The sun sets on Greenwich XC day, via FEI.
By the time sixth-placed Mary King enters the ring tomorrow, within a single-rail margin of the lead, many of us will have reached a judgment-impairing, edge-of-seat level of excitement. So let’s get a grip on the Olympic show jumping format now, shall we?
Assuming her horse passes the second horse inspection at 8:15am local/3:15am EDT tomorrow morning, Jamaica’s Samantha Albert, currently 59th, will be first in the ring at 10:30am local/5:30am EDT. All riders, both team (like Boyd, Karen, Tiana, Will and Phillip) and individual (like Albert, Jamaica’s sole eventer), will jump the first round in reverse order of standing, though teams will count only the three lowest, cumulative rider scores (dressage + cross-country + first round show jump) toward their final team ranking. Team medals will be awarded based on the totaled scores of each team’s top three riders.
Next, ranked by cumulative dressage, cross-country and first-round show jumping penalties, the top 25 riders (max three per nation) will return for an individual, usually shortened and heightened second round, currently slated to begin at 2:30pm local/9:30am EDT. The results of this round affect only individual—not team—scores, and the cumulative totals (dressage + cross-country + first round show jump + second round show jump) will determine individual medal winners.
Clear as mud? Regardless, with a less than two-rail margin of error separating the top 10, Olympic eventing is set for a thrilling conclusion.
Go eventing.
