The heart of eventing is cross-country, and the Tokyo Olympics route devised over five years by Derek DiGrazia (who also designs the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star) has been the source of speculation for years. How would it ride? Would the weather be a factor? Today we got the answers.
There was a difficult-to-make 7-minute, 45-second optimum time for the route on Sea Forest island, within sight of Tokyo’s skyline, the same area where rowing and kayaking are being held.
The course had not only flair, but also reflected the flavor of the country where it was being held. Fences included a flower shrine, chopsticks, the bullet train and the Mt.Fuji drop.
A view of the course.
For the riders, dealing with the course meant dealing with many issues, from the camber of the tricky terrain at the former landfill, the need for speed and at the same time, caution, as well as the question of how Tokyo’s infamous mid-summer heat and humidity would affect the competitors on a steamy morning.
As the event got under way at 7:45 a.m. Tokyo time, the temperature was 80 degrees and 82 percent humidity, both of which rose throughout the competition but were mitigated somewhat by a nice breeze..
The weather made no difference to world number one Oliver Townend of Great Britain, who finished five seconds under the optimum in 7:40 with no jumping faults on Ballaghmor Class, his Land Rover Kentucky 5-star winner last spring.
Britain, favored to win team gold, was in the lead after dressage, so Oliver’s round set the stage for the other riders on the squad to keep that edge, and they did. Laura Collett (who stands third with London 52 behind Julia Krajewski of Germany on Amande De B’Neville) and Tom McEwen, sixth with Toledo de Kerser, also completed without any penalties.
Meanwhile, here’s what happened to Germany, which was second after dressage and sank. Initially, a run-out at a tricky corner from the second-to-go German rider, Sandra Auffarth, on Viamant Du Matz, dropped Germany to fifth place at the end of her round.
Then superstar Michael Jung triggered a frangible pin with Chipmunk FRH at fence 14C in the Lone Tree Moguls combination, plummeting him with 11 penalties for that transgression from first place to 10th individually as the team fell again, to sixth, behind the U.S in fifth. Michael’s mishap elevated Oliver to the top of the individual standings. Eight other riders also set off a frangible pin.
“I had a little mistake there (at fence 14C),”said Michael.
“I didn’t realize it fell down, but when I galloped away from the fence I heard the sound. It was quite a surprise for me. Everything else was really nice.”
The USA’s lead-off rider, Doug Payne, proceeded with determination on Vandiver, but took no risks that could have backfired. He put a good score in the bank, finishing in 8:02, with 6.8 time penalties.
Doug Payne and Vandiver. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“I thought we were going to be able to catch up a bit faster than we did, ” commented Doug, who is making his Olympic debut.
“At the end we were totally on empty, so it’s all you can ask for.”
Of Vandiver, he said, “He’s got the biggest heart of any horse I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Although a bit unconventional at times, he tries his heart out.”
Time penalties were the order of the day, as expected. At the end of the first rotation of team riders, only Australia’s Shane Rose was on the same page as Oliver in having a double-clear round.
By the end of the competition, just five others (including the other two members of the spectacular British team, as I said) had joined them in coming in under the optimum and finishing without jumping faults.
Julia Krajewski of the German team, which was standing in second place after she rode, nearly made the time but was one second over for 0.4 time penalties.on Amande De B’Neville.
Germany remained second after the first round, with New Zealand third, following Jonelle Price’s trip on Grovine de Reve in 7:50 that added two penalties to her score.
Twelve riders retired or were eliminated, starting with the first on course, Arinadtha Chavatanont of Thailand, who splashed into the first water when Boleybawn Prince looked down at the grass verge as he jumped and aimed for that instead of the pond, falling into the drink.
Thailand’s Aridadtha Chavatanont had the unenviable position of leading off on cross country, where a miscalculation landed her and Boleybawn Prince in the first water complex, but they both walked away.
That left it to Oliver, second to go, to figure out how to ride the course without watching someone else handle the fences.He and Ballaghmor Class were up to that challenge.
“We know he’s special, anybody who watches eventing knows he’s special, but he’s tough and digs deep,” said Olive.
“Early on, I thought he was getting slightly away from me – in fact, there were a couple of places where he was in control and I wasn’t – but I sat behind him and found good distances.
“Once I got into the course, I started picking up good, big, quick distances – almost racing distances – to the straightforward fences, and he answered beautifully.
Britain’s Oliver Townend on Ballaghmor Class is in the lead individually for Olympic gold.
“His pedigree is part of what makes him good, but it’s mentality more than anything – he’s tough in every aspect of life. He’s quirky, but he’s tough, and the bottom line is that he wants to do his job more than most horses.
“I have a lot of trust in Derek di Grazia’s courses, I think the man’s one of the best – if not the best – in the world at what he’s doing, and even when I think a distance is one way, I know that if it isn’t, then it’s a safe distance.”
The USA’s Phillip Dutton was held after fence 12 when a Thai rider fell on course, but he got going well again with Z and ended on a time of 7:57 to stand 17th.
The 2016 Olympic individual bronze medalist said such a start-and-stop and start situation “is not ideal.”
Phillip Dutton and Z. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Equestrian)
He called Z, “a great little horse with a big heart. I think I couldn’t have gone much better.” Assessing the course, he said, “It’s hard work, but I knew that coming in.”
He observed, “We’re in the hunt still. Obviously, sitting in fifth place, we still need to claw our way up a bit further, but it was certainly an exciting day of cross country.
Boyd Martin rode anchor for the U.S. on Tsetserleg and is in 14th place, finishing in 7:53 with 3.2 time penalties as the best score for his team.
“It’s a big sigh of relief getting around well,” he said, noting he thinks his horse “tried his absolute heart out. It wasn’t a course that suited him that well, with the twists and turns and back and forth, but he dug deep.
Boyd Martin anchors the U.S. team on Tsetserleg. (Photo courtesy FEI)
“In hindsight, maybe I should have pushed him a little bit harder,” continued Boyd, who believed he was good on time until the last seven jumps.The weather was a factor in his horse’s performance..
“The heat knocked him around for sure. I felt like he was a bit winded by the second minute. He stayed about that mode the whole way around and never dropped the bit.”
Even so, “he was pretty empty by the end.”
Added Boyd, who was born in Australia and has dual citizenship, “I’m very proud to be American.and have three American horses finish clear today. I’m pleased, relieved and still dialed-in for tomorrow” when the stadium jumping will be held at starting at 4 a.m. Monday EDT back at Baji Koen Equestrian Park, an hour from Sea Forest. I’ll be blogging the action, so you can check this website at any time to catch up, without having to wake at a crazy hour.
The U.S. total is on 109.40 penalties in fifth place, to 78.30 for Britain, which has a great lead over Australia, standing on 96.20; it’s 97.10 for France in third, 104 for fourth-place New Zealand, whichmoved off podium position after a slow round by Jesse Campbell on Diachello.
There are 114.20 penalties for sixth-place Germany behind the U.S. The stadium jumping phase could shake things up a bit, though it seems doubtful any nation can catch Britain.
Showing great professionalism, Australian anchor rider Andrew Hoy was 10 seconds under the optimum time in his eighth Olympics He tied Mark Todd’s record for the most Olympic clear rounds. Sixty-two-year-old Andrew stands sixth individually on Vasily de Lassos.
He was on hold for some time, with his saddle off and getting a bath, while officials attended to Jet Set, ridden by Robin Godel of Switzerland. The horse, formerly the mount of New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson, never had a fault cross-country.
He became lame after the Mt. Fuji fence and was pulled up. Sadly, Jet Set’s injury was such that he could not be saved and had to be euthanized. The gelding, a veteran of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, received immediate veterinary attention at the fence and, after an initial assessment, was transferred by horse ambulance to the on-site veterinary clinic.
Ultrasound scans revealed an irreparable ligament rupture in the lower right leg, just above the hoof, and on humane grounds and with the agreement of the owners and rider, the decision was taken to put the horse to sleep, according to the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale).
Robin praised his beloved horse, noting, “He set off on what he loved to do the most,: gallop and fly over obstacles.”
In line with the FEI Veterinary Regulations, samples have already been taken from the horse and a post mortem will be conducted.
Australia’s Andrew Hoy gives the thumbs up after finishing 10 seconds under the optimum time.
Japan, which did well in dressage to stand fourth at that point and within sight of the podium, had hopes dashed when Yoshiaki Oiwa fell from Calle 44 at a brush jump down hill from the big drop fence. .That nation now is 11th, but Kazuma Tomoto (who rides with British multi-medalist William Fox-Pitt) is ranked an impressive fifth individually with Vinci de la Vigne.
Colleen Loach, Canada’s lone rider (following Jessica Phoenix’s decision to withdraw Pavarotti before the event started) finished all smiles in 8:03 on Qorry Blue D’Argouges in 26th place.
Lauren Billys, riding the 19-year-old Castle Larchfield Purdy, felt her mount, the second-oldest in the competiton. was running out of gas and kindly pulled up. Her regular coach is Derek DiGrazia, but of course, that arrangement wasn’t continued into the Games.
Twenty-year-old Tayberry at the Samurai sword jump with Thomas Heffernan Ho.
The oldest horse in this event, Tayberry, was very credible, however, in completing the course. The 20-year-old campaigner finished in 10:04 for Thomas Heffernan Ho, the first Hong Kong representative to ride in Olympic eventing. He is ranked 46th. What a special moment for horse and rider.
For full results, click here
NBC will be showing cross-country at some point, just can’t say when. Check your listings. However, it looks as if it will also be on NBCSN beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday Aug. 1. These things can change, so double-check..
