Another contingent of U.S. riders is taking to the arena at Baji Koen Equestrian Park today to compete in the first qualifier for the individual show jumping medals, the opposite of the usual order, when the team goes first, as it did in dressage and eventing.
There are 73 starters, a list that includes dozens of standouts as well as some who have come simply for the experience. Each country will field all its riders in the same group.
The top 30 will qualify for the individual medal finals tomorrow, when everyone will start on zero penalties.
On the U.S. side, Kent Farrington (Gazelle), Jessie Springsteen (Don Juan van de Donkhoever) and Laura Kraut (Baloutinue) are competing. McLain Ward, the fourth member of the squad, is on hold until the team competition later in the week.
I expect Kent, ranked fifth in the world, to be a key contender for the gold with his longtime partner, Gazelle; along with the number one horse and rider combination in the world, Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Explosion W and world number one on the Longines rider ranking list, Daniel Deusser of Germany with Killer Queen, a horse we saw during the U.S.circuit in Wellington, Fla.
You can’t list the major players without mentioning Martin Fuchs of Switzerland (Clooney 51); who is world number two and another Swiss, Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy), world number 3. Watch out for Laura Kraut. She and her mount are a new combination, but her experience cannot be underestimated and the horse is something special.
There is no defending champion, since the 2016 individual gold medalist, Nick Skelton of Great Britain, has retired. And Canada’s Eric Lamaze, who has medical issues, did not go to Tokyo. Peder Fredricson of Sweden, the silver medalist in Rio five years ago, is riding All In. They are the number 10 combination in the world.
Below is a look at the course put together by Santiago Varela of Spain for the first qualifier, which has 73 starters who will jump fences as high as 1.60 meters and a time allowed of 89 seconds. Santiago, you will remember from yesterday, also did perfectly planned stadium jumping routes for eventing.
The fences are lovely and just challenging enough for a qualifer, with jumps evocative of the country where the competition is being held. We have a fence flanked by a very lifelike model of a hefty sumo wrestler, then there’s the Tokyo skyline, origami (the Japanese paper-folding art) and gold fish (Japanese koi). We also see the Olympic logo, and to start, the Sugarloaf mountain from Rio de Janeiro, where the 2016 Games were held.
It’s 6 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 7 p.m. in Tokyo, where there’s a 13-hour time difference from the East Coast of the U.S.. Let’s get going with the last of the Olympic equestrian disciplines to be contested at the 2020 Games being held in 2021. The most recent scores will be at the top of the blog, so scroll down if you want to see how everyone did, starting with the first rider. If you want to watch the highlights, they will be on NBC at noon today and on NBCSN at 3:15 this afternoon. Things can change, however, so remember, nothing is in concrete on the Olympic viewing schedule.
9:50 a.m. EDT: We have finished the first day of Olympic show jumping competition, and it’s been a tough one for the U.S. riders, none of whom will be in tomorrow’s individual medal finals. How did I do with my predictions about the individual medals? Americans Kent Farrington and Laura Kraut don’t figure for that now, ditto Steve Guerdat, but my other faves, Ben Maher, Daniel Deusser and Martin Fuchs, are still playing. The course designer did a fabulous job. There were 30 places available for tomorrow’s competition, and 30 riders went without jumping penalties, though five had time faults but made the cut.
9:45 a.m. EDT: The last to go in the class was Bruce Goodin of New Zealand on Danny V, who had 12 jumping and one time. That finish ironically left a place for his teammate, Daniel Meech to qualify as the final person to make the cut with no faults jumping and two time on Cinca 3.
9:45 a.m.: German Christian Kukuk, who works at the stable of Olympic multi-medalist Ludger Beerbaum, made his Olympic debut on Mumbai, a lovely gray. A rail fell at the difficult Olympic logo fence that has caused so much trouble, but otherwise, a nice round.
The Olympic logo fence was the undoing of Syria’s Ahmad Saber Hamcho when Deville toppled rails there and had her head down in the process, and the rider fell off. So did the bridle, and Deville calmly dragged it to the ingate to meet her groom.
Jerome Guerry of Belgium on Quel Homme de Hus was clear while Kamil Papousek of the Czech Republic retired on Warness. The Netherlands Maikel van der Vleuten is clear on Beuville 2; Samuel Parot of Chile on Dubai will go no further after a 4-fault score.
9:30 a.m. EDT: Arggghhh. The U.S. won’t have a rider in the individual medal finals. Laura Kraut had a rail at 13A, the same oxer at the double that got her teammates, Kent and Jessie, and dropped a pole at the last fence as well with her new mount, Baloutinue. She doesn’t know him that well, but had been doing beautifully with him since he came her way in April. Another disappointment for USA. Hard to believe with such strong horse/rider combinations.
9:25 a.m.: Andre Thieme of Germany, who won several of the HITS million $$ grands prix and is a familiar face in the U.S., had a rail when his horse veered at the Olympic logo fence during an otherwise good round on Chakaria.
New Zealander Uma O’Neill on Clockwise of Greenhill Z logged three rails and one time.
9:20 a.m.: Gregory Wathelet of Belgium, a member of the 2019 European Championships team, is clear with Nevados S. The former Young Rider European Champion in eventing converted to show jumping, Ales Opatrny of the Czech Republic, had 4 on Forewer.
9;15 a.m. EDT: Katie Laurie of Australia wisely retired after having four rails and the water with Casebrooke Lomond, while experienced Olympian Marc Houtzager of the Netherlands on Dante is clear even after his mare reared on the way to the first fence. But it was before he officially started, so all was well..
9:10 a.m.: Oh no! That A element of the 13 A-B double which ruined Jessie’s chances for advancing got Kent Farrington and Gazelle too. I can’t believe Kent is not going to be able to go through to the individual tomorrow, where he should have had such a good shot at a medal. Stunned. Sad.
Daniel Meech of New Zealand had only two time penalties on Cinca, but may not get through to tomorrow. Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar had a rail with Legend.
9 a.m.: As expected, Germany’s Daniel Deusser, the World Number One, killed it with Killer Queen to qualify for tomorrow. I liked the bending line that he used to get properly to the difficult double. Daniel, based in Belgium, spent a lot of time in Florida over the winter and was delightful to interview.
Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen.
8:55 a.m.EDT: Hector Florentino Roca on Carnaval had eight and two for the Dominican Republic. William Greve of the Netherlands dropped a rail on Zypria S. But Niels Bruynseels was clear for Belgium on Delux Van T&L. Anna Kellnerova of Czech Republic had 12 on Catch Me If You Can.
8:50 a.m. EDT: Edwina Tops Alexander, riding as an individual for Australia, had a rail with Identity Vitseroel. I remember how good she was in the Final Four at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (when the WEG used to have the Final Four).
8:45 a.m. EDT: So disappointing; Jessie Springsteen making her Olympic debut for the USA had a rail at the A element of the double, the next-to-last fence on course. With all the clear rounds so far, it’s unlikely she’ll make it to the individual medal round tomorrow. Loved her determined and focused look as she went around.
Jessie Springsteen and Don Juan at the Tokyo Skyline jump.
8:25 a.m. EDT:Peder Fredricson of Sweden, the 2017 European Champion, is riding the equine version of Shoeless Joe from Hannibal Mo. (Remember the show “Damn Yankees?”) His All In is competing barefoot. Peder was the silver medalist in Rio. He will have another shot at individual glory after a clear round.
Peder was one of five clears in this group, which has finished and now we have a break before the final group that includes the three U.S. riders mentioned above.There were eight clears with no time penalties in the first group.
Oh, and we should note Peder is multi-talented–he devised the FEI’s pictograms for its disciplines.
Jose Maria Larocca Jr. of Argentina and Finn Lente had two down.
Pan Am Games gold medalist Marlon Modolo Zanotelli of Brazil drops a rail with Edgar M.
Luciana Diniz of Portugal has a big hug for Vertigo du Desert after a clear round.
8:15 a.m. EDT: How disappointing! (I’m using that word a lot). The 2012 Olympic champion, Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, has a rail at the Olympic logo fence and may not get into the individual finals with Venard de Cerisy. But he will have the team competition to look forward to.
Denmark’s Andreas Schou has eight and one with Darc de Lux who is by, as you might expect, Darco.
8:05 a.m. EDT: The scopey Jeofferson produced a round that looked effortless for Scott Brash as Britain logs its third clear.
7:55 a.m. EDT: Alberto Michan, who rode for Mexico in the Olympics, is now riding for Israel, but didn’t stay on past the water jump, having a fall when Cosa Nostra refused there. Consider the horse’s name.
Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson is clear as expected with Indiana.
A block goes down at the weird Nikko Mausoleum wall for Martin Dopazo of Argentina with Quintino, who has eight jumping, two time and won’t be back.
Jasmine Chen of Chinese Taipei sadly won’t make it to tomorrow’s competition after a foot in the water, a rail and one time with Benitus di Vallerino.
Brazil’s Yuri Mansur, without his trademark yellow coat which enables us to always spot him immediately, is clear with Alfons.
7:50 a.m. EDT :Martin Fuchs of Switzerland rode hard to the open water that stretches just under four meters, but Clooney handled it all for a lovely clear.
“The course itself wasn’t super tricky but what makes it difficult is that it’s the Olympic Games, the pressure is there, Clooney feels the pressure and I feel it, the rideability wasn’t as it should have been,” said Martin.
“But usually, he gets better from day to day and I think now we have the most difficult round of the week behind us.”.
It’s what we expected from Explosion W and Ben Maher of Great Britain, clear in the fastest time so far, 81.34 seconds, so he leads the pack and is unlikely to be dislodged. He will have the advantage of going last in the competition for the medals.
“We’ve been waiting a long time and we’ve been edgy to get going,” said Ben, reflecting on the class.
“It was a big enough course today and a lot of horses are a little bit spooky. I don’t know whether it’s the new jumps or the lights, and I felt that with him. This is my most nervous round of the week. He’s a horse that improves as the rounds go on, so he was having a little look today but he’s naturally a fast horse and he did everything he needed to do”,
7:45 a.m.: It was unlucky fence 13 for U.S.-based Israel rider Teddy Vlock, who also had two time penalties on Amsterdam, Mario Deslauriers’ Pan Am Games horse. Israel’s Dani Goldman, she of the feathered hair, is standing by waiting for the team fray. Daniel Bluman, who has done so much to put together the Israeli team, could not compete because of a technicality in the way ownership was filed for his horse.
7:40 a.m.: Fabian Sejanes of Argentina lost his bid to continue as an individual with 12 jumping and one time fault on Emir.
7:30 a.m. EDT: The second group is under way, after the first group yielded eight clear rounds. Surprise. Switzerland’s Beat Mandli on Dsarie, usually on time, picks up one penalty for going over the 89 seconds but has no jumping penalties.
Geir Gulliksen of Norway had a rail and one time penalty with Quatro, while Israel’s first rider, California-based Ashlee Bond, is clear with Donatello. She’s come a long way from her team debut at a championship when she had a fall at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.
Three clears in a row now–Kristaps Neretnieks with Valour, from Latvia; and Britain’s Harry Charles on Romeo 88.
“I couldn’t ask for a better start really,” said Harry. “It felt amazing, I was so focused that I was at fence 11 before I knew it. Being here has been incredible – I like to say that I’ve done a lot of really nice shows and this just puts it into context that our sport is far bigger, this is the absolute pinnacle – to be amongst some of the world’s best athletes, not just in our sport but in all the sports. I’m part of a great Team GB squad.”
Harry walked the course with his father, Peter, who was on the 2012 British gold medal team with two men who are the younger Charles’ teammates, here, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.
7:10 a.m. EDT: Mario Deslauriers, here as an individual for Canada, is clear on Bardolina. His daughter, Lucy, nearly was named to the U.S. team. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor made it three-for-three for his country on Kilkenny. Too bad it isn’t the Nations Cup.
Cian O’Connor and Kilkenny.
France’s Nicolas Delmotte clear on Urvoso du Roch, but Oleksandr Prodan of Ukraine won’t proceed further after 12 faults on Casanova FZ.
7 a.m. EDT: Eiken Sato of Japan has another round for his country that is free of jumping faults, but just 1 time fault with the Mr.Blue son Saphyr des Lacs. Japan will pose a real threat in the team jumping. We had expected them to do the same in eventing, but it didn’t work out, although they had a rider very close to the podium.
6:55 a.m. EDT: Nayel Nasser of Egypt, based in the U.S. and engaged to fellow show jumper Jennifer Gates, is fault-free on Igor van de Whittemore. Colombia’s Robert Teran has two rails and one time with Dez Ooktoff.
6:50 a.m. EDT: Enrique Gonzalez of Mexico and Chacna, another Chacco Blue offspring, is a veteran of his country’s winning Aga Khan cup team at the Dublin show. That experience shows in his expert ride until the weird wingless wall three from the end of the course led to a refusal. Four jumping and four time.
El Ghali Boukaa of Morocco seems up to the considerable challenge of the course with Ugolino du Clos, but wound up with three down and two for time.
It’s two rails and two time for China’s Li Zhenquang on Uncas.
6:45 a.m. EDT: Ireland’s Bertram Allen, who we saw win in Florida on Pacino Amiro, is on the mark with that horse in the beautifully groomed arena.and galloped as if he were in a jump-off to the final fence to make his country’s score zero; two for two for the emerald isle.
Penelope Leprevost of Rio gold France on Vancouver de Lanlore handles the course like the pro she is until a refusal and a knockdown at fence 10, the sumo wrestler, gives her eight for jumping and two for time.
6:40 a.m. EDT: A refusal withc Chopan Va at the liverpool and then the water meant elimination for Sri Lanka’s Mathilda Karlsson, who previously rode for Sweden.
Koki Saito riding Chelensky for Japan is very polished.If there were people in the stands they’d have a lot to cheer about. Double clear and Japan is two for two on fault-free trips.
6:35 a.m. EDT: Egyptian Abdel Said had the first fence down with Bandit Savoie and a refusal at fence 10 flanked by a sumo wrestler. Two rails and eight in time for 15 penalties.
6:30 a.m. EDT: You Zhang of China had a refusal at the second fence with Caesar and retired.
6:28 EDT: Eugen Garza Perez of Mexico has two rails and one for time with Armani.
Ali Ahrach of Morocco is eliminated for two refusalswith USA de Riverland..
6:24: Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Cartello were clean in 82 seconds.
“Not a lot of people know the horse. This is only my sixth FEI show with him, I’ve only had him since May”, Darragh said.
“He was with Irish riders before, so he was in Irish ownership for the Olympics. Cormac Hanley and Lorcan Gallagher rode him and they both had great success with him, he’s been a good horse for everybody. He jumped great in Rome and Madrid over the last couple of months, but this week will be a big ask. But he feels up to it and we’ve had a great start.”
6:20 a.m. EDT: Japanese rider Daisuke Fukushima is the first double-clear on a son of Chacco Blue, Chanyon. A shame the stands are empty due to Covid or there would be a real celebration. And it’s obvious this course is doable, and the right level for a qualifier.
Mathieu Billot of France, the country that won gold in Rio, has a rail and time for a total of seven penalties with Quel Filou.
6:15 a.m. EDT: We have our first jumping clear, Mouda Seyada of Egypt, who had a single time penalty for exceeding the 89-second time allowed on Galanthos. He likely will be back tomorrow for the medal round.
6:10 am. EDT: It’s four rails and two time penalties for Li Yaofeng of China on Jericho Dewerse Hagen. How tough is this course? Hard to judge at the beginning because lower-ranked riders start off the day.
Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane of Mexico has 12 with Hortensia van de Leeuwerk.
The second rider, Moroccan Abdelkebir of Morocco on Istanbull has three fences down, but got around. The next, Manuel Dufrane Gonzalez of Mexico, has the same number with Hortensia van de Leeuwerk.
6 a.m. EDT: Uh-oh. Bad start. Ibrahim Bisharat of Jordan, retired with Blushing after a refusal at the oxer that is the last element of the triple combination.
