“No big deal, we just had the best two years in the history of eventing.”

Eventing is supposed to be a sport of ups and downs. Horses go lame at inopportune times, spook and tense up just before entering the dressage arena, or get tired in the show jumping.  In our sport, lightning doesn’t strike twice, because it’s so darn hard to get lighting to strike once.  It’s normal for a pair to have an occasional bad weekend, for a rider’s eye to be slightly off, or just to run into bad luck. But I assure you: There is nothing ‘normal’ about Michael Jung, who just won Olympic team and individual gold as the reigning team and individual European Champion and the reigning individual WEG champion.  This is eventing history that I don’t expect to see repeated in my lifetime.

Almost all riders look, at least occasionally, as though they’re at the mercy of our sport–they’re flustered for a moment in the dressage, cross-country gets the better of them, or they miss in show jumping.  But this weekend it seemed like eventing was at the mercy of Michael.

Olympic Final Results:
GOLD: Michael Jung and Sam (GER) +0 +0 40.6
SILVER: Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega (SWE) +0 +4 43.3
BRONZE: Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo (GER) +0 +0 44.8
4. Andrew Nicholson and Nereo (NZL) +0 +4 49.0
5. Mary King and Imperial Cavalier (GBR) +0 +8 50.1
6. Tina Cook and Miners Frolic (GBR) +1 +8 51.0
….
9. Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott (USA) +0 +0 53.8
22. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) +14 +8 79.2
23. Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper (USA) +23 +11 81.1
[Individual Olympic Final Results]

And make no mistake, La Biosthetique Sam was every bit as impressive as Michael–perhaps even more so.  Michael put Sam close to a couple of verticals, but there was never a chance he’d pull a rail.  Sam jumped so high, so efficiently, so tightly with his knees, and turned so quickly that the course looked almost easy.  Sam has performed at a level that most four-star horses never reach in their careers–and he’s done it for four years.  A calculated plan of attack that started two years ago in Kentucky just unfolded perfectly in front of our eyes, and we all look foolish for ever doubting its inevitability.

And, if all of that wasn’t enough, it’s Michael’s 30th birthday today.

Michael and Sam were the only pair to finish on their dressage score and they moved up from 11th after the dressage to win.  Their double-clear in the individual round put all of the pressure on first-placed Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega of Sweden.  Sara and Wega nearly lost gold when they gave a hard rub to the second to last fence.  Then, two strides out from the last, Sara knew that she was going to get much too close.  Sara’s scream for help from her partner rang out and Wega did everything she could, but the damage was done.  They pulled the last fence to lose the Olympic gold medal.  Sara and Wega won silver along with the hearts of the eventing world this weekend with a courageous performance that was one rail away from perfection.  Sandra Auffarth of Germany took bronze with two fantastic double-clears today.

Andrew Nicholson and Nereo finished without a medal in dreaded fourth after pulling a rail–Andrew rode really well to limit the damage to just one.  Great Britain’s individual medal hopes faded when both Mary King and Tina Cook pulled the first fence and the gate at number three.  Mary worked so hard in the team jumping round to help Imperial Cavalier jump clear, but she couldn’t quite save the day in the individual round and dropped from third to fifth.  I couldn’t write a post about the show jumping finale in Greenwich without mentioning Zara Phillips and she obliged, jumping a clear second round with her adoring fans and members of the Royal Family looking on.  Six years ago Toytown helped Zara around the 2006 WEGs.  This year Zara helped High Kingdom get the job done.

[NBC Show Jumping Replay]

Mark Todd and Campino started the day in 3rd with hopes of Toddy’s 3rd Olympic individual gold at his 7th Games and they ended the day in 12th.  Sadly it looked as though Campino’s incredible effort to nearly make the time despite slipping his way around the cross-country got the better of him today.  Two show jumping rounds after a very demanding cross-country yesterday was a tall order for most of the horses.

The second and final show jumping round did seem to ride better than the individual round this morning.  I would attribute this to a variety of factors including that only the top 25 horses jumped, there were fewer jumps, the path of the course was more flowing, and there was less team pressure on the riders.  The second round did cause one stop for France’s Lionel Guyon and Nemetis De Lalou.

Team USA found some redemption in the final round.  Karen continued her fantastic weekend by finishing the day on her cross-country score with two perfect double-clears.  In her 5th Olympics, Karen (allegedly) ended her international career for the Team USA with leadership and poise, finishing in 9th.  Karen’s husband David takes over the US coaching job now, and some changes that this weekend suggests Team USA needs are approaching quickly.

Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper stepped their game up after a stop in the first round.  They pulled the white gate and added a few time penalties in their last ride together–the plan is for Phillip to hand the reins over to Whisper’s owner, Arden Wildasin.  Phillip Tweeted after their round “Whisper tried really hard in the second round, big ask for him after such a big day yesterday.“

Jessica Phoenix and Exponential also found redemption in their first Olympics, pulling one rail and incurring a few time penalties.  They finished the weekend in 22nd place, with the excitement that they have so much more upside.

Team GB rode marvelously all weekend.  Their five riders drew energy from their home fans rather than feeling the extra pressure of competing on home turf.  They would have had five riders riding in the final round, but nations were limited to running their top three.  Ingrid Klimke of Germany withdrew after 9 faults in her first round and there was speculation that she did so either to spare her horse Butts Abbraxxas another round or to try and give her spot to teammate Dirk Schrade.  Only Michael and Sandra jumped for Germany in the last round.  (4:59pm Update: Apparently Ingrid was trying to substitute Dirk, but the rules did not allow it)

The first double-clear of the second round belonged to Joe Murphy of Ireland with Electric Cruise–their second double-clear of the day.  Andrew Hoy followed them with a double-clear on Rutherglen in Andrew’s 7th Olympics.  Ireland’s Aoife Clark and Master Crusoe became crowd favorites with two efficient double-clears, moving up from 32nd after the dressage to 7th.

I try to end every big competition by giving thanks to everyone who made it possible.  Thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers in London who worked so hard for so many years to host our sport.  Thanks to Horse & Hound for letting us partner with them on their XC live blog.  I want to give a major thanks to the EN team for their incredible help this weekend.  Nothing we did this weekend would have been possible without Vis, Kate, ESJ, Abby, Leslie, Samantha, Tori, Erin, Annie, and everyone else who joined our coverage–you all were fantastic to put up with my emails at 10pm and texts at 3am.  Most of all, thank you for making Eventing Nation part of your Olympic experience–this is a weekend that none of us will soon forget.

In terms of historical significance, in my opinion there are only two achievements in the history of our sport that rival what Michael did today–Mark Todd’s two Olympic individual golds with Charisma and Pippa Funnel’s Grand Slam.  This day, and the pair wearing two gold medals tonight, just became eventing history.  Go Michael and Sam.

Michael Jung and Sam won the individual gold at the London 2012 Olympics after jumping two double-clear show jumping rounds today at Greenwich Park.  Their double-clear in the individual round put all the pressure on leaders Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega of Sweden, who pulled a rail at the very last fence on course with a shriek of horror from Sara.  Michael and Sam add two Olympic gold medals to their trophy case, which includes the 2012 World Equestrian Games gold and the European Championship gold last year.   Oh, and by the way, it’s Michael’s 30th birthday today.  Germany wins team and individual gold.  We’ll have a full recap shortly.  Go Michael and Sam.

[Live Blog Archived]

Welcome to the exciting conclusion of the 2012 London Olympic Games!  Today is a day that most of us will look back on and say “I remember where I was when I watched the winning ride at the London Olympics.”  Thank you for making Eventing Nation part of that experience.  NBC and the other Olympic broadcast partners are making it possible to watch the show jumping live online from pretty much anywhere.  If you are at home or work trying to follow the Olympics live, click here if from the USA and here from everywhere else.  As always, we are meeting together here on EN to provide our own insights, guests, war stories that we probably shouldn’t tell, and ridiculousness in our EN Olympics live blog. Please jump into the discussion and join us right away!

Watch the Olympics Live: NBC, Canada, BBC, Everywhere Else, FEI Broadcast Guide

Schedule: First round starts at 10:30am local, 5:30am ET and the final round starts at 9:30am ET.

Show Jumping Links: Individual Scores, Team Scores, Order of Go

“Help, I don’t understand what is up with the two show jumping rounds?!?” — [Click here]

Note: We apologize in advance for any technical issues or server crashes, which are something of a tradition on EN.  We are having some traffic load issues when we get over 250 commenters on the blogging software.  If an error message displays at the top of this page, please try clicking on the post title or refreshing the page, or email [email protected] and we will try to help.

The Greenwich show jumping course proved influential in the team jumping round from the first rides of the day to the last, causing rails, time penalties, and refusals.   In general, the horses looked a little flat and tired after a tough test yesterday over the steep Greenwich hills and through soft footing.

Germany held on to their lead in the team competition to win gold despite 9 faults from Ingrid Klimke.  Great Britain pressed Germany for the win, but they will have to celebrate team silver on home soil.  New Zealand passed Sweden to capture team Bronze.

Team Results:
1. GER: 133.7
2. GBR: 138.2
3. NZL: 144.4
4. SWE: 148.4
5. IRL: 184.8
6. USA: 208.6
[Full Team Results]

2010 World Equestrian Games champion Michael Jung entered the show jumping as the second to last to ride for Germany.  With a very spotty show jumping history from Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas, all the pressure was on him to secure gold for Germany.   Sam pinged his way around the course, turning smoothly and jumping high with knees tucked.  Michael Jung never breaks–heck, he never even blinks under pressure.  Michael and Sam will enter the individual jumping round 1.3 points behind Sara Algotsson-Ostholt of Sweden, who also jumped a fantastic double-clear.

The riders who are not part of a team rode first this morning and then the teams rode in reverse order of team standing.  The top 25 placed riders (max 3 per country) will return for the second jumping round at 9:30am ET to determine the Olympic individual eventing champion.  The scores from this first round will be added to each rider’s second round scores and of course their dressage and cross-country scores to create their final individual score.  If you have any questions about the two round format, Abby has your answers.

[Individual Round Order of Go]

Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega were tied for the individual lead going into today’s first jumping round.  Sweden had already let the chance of a team bronze slip away so Sara was riding to set herself up for an individual gold.  Wega is an excellent show jumper and showed off her skills with a clutch double-clear to guarantee them the lead going into the final round and putting all of the pressure on Germany’s Ingrid Klimke.   So far, this pair is still on their dressage score.

Ingrid Klimike and Butts Abraxxas are a lovely pair, but they just didn’t have the show jumping power to get through today clear.  They picked up two rails and one second to drop from tied for the lead to 8th.  I’m gutted for Ingrid but the result was not unexpected.

Last to ride for the USA, Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper suffered a shocking refusal.  Whisper looked a little tired early on course and jumped into the middle of an oxer.  He looked like he lost confidence and stopped at the next fence, a ship shaped jump.  They finished with the stop, two rails, and 23 points added to their score.  Phillip will ride 4th in the individual round.

The top placed North American representative in the individual round will be none other than Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott.  Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott jumped a foot-perfect double-clear that was never really in doubt.  In Karen’s 5th Olympics she once again stepped up big for Team USA.  It’s hard to imagine a US eventing team without Karen on it but that is going to be the reality after this weekend when David takes over the US coaching job.

Individual Standings Before Individual Round:
1. Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega (SWE) +0 39.3
2. Michael Jung and Sam (GER) +0 40.6
3. Mary King and Imperial Cavalier (GBR) +0 42.1
4. Tina Cook and Miners Frolic (GBR) +1 43.0
[Full Individual Standings]

Andrew Nicholson’s brilliance is sometimes overshadowed by Mark Todd’s, but Andrew jumped ahead of Mark with a double-clear.  Andrew is always a master on the cross-country, but he was a master in the show jumping in the first round today.  Toddy pulled a rail and three time to drop from 3rd to 7th while Andrew moved up to 6th.

Mary King and Imperial Cavalier were nothing short of superb.  The crowd roared approval as Mary crossed the line in a double-clear.  She picked up Impreial Cavalier around that course, just like yesterday, and got the job done with Great Britain needed it most.  She is rewarded with 3rd position going into the final round.

Last to ride for Team GBR, Tina Cook entered the arena with less than two rails in hand for team silver and the knowledge that there was no way to win team gold.  Tina rode Miners Frolis to perfection and secured silver for Great Britain with just one time penalty.  She lies in 4th.

The first British rider, William Fox-Pitt, rode Lionheart to a spectacular clear round inside the time.  In his comments Monday night, William seemed surprised that Lionheart tired so much on the cross-country, but that will be the only frustrating part of an otherwise excellent weekend.

Stefano Brecciaroli and Apollo WD Wendi Kurt Hoev were second after the dressage, but they endured time penalties yesterday and stopped at a vertical today.  Nina Ligon picked up a stop at the white gate with Butts Leon, but she regained her composure and finished the round well.

Caroline Powell and the 19-year-old Lenamore of New Zealand finished their first Olympics with one rail.  This crowd favorite never once showed his age this weekend and jumped better than horses half his age today.  Lucinda Fredericks helped redeem a disappointing weekend with a super ride on Flying Finished.  Lucinda rode every stride to finish with just one time fault.

Will Coleman and Twizzel jumped spectacularly with the signature Will softness and relaxation.  They added just two time penalties to their score.  Although I’m sure their unnecessary stop on cross-country will frustrate Will for a long time, he truly earned his pinque coat at Greenwich.  Will is forever going to be known as an Olympian–he should be very proud of himself and Twiz.

[NBC Video Feed]

Tiana Coudray’s score turned into an important score for the US when Boyd withdrew Otis from the holding box this morning.  Ringwood Magister looked slightly rushed, but Tiana needed to push to make the time.  That rushing cost them two rails and they finished with 3 time as well.  11 faults in the show jumping made Will’s score count for the USA.  Like Will, Tiana has a bright future ahead of her wearing the pinque coat for the red, white, and blue.

Jessica Pheonix of Canada and Exponential had 3 down and 2 time for 14 to add to their cross-country score.  With so many penalties from so many riders today, that is a solid result.  Canada just had terrible luck this weekend at every possible moment.  Jessica will jump second in the individual round.

I was disappointed that Sweden did not come away with a team medal.  They rode brilliantly all weekend and emerged as a real force.  Their hopes for a medal now rest on Sara and Wega.

The top four are all within a rail of the lead heading into the individual round. The individual round starts at 9:30am ET.  Go eventing.

Michael Jung and 2010 World Equestrian Games champion Sam jumped a double-clear to secure gold for Germany. Full recap coming soon and the individual round of jumping starts at 9:30am. Go Germany.

Hawley’s connections have confirmed via Facebook that Hawley is in stable condition and will remain in the hospital overnight for observation.  Hawley fell at the third fence on the Olympic cross-country while riding for Team Canada earlier today and there was a 20 minute hold on course while she was tended to by medical personnel, ultimately being transported to the hospital in an ambulance.  Hawley was seen sitting up after the fall.  Her horse, Gin & Juice galloped away from the fence and appeared unhurt.  All of us around Eventing Nation wish Hawley the very best and a speedy recovery.

Ireland’s Camilla Speirs reportedly had a fall from Portersize Just A Jiff at the Rose Garden corner, #24, causing a lengthy hold on course.  Team Ireland Equestrian issues an unconfirmed report after the fall that they believed there was no serious injury to horse or rider.

Officials confirmed that there were no major in the press conference following cross-country when they discussed Hawley’s fall and, presumably, Speirs’:

“The information that we just have for now is that the Canadian rider was taken to the hospital but is fine and still under observation, that is what we have heard but it needs to be confirmed that there will be more information about that later on.  The horses are well, one horse was on the ground for a little while, but that is fine and the rider as well, so that is what we know that there are no major injuries to horses and riders…that is the information that we have for now.” [Audio]

Also, I heard from a friend of EN “Camilla is fine, just given her a hug!,” and, when asked about her horse “he’ll be fine too.”  When it comes to cross-country evenings, no news is good news.

Go Hawley and Camilla.

6:06pm Update: The Canadian Olympic Team has published an update from Michael Gallagher, President, Equine Canada: “Bennett-Awad suffered a concussion, which is improving significantly. She also suffered a stable sacral fracture. Bennett-Awad was transported to hospital by ambulance and admitted for observation and pain management. We will continue to monitor her progress.”  A quick consult of Google suggests that a sacral fracture is treated with bed rest and a full recovery is expected.

Additionally, Camilla Speirs has Tweeted: “My brave little sprstr in a lot of pain bt bein a trooper as always.Will spend nht wit him 2nt.so proud of him. Thnks for support,means alot”

6:47pm Update: Tragically, Michelle Mueller’s horse Amistad did suffer a major injury today.  Following cross-country, Canadian team vet Dr. Christiana Ober discovered that Amistad tore a tendon and will be retired.  Michelle and Amistad completed the Olympic course with one stop and 43.2 time penalties.

Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas are tied for the lead, photo via Kit Houghton/FEI

Course designer Sue Benson’s Olympic cross-country course lived up to every prediction that it would shake up the Olympic leader board today at Greenwich Park.  Overnight leader Yoshiaki Oiwa of Japan suffered a heartbreaking end to his weekend when Yoshi popped out of the tack after the Royal Greenwich Borough drop at #20B.  Yoshi’s horse trotted off the drop and, although horse landed with decent balance and didn’t seem to slip significantly, Yoshi just couldn’t quite sit back enough on the landing. Stefano Brecciaroli of Italy, second after the dressage, finished with a clear round aboard the lovely Apollo VD Wendi Kurt Hoeve, but they picked up a costly 11.6 time penalties. Mark Todd’s horse Campino was one of many today to slip in multiple places around the soft footing covering the hilly Greenwich terrain.  As Campino started to look exhausted with a few minutes to go, Toddy stepped up with what has to be considered one of the greatest rides of his career to get home just one second over the time.  That one second proved costly however, because it will keep him in his overnight bronze position.

Ingrid Klimke of Germany and Sara Algotsson-Ostholt of Sweden were tied before the cross-country in 4th place and they remain tied after both producing double-clears on the cross-country, but this time they are tied for the Olympic lead.  As Kate pointed out earlier, Sara’s mare Wega is the daughter of her sister and fellow Swedish team rider Linda Algotsson’s mare La Fair.

The individual competition is extremely tight heading into the show jumping.  The top six pairs are separated by less than a rail.  The top 12 pairs are separated by less than two rails.  Remember the Olympic format features two show jumping rounds.  The first is the team round, which is followed by a round by the top 25 pairs that only counts toward the individual totals.  The best three scores from each team comprise the team score.

Olympic XC Individual Results:
1T. Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas (GER) +0 39.3
1T. Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega (SWE) +0 39.3
3. Mark Todd and Campino (NZL) +0.4 39.5
4. Michael Jung and Sam (GER) +0 40.6
5. Tina Cook and Miners Frolic (GBR) +0 42.0
6. Mary King and Imperial Cavalier (GBR) +1.2 42.1
7. Ludvig Svennerstal and Shamwari (SWE) +0.4 44.1
8. Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Luovo (GER) +4.8 44.8
…
12. Phillip Dutton and Myster Whisper (USA) +2.8 47.1
24T. Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott (USA) +5.6 53.8
26. Boyd Martin and Otis (USA) +3.6 54.3
28. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) +2.4 57.2
42. Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister (USA) +25.6 77.6
46. Will Coleman and Twizzel (USA) +36.4 82.7
58. Michelle Mueller and Amistad (CAN) +63.2 120.2
RF Hawley Bennett and Gin & Juice
RF Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master
RF Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott
[Full Individual XC Results]

Team Great Britain produced a heroic day of cross-country on their home soil with their countrymen cheering on.  The British finished the day with all five riders home clean and three coming home inside the time (Tina Cook, Nicola Wilson, and Zara Phillips).  Imperial Cavalier was extremely strong in the bit for Mary but she fought her way around valiantly for just 1.2 penalties. William Fox-Pitt rode beautifully but Lionheart became exhausted towards the end of the course and it was all William could do to get home with 9.2 time penalties. Team GBR added just 10.4 penalties for all five of their riders combined, which was better than most single riders added.  Great Britain closed the gap to overnight leading Germany from 8.9 to 5.5 points and moved from bronze to silver position.

The German team rode brilliantly to fend off the charging British–finishing with two double-clears from Ingrid Klimke and Michael Jung, who sit tied for first and in fourth respectively.  Despite a great performance today, Ingrid Klimke has to be extremely nervous tonight.  Her horse Butts Abraxxas has never finished an FEI event without a rail in the show jumping and lost the lead in the European Championships last year with 24 penalties in the show jumping.  Michael is in a very different position, riding a very good show jumper in Sam and with the experience of winning WEG 2010 on a clear show jumping round.

Sweden has emerged as the dark horse country of these games.  They are just 6.7 points behind Germany after five clear rounds today.  New Zealand is third after the aforementioned brilliance from Mark Todd, a double-clear from XC master Andrew Nicholson, and just 4.8 time penalties from Jock Paget.

The US team moved up two spots today after Japan and New Zealand faltered, but the US is still 22.8 points out of bronze.  Boyd, Karen, and Phillip all stepped up with great rides, incurring just a handful of penalties each.  Ringwood Magister started off looking a bit unsure of himself and backing off of the fences.  He suffered a stop early at fence #3B, an angled vertical combination when he backed off of the second element and arrived on a half stride.  They looked better and better as the ride progressed and finished with just 5.6 time penalties but unfortunately the damage was done.  Will Coleman rode Twizzel spectacularly at every fence but one and unfortunately that once fence proved costly.  Twizzel looked to be tiring slightly at the end of the course.  He arrived at the edge of the drop at #20A and simply refused, picking up 20 penalties that will frustrate Will for a very long time.  They jumped the element perfectly the second time and finished with 16.4 time to go with the 20 jumping penalties.

Team Results After XC:
1. Germany 124.7
2. Great Britain 130.2
3. Sweden 131.4
4. New Zealand 133.4
5. USA 155.2
6. Australia 173.4
[Team Standings]

Cross-country at the Olympics did not go as planned for Team Canada.  Michelle Mueller and Amistad led things off and suffered a stop at the second Tower of London table (#16) in the main arena.  Michelle took a good steady ride to the first jump, but tipped a bit forward on the landing and Amistad ducked out to the right at the left turning question.

Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice fell at the third fence on course.  Gin & Juice was seen galloping loose and looking fine.  Hawley was shown sitting up after the fall but she was transported to the hospital in an ambulance.  It has been widely reported by Canadian media and officials that Hawley is in stable condition and staying in the hospital overnight for observation.  Fence 3A&B, a slanted vertical combination, caused a number of issues today.

Troubles for Canada continued when Kilrodan Abbott, a normally automatic cross-country horse, got off his line in the coffin and put his knees up on #11B.  Kilrodan Abbott slid off the fence to the right, and rider Peter Barry slid off him to the left.  Both horse and rider were up and walking away quickly.  The lone bright spot of the day for Canada came from a brilliant round by Jessica Phoenix and Exponential.  “Tucker” soared around the course with Jessie directing his every stride to perfection.  Despite being held on course for 20 minutes, they finished with just 2.4 time penalties.  Trouble for Canada continued when Rebecca Howard was popped off of Riddle Master at the skinny at The Sundials, #14B.  Rebecca was jumped out of the tack a bit at the first element and fell of as Riddle Master made an effort to jump the narrow second element.  Canada finished the day with just two completed rides and is thus out of the team competition.  Nonetheless, I expect Jessie and Exponential to continue their great weekend tomorrow as they will surely be looking forward to both show jumping phases.

[Full NBC Replay Here]

Nina Ligon is the youngest eventer at the Olympics at 20 years old.  Nina started off her round aboard Butts Leon with a real sense of purpose normally reserved for veterans.  Butts Leon was yet another horse to slip around several turns on course.  They finished with 16 time penalties after a tremendous ride.  I would say that was a great ride for Nina’s first Olympics, but it was a great ride period.

After heavy rain on Sunday, a number of horses slipped at various points around the cross-country course.  Zara commented after her double-clear ride that the footing was very slippery, making it hard to ride in the corners.  Clayton Fredericks and Bendigo had a fall before #20B, the narrow after the drop, when Bendigo’s hind end just slid out from under him.  That is terrible luck for Clayton, he didn’t do a thing wrong and neither did his horse–they just lost their footing.  Both horse and rider walked away.  The Fredericks household, and therefore Team Australia had a tough day.  Lucinda picked up a run-out at the skinny bank out of the 2nd water as they just barely lost their line.

One rider, Lionel Guyon of France, had 20 penalties removed from his score after challenging the original ruling that he had a refusal.  That appeal put the French Team into 7th from 8th, narrowly ahead of the Irish.

Considering the show jumping skills of the other top contenders, Wega has jumped clear 4 of her last 6 FEI events but picked up 18 penalties in the European Championship show jumping last year.  As for Campino, he has jumped clear in half of his last 6 FEI events, Jacky Green reports that he has been show jumping really well, and you have to love Mark Todd’s experience on the big stage tomorrow.

Camilla Speirs reportedly had a fall from Portersize Just A Jiff at the Rose Garden corner, #24, causing a lengthy hold on course.  A human ambulance was seen approaching the fence on US TV and Twitter reports claimed that the screens had been put up.  Team Ireland Equestrian reported on Facebook, “Unconfirmed reports Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jif up after fall and gone for medical assessment. We believe no serious injury.”

Click here to read our open thread report on all of the notable rides and stay tuned for much more from London throughout the day.  Go eventing.

Welcome to our Olympics Monday cross-country open thread, presented by SmartPak!  Reader beware, all scores are provisional, please forgive the typos, and please understand this is written in real time.

[Individual XC Results]

1:08pm ET — Mark Todd and Campino (NZL) +0.4: Two-time Olympic individual champion Mark Todd was back today, anchor riding for New Zealand, after returning to the sport from retirement–you can’t make this stuff up.  As the last rider, Toddy had the course to himself at the end and what a privilege it was to watch him go to work.  Campino showed some green moments early but Toddy helped him through them with ease.  Like many horses before him, Campino looked to be slipping around quite a few turns on course and that slipping sapped his energy at the end–Campino looked completely exhausted with a few minutes to go.  The greatest eventer of all time delivered a ride that should go down in history as one of the best Olympic rides ever.   Toddy was spectacular, but I also give credit to Campino for remaining very genuine despite his exhaustion.  The one second that they did pick up proved costly, as they stayed in bronze position, just 0.2 behind the co-leaders Ingrid Kilmke and Sara Algotsson-Ostholt.

1:03pm ET — William Fox-Pitt and Lionheart (GBR) +9.2: William picked this horse for this event for this phase.  William rode with patient aggression, he was fast without rushing, he was in control without being overbearing, what more can I say about his brilliance?  Lionheart started tiring at the end of the course, but it would have been much worse with any other rider in the tack.  They finished with 9.2 time.

12:58pm ET — Yoshiaki Oiwa and Noonday De Conde (JPN) RF: The overnight leaders started off fast and survived a few sticky moments early on course.  However, they found disaster when Yoshi trotted off the drop at #20A and he tumbled off the side of his horse.  The horse landed in decent balance and didn’t seem to slip significantly, but Yoshi just couldn’t quite sit back enough.  Both horse and rider were quickly up and fine.  After a brilliant Sunday of dressage, Japan faded today.

12:56pm ET — Elaine Pen and Vira (NED) RF: Elaine was bounced out of the saddle on the landing to #18A, the jump in the middle of the second water.  She tried very hard to stay on but just slipped off the side.  It was hard to tell what caused the fall as the jump itself looked excellent and the horse remained balanced.

12:51pm ET — Karin Donckers starting on Gazelle De La Brasserie (BEL) +11.8: Karin started in 7th place after the dressage for Belgium.  She added 11.8 time for Belgium.

12:48pm ET — Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master (CAN) RF: Canada’s anchor pair headed out looking to continue Jessica’s work to redeem Team Canada’s day after two falls and a stop for the first three Canadian riders.  However, trouble continued for Canada when Rebecca was popped off at the skinny at the sundials #14B.  Rebecca was jumped out of the tack a bit at the first element and fell off as Riddle Master made an effort to jump the narrow second element.

12:40pm ET — Michael Jung and Sam (GER) +0: The WEG 2010 champions are no strangers to pressure but they left themselves a lot of work to do with a less than best dressage test on Sunday.  Michael and Sam did everything they possibly could with a faultless double-clear today–critical for both their individual and team placings.

12:35pm ET — Clayton Fredericks and Bendigo (AUS) RF: Clayton Fredericks and Bendigo had a fall before #20B, the narrow after the drop, when Bendigo’s hind end just slid out from under him.  That is terrible luck for Clayton, he didn’t do a thing wrong and neither did his horse–they just lost their footing.  Both horse and rider walked away.  The footing has continued to get slick in places throughout the day.

12:33pm ET — Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper (USA) +2.8: All the pressure was on Phillip after stops for Tiana and Will earlier in the day.  Team USA couldn’t ask for a better anchor rider and Phillip added just 2.8 time.

12:30om ET — Stefano Brecciaroli on Apollo VD Wendi Kurt Hoeve (ITA) +11.6: Setfano started out in second place overnight aboard his brilliant horse.  This horse can really show jump so Stefano knew that all the pressure was on making the time, but today wasn’t quite their day.  They finished with 11.6 time penalties, which would have been great in any other situation than entering the day in silver medal position.

12:20pm ET — Andrew Nicholson and Nereo (NZL) +0: Andrew was incredibly frustrated that a rain delay was called right before his dressage ride on Sunday and he started out on course today with a vengeance.  Andrew is one of the, if not the best XC rider in the world and he showed it today.  A double-clear was never really in doubt.

12:18pm ET — Niklas Lindback and Mister Pooh (SWE) +2.8: Niklas started knowing that Sweden was in great position after their early three rides.  Mr. Pooh looked tired at the end and almost fell over the last fence, but Niklas escaped disaster and got home with 2.8 time.  This is a reminder kids–never push for a long one at the last!

12:16pm ET — Tina Cook and Miners Frolic (GBR) +0: Miners Frolic was a gentleman yesterday in the pouring rain.  He was a gentleman today after a lengthy hold on course for Camilla Speirs.  “Henry” ate up the hills of Greenwich early on the course with the adoring British fans cheering him on and looked to be well up on time.  They made the time look easy and finished with the third British double-clear of the day.

12:13pm ET — Kenki Sato and Chippeih (JPN) RF: Kenki popped off at The Sundials when he hit the narrow fence on a half stride and his horse ducked out to the right.  Kenki slipped off to the left and landed on his feet.

12:11pm ET — Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just A Jiff Update: Team Ireland Equestrian reports on Facebook, “Unconfirmed reports Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jif up after fall and gone for medical assessment. We believe no serious injury.”

11:59am ET — Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) +2.4: All the pressure was on Jessie as she started out, needing to finish to give Canada a chance at posting a team score after Hawley and Peter fell earlier in the day.  You would never have known that Jessie was under such pressure watching her early on the course–she rode every stride to perfection through combinations that had caused problems all day.  Then they were held for 20 minutes after Camilla’s problem.  Jessica rode Exponential home for a much needed great result for Canada, adding 2.4 time.

11:48am ET — Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just A Jiff (IRL) EL:  Camilla Speirs reportedly had a fall at the Rose Garden corner, #24, causing a lengthy hold on course.  A human ambulance was seen approaching the fence on US TV and Twitter reports claimed that the screens had been put up.  When the course was restarted, reports suggested that Portersize Just A Jiff was up and walking.  We will update when we learn more.

11:31 am ET — Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo (GER) +4.8: Sandra nursed her horse around the entire course with a superb ride to finish with just 4.8 time penalties.

11:22am ET — Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish (AUS) +38: This pair picked up a run out at the skinny bank out of the 2nd water as they just barely lost their line.  They looked wonderful up to that point.

11:19am ET — Will Coleman and Twizzel (USA) +36.4: Team USA needed perfection from Will to keep up with great performances from the top teams earlier in the morning.  Will expertly negotiated a sticky moment at #3A and B that would have caught most riders with 20.  However, they picked up a stop at the drop at #20A that will frustrate Will for a long time.  Twiz just got up to the edge of the bank and had a second thought.  They easily dropped down the second time as Twiz looked to be laboring a bit.  They finished with just the one stop and 16.4 time.

11:15am ET — Nina Ligon and Butts Leon (THA) +16: Nina is the youngest eventer at the Olympics at 20 years old.  Nina started off with a real sense of purpose normally reserved for veterans.  Butts Leon was yet another horse to slip around several turns on course.  They finished with 16 time penalties after a tremendous ride.  I would say that was a great ride for Nina’s first Olympics, and it was a great ride period.

11:02am ET — Caroline Powell and Lenamore (NZL) +1.6: The 19-year-old Lenamore has had so many great cross-country rides throughout his illustrious career but none was more important than today in his first Olympics.  They finished with just 1.6 time with a brilliant performance although NZL still would like to drop their score.

11:00am ET — Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Wega (SWE) +0: This pair started out after finishing the dressage in 4th place.  They added nothing to this with a double clear.  Sara’s ride made a bid for Sweden to emerge as the dark horse team of this Olympics.  They crossed the line as the 5th inside the time of the day.

10:59am ET — Serguei Fofanoff and Barbara (BRA) EL: Reportedly eliminated at 20B, the skinny at the bottom of the drop. This ride received virtually no coverage because Zara was also on course.

10:56am ET — Zara Phillips and High Kingdom (GBR) +0: Zara Phillips set out much to the crowd (and media’s) excitement.  Zara started with the comforting knowledge that Britain had two great rides under its belt from Nicola and Mary.  As Zara set out with determination, she galloped through a cacophony of sound from the crowd that was unlike anything we had seen yet from Greenwich.  Zara finished within the time for the second double-clear of the day for Great Britain.  The one word to define Zara’s ride: determination.  Zara commented after her ride that the footing was very slippery, making it hard to ride in the turning corners.  Zara also reported that High Kingdom lost both of his front shoes.

10:46am ET — Atsushi Negishi and Pretty Darling (JPN) +25.6: Atsushi finished with 25.6 time after a tentative ride.  Japan’s first three riders looked just a bit over-faced by Sue Benson’s course but two of them made their way around.

10:42am ET — Marc Rigouts and Dunkas (BEL) +56.8: This pair picked up a stop at #14A The Sundials.   Marc was really struggling to half-halt Dunkas and #14B was way too technical to ride without breaks.  The riders on stronger horses today seemed to take the approach of waiting things out until their horses tired on the hills, but I suppose that is all they could do.

10:35am ET — Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott (CAN) RF: Troubles for Canada continued when the normally automatic XC horse Kilrodan Abbott got off his line in the coffin and put his knees up on #11B.  Kilrodan Abbott slid off the fence to the right, and Peter slid off him to the left.  Both horse and rider were up and walking away quickly.

10:26am ET — Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas (GER) +0: Ingrid’s ride was an important one for Germany to keep up with Great Britain and Australia after time penalties from Dirk Schrade earlier in the day.  Ingrid rode boldly around the course early and as a result easily finished within the time–a great ride for Germany!

10:25am ET — Hawley Bennett update: CTV is reporting that Hawley is in stable condition at the hospital.  She was sitting up after her fall.

10:18am ET — Andrew Hoy and Rutherglen (AUS) +7.6: Andrew Hoy has such a resume of team success for Australia at the Olympics.  Today he produced a steady ride for Australia after he looked to be taking things a bit easy in the early part of the course as Rutherglen gave him a few green moments.

10:13am ET — Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister (USA) +25.6: Tiana and Ringwood Magister picked up a stop early at fence #3B, the angled vertical.  He backed off a bit after jumping into the line and arrived on a half-stride.  Ringwood Magister did not give Tiana an easy ride throughout the early part of the course and looked to be both green and backing off.  He settled in a bit better in the middle of the course and even looked after Tiana over a couple fences.  Fortunately for Team USA, Tiana’s score was a dropped score after the dressage, but that ride put more pressure on Will and Phillip left to ride.

10:12am ET — Ronald Zabala and Master Rose (ECU) +36: Ronald had a great dressage ride on Saturday with Master Rose, who was formerly ridden by Oli Townend.  They finished today with 36 time.

10:08am ET– Harald Ambrose and O-Feltiz (AUT) RF: Harald reportedly fell at the second element of fence five, the Chestnut Logs.  There was no hold on course although I have not heard a definite report on either the horse or the rider.

9:59am ET — Jock Paget and Clifton Promize (NZL) +4.8: Jock finished on 4.8 time penalties with a ride that was never in doubt.  Jock continues to ride like a true veteran for NZL.

9:58am ET — Ludwig Svennerstal and Shamwari (SWE) +0.4: Ludwig came in just one second over the optimum to take the temporary lead at the time.  A lovely ride on a lovely horse.

9:45am ET — Mary King and Imperial Cavalier (GBR) +1.2: Imperial Cavalier was extremely strong in the bit for Mary but she fought her way around valiantly.  Mary was held on course briefly following Takayuki’s fall, which perhaps gave Mary a chance to catch her breath.  Mary delivered one of the more courageous rides I have ever seen to get “Archie” around that course.  5.2 penalties were reported for Mary immediately after her ride, but that score was updated to 1.2 time after the hold was taken into consideration.

9:44am ET — Takayuki Yumira and Latina (JPN) RF: They had a fall later on course at the Cricket Ball Basket, the same fence at which Alena fell. The horse reportedly caught his left front on the back of the fence.  Horse and rider were both up quickly and there was a very short hold on course.

9:35am ET — Carl Bouckaert and  Cyrano Z (BEL) RF: Carl was held in the warmup after Hawley’s fall at fence 3 and he suffered the same fate.  Cyrano landed after 3A and seemed to stumble a bit, popping Carl out of the tack.  The horse never fell and walked away fine.  Carl walked away limping as though the horse stepped on his foot.  There was no hold on course.  Fence 3 presents two angled verticals.

9:02am ET — Hawley Bennett Awad and Gin & Juice (CAN) RF:  Hawley fell at fence 3.  Although we don’t have a lot of details, Gin & Juice was seen galloping loose and looking fine.  Hawley appeared to be getting some medical attention.  Hawley was sitting up after the fall.  There was a hold on course while Hawley was tended to and a human ambulance was seen on course.  It was reported that she was taken away in an ambulance with a possible ankle injury.  The hold lasted about 25 minutes.  Fence 3A has caused a number of issues today including two stops to the French riders.

8:54am ET — Dirk Schrade and King Artus (GER) +10.8: As Germany’s second team ride of the day, Dirk gave the overnight first placed German team a solid ride but he did pick up some time penalties.  Those time penalties opened the door for the teams right behind Germany.

8:51am ET — Aurelien Kahn and Cadiz (FRA) +39.6: Aurelien was the second French rider of the day to have a stop at the third fence.  After that I can only imagine the French team rethought their ride there.

8:55am ET — Sam Griffiths and Happy Times (AUS) RF: Happy Times slipped his way around the course, requiring some fantastic saves by Sam, including right before the first water.  Happy Times was seen galloping loose by fence #22, signaling elimination for Sam, although it was unclear exactly why or how he fell.  Dirk was held at the start box after the fall but started in a couple minutes.  The fall reportedly occurred at fence #21.  A few of the horses have been slipping while galloping around the course.  Equestrian Australia later reported both Sam and Happy Times are OK.

8:45am ET — Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott (USA) +5.6: Karen and Mr. Medicott were held right before their start time due to Alena Tseliapushkina’s fall.  At her 5th Olympic Games, Karen had all of the experience necessary to keep Mr. Medicott focused and ready to go in the warm up.  Karen started off with a vengeance but came home on a little easier pace with Mr. Medicott.  They jumped clear with 5.6 time penalties.

8:28am ET — Alena Tseliapushkina and Passat (BLR) RF: Alena fell at fence 23 the Cricket Ball Basket when her horse hit the fence with his upper leg and chest.  Fortunately, they managed to keep all four shoes on the ground-side.  The horse just barely stayed upright on his knees and walked away, although a hold was put on course and the horse ambulance was called to the scene.  Alena sat up and received some medical attention but she did not appear severely injured.  The rider on course after her, Andrei Korshunov, was held right before where she fell.  The horse was standing on all four legs with ears pricked and the vets appeared interested in his left front as the ambulance drove up.  The hold lasted about 10 minutes.

8:25am ET — Samantha Albert on Carraig Dubh (JAM) +54: Our friends on the H&H live blog pointed out that this horse was produced by British team member Tina Cook and it was leased by Samantha for this Games when her horse went lame.  They picked up a stop at fence 5, the horse slipped on approach, lost a shoe, and really slid into the fence.

8:21am ET — Jonelle Richards and Flintstar (NZL) +6: Joenelle’s ride marked the end of the first group of team riders.  They finished full of run with 6 time penalties.  As Joenelle galloped around some parts of the course were already showing signs of being slightly cut up from the horses’ hooves.

8:13am ET — Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz (GBR) +0:  This pair got a late call up from Team GBR after Piggy’s withdraw a few days ago.  The British crowd cheered Nicola around from the beginning.  Opposition Buzz is a terrific horse on the cross-country, but he is the bigger scopier type and this course presented the test of tight turns and technicality.  Nicola and Opposition Buzz made the course look like a walk in the park and they made the time easily.  They finished full of run, proving that a big, scopey type can run well at Greenwich, the second double-clear ride of the day.

8:07 am ET — Live Video Coverage: Click here to watch in the USA.  NBC live coverage is working well.  It is clearly time delayed by about 1 minute based on the H&H live blog.  However, the 15 second commercials seem randomly spaced and they are going to be incredibly annoying if they come during a key ride.

8:01 am ET — Toshiyuki Tanaka on Marquis De Plescop (JPN) +60: This pair was not a counting team score for Japan, but they added some pressure to the later Japanese riders by picking up a stop at the first part of The Sundials at 14.

7:57am ET — Michael Ryan and Ballylynch Adventure (IRL) RF: Michael suffered the first fall of the day at the first part of the Saxon Village.  His horse looked just a touch tired and Michael couldn’t quite save it.  Both horse and rider were up quickly and walked away.

7:54am ET — Michelle Mueller and Amistad (CAN) +63.2: Canada’s lead off pair took their time early but suffered a stop at the second fence (#16) in the main arena.  Michelle took a good steady ride to the first jump, but tipped a bit forward on the landing and Amistad ducked out to the right at the left turning question.

7:51am ET — Peter Thomasen and Barny (GER) +5.2: Just a few time penalties give Germany a good lead off ride, but they will still hope to be able to drop Peter’s score at the end of the day.

7:51am ET — A few links: Scores, Course Photos, Ride Times

7:47am ET — Denis Mesples and Oregon de la Vigne (FRA) +46: Just third on course, this pair was the first to experience an issue–20 penalties at the third fence.

7:45am ET — Chris Burton and HP Leilani (AUS) +0: Burto was the first rider to cross the finish line double-clear despite being just the second horse out on course.  Chris rode very efficiently, but this will open some eyes back at the barn that perhaps the cross-country time isn’t quite as tough to make as expected.

7:42am ET — Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere (USA) +3.6: Boyd Martin and Otis delivered exactly the ride that Team USA needed for them–a steady path finding ride.  As usual for Boyd, the clear ride never looked in doubt.  Otis looked a bit tired at the end, which is a trend that I think we will see all day.  The four remaining USA riders could head out on course with the comfort knowing that Boyd had already posted a very solid team score.

Click to enlarge, via horsecarecourses

7:23am ET — It’s almost here:  I can’t believe it!  After all of the buildup and anticipation, cross-country at Greenwich is just a few minutes away.  Good luck to all the horses and riders–stay safe and have fun, as we say!

Visit the USEF Network, SmartPak’s Youtube channel, @SmartPakerSarah, @SmartPakerColby, and the SmartPak blog throughout the weekend for the best of London.

Go eventing.

If the live blog doesn’t display in your browser, click here.

Our friends at the Horse & Hound are live blogging from the cross-country at Greenwich today.  They have kindly allowed us to join in the fun right here on EN.  If you are at home trying to follow the Olympics live online, click here if from the USA and here from everywhere else.

Watch the Olympics Live: NBC, USA TV Listing, Canada, BBC, Everywhere Else, FEI Broadcast Guide

Schedule: XC starts at 12:30pm local time, 7:30am ET and will run until 12:30pm ET.

XC Links: Individual Scores, Team Scores, Course Photos, Ride Times

EN reader and now guest blogger Blair Sylvester is attending the Olympics as a spectator this weekend and he has generously agreed to keep us posted about life on the other side of the galloping lanes.  Thanks for writing this Blair and thank you for reading.
—-

From Blair:

The two days of dressage were an opportunity to see horses and riders at the top of their game. I was particularly impressed with Will Coleman’s test. He and Twizzel seemed remarkably relaxed and composed in their inaugural Olympic test. One remarkable aspect of the Olympic games have been the events hosted by the USEF that added greatly to the experience of watching the Olympics.

After going through rigorous security on Saturday I was just able to make Boyd’s test. I thought it was lovely and was disappointed that it did not score higher. It was awesome to see stands that were fairly full and to hear the cheering. If people get this excited for dressage I can only imagine how loud the cheering will be on cross-country.

Friday night I was given the opportunity to go to a cocktail party hosted by the USEF and interact with the proud riders. It was an excellent opportunity to meet many of the sponsors that allow our team to succeed. It is always remarkable how friendly and willing to chat the athletes are. Sometimes I had to remind myself that I was talking to an Olympic competitor. I hope that Boyd managed to make his 11:30 engagement that was inked on his hand. Reports that the course was written on his arm have not yet been verified. I think it is really unique how spectators are allowed to interact with competitors.

Sunday brought on the rain, Will and Phillip’s tests and an opportunity to walk the first eight fences with Kim Severson before the rain and thunder decided to redirect our efforts as we took cover. I was disappointed that the course walk was cut short. I really enjoyed Kim’s commentary. It gave me the opportunity to understand what the challenges were at each fence and how to best negotiate them. I noticed how tight the fences were and how varied and winding the terrain was. I was impressed by the amount of creativity and thought that went into designing the course. I thought that it was challenging and I really enjoyed the way they incorporated England’s rich history into the fences. I hope the “Tower of London” does not live up to its checkered past and everyone manages to successfully get in and out of the combination.

I am incredibly excited to watch our team attack the cross-country course. I have faith in the abilities of all horses and riders involved and I expect a victorious day. Go team USA!!

Japan stole the show in the second day of Olympic dressage with three excellent rides, taking the top individual spot with Yoshiaki Oiwa in the overall lead and sitting in the sixth team spot.  Their fans were rightfully loud and proud at Greenwich and they certainly won me over with their enthusiasm.  Unfortunately one fan forgot about the whole folding seat thing while cheering on Japan’s first rider of the day, Atsushi Negishi.

[Watch Replay of Sunday’s Dressage–USA only via NBC]

Other dressage videos uploaded by various random fans on Youtube: [Zara Phillips dressage, Mark Todd and Campino, Nicola Wilson, Clayton Fredericks, Michael Jung interview, Michael Jung test, ]

Go Team Japan.

The Olympic ground jury paused the event for 10 minutes due to bad weather right after Tina Cook’s ride, near the end of the morning dressage session on Sunday.  The decision was made after a loud clap of thunder sent the spectators heading for cover while Swedish rider Niklas Lindback was circling the arena.  Andrew Nicholson was scheduled to ride Nereo just after Niklas, and he told Stuff.co.nz that he was informed of the delay just “six to seven” minutes before his ride time.  Once the competition resumed, Niklas Lindback rode Mr. Pooh to a 45.2 and Andrew followed with a 45.0 for 21st place.

Andrew has spoken out about the situation this afternoon with some pretty forthright quotes.  As you read this, just imagine Andrew Nicholson saying it…it’s quite terrifying, I assure you:

“I thought Nereo was very good; I was just disgusted with the organization…They just hold the competition when myself and the Swedish boy were ready to go in.  With dressage, we’re given a time, we work it to the minute. It may sound a bit pathetic, but we do, we try and judge our buildup to the minute.  You’re prepping the horse up, getting stronger and stronger, more energy, and then suddenly you’re told to stop for 10 minutes.  What do you do? Do you let the horse down so he thinks he’s finished work, or do you carry on pressurising him for 10 more minutes, when you know you then can’t have him right in the arena?  I question the decision. Why didn’t they stop the British rider? When you’re soaked through for 10 minutes, all you do is get slippery in your saddle.  [Nereo] obviously thought he was just in another training session and he felt a bit quiet and confused…

The weather wasn’t bad enough to warrant that. It’s just a bit of rain, isn’t it?  There should have been no hold, no hold at all. I’ve been in the rain, I’ve been in the lightning, I’ve been in the thunder, and nobody held anything then.  It’s just the principle of it all. All I can do from here is my job and carry on, but I’d expect at an Olympic Games it would be a bit better run than that.”  [Stuff.co.nz, emphasis added]

All I’m saying is that if I were a member of the ground jury I wouldn’t stop by any pub known to be frequented by the Kiwi’s tonight.  US readers can see the event’s unfold yourself on NBC’s replay of Sunday at minute marker (3:05:00).   Go eventing.

“Yoshi” Yoshiaki Oiwa is your overnight Olympic dressage leader

The notion that anything can and will happen at the Olympics has never been more true than today at Greenwich Park in London.  Yoshiaki Oiwa and Noonday de Conde of Japan hold the overnight Olympic dressage lead heading into the cross-country on Monday.  Yoshi and Noonday de Conde performed a lovely test that featured consistency first and foremost to score a 38.1 and take a 0.4 lead ahead of Stefano Brecciaroli of Italy.  First to ride after the lunch break, Stefano’s performance with Apollo left hardly anything to criticize and featured especially dramatic extended gaits.  Mark Todd and Campino were the last to ride on Sunday and they round out the top three overnight, giving Toddy a great shot at his third individual Olympic gold.  Toddy rode quietly but purposefully and, although you could barely see him move, you could see the effect of every aid on Campino.  The changes in particular were fantastic.  Mark said of Campino after his test, “at this stage I don’t think he could do any better.”

[Olympic Individual Dressage Results]

Germany continued their team dressage dominance this afternoon with Michael Jung and WEG 2010 champion Sam scoring a 40.6 for 11th.  Sam’s test involved a few disappointing bobbles including a break to the canter after the medium trot, but the result gives Germany four riders in the top 11 with 40.6 points or better.  Ze Germans have a 3 point advantage ahead of Team Australia, who benefited today from great rides by the husband and wife team of Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks.  Clayton rode deeply into every corner and made the hard look easy for Bendigo.  A couple of tiny bobbles including a change behind after the extended canter held their score back, but they still finished on 40.4 to give Australia 5 team rides that are under 47 points and better than 25th place–the Aussies are positioned perfectly going into the cross-country.

Crowd-favorite Team GBR is in 3rd, 7.9 points back from the Germans with a 127.00.  William Fox-Pitt and Lionheart anchored Team GBR’s efforts today with a 44.1 to move into a tie for 17th.  William is one of the quietest riders in the world and yet he does so much to make horses look and move better underneath him.  Despite William and Lionheart’s best efforts, the test suffered a few bobbles.

Sweden and New Zealand round out the top 5 team spots, both with 128.2 points, although New Zealand has better dropped scores.  Japan is the 6th placed team overnight with 130.7.  More on them, and their leader Yoshi, later in this post.

The United States is placed 7th and 19.7 points out of first with 138.8.  The good news for Team USA is that our five riders have between 44.3 and 52.0 points.  Our dropped scores are much better than most teams’, meaning that all of our riders (and therefore our team) can move up significantly with good cross-country rides.  My guess is that when all is said and done a 52 will put you in the top 10.  Phillip and Whisper didn’t disappoint as the anchor pair for the US–their performance combined big movement, suppleness, and accuracy.  If all of that wasn’t enough, their changes were excellent.  I am certainly biased but I thought that test deserved way better than the 44.3 it received.

[Watch Replay of Sunday’s Dressage–USA only via NBC]

In my biased opinion, the judges were very picky on a couple of horses today including Twizzel, Mystery Whisper, Riddle Master, and, to some extent, Flying Finish.  Judging is absolutely subjective, but I thought Phillip’s test was every bit the equal of tests that scored around 40 points.  At this point, Boyd’s score of 50.7 looks to me at least 3-4 points too stern, but I am more understanding of that since he was first to ride and we expect the judges to be conservative early.

Canada sits in 11th place tonight, but, just like the WEGs in 2012, this team is here to jump and they can look forward to a cross-country course that suits their team very well tomorrow.  Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master bobbled a couple of changes and had an unsteady angle in a shoulder-in, but those were the only major problems in an otherwise quality test from this pair.  The judges obviously found more fault with the test than I did and scored it as 50.7.

[Olympic Team Dressage Scores]

The individual competition at the Olympics is extremely tight.  The top 10 pairs are separated by 2.3 points and just 10 points separate the top 28 pairs.  In the end, the dressage rankings could mean very little indeed after the riders compete over Sue Benson’s course.  Sue herself has predicted that perhaps only two pairs will make the time.  Riders in the lead should by no means rest on their laurels tonight and riders who are father back than they would have hoped can take comfort in the challenge coming tomorrow.

As for your overnight leader, Yoshi is an international veteran for Japan, having completed the 2006 and 2010 WEGs and finishing 49th at the Beijing Olympics.  No one would have been surprised by a solid ride from Yoshi today, but he performed the dressage test of a lifetime at the best possible moment.  Most recently, Yoshi was ranked 9th with Noonday after the dressage at the CIC3* in Luhmuhlen, 8 points behind Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Wega, and 4 points behind Ingrid and  Butts Abraxxas.  They finished 1.2 points ahead of both those pairs today.  Incidentally, Yoshi finished Luhmuhlen with 12.8 time penalties and 8 jumping penalties for 16th place.  Yoshi’s great ride was one of three quality performances from the Japaneses riders today, with Kenki Sato scoring 42.0 and moving into 15th, and Atsushi Negishi and Pretty Darling scoring 50.4 for 33rd.

[Olympic XC Times]

Don’t make the mistake of writing Team Japan off just because they are not a traditional eventing powerhouse.  Japan beat the always-tough Aussies out of an Olympic team qualifying spot last year at Blenheim.  And, as I learned at Young Riders, never mess with a team that has a Buddhist monk riding on it.  Japan will face a big challenge tomorrow but their team has been improving and, hey, it’s the Olympics and anything can happen, right?

Go eventing.