Where it begins. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Oo la la baguette! The Olympic cross country has got the riders pumped and ready for action.
There are the usual discussion points:
☔ the weather, more specifically the incessant rain that drenched dressage day;
🌱 the ground, because of said rain;
⏳ the time, because, “If you’re not thinking you’re late when you leave the start box, you’re not going to be making the time”.
One thing the riders all agree on is that the course is totally stunning – “the most beautifully-built cross country course” dressage leader and record-breaker Laura Collett has ever seen.
Pierre le Goupil’s designed a “creative”, “fair” and “flowing”, “impressive” track – the perfect mix for an Olympic Games.
Check out all the fences for yourself in Tilly’s course preview.
Who’s “gonna say I love it”? Who thinks people may be feeling a little too unsuspecting? Who’s “100 percent ready to go and give it a crack”?
Is Chris Burton back for good?
Find out all this, and more besides, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak…
#Paris2024: [Website] [Equestrian Schedule, Timing, Scoring] [Peacock for U.S. Viewers] [How to Watch Guide] [Ticket Resale Market] [Spectator Guides] [EN’s Coverage]
🇬🇧 Laura Collett and London 52 – 17.5 – 1st
Olympic record breakers Laura Collet and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s lots of [fences] that need a lot of respect. The water at the top of the hill has a lot of options, and there’s a fence jumping into water [the horses] have not really seen before with the shape of it. It’s gonna come up very quickly because it’s at the top of a long pull up a hill. To be honest, I think it’s as tough any other cross country course. You’ve got to be on your A game from start to finish, and you’re not home until you’ve gone through the finish flags.
I’ve been walking it every day since Wednesday; it’s the most beautifully-built cross country course I think I’ve ever seen. It gives it a really nice feel because you want to get out there and attack it, and I’m looking forward to the pictures afterwards.
🇩🇪 Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH – 17.8 – 2nd
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I really like the course, it’s a super nice build. Every fence is very nicely built and the gallop track is so nice. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I think the rain is good for the ground — before, I thought maybe it’s a bit hard somewhere, but we will see tomorrow. We [do not] have not much experience here. We will know tomorrow after maybe 20 to 30 horses, but my feeling is that cross country will be amazing tomorrow.
I really try to concentrate to give the same feeling to my horse like at every other competition. It doesn’t work all the time, but I try to ride him to the same feeling with him, the same fun with him, to enjoy and let him gallop We need to stay concentrated. We need to do everything 100% perfect. But I try not to give the horse a feeling that it’s something special to make him more nervous.
🇦🇺 Christopher Burton and Shadow Man – 22 – 3rd=
Chris Burton and Shadow Man. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We have to go clear first, and Pierre has built a really tough track out there, so we’ve got to do our job. We’ve got to keep our head in the game and stay focused — step by step. Luckily for me, he’s got a real turn of foot, so we’ll do what we can do.
I think parts of the ground actually needed [the rain]. I think now it might be a bit skatey, I hope by tomorrow it dries out a bit and it might be good going — we will wait and see.
[We asked him if he’s back for good?]
Stop asking difficult questions! We will see. Do you want to buy him for me?!
🇨🇳 Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne van Bareelhof – 22 – 3rd=
Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne Van Bareelhof. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s an absolute masterpiece — technically and aesthetically, it’s stunning. I think the weather is going to play a big role; we’ll see how much it dries up tomorrow with a bit of sunshine. I think the time is going to play [its part] — the big boys and girls in the big nations, I think, will breeze around, but the rest of us have got to have a pretty good go.
🇨🇭 Felix Vogg and Dao de l’Ocean – 22.1 – 5th
Felix Vogg and Dao de l’Ocean. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s the prettiest course I ever seen — I think it’s maybe a little bit too pretty. Everyone feels comfortable. If you have the line, you maybe forget a little bit to ride, but I think that’s where it gets you. If you are not really focused and riding like it is a cross country, I think it will be tough. The time I cannot say, you’ll see after first riders.
🇬🇧 Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo – 23.4 – 6th
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Plenty to jump, plenty of places where you’ve just got to be on your game the whole way around. The time is going to be a big factor, of course, and that’s where mistakes creep in. I’ve got a plan, I’m open to that plan changing, but I’m going to try and stay in my bubble. I’ve got a fantastic team around me and hopefully we can get the job done tomorrow.
🇳🇿 Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park – 25.7 – 9th=
Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s great compared to what I expected. I’ve never been here before, but it’s a bit more strong than I expected, and more undulating. There’s a lot of terrain — they’re not huge hills, but there’s a lot of terrain everywhere, testing that you can keep your horse balanced going uphills and downhills — and the water jumps are all pretty strong. I think [Pierre’s] done the most wonderful job designing it that it feels — certainly to walk — like it has a lot of flow to it. It doesn’t feel twisty to walk. I think it’s got beautiful flow [and] the jumps are great. I think it should be well suited to our team.
🇮🇹 Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress – 25.7 – 9th=
Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s a lovely track, beautifully built. Now with this rain, I don’t think it will be heavy, but it probably will be quite slippery and you know speed with slippery ground is never ideal. I think mistakes probably will come, but hopefully not. That’s my guess, because especially under the trees, is very squashy.
🇳🇿 Tim Price and Falco – 26.5 – 12th
Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s a proper challenge. This rain that has been quietly falling all day, I think it’s probably going to have a bit of a toll on the ground; we’ll see if that plays into the advantage of the Kiwis or not. We’ve got good cross country horses and it’s a great course, beautifully presented, some nice big, open gallops, and then some very difficult patches as well. Seems like there are options everywhere — it’s always like that at Games, isn’t it? Mark Phillips, I remember, having ‘ABCDE’ and things like that, but once you get your head around it, you can see why the options are there. I wouldn’t say that the options are Get Out of Jail Free cards anywhere though; there’s still a challenge in those. But there’s the obvious straight routes, a few options, and it’s just our job to make a good plan to know what’s important in terms of results, and ride the horse underneath you.
🇮🇹 Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes – 26.6 – 13th=
Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
[I don’t watch] too many [riders before cross country]. I’ve got my plans and I think there are no so strange things that you have to see. Normally it’s about the horse, because there are no lines that you say, ‘I do that or I do the opposite’ — I think it’s quite clear. The time will be difficult. I have to be focused on not looking around me. I have to be focused on my plans and my course and don’t get butterflies.
🇧🇪 Karin Donkers and Liepheimer Van’t Verahof – 26.6 – 13th=
Karin Donckers and Leipheimer Van’t Veraho
It’s very fairly built, the cross country fences are clear – I think the horses will read it well. When I walked it, I felt very ‘Woah” [it’s] a lot of fences’ – you really have to know your lines very well in case of something going wrong. You definitely have to pay really good attention. Good riding, being prepared – it’s definitely not going to be a dressage show.
It’s a nine minute course, but I think they have the maximum fences allowed, so that makes it already tight enough. Lots of combinations, a lot of choices you have to make, in combination with the crowds — the people always make it extra tense and more difficult to ride. I think it will be tough enough to go around clear and in the time.
🇩🇪 Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21 – 26.9 – 15th
Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s impressive as always, beautifully presented. Everything is being asked; I think you actually cannot say it’s in any way easy [or] to be underestimated. The course is very clever. I think if you ride forward and brave and have an honest horse, you probably will do well.
🇺🇸 Elisabeth Halliday and Nutcracker – 28 – 19th
Liz Halliday and Nutcracker. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s beautifully presented; it’s a gorgeous course. I think it’s difficult, it’s tough. There’s definitely some five-star questions on the track, but everything’s been built in a way that’s fair. I think the distances are there to be ridden. They’ve worked incredibly hard on the ground — already out there today, they’re spreading gravel and doing everything they can. It’s very impressive, what they’ve presented us with here. It’s a it’s a joy to be able to be here.
🇨🇭 Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH – 29.1 – 20th
Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s a very beautiful course. The time will be very difficult, and now with the rain, the ground will be softer, so it makes the time even more difficult. I’m very happy with the jumps and we are very confident with my horse; it is our [best] discipline. I will try to be in the time — I know that he’s not the fastest horse but I can take the turns sharp.
There are a lot of combinations that we have to be careful at, but I think the most difficult one technique-wise is at the end — the last water –because the angle is not so easy to ride and it’s [at] the end, after eight minutes; we have to pay attention. Also, when the horse is a bit tired and long, we have to react and be ready.
🇩🇪 Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S – 29.4 – 21st
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It is absolutely beautiful; the way it’s designed and everything, it’s outstanding. We will have to wait and see, with the rain, whether that will affect the ground maybe, or not, because I think they’ve done loads and loads of work already over the last two years to prepare the ground. Nobody knows — we’ll have to find out, and I think Julia [Krajewski] has the best possible option to find out and give us the best of information on how we can react.
🇺🇸 Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake – 30.4 – 25th
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s easy to make a mistake at any jump. Every jump is hard because either they’re under shadows, the design of the jump, the terrain — there is no give away jump. Even with the footing now, with all this rain, it’s beautiful turf, but it is new turf in some places, so it’s quite easy to slip. I was fortunate to run around Tryon because I feel like it’s the same sort of terrain and it has similar bridges, which is great for America, to have another course of [preparation] for this. But it’s not gonna be easy, and if other people are saying it’s easy — no way.
I think it’s a fantastic course. If I compare it to Tokyo, it’s slightly different with the ideas and questions, but I think it very cleverly opens you out. There’s galloping areas — it’s not just twisty — but then I actually think at the end, that’s when you’re going to slightly get caught out. There’s lots of twists and turns, not just the fences, but obviously the land as well, and actually, I do see the time being quite tight. I see it riding quite intense — a little bit like a nine-minute Luhmühlen type of idea. I sort of see that as a comparison, really. It’s a great course, really well designed, beautiful.
Like all cross country courses, it’s actually sort of a state of flow. If you can get the flow and the idea of the course, then it should go [well]. Sometimes you can get away with something that looks quite simple, but will catch you up later. For me, I think a big question — and I think it’s a big jump in — [is] the direct route up at the second water, the highest point of the course – that’s tough. I think there’s a few different questions elsewhere. I think it’s accumulation — you can build the easiest course in the world, but it’s the Olympics and people will make some mistakes with the pressure.
🇺🇸 Boyd Martin and Fedarman B – 30.5 – 26th
Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s a hell of a course out there, but I feel like my horse is tailor-made for this sort of track. I’ve just got to stay switched on for every jump, every stride. I’ve got complete belief in Bruno in the cross country — he’s ready to go. Every jump counts, every moment counts. You can learn a bit by watching some of the others and getting feedback. But then this rain, the ground will be a bit ripped up, and that could be an extra challenge going later.
I think I have just got to work at obviously going flat out, but then trying to keep him settled in the first mile. That’s when he gets really fired up and so I’ve got to try and ride him fast but calm at the beginning. I think that there’s tough combinations the whole way around. There’s nothing I see out there that we can’t do, but there’s a lot of jumps you could have a mistake at.
‘ve got confidence that we’re going to get through it well, but by no means am I going to be losing concentration ‘til I get through the finish flags. I think I’ve made a couple of mistakes in the past at this level, by going too fast and flying jumps and then getting caught out by not not getting him back to the correct speed on a few of the accuracy fences. So that’s my moment that I have got to concentrate on.
I rode a bit out on the cross country this morning, and it [the ground] felt fantastic. There will be parts underneath the trees that will get muddy, but the bulk of the course will be fantastic. It should be fun.
🇳🇿 Jonelle Price and Hiarado – 30.8 – 27th
Jonelle Price and Hiarado. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think Pierre has done a fantastic job. It’s not an easy brief, I don’t think, building an Olympics where you’ve got the world’s best combinations, and then you’ve got some of the lesser [established] nations as well, but I think he’s done a really good job. There’s some things we haven’t really seen before – he’s been creative.
It’s got to be fast and clear – there’s a reason I’m out first for the Kiwis! Well, there’s only one Olympics I haven’t gone out first, so [it’s] pretty standard practice — and I actually quite like being done early.
[In] the third minute, I think the key is you’ve got to be as conservative as you can — you look at the second minute, I think there’s seven jump efforts. Number one, you could be cruising quite happily; you could come out at minute two, and find yourself 10 seconds down, and then there’s not going to be a whole lot of places to catch it up. I think it’s going to be about minimizing the damage in those busy patches.
🇮🇪 Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue – 31.7 – 28th
Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I certainly wouldn’t get lulled into a false sense of security with the man that’s designing it. He [Pierre] is a very, very clever course designer — fair, but clever. It’s quite intense; nine minutes is going to be quick. I think it’ll be good safe ground, but it’s certainly going to be on the softer side.
🇳🇱 Janneke Boonzaaijer and Champ de Tailleur – 31.9 – 29th
Janneke Boonzaaijer and Champ de Tailleur. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think it’s really friendly for the horses. It has a lot of questions, but [is] also quite readable — so if you ride well, it’s really good to do, but if you make a mistake, then you’ll have a run out. I think that’s really clever. With the options, it’s maybe a little bit longer or you can do what suits your horse. I think the time will be hard. For sure, we’re gonna try and chase it, but in the back of our heads and minds, we want to do it safe as well. I’m gonna say I love it. It’s really nicely built, nice details, and in this garden, it’s amazing.
🇩🇰 Peter Flarup and Fascination – 32.4 – 30th=
Peter Flare-up and Fascination. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The first time I saw [the cross country course], I thought, ‘Oh, this is too much’ – they really squeezed it to the highest level. But after walking it a few times, I think it looks more doable. I have the feeling that if you get out of the start box with a good, positive feeling, and you can get that into your horse, I think they will fly around. But if you start having concerns at the beginning of the course, then it’s going to be tough.
I know it’s a 4* course, but you cannot be closer to a 5*. The distance is only nine minutes but you have the same amount of fences [as over a longer course], and that makes it really compact. One, two, three, four are really nice, and gets them going, and hopefully that makes them more positive for the rest [of the course]. It’s really nicely built, and I’m looking forward to riding it. When we walked [it] yesterday, it was already a little bit slippery in places, but I’m quite sure they will fix it, I have no concern about that; I’m quite sure that we are in really good hands [and] they will do the best they can.
🇧🇷 Rafael Mamprim Losano and Withington – 32.4 – 30th=
I’d love to ride cross country on that course. Absolutely, 100 percent ready to go and give it a crack. I think it’s big — we are at an Olympic Game, so that’s exactly what we expected — and I’m sure there’s lots of room to go wrong. We need to walk it five, six times — make sure we’ve got a plan A. It’s only nine minutes, but I think it’s gonna ride pretty fast.
🇧🇷 Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova – 33.3 – 33rd=
Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
To be honest, I don’t think much about [the order.] Going first or last, it’s about the same for me. Of course, if you go last, it’s good for you. You can watch some and then that helps a bit, but we walked the course many times, we have a plan and it doesn’t change much.
🇸🇪 Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z – 33.3 – 33rd=
Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It looks really nice. There’s a few tough questions at the end, just where they jump in and don’t know what’s coming until quite late. If you’ve got a bit of a tired horse, a mentally tired horse, then you just have to really make sure that you show them where they’re meant to be going and you help them as much as possible. It looks testing, but it looks fair, and it’ll be hunting down the clock.
It is very mental. I think the horses don’t get many rests, because even though there’s a few galloping parts, I think they’re always turning in the woods, out of the woods. I think they will need a few breaths around there to carry on.
🇦🇺 Shane Rose and Virgil – 34.6 – 38th
Shane Rose and Virgil. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think there are some some really strong elements to it. I think the time could be could be tight as well; it does flow a little better than perhaps we thought, but I think the first couple of minutes — certainly that second minute — is going to take a lot of time and a lot of thought process to get through. Overall, I think it’s definitely stronger than Tokyo. It seems quite similar, potentially, to Rio. Certainly in that second minute, there are a lot of influential fences that are going to shape the way the competition runs, and then you need a bit of force at the end of the course to negotiate the last couple of lines.
🇨🇦 Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS – 35.4 – 43rd=
Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I am pumped. I cannot wait to leave the start box on that horse, like from start flags to finish flags. It is game on. I am so excited to take her out there tomorrow. Normally I’m the pathfinder at these things, so having the ability to just watch some of the key combinations to see how the flow goes, see how the striding is, see how the horses are interpreting the different jumps out there, is going to be a huge advantage before leaving a start box tomorrow.
The course designer is brilliant. What he has set up out there is next level, he’s just put so much thought into it – into the design and to the layout, using the terrain. It’s pretty exceptional to walk around a course like that. From the start flags to the finish, there’s not going to be any letting up out there, or you’re going to be having time faults. It feels like a four-star short over nine minutes. It’s a lot of jumping efforts in a short space with a lot of turns. If you’re not thinking you’re late when you leave the start box, you’re not going to be making the time.
🇨🇦 Karl Sleazak and Hot Bobo – 35.8 – 46th=
Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I’m looking forward to seeing how [teammate] Mike [Winter] has a good go out there, but I’m optimistic. It looks like a great course. I think that you have got to get their focus early, but then it opens up and we can fly.
I was never concerned about coming here, because it is the Olympics. You just put your heart and soul into it, and so you come out of the [start] box hard. I think it’ll be good for [Hot Bobo] and it will be good for me to get focused in on the job right away.
Certainly, you are going to be slow at the beginning, but there are some stretches where there are only one or two fences, so there are opportunities to catch up a little bit. I do think it’s going to be difficult [to get the time]. I don’t think it’s going to be easy, but I am curious to see. We will see after the first few horses.
I like to have my plan and stick with it. Obviously, if things are going haywire out there I will adjust it, but for the most part, I like to stick to my plan and not get too too focused on whatever anyone else is doing.
🇪🇨 Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Wundermaske – 37.7 – 51st
Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Forever Young Wundermaske. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
I think maybe five or six riders will make the time, but the question is will those horses be sound the next day? You have to plan and see; you need to know your horse well. I know that people will be like, ‘I can make the time’, but I think they will be surprised the next day. This is a challenging course — it’s not hilly, but it’s challenging. There’s new grass in some areas, so the roots will not be long enough, so here we need to use bigger studs — besides, it’s been raining a lot.
🇧🇷 Carlos Parro and Safira – 37.7 – 51st=
Carlos Parro and Safira. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
When I first walked it, I thought it was nice — I thought it was really jumpable. Then the more you walk it, the more you see problems that could occur, but she’s jumped the level before. I think this course, if you ride well on a good horse, you’ve got a great chance of getting good results.
The last water is quite tricky, being [at] the end of the course. The middle water, we don’t know how the horses are going to react to the new development, jumping into the water. But this horse and most of the horses here have jumped courses like this. If I can ride well, get in a good spot, in a good rhythm and let her read the question, it’s very likely the horse is going to jump. Some of the horses here have a lot of experience and they’ll be able to get the time.
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Go eventing!
#Paris2024: [Website] [Equestrian Schedule, Timing, Scoring] [Peacock for U.S. Viewers] [How to Watch Guide] [Ticket Resale Market] [Spectator Guides] [EN’s Coverage]
