Henrik van Eckermann. The other starters in the jump-off in a few minutes are Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands and Daisuke Fukushima of Japan, which will have his compatriots eagerly following his fate on their TVs, since a bid to have Japanese spectators at these Games failed because of Covid fears.
7:15 a.m.: Ireland’s Darragh Kenny has a rail at the double of walls and one at the gong jump with Cartello to put him out of the final. Californian Ashlee Bond, riding for Israel, drops a pole at the seventh fence with Donatello. What a shame–would have been nice to have someone from America in the jump-off, even if she is riding for another country.
Olympic team silver medalist Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands sets the rail in the final fence rolling, but it stays up. Clear on Beauville Z.
7:10 a.m. EDT: Mario Deslauriers has three rails with Bardolina. He is making his first Olympic appearance since 1988. As the only Canadian competing here, he won’t be seen again in this arena.
Bertram Allen of Ireland on the 9-year-old Pacino Amiro got tight to the first fence of the triple and had it down.
7:08 a.m. EDT: Luciana Diniz of Portugal was very fast, in 84.69 seconds with Vertigo du Desert, but a rail kept her out of the jump-off.
Niels Bruynseels of Belgium missed his start time because of a thrown shoe, but he didn’t get far when he got into the arena, as Delux Van T&L took offense to the fourth fence, the liverpool, and wouldn’t go near it. Eliminated.
7 a.m.: A round that left all the rails up was not good enough to get Britain’s Scott Brash into the jump-off; he and Jefferson were 0.45 over the time allowed for one time penalty. He was, he said simply, “Gutted.” at the outcome.
6:55 a.m. EDT: Rio individual silver medalist Peder Fredricson of Sweden is on track to go for another medal with All In. Three Swedes in the jump-off. What does that say about their chances for a team medal later in the week?
Jerome Guery of Belgium was going so well with Quel Homme de Hus until his horse refused at the last, the Olympic mascot fence featuring creatures named Miraitowa and Someity. He has four penalties for jumping, three for time.
How can this be? Two rails down for world number one Daniel Deusser of Germany and the usually spectacular Killer Queen.
6:50 a.m. EDT: Brazil’s Yuri Mansur has two down with Alfons. He’ll be back with the team.
6:45 a.m.: Britain’s Harry Charles had a rail at number 5, the sushi fence (which is complete with chopsticks) and then two more come down and he retires with Romeo 88.He may not be on the team Friday, as Holly Smith at the moment is tabbed to step in with Ben and Scott Brash, who also were the teammates of Harry’s father, Peter Charles on the 2012 Olympic gold medal team.
And one more for the jump-off, another Swede. Malin Baryard Johnsson on Indiana. Could she become the first female Olympic individual gold medalist in this discipline?
6:40 a.m. EDT:The only French rider in this round, Nicolas Delmotte, had a rail and time with Urvoso du Roch.
Daisuke Fukushima scores for the home side with a perfect trip on Chanyon. There are a few people in the stands; owners, grooms, staff, other riders, and they give a big cheer.
Japan’s Daisuke Fukushima and Chanyon. (Photo courtesy FEI)
But can you imagine what a packed stadium would have sounded like, had it not been for those Covid restrictions? Japan hasn’t won a show jumping medal since 1932. This rider, number 600 in the world, is set for the jump-off, which so far includes only Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden..
6:35 a.m. EDT: This is the fabulous Clooney, who has a great journey with Marcus Fuchs until the last two fences come down. So much for the pairing that was the betting favorite for gold.
6:30 a.m. EDT: The second fence goes for Kristaps Neretnieks of Latvia with Valour. He has been a pioneer for his nation at this level of the sport, but three rails and a time penalty mean he doesn’t qualify for the jump-off I presume we’ll have before the medals can be distributed
6:25 a.m. EDT: Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden is aboard King Edward, who is competing without shoes, as is his teammate All In, Peder Fredricson’s ride. Perhaps that is the ticket, as he is our first clear trip over these fabulously telegenic fences.
London Olympic medalist Mark Houtzager of the Netherlands is delayed when Dante needs a shoe replaced. Not the best thing to happen during your warm-up. Perhaps that affected his performance; which involved having three fences down and a single time penalty.
6:15 a.m. EDT:Koki Saito of Japan on the stallion Chilensky . The Japanese riders are based in Germany to sharpen their skills. He had just one rail down at the second part of the double and a single time penalty
Ireland’s Olympic medalist Cian O’Connor and Kilkenny are the first entry to go that did not have time penalties in the qualifier. He has one today, though, finishing in 88.45 seconds, just 0.45 over the time allowed, but his horse leaves all the rails in place.
However, Kilkenny, who finished seventh, had a very visible nosebleed during his round. That is not cause for elimination–unlike bleeding in the mouth. However, Cian said although his horse “recovered well” and could participate in the team competition Friday, he is thinking of Kilkenny’s welfare and therefore will not ride him in the team competition.
“For me, his future’s more important,” said Cian, who plans to help the other Irish team members.
. “We’ll be back to fight again another day.”
Today’s first course.
6:10 a.m. EDT: Geir Gulliksen of Norway retires before the final three fences after collecting 24 penalties with Quatro. He is not part of a Norwegian team (there isn’t one), so this is the last appearance here for the 61-year-old rider.
Eiken Sato, who was taught to ride by a monk, topples four fences with Saphyr du Lacs for the home side of Japan. Were there fans in the stands (prohibited by Covid measures) you would have heard the moans of disappointment.
Swiss veteran Beat Mandli had trouble, including a foot in the water with Dsarie, and elected to withdraw, saving his horse for the team competition that starts Friday. Egypt’s Mouda Zeyada had two rails with Galanthos SHK.
6:05 a.m. EDT: Daniel Meech of New Zealand is the pathfinder on Cinca 3, collecting 12 penalties with two time penalties. He also had two time penalties yesterday.
