Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice over the final fence. Photo by Jenni Autry.
IT’S GO TIME! Cross country at the Rio Olympics begins at 9 a.m. EST and we are so pumped! Pierre Michelet’s course is no walk in the park and it’s being said the time will be difficult to make. The course is long: 33 fences with 45 total jumping efforts and an optimum time of 10 minutes and 15 seconds. If you haven’t yet, check out Shannon Brinkman’s gorgeous photo gallery of the course here and read what Team USA has to say about the course.
With the scores so close as they are on the leaderboard we could see a real shakeup in the standings at the end of the day, but you don’t send lackluster cross country horses to the Olympics. Click here to see who the real power houses are.
We’re wishing everyone a safe round and make sure you keep it locked right here on Eventing Nation. We’ll be updating this thread all day so keep refreshing the page. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more news and photos. Go Eventing!
#Rio2016: Website, Schedule, Cross Country Ride Times, Individual Scores, Team Scores, EN’s Ultimate Guide to Rio, How to Watch Live, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram
Here’s the top ten individuals after cross country – way to go American’s Boyd and Phillip in the top ten!
And the team standings after cross country. Australia holds both team and individual gold medal positions going into the final day!
2:07 p.m. EST: It’s been quite a day. Thanks for joining us. Stay tuned for a full report from Jenni and much more from #Rio2016
2:00 p.m. EST: Marcio is so far clear according to the scores and he’s just jumped the final fence with 20 time penalties to add.
1:57 p.m. EST: Our final pair of the day, Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer are being cheered all the way around the course but they’ve had a very unusual ride through the second water. A very troublesome jump over the drop in. He sits back up and jumps the final element but may have been outside the flags.
1:55 p.m. EST: Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice bring it home clear with 3.2 time penalties. Awesome round!!
1:55 p.m. EST: Brilliant ride through the straight route of the final water for Phillip and Mighty Nice.
1:52 p.m. EST: A clear round and 28.4 time penalties for the 25-year-old Swede Ludwig Svennerstal and Aspe.
1:50 p.m. EST: We’re showing Ingrid Klimke and Hale-Bob OLD finished with 20 jumping and six time. Phillip and “Happy” are clear. Ludwig and Aspe have a moment at the final water but quick thinking by Ludwig kept them from incurring a refusal. The final horse and rider combination are on course now. So much is happening here at the end!
1:48 p.m. EST: Wow! Phillip and Mighty Nice pull some wild acrobatics at the first corner at 6. We think he was clear but that’s not yet been confirmed. They did jump the B element and continue on.
1:46 p.m. EST: We’re aghast. Ingrid and Hale Bob OLD have a runout at the first of the one of the angled brushes in the final water.
1:45 p.m. EST: And Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice are on course! We’d love to see a great round from them.
1:44 p.m. EST: Ludwig Svennerstal and 8-year-old Aspe are on course for Sweden. Ingrid Klimke and Hale Bob OLD are clear over the Bamboo Vertical at 26.
1:41 p.m. EST: Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo have a beautiful round and cross the finish with only 8 time penalties.
1:38 p.m. EST: The Netherland’s Merel Blom is thrilled to finish clear with Rumour Has It and only 12 time penalties to add.
1:37 p.m. EST: Ingrid Klimke is on course for Germany with Hale Bob OLD. They have a sticky ride through the first water but they are clear.
1:34 p.m. EST: Kitty King and Ceylor L A N finish for Great Britain with 20 jumping and 33.6 time. Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo straight through the Pan Am Walls at 11.
1:32 p.m. EST: Jonelle and Faerie Dianimo are sticky at the first water but Jonelle kicks on. Kitty King circles before the toad in the final water but that’s numbered separately so she won’t incur a penalty there.
1:31 p.m. EST: Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo are on course for New Zealand. I just love watching this horse jump. Those ears are like laser pointers!
1:29 p.m. EST: Russia’s Aleksandr Markov and Kurfurstin pick up two refusals at the final element of the second water, which equals three total refusals on course and elimination.
1:27 p.m. EST: Kitty King and Ceylor L A N pick up a refusal at the Pan Am Walls at 11.
1:23 p.m. EST: Shane Rose and CP Qualified picks up one, possibly two refusals at the final water, then jumps outside the flag on the third attempt. He’s eliminated and stopped on course by officials.
1:22 p.m. EST: Kitty King and Ceylor L A N are the final pair on course for Great Britain.
1:21 p.m. EST: Shane Rose sits tight at the second water and CP Qualified is very honest to carry on with his eyes on the next fence.
1:19 p.m. EST: Italy’s very experienced pair of Stefano Brecciaroli and Apollo VD Wendi Kurt have eliminated themselves at the final water. They had a scrappy ride over the first element, jumped outside the flags at the second and then went on to jump the third, which is a technical elimination. They are I think the second pair to do that today.
1:13 p.m. EST: Shane Rose and CP Qualified are on course now for Australia. A good round from them could widen the country’s lead going into cross country.
1:12 p.m. EST: We’ve only had three double-clear rounds today, and those three competitors are currently occupying the top three placings: Chris Burton (AUS) and Santano, Michael Jung (GER) and Sam FBW, and Astier Nicolas (FRA) and Piaf de B’Neville.
1:11 p.m. EST: Mathieu Lemoine and Bart L are clear for France with 14.4 time penalties. Commentator Mark Kyle has confirmed that Australia can not be caught for the overnight lead at this point.
1:08 p.m. EST: Ireland’s Mark Kyle and Jemilla have a glance off at 12, the Pan Am Walls.
1:05 p.m. EST: A clear round with 12.4 time penalties for Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master. Canada will finish the day with a team score.
1:01 p.m. EST: With 11 horse and rider combinations still to start, Chris Burton and Santano lead with Michael Jung and Sam in second. Nicolas Astier and Piaf de B’Neville are third, Mark Todd and Leonidas fourth, and USA’s own Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery are fifth.
12:59 p.m. EST: Pawel Spisak and Bandares have a hard fall at the Ski Jump at 20. They’re both up but Bandares looks quite sore.
12:57 p.m EST: Rebecca and Rupert have an awkward jump over the first element at 6 and are forced to take the long route.
12:56 p.m. EST: Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master are on course for Canada. They need to complete to give Canada a team score.
12:55 p.m. EST: Poland’s Pawel Spisak is competing in his fourth Olympics. He and Banderas jumped huge into the first water and couldn’t make the turn to the log in the water. Pawel looks to take some time to adjust tack before continuing on.
12:53 p.m. EST: China’s Alex Hua Tian and Don Genira had an extremely good round. They cross the finish clear with 13.2 time penalties.
12:50 p.m. EST: Karin Donckers looks to have a good ride at the Pan Am Walls but Fletcha Van’t Verahof hits the final element, sending Karin over his head. She’s on her feet and the horse jumped over the ropes, leaving the course altogether.
12:48 p.m. EST: Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof get lucky at the first water. Yoshiaki Oiwa and The Duke of Cavan ride as boldly to the last as they did the first. They finish clear for Japan with 18 time penalties.
12:46 p.m. EST: Yoshiaki Oiwa and The Duke of Cavan are really going for it today. Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too are over the last to finish with 40 jumping and a whopping 72 time penalties. We’re moving into our final team rider rotation now.
12:40 p.m. EST: Very unfortunate glance off at 17b for Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too.
12:39 p.m. EST: Yoshiaki Oiwa and The Duke of Cavan are giving us a mini-heart attack over the first several fences. Hopefully they settle into a good rhythm soon.
12:36 p.m. EST: NO!!!! Lauren and Veronica have a fall at the Malmesbury Cottage. They’re up and okay but that takes Team USA out of the team competition.
12:34 p.m. EST: Sara Algotsson Ostholt shouts at Reality 39 realizing she doesn’t have a good line in the final water. They pick up a second refusal there.
12:33 p.m. EST: Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too are on course for Brazil. This is a very experienced pair and get started with huge support from the home crowd.
12:32 p.m. EST: Very bold through the Pan Am Walls combination. Lauren and Veronica are very determined.
12:30 p.m. EST: Lauren and Veronica have taken the long route at 6. Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Reality 39 have a sticky moment followed by a stop at the Ski Jump combination to pick up 20 penalties for Sweden.
12:29 p.m. EST: Jonty Evans on Michelet’s course: “I think he’s probably got the balance about right. We don’t want to see a dressage competition.”
12:28 p.m. EST: Lauren Kieffer and Veronica are on course! Come on girls we need a clear!!!
12:28 p.m. EST: Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Samourai Du Thot are eliminated after a third refusal on course.
12:25 p.m. EST: Clarke Johnston and Balmoral Sensation produce a clear round with 4.8 time penalties for New Zealand.
12:23 p.m. EST: Julia Krajewski and Samourai Du Thot have another problem at the final element of fence 9. That’s another 20 for Germany.
12:22 p.m. EST: Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Samourai Du Thot have a stop at the first water complex.
12:21 p.m. EST: Alice Naber-Lozeman and Peter Parker finish having picked up 20 penalties at the Palm Tree Question and 32 time for the Netherlands.
12:16 p.m. EST: Billy the Biz just doesn’t quite hold the line to the toad in the final water and glances off right. He and Pippa Funnell finish with 20 jumping penalties and 20.4 time.
12:12 p.m. EST: Russia’s Andrey Mitin and Gurza are unfortunately eliminated at the final water. The horse scrambled over A with the flag between his legs then went straight on to jump the B element.
12:09 p.m. EST: Pippa and Billy the Biz jump big into the corner combination early on and have to regroup to take the long route.
12:08 p.m. EST: Stuart Tinney crosses the finish with 2.8 time penalties. That’s three clears for Australia!
12:05 p.m. EST: Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio having a very confident round so far. They’re clear through the Bamboo Vertical at 26. Pippa Funnell is on course for Great Britain and Billy the Biz is looking very keen out the box!
12:02 p.m. EST: Italy’s Pietro Roman gives Barraduff a well deserved pat for getting out of a sticky moment at the final water. They’ve now crossed the finish with 20 time penalties.
11:59 a.m. EST: Jonty Evans and Cooley Rourkes Drift are clear with 22.8 time penalties in their first Olympics for Ireland. Well done!
11:58 a.m. EST: Clark Montgomery on his three refusals with Loughan Glen: “It’s an adjustability issue. He’s very difficult to make come back & turn to the right. We thought we had it fixed.”
11:57 a.m. EST: The highly experienced Stuart Tinney is on course with Pluto Mio, looking to bring home a third team score for Australia.
11:54 a.m. EST: Thibaut Vallette and Qing Du Briot finish clear with 24.4 time penalties for France. Ireland’s Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes Drift are having a great round so far!
11:54 a.m. EST: This just in: Sam gave Michael Jung “a good feeling.”
11:51 a.m. EST: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges finish with 40 jumping penalties and 45.2 time. They picked up penalties at #9 and #11, but they get another completion for Canada.
11:46 a.m. EST: 20 jumping penalties and 48.4 time penalties for Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy in their first Olympics.
11:45 a.m. EST: Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy have taken the straight route at some of the toughest combinations on course, but she goes long at the final water.
11:41 a.m. EST: Joris Vanspringel and Lully Des Aulnes finish clear with 21.6 time penalties in the Belgium rider’s fourth Olympic Games.
11:40 a.m. EST: Colleen has a lovely ride through the first water that has caused no shortage of problems so far this morning.
11:39 a.m. EST: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges are on course now for Canada. They must complete to keep Canada in the team competition.
11:39 a.m. EST: Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy glance off 11a, the Pan Am Walls.
11:36 a.m. EST: Finland’s 23-year-old Elmo Jankari cross the finish with 20 jumping penalties and 22.8 time penalties.
11:34 a.m. EST: Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy leaves the startbox in her Olympic debut for Puerto Rico!
11:30 a.m. EST: Ecuador’s Nicolas Lionel Wettstein’s Nadeville Merze has run out of gas at the Wood Pile Launch at 21. Nicolas puts up a hand and calls it a day.
11:28 a.m. EST: What a thrilling finish for Camilla Kruger and Biarritz! A careful, clear round with 40.4 time penalties! Fist pumping and patting her horse, she’s absolutely delighted!
11:27 a.m. EST: Mark Todd on Leonidas’s clear round: “Every time I asked him for a bit more effort he had it in him.”
11:25 a.m. EST: We’re about halfway through the division so far. Camilla Kruger is having a cracking round. She’s going the long route at many of the combinations but that strategy has been serving her well. This girl wants to complete!
11:21 a.m. EST: Sadly Felix picks up another runout at the water at 25 and are eliminated for three refusals on course.
11:20 a.m .EST: Camilla Kruger is all smiles on course with Biarritz. She’s the first ever Zimbabwean representative to compete in equestrian at the Olympics!
11:18 a.m. EST: Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and On Fire are another to pick up a runout at 17b, the Palm Tree Question, then the horse practically runs into the first narrow at the Ski Jump at 20 then skips out to the left for another 20 penalties.
11:17 a.m. EST: Carlos Parro and Summon Up the Blood produce a second clear for Brazil with only 4 time penalties!
11:14 a.m. EST: Brazil’s Carlos Parro and Summon Up the Blood are being very brave out there and the crowd is loving it!
11:11 a.m. EST: Okay folks, we’re so glad you’re with us today, but the server is loaded down so we’ve taken out the Twitter and Instagram embeds to lighten the laod. We’ll just have text updates from here on out.
11:09 a.m. EST: Clark has another runout at the first element of the wood piles then drifts left again at the Palm Tree Question. That’s elimination for Clark Montomgery and Loughan Glen. Such a shame. Glen never seemed to have his head in the game today.
11:05 a.m. EST: Loughan Glen simply won’t make the turn to the drop into the 1st water. They pick up 20 but Clark gets him in and then has to take a lot of time to reorganize.
11:04 a.m. EST: Michael Jung and Sam are clear and inside the time a remarkable 14 seconds under the optimum!!
11:03 a.m .EST: Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen are on course!
11:01 a.m. EST: Michael Jung and Sam goes the straight route at the Malmesbury Cottage and make it look easy.
11:00 a.m. EST: William Fox-Pitt on his 20 penalties: “It was entirely my fault. I was going too fast.”
10:59 a.m. EST: Toddy and Leonidas cross the finish clear with 2 time penalties!!
10:58 a.m. EST: Christopher Burton on Santano II after cross country: “For a horse with very little blood in his breeding, he is a rocket”
10:56 a.m. EST: Tim Lips and Bayro are clear with 28 time penalties, about a minute over time. Michael and Sam take an interesting line at the corners at 6 but they are clear. Sir Mark Todd is clear through the third water complex.
10:55 a.m. EST: Michael is giving Sam some reassuring pats during a gallop early on the course. If anyone can show this course who’s boss it’s this pair!
10:54 a.m. EST: Michael Jung and Sam FBW are on course now, the defending Olympic Champions!
10:51 a.m .EST: New Zealand’s Mark Todd, the oldest rider in the field at 60, is on course with Leonidas II and clear through the Burghley Fence at 7.
10:50 a.m. EST: WFP and Chilli Morning finish with 20 jumping and 10.4 time penalties. We’re gutted for the penalties but so proud that William made it to the Olympics at all after the year he had in 2015.
10:47 a.m. EST: Crap. Something went wrong at the Ski Jump at 19 and 20 and WFP and Chilli Morning pick up a heartbreaking 20. That puts Chris Burton and Santano in the lead.
10:46 a.m. EST: Chilli Morning clears the Palm Tree Question at 17 with room to spare.
10:45 a.m. EST: Tim Lips and Bayro are on course for the Netherlands.
10:42 a.m. EST: Chris Burton and Santano are clear and inside the time! That’s our second double clear of the day and he goes into the final phase in the silver medal position at least. Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning brilliant through the straight route at the corners at 6.
10:41 a.m. EST: William and Chilli Morning nicely through the first water. Chris Burton and Santano just one to go!
10:40 a.m. EST: William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning are on course with huge cheers from the crowd.
10:38 a.m. EST: Arianna Schivo and Quefira de L’Ormeau come home for the Italian team with 20 jumping and 30.4 time. Chris and Santano showing us how it’s done. They’re still clear through the third water.
10:36 a.m. EST: Christopher and Santano are having a really lovely round so far. We’ve received work that Russia’s Evgenlya Ovchinnikova and Orion have withdrawn so our leader William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning will be next out of the box.
10:33 a.m. EST: Clare Abbott and Euro Prince are home with 40 jumping and 25.6 time penalties for Ireland.
10:32 a.m. EST: Australia’s Christopher Burton and Santano II, second after dressage, have a hairy moment at the first water but they’re clear.
10:30 a.m. EST: Very few riders going the straight route now at the Malmesbury Cottage at 23 and 24, though they are swinging wide at the corner where Tim Price slipped and fell.
10:26 a.m. EST: Euro Prince drops down into the ditch at the first element of the Pan Am Walls. They recover and are clear on the second attempt.
10:26 a.m. EST: Very sadly Kathryn Robinson has been eliminated for three refusals.
10:24 a.m. EST: Euro Prince puts his knees down on top of one corner at 6 to pick up 20 for Ireland with Claire Abbott.
10:22 a.m. EST: France’s Karim Laghouag and Entebbe are another to pick up a hard stop at 12b, the Pan Am Walls.
10:20 a.m. EST: Carlos Lobos Munoz and Ranco bring home a slow but clear round for Chile. Very honest jumping from Ranco and good work by Carlos. 42.8 time penalties for this pair.
10:19 a.m. EST: The commentators are saying Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee may be eliminated for jumping a B element twice at the Sugar Loaf at 9.
10:17 a.m. EST: Let It Bee puts on the breaks at the cabin at 9.
10:16 a.m. EST: Carlos Lobos Munoz and Ranco are working well together around this tough course!
10:13 a.m .EST: Kathryn Ronbinson and Let It Bee are on course for Canada!
10:07 a.m. EST: Albert Hermoso Farras and Hito CP, our sole combination for Spain, are eliminated for three refusals on course. Ryuzo Kitajima and Just Chocolate finish for Japan with 40 jumping and 34.4 time penalties. They had problems at those tricky brush corners at 6 as well as the Sugar Loaf combinations at 9.
10:02 a.m. EST: Marcio Appel and Iberon Jmen very nearly take a bath at the final water but Marcio manages to push himself back into the tack and brings home a completion for Brazil. He finishes with 20 jumping penalties and a lot of time.
9:57 a.m. EST: YES!!!!! Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery are home clear with 3.2 time penalties! Great start for Team USA!!
9:56 a.m. EST: Boyd Martin is absolutely attacking this course and Blackfoot Mystery is full of run.
9:53 a.m. EST: Linda Algotsson is home but the commentators are sayings he may be eliminated for a third refusal.
9:50 a.m. EST: Sweden’s number 1 Linda Algotsson and Fairnet have a nice steady rhythm. They’ve had a refusal at 13 and 17 and are looking to get home now.
9:49 a.m. EST: Boyd and Blackfoot Mystery are clear through 10.
9:47 a.m. EST: Opgun Louvo leaves out a stride and runs by the toad at the water at 30, which is separately numbered. They finish with provisionally 40 jumping penalties and time with an overnight score of 86.4.
9:46 a.m. EST: Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery are on course now. COME ON BOYD!
9:41 a.m. EST: Tim Price and Ringwood Skyboy slip around a corner and go down! They’re okay but what horrible luck!
9:40 a.m. EST: We can hardly believe it, Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo pick up 20 at the first water. That line from the drop in to the log is not riding particularly well.
9:38 a.m. EST: Theo van de Vendel and Zindane have a fall at the gate at 24b after catching a hoof, but they’re up and okay.
9:37 a.m. EST: I had a momentary computer issue but back in action.
9:29 a.m. EST: Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh for Australia finish clear with 6.8 time penalties. Sam gives his horse a well deserved hug at the finish.
9:28 a.m. EST: Gemma and Quicklook pick up another stop at 11b the Pan Am Walls. This is shaping up to be a very interesting day already.
9:27 a.m. EST: Luca Roman and Castlewoods Jake finish with 40 jumping and 31.6 time penalties.
9:26 a.m. EST: Gemma and Quicklook pick up 20 at the first water. Just couldn’t quite hold their line to the log in the water.
9:23 a.m. EST: Luca Roman and Castlewoods Jake for Italy had a hard stop early on the course at the first water. A sticky moment at 17a led to another 20 at 17b. The first for Great Britain is on course, it’s Gemma Tattersall and Quicklook V.
9:18 a.m .EST: Padraig McCarthy and Simon Porloe had an early refusal and then a fall at the open corner at 17b. The horse was just sticky off the ground and caught his hind legs, but both horse and rider are up and okay.
9:16 a.m. EST: Astier Nicolas and Piaf de B’Neville are CLEAR AND INSIDE THE TIME for France!
9:14 a.m. EST: Jessie and A Little Romance finish with two refusals and 36.5 time penalties, but a completion for Canada. Astier is having an abslutely cracking round. He’s almost home!
9:08 a.m. EST: Brilliant riding at the 6AB corner questions for Frenchman Nicolas Astier and Piaf de B’Neville. What a jumper!
9:05 a.m. EST: Jessie and A Little Romance unfortunately had a problem at the first water when the pocket rocket mare jumped in huge and ran by the log.
9:01 a.m. EST: Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance for Canada are our first riders out on course. The live stream hasn’t started up yet, though!
