Monmouth at the Team horse show adapts in a new location

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2021

It’s been a crazy year in the equestrian world, as in every part of the globe, but Covid and the Olympics combined for an especially challenging situation on the competition front. Those who rose above it had to make a lot of compromises and be nimble enough to change direction as necessary.

No one knows that better than cousins Tucker Ericson and Michael Dowling, the owners of Monmouth at the Team, a show that was a big hit at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone starting in 2016, after it moved there from the Horse Park of New Jersey. Riders and their families enjoyed being at the iconic location in Somerset County for a fixture featuring hospitality at a competition that Tucker once described as “half horse show, half social event”

Then in 2020, it was cancelled, as so many shows were, because no spectators would have been allowed under pandemic restrictions. Aside from that, gathering people in a ringside tent didn’t seem like the best idea, even if it would have marked the competition’s 125th anniversary.

This year, the state’s oldest horse show was all set to return to Gladstone until it was determined that the U.S. Olympic eventing and dressage squads, as well as the Paralympic dressage team, would be doing their pre-export quarantine at the historic stables before flying to Tokyo. There also was a question about whether they would have to quarantine at Gladstone upon their return. The Foundation’s priorities involve international competition, so the quarantine plan obviously would have meant no one else could be on the premises. Left with a difficult decision, the Monmouth at the Team organizers decide to relocate rather than cancel two years in a row.

They chose to go to the Centenary University Equestrian Center in Long Valley, about 15 miles from Gladstone, where Michael is on the faculty and involved with coaching the intercollegiate team.

As it happened, the Olympic and Para horses didn’t quarantine in Gladstone because there was a problem with suitable flights from the U.S. to Japan, but that decision came long after there had to be a commitment for Monmouth in a new venue.

Although the show is not in Monmouth County (Long Valley is Morris County) and not at the Team, it has kept its name for its run that ended today. Manager Creigh Duncan and course designer Skip Bailey stayed on board and the hospitality side was bustling as a gathering place for families and friends, with plenty of food and sunflower arrangements atop the tables to keep it festive.

Hospitality played a big role for the show at Centenary as it did in Gladstone. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)

Entries in some divisions were down; Tucker wasn’t sure if that could be attributed to the change of venue or the fact that so many people spent much of the summer away on the big circuits, eager to get out and show extensively after more than a year with many restrictions, and were taking a break when they came home.

Many schools are also opening or getting ready to start, so that could be a factor, since the show was slated to end on Aug. 23, four days later than it did in 2019. However, in yet another twist of fate, it came to an early end when classes for Sunday and the final Monday had to be cancelled due to safety concerns because of impending Tropical Storm Henri.

The big question now is whether the show will go back to Gladstone next year or stay at Centenary. The drawback of Gladstone is that there is only one ring, so entries are limited. At Centenary, having an outdoor ring and an indoor stadium means more entries can be taken than at Gladstone without the threat of classes having to be postponed as darkness descended. It also meant post entries could be accepted.

“Everyone has different opinions, and we want to digest them all,” said Tucker, who has been surveying exhibitors about their venue preferences.

“Every facility has its pros and cons and we’ve always wanted to differentiate ourselves with something that stood out and was different for New Jersey and Zone II.”

He and Michael likely will “take a month to reflect and discuss and figure out what the next step is for the future. Every option is on the table.”

At the same time, Tucker said, “I bet if you took a vote of past and current exhibitors, it probably would be 50-50.”

I wondered if part of the show could be held in Gladstone with some select classes at Centenary, perhaps on the derby field that wasn’t being used after a big rainstorm last week.

“It’s fairly overwhelming getting one facility set up,” laughed Tucker, who is always hands-on working with Michael, dealing with anything that comes up.

Show owners Michael Dowling and Tucker Ericson pitch in wherever necessary. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)

“We run ourselves ragged just doing one facility. I can’t even imagine two.”

He noted, however, “that Centenary, just like the Team, has been extremely supportive.” The show is “an opportunity for the Team and Centenary to show what they’re all about and get people on their property.”

Looking at the big picture, Michael said, “It’s not the same as being at Gladstone, that’s so iconic, but we really do feel we’re giving exhibitors a really nice show and we’re getting awesome feedback.”

The National Professional Horsemen’s Association held its Medal Finals at the show for the first time.

“We are very excited to be a part of this horse show,” said PHA representative Lynne Peters. “It is truly fantastic, top notch, and first class.”

The finals was won by Kathryn Blount, whom Michael trains in conjunction with Michael Meyers. Her prize money of $1,500 was donated to Danny & Ron’s Rescue, which has saved so many dogs.

Those at the show were happy to share their opinions about its location.

Stephanie Desiderio, whose Desiderio Ltd. in nearby Chester has been part of the show since it began in Gladstone, is very positive about this year’s venue.

“I think they did a heck of a job bringing it up here. I know a lot of people were a little skeptical,” she said, but noted, “We’ve been here since Monday and it’s picked up every day.”

Stephanie sees the venue as horse-friendly and observed, “the footing is great, the jumps are great, the courses are great. If they keep this going the way it’s been going, either place is fine.”

Added Stephanie, whose son, Michael, won the $5,000 USHJA Hunter Derby last week on Deborah Bianco’s Cromwell, “I know everybody loves to ride at the Team, but it’s one ring and this is two rings.” She said that means barns can bring more horses, noting there wasn’t enough time to work horses in the ring during the mornings at the Team.

Centenary senior Madison Myro first rode at the USET Foundation two years ago.

“I absolutely loved it there. It was an amazing experience, the feeling it gives you, the history behind it,” she said. At the same time, Madison observed, since she goes to school at Centenary, “It’s really nice to be here and show.”

My favorite class of the show, the Nature Conservancy’s $10,000 Bobcat Derby, was well-filled and fun as usual. There were 29 starters in the 2-foot/ 2-6 division and 20 in the 3-foot section, with the prize money divided between the two.

It raises funds for Bobcat Alley, an area on the border of Sussex and Warren counties, where buying more land will enable the endangered bobcats to move safely between the New Jersey Highlands, the Kittatinny Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains.

“I think they’ve done a good job in making it feel welcoming and keeping the attention on the ring, like we need for the Bobcat Derby,” said Nature Conservancy Marketing Director Mary Conti, who said of the preservation effort, “it’s a long term project but we’re making good progress. We’ve protected about 1,500 acres over the last couple of years. We’re in it for the long haul.”

The cool thing about the derby is the must-have headbands sporting bobcat ears with their cute little tufts that riders put on their helmets. Wearing them meant an extra point on the score for each round. Riders who didn’t have a good enough score to advance from the first round to the handy round could take a quiz about bobcats, with the best effort (which included an essay) getting  a free ride into the handy for each section.

Kelley Norton came all the way from Massachusetts to compete in the 2-foot/2-6 division with the 19-year-old Urlala, who wound up as the winner for owner Terry Maloomian. Her scores were an 82 for the first round and an 83 for the handy round.

Kelley Norton and Urlala with Mary Conti of the Nature Conservancy (right), Kimberly Maloomian and Allyson Shogren (left). (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)

The Dutchbred mare specializes in derbies, so when Kelley saw that there was a Bobcat Derby in the prizelist, her reaction was “Got to do it.’’

“I’ve never won a derby before, so this was very exciting for me,” said Kelley, an amateur who works in her family’s funeral home business.

Eleanor Kunsman, a professional who runs Glen Eden Farm in Chester with her mother, Kathy, rode a “take no prisoners” round on Premium Blend in the handy for the 3-foot division. She took “quite a technical” direct line over the first three jumps in the handy round and didn’t stop coming until she had achieved a score of 90 for her trip. On top of that, she finished second on Bettina, a seven-year-old mare she owns with her mother. Since it was the mare’s first derby, Eleanor “took a little more of a conservative track”  with her.

Eleanor Kunsman with her bobcat ears on Premium Blend. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)

Premium Blend was second at Lake Placid and Princeton before he came to Eleanor’s barn. This was his first show with her, and he also earned a championship in the pre-children’s division with his owner, MacKenzie Teasdale.

“He’s very fun, very smart, very quiet, very brave,” Eleanor said.

She was also a winner in the jumper division, taking the welcome class with Callia Bergad’s Hilltop van het Gavershof, over Devin Ryan and his Ascalitta SBK Z. The winning horse wore a bobcat-spotted saddlepad that was one of the prizes Eleanor collected in the Derby. The same horse won the $2,500 Children’s/Amateur High Jumper Stake with his owner aboard.

Asked what she thought of the venue, Eleanor said, “It’s always so fun to ride at the Team, but Michael and Tucker did an amazing job transforming this facility and putting the same amount of effort in at the new location.”

The Tokyo Games haven’t ended yet for the USEF’s Will Connell

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 17, 2021

The Olympic closing ceremonies didn’t wrap up the global athletic competition in Tokyo. Now the U.S. Equestrian Federation is focusing its attention on the Paralympics, which begin there Aug. 24 and run through Sept. 5.

But first, after scores of long days and four extremely strenuous weeks away as American Olympic riders trained in quarantine and then competed, USEF Director of Sport Will Connell was able to make a brief visit home to Gladstone.

His objective?  To “freshen up, get a haircut, see the dog, weed the garden and go back again.”

His plans for a short vacation in Japan before the Paralympics were scuttled due to that country’s strict Covid regulations for foreign visitors. So after putting a bit of temporary distance between himself and Tokyo’s Baji Koen Equestrian Park, Will had a chance to reflect on U.S. Olympic  equestrian efforts, which in the midst of difficult circumstances achieved team silvers in dressage and show jumping, along with a sixth-place finish for eventing.

“I’ve done a few Games and championships; I have to say it was kind of at the last minute we got this one done,” said Will, who was the British Equestrian Federation’s performance director prior to coming to the USEF in 2014.

He had only six weeks’ notice to change quarantine plans for the eventing and dressage teams when there was a problem with direct flights from the U.S. to Tokyo. Both wound up in Germany, as did the show jumping team, which moved to the Aachen showgrounds after the farm where it was to be based suffered massive flood damage.

And with “huge logistical challenges in the build-up,” it wouldn’t have gotten done “if it hadn’t been for the team at USEF,” Will emphasized.

“They were just outstanding, booking and rebooking flights, changing this and that. I’m not going to pretend it was easy or fun, to be honest.” But the process paid off.

Discussing the athletes, he said, “For jumping and dressage, they had to really dig deep to get the medals they got.” And, he added, “It was good to finish a team in eventing.”

Will called that a step forward from the 2016 Olympics (where Philip Dutton earned an individual bronze, but the team did not finish) and the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, where the eventing squad was eighth of 18 teams.

“Eventing could have been better in the (stadium) jumping, probably (no team member was fault-free over two rounds), but they finished as a team, so that pointed in the right direction,” said Will.

“The team medals in dressage and (show) jumping were a real kind of demonstration of a team pulling together and pulling a medal out of what certainly could have been `not a medal’,” said Will.

The U.S. silver medal show jumping team: Laura Kraut, Jessie Springsteen and McLain Ward.

He praised the efforts of the disciplines’ managing directors.

“I can tell you categorically that if it hadn’t been for Lizzy (Chesson) in jumping or Hallye (Griffin) in dressage, they (the squads) wouldn’t have won the medals.

“They are as much part of it as the chefs (d’equipe),” he emphasized, while also citing the work done by the USEF eventing managing director, Jenni Autry, in keeping her team going.

Discussing the complexity involved in the day-to-day operation of an Olympic effort half a world away from home, intensified by the Covid situation, he noted about everyone’s contribution, “Without every spoke on the wheel, the wheel implodes.”

He mentioned that in dressage, with riders Adrienne Lyle, Sabine Schut-Kery and Steffen Peters not having the chance to compete in Europe before going to Tokyo, “We really thought we’d be fighting for bronze. Then to realize we could actually make a grab for silver was incredible.” And successful.

The U.S. dressage team of Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters and Sabine Schut-Kery.

The show jumpers, who were able to contest a series of Nations Cups in Europe during the spring, had to cope in Japan with a new and untried Olympic format, which Will called “very difficult.”

It involved having only three people on a team and no drop score, while the individual competition uncharacteristically was scheduled before the team effort. Kent Farrington, who rode only in the individual portion of the competition, played a role from the ground in the team endeavor.

“They all pulled together. Kent was a fantastic reserve, really helping out the team, really part of the team. He was brilliant, actually.”

Knowing that an individual medal was “a longshot” (and as it happened, no U.S. rider made it to the individual finals), the emphasis was on getting a team medal. And that’s just what the squad of Laura Kraut, Jessie Springsteen and McLain Ward did in a dramatic jump-off with the Swedes, whose horses dropped only two rails during the entire show jumping program.

“In jumping, the best team won; undoubtedly, the Swedish were the best team,” observed Will. But the U.S. was right behind them with only the difference of a few instants on the clock in the tie-breaker. He praised the expertise of course designer Santiago Varela, whose routes and fences highlighting Japanese culture were key to the way show jumping worked out.

One huge plus for equestrians was the quality of Baji Koen. The park had been used for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but of course was marvelously updated for these Games, with climate-controlled stables, a galloping track, indoor arena and fabulous footing.

The arena at Baji Koen with jumps, minus spectators. (Photo courtesy FEI)

“The facility is fantastic, no doubt about it. It’s one of the best equestrian facilities we’ve seen in terms of what it will deliver in legacy,” said Will.

All the equestrian competitions were held at Baji Koen except the eventing cross-country, which ran at Sea Forest, a former landfill on the water about an hour away.

“Having to move to the cross-country (the night after the eventing dressage concluded) was challenging. The truth would be probably with no spectators the whole logistics of getting around Tokyo was a lot easier,” Will noted.

But the list of restrictions that included keeping the general public out of the stands at competitions meant all athletes and the staff from every country could not sightsee, or even eat at a restaurant. They were confined to hotels and the Athletes’ Village, permitted only to go to the venues where they trained and competed.

“It was difficult for everyone across all sports, being in that cocoon,” Will pointed out.

Of course, the most important thing was not to risk having Covid infiltrate the cocoon; athletes did not want to lose their chance to compete by testing positive for the virus, as happened with pole vault world champion Sam Kendricks, who missed his event as a result, and 28 others. More than 675,000 tests of accredited personnel were conducted, with a positivity rate of approximately 0.02 per cent. From July 1 through a week ago, 378 cases affected residents of Japan, while 170 involved non-residents.

The way the Games were planned for equestrian sport undoubtedly will be the subject of many, many meetings before Paris 2024. The FEI (international equestrian federation) has already said it will take a long look at how the competitions went and what revisions should be made.

Will in his office in Gladstone.

Will stated, “There has to be a discussion…about the format; the format for jumping, the scoring for the team dressage.” (The live scoring for dressage was in percentages, while the totals for the team scores were in points.) He also wondered about having a one-hour break before the final group of riders in team dressage.

“Is that a buzz kill if you’ve got a crowd?” Will mused

He added, “The format for jumping needs looking at. I’m not sure that no discard (score) works.”

He also questioned, “how many teams would not have completed in eventing if you didn’t have this weird rule that you could carry on if you’ve been eliminated (with a 200-point penalty added). It’s a bit weird when you see someone who hasn’t done dressage and cross-country do the show jumping and still have three down.”

The question many people are asking about the Tokyo Olympics is: Was it worth it? Remember, polls showed a majority of the Japanese people were against holding the Games, and there was muttering about cancelling them even days before they began.

“I think that’s something that will be discussed and debated for many months to come, if I’m honest. I can’t put my hand on my heart and say it was 100 percent worth it, but I can’t also put my hand on my heart and say it wasn’t worth it,” said Will, emphasizing that “the Japanese did a fantastic job with all the venues, and there’s a great legacy, so that’s good.

“I think people could be inspired by the way these riders dug deep to get those medals. People can be inspired by the ability of athletes to perform–and I’m talking cross-sports–(when) there’s no spectators, and all the other challenges and you’re locked down in your room.

“There are many inspirational things to take away from it. On the flip side, yes, we were putting on a global sporting event that cost a fortune in a city that had a rising number of Covid cases. And yes, there’s plenty of reason to question why that happened,” he said, although he added, “It’s probably not the time to really analyze it. I don’t think I can say it’s black and white a good thing, and black and white a bad thing. Maybe we look at it in a few months’ time.”

The riders’ view of the team show jumping medal competition

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 7, 2021

Time for a deep breath, as the equestrian portion of the Olympics comes to an end. For some riders, that deep breath will be a sigh, as they’re wishing things had gone better.

For others, it will be a chance to remove the masks that were omnipresent in Tokyo, take in some fresh air and show the world their smiles for more than a one-minute photo shoot.

It’s been hard work, not just during the Games, the quarantine that preceded them and the problems of the Covid pandemic, but all the years that built up to the precious few moments that decided the medals.

In one of the most exciting Olympic show jumping finals ever, Sweden took gold in a jump-off with the U.S., decided on time by a margin of 1.3 penalties as all the riders jumped fault-free in the tie-breaker and the prizes were decided on cumulative time. (For a rider-by-rider account of the team final, look at the second story below on this website.)

It was Sweden’s first Olympic gold in show jumping since 1924.

The Swedish gold medal team: Henrik von Eckermann, Malin Baryard-Johnsson, Peder Fredricson. (Photo courtesy of FEI)

“Yes it’s a dream come true–to win an Olympic gold medal. I think that’s every athlete’s dream for sure,” said Swedish team rider Malin Baryard-Johnsson, whose knockdown with Indiana in the first round today was the only rail dropped by anyone on her squad throughout the individual and team show jumping. No other team came close to matching that.

“We’ve been so well-prepared for everything at this championship, we’ve not missed out on anything. We have a team behind us that’s incredible.

“All of us, the way we’ve ridden, shows how confident we’ve been and how they’ve all made it possible for us to totally focus on what to do in there. We knew it was very possible for a jump-off because it was only one round (Nations Cups are two rounds) and we knew we didn’t want the silver medal this time,” said Malin, a member of the Athens Swedish silver medal team in 2004.

“The riders and everybody gave everything they had to give. It was great sport,” said USA anchorman McLain Ward, who secured his team’s medal with a fast, clear round on Contagious.

McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo courtesy FEI).

“It was great to be in the battle. Sweden’s win wasn’t unexpected here, but they took it to another level. We would have had to have an incredible day to beat them. I think we pushed them right to the limit, and in competition, when you push them to that limit and they still win, you’ve got to be proud of the fight.”

The Swedes’ individual silver medalist, Peder Fredricson on All In, was last to go and knew the time to beat.

“Oh, the pressure was on,” he said. “My God, in these situations, when you have two teams like this you really want to win. McLain was fast, I saw his round and I knew what I had to do, and today the poles stayed up and the time was on my side.”

Peder Fredricson and All In. (Photo courtesy FEI)

McLain was clocked in 39.92 seconds; Peder in 39.01.

“I had the speed and I gave him (All In) a lot of room. It’s unbelievably satisfying to get this gold. And my horse deserves it also for the way he jumped, I’m so happy for him and his owner and groom and the whole team and my team-mates. This is a great feeling,” Peder said.

Laura Kraut, who blazed the way for the U.S. today with a clear in the first round on Baloutinue, noted of the horse she has ridden for only four months, “He’s new really to this level of jumping and he’s gotten better each day that he jumped.

Laura Kraut and Baloutinue. (Photo courtesy FEI)

I think that was (Coach) Robert Ridland‘s idea when he put me on (the team) We knew the horse has plenty of blood and plenty of energy. Obviously, for Robert Ridland, tonight is his night so I think all week was geared toward this.”

“It’s what you dream of,” said Coach Robert, echoing the thoughts of Malin and the other riders who medaled in Tokyo.

“We came up with a plan a long time ago and the emphasis was always going to be on the team competition. The plan was, of course, that we’re bringing four riders here and all four were going to be whatever results we were able to get,” he explained.

“Today was supposed to be the day that we really channeled everything, and we tried to leave as much gas in the tank as we could through the qualifying round to get there, and we’ve all been saying that the team was going to be three rounds and we were prepared for that. It just became magical. It was sweet revenge for Sweden (from the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, where the jump-off went the other way) and it’s a great rivalry. They were amazing and we pushed them to the limit and that’s what has made us proud.”

Jessie Springsteen, the USA’s Olympic first timer, put in her first fault-free trip of the Games in the jump-off, when it really counted.

Her stallion, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, “has a big step I was able to do the leaveouts and that helped with the time allowed,” she said, explaining that Santiago Varela’s course featured “a lot of half-strides where you had the option to do one less or one more” stride.

Coach Robert likes to pair younger riders with veterans, as he did in the 2014 and 2016 Olympics with Lucy Davis. Jessie obviously was in that spot in Tokyo, and being flanked by veterans obviously was a help in her Games debut.

Jessie Springsteen and Don Juan. (Photo courtesy FEI)

Three teams didn’t finish–France, which had been leading, was eliminated when its anchor rider, Penelop LeProvost, garnered two refusals with Vancouver de Lanlore. Germany’s star, world number one-ranked Daniel Deusser, had trouble at the triple and retired Killer Queen from the competition. With no drop score due to the inception of the three-member teams for Tokyo, Germany was out.

Britain elected to withdraw after its first two starters, Holly Smith and Harry Charles collected 16 and 8 jumping faults respectively, which meant there was no need for Tokyo individual gold medalist Ben Maher to compete on Explosion W. They are thenumber one horse/rider combination in the world.

Ben explained, “Holly and Harry are young riders, they’ve ridden incredibly tonight. but unfortunately, it hasn’t gone our way as a team. Explosion’s welfare is paramount for me. I’m not a quitter on the team, I always push to the end, but we’re a long way off any medal contention and he’s done everything for Team GB and me as a ride this week, and the welfare of him becomes a priority.

“It doesn’t make any difference that we won the individual gold. Yes, he goes back as an Olympic champion – I always knew he was an incredible horse before he came here this week – but this decision is based purely on the team as a whole. We had a decision as a team and any horse’s welfare becomes a priority. This way, he goes home one round less and saved hopefully for another day when we are in medal contention.”

What did the riders think about the Olympic team qualifier?

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 6, 2021

If the pressure felt enormous in today’s team show jumping qualifier, just wait until tomorrow.

Ten teams will be going for three medals as the equestrian portion of the quirky Tokyo Olympics concludes. The candidates were culled from 19 countries (four of which were eliminated) who had to deal with tension and a tight time-allowed over Santiago Varela’s marvelous course. Beautifully put together, it showcased fences reflecting Japanese culture, with outstanding exceptions being the Flamenco fence, complete with ruffled dress and guitar that speaks to the designer’s Spanish heritage, and the Tokyo 2020 obstacle. (Yes, they are still calling it Tokyo 2020 after the cancelled edition of the Games, even though this is 2021.

McLain Ward, who has been the anchor rider on so many occasions to clinch victories for the U.S., found himself in unusual circumstances this time around. He had a fresh horse in Contagious, because they hadn’t contested the individual competitions in Japan, but he also had a horse who hadn’t jumped more than nine or 10 fences with him in the last month or so.

“It was really a new challenge, what Contagious and I had to do,” McLain said after his ride, emphasizing with a sense of humor that the two of them had “been on ice.”

The two team riders preceding him in the competition, Laura Kraut on Baloutinue and Jessie Springsteen on Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, had each dropped a rail. It was up to McLain to make sure the U.S. qualified for a shot at the medals, when everyone will start at zero penalties over what you can bet will be an even more demanding course.

The 82-second time allowed today was tight, as just 15 of the starters finished without time penalties, but time wasn’t as big an issue as going carefully enough to avoid knockdowns instead of focusing on the clock.

Having quite a task before him with Contagious after his long layoff, McLain confessed, “I had a lot of anxiety about it, to be frank, but he was right there for me.”

His round was fault-free until the last line, when his 12-year-old gelding had a rail at the Japanese hair decorations oxer.

“As I turned for home, I wanted to make sure we brought that nice score home. I didn’t fight as hard as I needed to for that oxer,” said McLain, whose careful approach also brought a single time penalty.

McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo courtesy FEI)

“I knew what the situation was; I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a major blunder.”

With his two other horses, HH Azuur and Noche de la Ronde, out because of injury and other considerations, McLain’s only choice of a ride was Contagious, who had been a super-careful horse, a little shy but brave.

But in Tokyo, “Contagious stepped up. When I originally got to ride Contagious I didn’t think he was an Olympic horse,” McLain said.

“He proved us wrong in that today.  I don’t know if he believed he could jump the really big fences. He’s a trier and a fighter and I’m a fighter and a trier. I’m really proud of the horse and feel like he belongs here.”

McLain and Contagious were among 15 entries from around the world that switched into their teams after the individual rounds, under the rule allowing substitutions as part of the revised format used for these Games. They took the place of Kent Farrington with Gazelle, who became the alternate.

Teams only have three members, instead of the usual four that allows a drop score for the worst performance. That really changes the game.

“This new format is a little complicated and a little challenging. I’m very thankful to have a course designer like Santiago, who really in my opinion has been brilliant. There’s no drop score, no room for error, no room for mild mishap. I’m not a fan of three-people teams,” McLain commented.

There are, he concluded, “too many variables to make it great sport in this format, in my opinion. I’m not a huge fan of this format but I think that’s something to discuss another day.”

He praised Jessie and Laura, saying, “Everybody’s going to fight hard tomorrow. We’ve got to focus on what’s the task at hand tomorrow and try to be in the mix.”

Laura, the pathfinder, only got her horse in April, so she is still figuring him out. Going early–she was 13th in the order–“was a little bit of a handicap” under her circumstances, she said.

Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

Her rail came at a Liverpool vertical that she observed could have been the bogey jump when she walked the course, because it was going into a corner with a dark hole behind it.

“I could have gotten six inches closer to it,” she mused, saying she probably should not have left out a stride there and would change her plan accordingly if she had it to do over.

“The objective today is to get into tomorrow. We’ll do enough to get into tomorrow and pull out all the stops then.”

Jessie, who started out 18 rounds after Laura, toppled a plank at the A element of the double of verticals decorated with flowered playing cards that was set before the final fence.

“I thought my horse jumped beautifully,” observed Jessie, for whom Tokyo is her first Olympics.

“My horse has a really big stride, so I try to do the leave-outs to make up for time,” she mentioned, adding she “needed to slow it down a little more.

Jessie Springsteen and Don Juan. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

“I was thinking for the time allowed a little bit, but I just needed to regroup before that last line, but I’m thrilled with the way he’s jumping.”

She noted she felt the responsibility of making sure her team qualified for the finals.

“I definitely had a lot more nerves today as opposed to the first day. I want to make everyone at home proud and have a good performance for my teammates,” said Jessie.

Looking toward tomorrow, she said, “I think we’re sitting in a good spot. I know my horse so well and I know he’s really brave and I can really trust him, so that always gives me a great feeling going in.”

Britain was in a more delicate position than the U.S. in terms of making the finals. Scott Brash, a strong player, could not ride in the qualifier because his horse had suffered a slight leg strain during the individual finals. So he was replaced with Harry Charles, who had retired in the individual final after a series of knockdowns with Romeo 88.

They had three rails today, but finished no worse for wear and Britain will go on to the finals.

“The score maybe wasn’t great, but I’m actually very happy,” said Harry, whose father, Peter Charles, rode with Scott and Ben Maher in the 2012 London Games, where Britain won team gold.

Harry knew it wouldn’t be easy to compete as well as he had to today.

“After the round the other night and only finding out yesterday that I was going to be in the team, I had little preparation and the horse has already done two massive rounds. Today was always going to be about giving the horse confidence, I knew I wasn’t going to go clear – the team knew that, too – so the result was pretty good.

“It wasn’t easy, but we just had to get on with it – there was no other way, I couldn’t not jump, so I’m happy that it went as well as it could have done. He ended very good, very confident, and his jump is super, so no harm done today.”

Holly Smith, riding Denver in her first appearance at these Games, delivered a 4-fault round for Britain. She echoed McLain’s thoughts about what it was like to compete in the qualifier without having jumped previously in the arena.

“I was absolutely delighted with the horse,” said Holly. “Believe it or not, he’s not got a lot of experience jumping at this level and, with us not having competed in the individual competition, it was quite something to go in there.

Her performance gave a bit of a cushion for Ben, the anchor rider, who took individual gold earlier in the week with Explosion W.

Ben Maher and Explosion W. (Photo courtesy FEI)

“I had a talk with Scott Brash just before I went in and he said we had a good margin to make the team final tomorrow, so I could take it a little easier,” noted the anchor rider.

“It may sound crazy in this level of competition that I could take it easy, but it just meant I could give him an easier time and if I made a mistake, we’d still make the finals. It was enough, tomorrow’s another day.”

Explosion W put in an extra stride coming into the middle element of the triple combination and ticked off a rail. But they had no time penalties and only a four for the knockdown.

“I was happy with Explosion,” said Ben. “It’s always tough after a very fast round of jumping like the other day and he’s a horse that gets more careful the faster he goes. It’s about giving him the confidence – it’s important that he’s jumping across the oxers. Maybe on the fault I just left him a bit on his own and I could have helped him a little bit more.”

Ben and Explosion are the number-one ranked horse/rider combination in the world and from Ben’s viewpoint, “There weren’t too many decisions to make on the course today,”.

For the double of those playing card planks, just before the final fence, many horses were doing six strides, but Explosion was one of eight or so who went on five.

“I can trust him to jump those planks – it’s like he has laser vision,” Ben observed.

“He can see them and measure them, so the five was always the right option for me.”

For more about today’s qualifier, see the live blog on this website or click here to get results. Follow my live blog of the team finals tomorrow starting at 6 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. If you want to watch the highlights, it will be on NBC from 3:15-4:15 p.m. EDT tomorrow. See a longer version from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on NBCSN.

UPDATE: It’s gold for Maher/Live blogging the Olympic individual show jumping medals

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 4, 2021

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.