Members of the U.S. gold medal team came close to sweeping the individual show jumping honors at the Pan American Games in Chile Friday, but they wound up settling for silver and bronze.
On the podium: Brazil’s Stephan de Freitas Barcha, center; Kent Farrington, USA, left, and McLain Ward, USA, right. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
Instead, it was Stephan de Freitas Barcha, ranked number 152 in the world, who took gold by the narrowest of margins, as his fans and supporters from Brazil went nuts.
Brazil’s Stephan de Freitas Barcha had an emotional moment after clinching individual gold in the Pan Ams.
Stephan’s 8.06 penalties was the right number to edge the USA’s Kent Farrington and Landon, who had four faults and a clear today, ending with 9.64 penalties to capture silver.
The medalists had to wait before receiving their awards, however, while Canada protested a 4-fault penalty involving Amy Millar’s knockdown at the double combination on the second of two courses the horses jumped today.
The Canadian side contended the rail fell from Fence 4B only after Amy crossed the finish line, but the ground jury looked at video to determine whether that was the case. In the end, they decided the rail dropped before she finished her round, so she had to keep her 4 faults, which put her sixth with Truman.
McLain Ward of the U.S. got the bronze medal with 15.34 penalties. The U.S. now has a total of 34 medals since the Pan Am Games began in 1951.
But the delay of more than an hour before the awards ceremony meant most of the spectators (except the Brazilians!) had gone home. It was a bit of anti-climax for a wonderful event, of which Chileans should be proud.
This was the second Pan Am Games in a row where Brazil took individual gold. But defending champion Marlon Modolo Zanotelli retired in the second team jumping round on Wednesday after a knockdown and a refusal.
When he looked ahead to the individual competition, Stephan had said, “The first target was the team competition and the bronze medal was not the best feeling because we were fighting for the gold but I am in a good position for the individual.”
Pan Am Games individual show jumping gold medalist Stephan De Freitas Barcha and his magical mare. (Photo courtesy FEI)
And he turned out to be right.
Stephan, the two-time Brazilian national champion, was aboard Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio. He had the troublesome red plank down at the last of 10 obstacles in the second individual round on the final day of competition for equestrians at the Games.
He had been clear throughout the event to that point on the 12-year-old Brazilian Sport Horse mare he has ridden for six years. He just finished within the time allowed of 61 seconds, crossing the timers in 60.51 seconds.
Stephan dedicated his win to two people close to him who have passed on.
“It is for a teacher I had since I was 15, and also my friend who I lost at the beginning of the year. I know he was with me in every round supporting me this week and this victory is for Vava, my good friend who was like a brother to me”, he stated..
McLain, who was standing first going into today’s jumping, had eight penalties with Contagious in the first of two rounds today. He got his bronze despite a rail at the next-to-last fence in the second round, as he pushed his Zweibrucker gelding to make that 61-second time allowed. They were even closer than Stephan, finishing in 60.97 seconds, just avoiding time penalties that would have taken McLain off the podium.
McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
Laura Kraut, the third U.S. rider to take part in the individual medal fray, had two rails in the second round with Dorado 212 to finish just off the podium, in fourth place with 15.39 penalties.
The individual medals were a bonus, as the team’s mission at the showgrounds in Quillota was to clinch one of three berths available for nations seeking to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That they did, finishing at the top of the leaderboard in the process.
“We came here for Wednesday,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland, speaking of the day his squad won team gold.
“They were brilliant on Wednesday and today. As the individual medals always are, it’s the icing on the cake.”
He was pleased with the “building partnerships” of Laura with Dorado and Kent with Landon.
Robert noted how much both Dorado and Landon have improved in the last four or five months, through he added Kent has a longer partnership with his mount than Laura does with hers.
Of Kent, Robert said, “He jumped as well as he ever has in his life all week. Some fancy riding on his part and the horse really came through.”
With the Pan Ams behind the U.S. show jumpers, “Now we know what’s next; we get ready for Paris,” emphasized Robert.
“That’s obviously our big priority. We’ll start working on that tomorrow.”
Kent said he was thrilled with the outcome of the competition and his horse, who had the only perfect trip in today’s second round, and had just a toe in the water in the first round.
“When we get into trouble, he battles his way out,” noted Kent, who started riding the 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding three years ago.
Landon gives a pair of suspicious Easter Island statues the eye as he and Kent look around the course. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“Big rounds today, real jumping,” he commented.
“I think that shows what the Pan Am Games has become in our sport.”
The top 27 riders started Friday morning, with 20 coming back in the afternoon over a shortened course by designer Marina Azevedo of Brazil, who has done a marvelous job.
Stephan noted, “At every championship I won in Brazil, Marina was building: In Children’s, Juniors, Young Riders and Seniors.”
The theme of the beautifully executed jumps reflected Chile’s character, heritage and history, offering a tour of the country without having to leave the arena.
The flamingos that had decorated the course since jumping began on Tuesday appropriately were gathered at the water jump, unused in the second round. That route included the one-stride double and a triple combination in a grapes and wine theme, with an oxer that was two rather tight strides from another oxer, and then one stride to a vertical.
The next-to-last fence, an oxer over a water tray, caught more than just McLain, as riders pushed to make the time, with some of them also having a mishap at the red plank that followed.
Explaining the faults there, McLain said, “The horses have jumped six rounds now (including the warm-up) and they’re tired. They were massive fences, very delicate. It takes a lot of heart for the horses to dig in deep and pull that out.”
Noting that “championships get your blood up,” he praised his horse, saying “Contagious has been brilliant,” but added, “There’s always a couple of things I can look to do better.”
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