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Sweden Makes First In-Game Substitution of Tokyo Eventing

By on Jul 31, 2021 6:25 pm -

Ludwig Svennerstal and Balham Mist. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The new Olympic format of three to a team has felt like the hottest topic of the last couple of years – mostly because in all that time, and with all that discussion, most of us still haven’t quite managed to figure out how on earth the substitution rule works. We saw the format trialled in Boekelo in 2019, though only in part, because there the subs were allowed to contest the entire event as individuals. Realistically, it’s been a rule change that will need to be seen in action to be understood. And now, just half an hour prior to the start of cross-country, we’ll see the first-ever Olympic eventing substitution.

Ludwig Svennerstal, who sat 40th after dressage on a score of 35, has withdrawn Balham Mist from the rest of the competition due to a minor injury sustained since performing his test yesterday. This means that the travelling reserve, Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Chicuelo will step into his role. They didn’t do a dressage test, as they were still on the bench at that stage, so they will adopt Ludwig’s score of 35, and will add on a 20-penalty substitution ‘fee’, bringing their score to 55. That puts Sweden on a team mark of 111.1, which moves them from fifth place to thirteenth.

Now, Sweden doesn’t have a reserve pair on the bench, which means that all three combinations – Sara and Chicuelo, Louise Romeike and Cato 60, and Therese Viklund and Viscera – will need to complete this phase to remain competitive.

THE NEW FORMAT: A REFRESHER

The first thing you need to know is that the teams will be smaller – we’re used to seeing teams of four, with the three best scores counting, and one rider’s score dropped. In the new format, we won’t have drop scores at all anymore – instead, each team will have three riders, and each score will count.

Comprenez-vous? Great. But, we hear you asking, what happens if someone falls on cross-country, or doesn’t make it through a horse inspection, or comes up against one of the myriad other pitfalls that can crop up through an event? Without a drop score, do they just have to accept 1000 penalties for a non-completion and move on?

Nope. This is where the system really starts to look different, because for the first time ever, we’re now using a substitution system, which allows a reserve horse and rider to step in at any point in the competition.

That means that four horses and riders will travel to Tokyo for each nation, but one – the reserve or substitute pair – will not be accredited and won’t be able to compete unless they’re drafted in. What they do have to do, however, is pass both horse inspections. The team of three will be named ahead of time, and the reserve can be subbed in up to two hours before the start of dressage with no penalty to the team. The horse that was taken out can then wait in the wings as the new team reserve. After that? Get your calculators out, because it’s time to do some counting.

If all three combinations on the team complete each phase, nothing changes – they’ll each have their final score as usual, and those three scores will be combined to create the aggregate, or team, score. But if a rider fails to complete a phase, they’ll incur penalties for the non-completion. That works like this:

  • If a rider is eliminated or retires in the dressage (bad luck, pal), they add 100 points to their mark. Because they haven’t earned a dressage score, their starting score is 100 penalties, and the team is stuck with it no matter what.
  • If the elimination or retirement occurs on cross-country, they add 200 points to their dressage score, and no matter what, the team is stuck with that combined score.
  • If they’re eliminated or retire in the showjumping, they add 100 points to their score, and again, the team can’t get rid of those marks.

Once the elimination or retirement has occurred, there’s a couple of options. First, the horse and rider can be substituted, which means that those penalties they notched up as described above are kept on the team score card, while an extra 20 penalties is added on as penance for making the substitution. Then, whatever penalties the substitute earns are also added onto the score card.

Or, they can forego the substitute method, and the horse and rider that were eliminated or retired can continue on to the next phase with those non-completion penalties on their record. This isn’t always allowed, mind you – if the non-completion occurred because of lameness or injury to the horse, any sort of abusive or dangerous riding, a disqualification, or a horse fall, they are ineligible to continue. Likewise, substitution isn’t allowed in cases where abusive or dangerous riding or a disqualification has led to the non-completion of a phase.

Another important point to note is that only one substitution can be made per team, and that substitution must go to a new horse and rider – that is, a team rider can’t simply have a reserve horse waiting in the wings as a substitute. Any substitution made between the phases – let’s call these overnight substitutions – will still incur the 20 penalties for substitution, but won’t incur non-completion penalties. For example, if a team horse and rider complete cross-country, but the horse doesn’t look right the next morning, they can be replaced by the subs for just 20 penalties. They won’t add 200 penalties, because they completed the cross-country, and then won’t add 100 penalties, because they never started showjumping.

If a substitution can’t be made for any reason – because the sub has already been drafted in, or because of a disqualification, or simply the lack of a sub option – it can get expensive, and fast. If a rider is eliminated on cross-country for dangerous riding, for example, they’ll incur the 200 penalty ‘bonus,’ plus 100 penalties for failing to showjump, because they can’t be replaced.

(Oh, and another thing? Only horse-and-rider combinations who complete the entire competition are eligible for individual medals. Which is, you know, fair.)

In any case, any scores earned throughout the competition are kept on as part of the final team score, because drop scores no longer exist. So if a team member completes the dressage with, say, a score of 30, but then takes a spill across the country, they’ll have 230 points on their scorecard. If they then opt to sub in the reserve to showjump, they’ll add the substitution penalty – 20 points, so a total tally of 250 so far – and then the substitute’s showjumping score. Let’s say the sub knocks a rail – the final score is 254 for that slot on the team. If two riders fail to complete the cross-country, they’ll each add the 200, but because only one substitution can be made, they’ll need to decide whether one of them will still showjump the next day. If they can’t for any reason, they’ll add another 100 penalties.

If all this sounds incredibly confusing, we hear you – it’s a huge departure from what we know, and it all sounds pretty bonkers. These changes have been brought in to mitigate the confusion that surrounded drop scores – though we’re used to them, many new viewers of the sport found them difficult to understand, and so this system, it’s hoped, will prove clearer. It’s easy to make a snap judgment on what we’re seeing, but this week’s competition will offer some clarity – watching the system in action will, at the very least, help to demonstrate how it works, which is always easier than reading and re-reading the rule book until you go cross-eyed.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

 

Student Life, Spinal Surgery, and a Horse Who Likes to Party: Meet Poland’s Malgorzata Cybulska

By on Jul 31, 2021 5:37 pm -

Malgorzata Cybulska of Poland. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Every Olympic story is an extraordinary story – and one that we really love comes from 23-year-old Polish rider Malgorzata Cybulska, who sits in the top twenty after dressage with her horse Chenaro 2. A true one-horse rider, she balances her competitive ambitions with being a full-time student – and she’s had to overcome medical challenges along the way, too.

At the beginning of 2019, Malgorzata – who goes by Gosia – was sidelined after a major spinal surgery to reverse the effects of a degenerate disc condition that she’d been managing since she was a child.

“I had this problem when I was twelve because I’m quite tall, and I had grown more than twelve centimeters in one year,” she explains. “The shape of my spine is also not really good for riding, for sure. But you know, when you’re twelve, it’s like – oh, it hurts, okay it stops, and like, that’s it. So it’s not that it came from nothing, [just that] I was just neglecting it for quite a long time. But always, people are clever after the fact, right? So this is me.”

By the time she was 21, though, the problem had worsened enough that she needed to make a decision.

“The thing was that I was for sure not able to ride, but actually I was also not really able to walk, and there was possibility that I wouldn’t be able to feel my legs if we won’t do anything,” she says. “So I had two options: operation or rehabilitation. But with rehabilitation, the problem was that if something happened, like if I fall down from the horse, it suddenly could just cut off [the feeling in] my legs and that would be it. And rehabilitation for like a few months, it would maybe stop the pain and so on, but it wouldn’t solve the problem. And [I kept] thinking that I was just 21 years old,  you know, and it would be in my head that whatever I do. If I fall on the ice or something, it would be ‘oh my gosh, my back, oh my gosh’. So, having in mind that the Olympics were coming and this was our priority, and also for my health, and because I just love horses and riding, we decided to do the operation.”

The surgery was a success – but Gosia had to spend a long four months out of the saddle. With the European Championships at Luhmühlen looming that summer, her boyfriend Alexander Kadlubowski kept the horses – including Chenaro – in work.

“After I started riding again I had like, three months before the European Championships, so I got three competitions [before them]. So it was really hard time; a really stressful time. But we managed. And actually, what’s funny is that before operation, jumping was my weakest point, but when I saw my boyfriend riding my horse and jumping so well I just thought, ‘gosh, this is possible – this is not that there’s something wrong with this horse or something; he can do it, I cannot do it. So I actually can ask my trainer, after this break.’ [As a result,] I started to ride the jumping much, much much better than before, even without riding. This is the good point of this operation.”

That August, Gosia contested the Europeans, which was her first-ever Senior championship. She did so riding Chenaro 2, a horse she’d had since he was five and she was fifteen, and with whom she’d competed for Poland as a Junior and Young Rider. They proved the strength of their long partnership that week, impressing across all three phases to finish just outside the top 30. But despite their obvious connection, and their list of accolades and national titles, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the pair.

“Chenaro is the sweetest horse ever,” she says, but “when I got him he was like, five and a half years, and I have to say that I hated him. I hated him so much! He was like, ‘party!‘ all the time. I was not able to work with him; my dressage tests were like, 45%, because [he’d go down the] centerline like, ‘woohoo, party time!’ and just freestyle. So at first I really hated him, and I was afraid of him. But now, we’re already working like, seven years together. And, yeah, now everybody say that he’s an angel, and he’s so calm, and so on!”

Their major strength as a partnership is on the cross-country course, where Gosia says the 12-year-old Oldenburg is a generous, genuine ride.

“What is the most important about him is that I really trust that he will help me with, for example, cross-country – this is a huge thing, because this is my only horse. I’m not training five horses a day, so I don’t have too much [mileage]. And competing at this level, I have to have in my head that if I do make a mistake, he will help me out – so he has a huge heart for this competition and yeah, we are a great couple. He just loves running, and the great thing is that he is really focused on me and the fences, and we have quite good harmony that he reacts on my aids quite quickly, so that I have control, I know what is going on, and he helps me when I did a mistake. This is like most important for me.”

Unusually, Gosia is a one-horse rider, though she does occasionally share the ride on Sagenhaft 5, a relatively inexperienced three-star horse, with Aleksander. At the moment, one horse is enough, though – she balances her time in training with a five-year degree in Psychology at the University of Warsaw. With two years left to go, she’s honing her focus in on Sports Psychology – and she’s found the constraints of the pandemic a surprising help in managing her juggling act.

“Now everything is online so there’s no problem with driving there and back and whatever,” she says. “Especially when you have to prepare for this kind of competition, and now we are already a month away from home,  this is really helpful that it’s online. But actually, I would really like to come back to school because for me, it’s totally exhausting just to sit in front of this screen. I just like to see people face to face and and actually, how can you study  human relationships when you have just a picture on the screen?”

Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2 lead the way for Poland after dressage. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Gosia and Chenaro began their Olympic debut on brilliant form, posting a 31 to go into cross-country in 18th place. They’ll leave the start box at 9.18 a.m. Tokyo time/1.18 a.m. British time/2.18 a.m. Central European time/8.18 p.m. Eastern time.

“I’m really happy with it,” she says of her test, which scored incredibly consistently through each movement. “Many people that know me, they know that I’m most of the time not really happy with my tests, because I expect so much from myself and my horse. And this one – I have to say that it was really great.The horse was really concentrated on me, and I could request from him everything I wanted. And that’s why I could do the precise test, and he was responding, he was relaxed, and he was great. I’m really really really happy about it!”

“It’s a huge honor [to be here], especially [considering] that, you know, I’m not the most experienced. I’m the youngest and so on, so on. Three years ago, when my trainer [Piotr Kulikowski] told me that this is the plan we were like, ‘what the heck? Like, what?! I should go, you know, to the European Championship of Young Riders, not the Seniors, right?’ If he didn’t see this potential in us, then we wouldn’t be here – so it’s been a huge, huge plan.””

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

Belgian Individual Combination Withdrawn from Olympics Following Dressage

By on Jul 31, 2021 10:04 am -

The Tokyo field has been thinned by one after dressage, as Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier made the tough decision to withdraw Alpaga d’Arville due to a minor injury. The pair, who were competing as individuals and were Belgium’s lone representatives, were sitting 48th overnight on a score of 37.2.

In a statement on her social media this morning, Lara’s team said: “It’s with great sadness and disappointment that we have to announce the withdrawal of Alpaga at the Olympic Games. Lara was not feeling him 100% in and after her dressage test and a full check-up revealed a small but at the moment painful injury that he must have sustained in the warm up. As Alpaga’s health is paramount to us we took the only possible decision and withdrew him. After having a very good trip to Tokyo and feeling strong and ready to tackle the Games this is a hard pill to swallow but we would like to thank the whole Belgian team at Tokyo and our great team at home for all their support in this tough moment and we will give our best to come back harder and stronger.”

This was an Olympic debut for experienced team campaigner Lara and her stalwart 15-year-old partner, who have represented Belgium at European Championships and the World Equestrian Games. With the European Championships approaching in September, we hope that Alpaga will be back to his best soon to tackle his next challenge.

We’d been planning to run a web story on Lara and Alpaga, who is a homebred horse – and even though their Tokyo journey sadly ends today, their story remains a wonderful and inspiring one, and so we’d like to share it with you nonetheless. Here’s an excerpt…

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Alpaga d’Arville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier makes her Olympic debut this week, and got her competition started by posting a 37.2 with the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Alpaga d’Arville on the first day of competition. Riding at the Olympics is always special, of course – but for Lara, bringing this partnership to the world stage is particularly poignant, as Alpaga is a homebred. He’s also a maternal half-sister to Nooney Blue, the mare with whom Lara made major waves as a Junior and Young Rider before making the step up to Senior competition. They represented Belgium at the World Equestrian Games in Lara’s first year out of Young Riders.

“I rode his sister [Nooney Blue] at the WEG in Kentucky in 2010, and we received the mother from nowhere – the seller of the mare called my dad one day and said, ‘I have a Thoroughbred in the field, and it’s the mother of the one I sold you. She’s 22, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do with her. You have a lot of fields at your place; what about taking her?” My mum was like, ‘no, no, it costs money!’, but my dad said, ‘yeah – and we have fields!'”

The de Liedekerkes decided to take the mare, Mooney Raaphorst, and see if she could find herself a job on the farm. Almost entirely by chance, they happened upon the stallion they would put her to. Wuunder Boy van de Zuuthoeve, then at the very start of his breeding career, is just 33% blood and boasts impressive jumping lines on both sides: he’s by the Hanoverian Argentinus, himself a prolific jumper and the successful sire of Grand Prix jumpers and dressage horses, and his damsire is the Dutch Warmblood Nimmerdor, who qualified for the 1984 Olympics in showjumping.

“We used the stallion that was, again, pure coincidence: we went to a show and saw this nice four-year-old stallion, and my mum said, ‘it looks a bit heavy and the Thoroughbred is quite thin, so we’re going to go for that.’,” remembers Lara. “And [the foal, Alpaga,] ended up being my horse for the WEG, Europeans, and the Olympics! It’s quite something to have known him from the beginning.”

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Alpaga d’Arville. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

This is Lara’s Olympic debut; she missed London due to horse injury and Rio because she was pregnant. Along the way, though, she’s become one of Belgium’s most stalwart campaigners, with three WEG appearances, four Senior Europeans, two Young Rider Europeans, two Junior Europeans, and two Pony Europeans under her belt.

Speaking after her test, she said: “I could have done better, but it’s the cherry on the cake to be an Olympian. I have to be a bit more strict on myself next time to take more risks, but for our first time, I’m happy and I think my horse did all I asked him to. I can only blame myself, I guess, but I’m really happy!”

Of her much-loved gelding, she joked, “He’s a grinch! He is an alpaca – sometimes he’d like to spit on you, and you know how they get their necks like that. It’s also not so easy when he goes a bit like that with his neck. I said to my mum, ‘we should have called him another name’ – but he really is lovely, and I think he would always try his best for me, and that’s what makes him so special.”

The family legacy continues on apace at home, too: Nooney Blue, Alpaga’s half-sister, is now a fundamental part of the Arville breeding programme. One of her daughters, Hooney d’Arville, stepped up to four-star this year following a top ten finish in the Six-Year-Old World Championship and a run at last year’s Seven-Year-Old World Championship. From one accidentally-acquired little Thoroughbred mare, an extraordinary story continues to unfold – and Lara’s holding the pen to write it.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

The Final Dance-Off: Live Updates from Session Three of Dressage

By on Jul 30, 2021 7:33 pm -

Malgorzata Cybulska of Poland celebrates a great test with Chenaro 2. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Welcome back, my dressage-loving little nerdlets, to the third and final session of this hotly-contested first phase at Tokyo. It’s all about to get rather exciting, as this year, none of these teams will have a drop score – so we know exactly what every horse and rider need to do to make the right moves up the leaderboard. Before we get into all that, though, refresh your memory of the individual top ten after the first two phases:

And check out how the team standings are looking at the mo:

Finally, cast your eye over the rider line-up to come, which features the final six individual riders up first, before the last rider from each team will come forward to fight for that podium:

Okay? Okay. Let’s do this.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

3.30: Happy birthday, Michi Jung. Nice way to celebrate.

3.15: I can’t stop thinking about the history of corporate Olympic sponsorships and giggling sadly to myself. God, it’s so 3am, isn’t it.

3.13: Cross-country will start tomorrow at 7.45 a.m. Tokyo time, which is Saturday at 6.45 p.m. if you’re on Eastern time, 3.45 p.m. if you’re on Pacific time, and 11.45 p.m. if you’re in the UK. I’m off to buy more coffee in the morning.

3.09: Here’s an interesting one from EquiRatings. This was always going to be a battle between the Brits and the Germans:

3.03: And here’s the top ten individually. India’s Fouaad Mirza remains the only individual rider in the top ten, after that super test with Seigneur yesterday:

3.00: Here are the team standings going into cross-country. There’s five seconds between Britain and Germany, and 15 between Germany and New Zealand. Japan move down into fourth place, and oh my god, if they finish just off the podium I will be so sad for them. There’s plenty of sport left to come before we reach the end, though…

2.57: 36.1 for Carlos Parro and Goliath, and 103.6 for Brazil, which puts them into 11th, ahead of Poland and behind Switzerland. Stand by for a look at our leaderboard going into tomorrow’s cross-country.

2.54: First change is nice, second is…less so. They get the third off the half-pass, but the horse’s inexperience shows in this lateral work, and Carlos has to keep chasing his errant hindquarters and popping them back into the right place. Great final halt to finish this test, though – a lot to be excited about for the future with this horse.

2.52: The final rider up is Brazil’s Carlos Parro, riding the very, very inexperienced Goliath. He’s doing a lovely job so far – hopefully this nice horse is absorbing some leftover fairy dust from Chipmunk.

2.49: And that’s that: Michi goes into the lead on a 21.1. Germany move into silver medal position on 80.4. Britain are on 78.3, so just five seconds separates the teams in tomorrow’s cross-country.

 

2.48: There just isn’t anything I can really say about that. Michi nailed it. Chipmunk nailed it. Team trainer Hans Melzer looks like he’s desperate to spark up a cigarillo.

2.47: Laaaaaard help me, it’s beautiful.

2.46: Chipmunk was produced by Julia Krajewski, and she coaxed a sub-20 mark out of him at the 2018 WEG. Can Michi match that today? They really do have the best trot half-passes in the biz, this pair.

2.45: 

The silent assassin.

2.44: But, like, what a German we’ve got in now. Can anyone remember a time when Michael Jung wasn’t the Olympic champion?

2.43: There’s a nine being thrown in there for that final halt, and they end up with a very, very good 25.6. New Zealand moves into silver on 86.4. Only Germany can shake up the team podium now.

2.41: If they go sub-30, they’ll move New Zealand onto the podium. So far, they look like they will do – this is a lovely test and a really wonderful stamp of a horse. This partnership looks so well-established already, and Tim is grinning after his halt and salute. He knows he’s nailed it.

2.40: This is just Tim’s fourth FEI start with this horse – at their last, at Barbury, they withdrew as planned before cross-country. That means the Olympics will be his third international cross-country run with the gelding. You wouldn’t want many to try that tactic, but if anyone can make it work, it’s this maestro.

2.38: Tim Price and Vitali in now for New Zealand. He only got the ride on this horse in October of last year, and they won their first FEI event together at Strzegom CCI4*-L this spring. That was Vitali’s first CCI4*-L, just his second-ever four-star, and his first FEI event since 2018, when the horse went to Blenheim eight- and nine-year-olds and led the dressage with James Avery.

2.36: Lots of bits to like there for Sarah and Woodcourt Garrison, but just a couple of costly whoopsies in the changes, plus that break to canter, means they earn 38.1. Ireland will go into cross-country on 110.4, which puts them behind Poland and ahead of Thailand.

2.33: Ireland’s Sarah Ennis and Woodcourt Garrison in now: the extended trot starts out looking ‘wow’ but then the horse breaks into canter. Nice halt, slightly rushed reinback, but it’s correct and all five steps are there.

2.32: 42.9 for Arianna, which puts Italy on 115.4 and moves them below Thailand.

2.30: Oh dear, it’s rather fallen apart in the canter for Arianna and Quefira, who were looking quite lovely in the trot work. They finish their test up with an unplanned change on the final centreline, which tops off a very hectic minute or so.

2.28: This horse’s legs go on for days. As someone whose legs only go on for about as many minutes as this test lasts, I’m terribly jealous.

2.27: 32.4 for Karim, and 95.1 for France, who step up to provisional 7th. Italy’s Arianna Schivo up next with her longtime partner Quefira de l’Ormeau.

2.24: This isn’t a horse that would naturally be put together to find dressage easy, but Karim – who rode on the Rio gold medal-winning team – knows how to eke the best out of it. The canter is quite stilted but they both try hard and get through it all adequately. Karim punches the air with both fists and beams as he finishes – he’s always so delighted with his horses, and it’s such a joy to see. We all love Karim, even if we never really understand what he’s saying.

2.23: Nice walk. Karim is trusting his horse and he’s being repaid for it with a relaxed, swinging pace.

2.22: They’ll need a sub-28.4 if they want to move France up onto the podium provisionally.

2.21: Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine up now – they stepped into the team following the withdrawal of Tom Carlile a few days ago.

2.19: It’s a 35 for Ludwig and Balham Mist – Japan will stay ahead of Sweden, who go onto 91.1 and sit in bronze position for now.

2.18: The first two changes are correct but slightly fragile, and the canter half-passes and the two changes between them are rather cobbled together. This horse looks fit, fit, fit – but Ludwig pulls it all back together for the final centreline and halt.

2.16: Balham Mist is prone to just tucking his chin into his chest a bit – you can see Ludwig trying to coax him out and forward. Really like that reinback – he commits to the fifth step, which is where many have faltered.

2.15: Ludwig and Balham Mist obviously want to skip this bit and fast-track to the fun: they jump the grass strip on their way around the outside of the arena. Remember – they need to be sub-34 for Sweden to go ahead of Japan.

2.09: 

2.05: Final drag break now, and then we’ll see Ludwig Svennerstal and Balham Mist. If he scores less than 34, Sweden will move into silver position provisionally, bumping Japan down to bronze.

2.02: Big pats for Jard-not-Hard after that test. Lots of pressure on Jan here to replace Pawel and Banderas, who would have been fighting for an individual top ten finish – or even a podium place. A 33.1 is better than expected and will put Poland on 104.6.

2.00: I don’t know that I particularly envy Jan having to sit this trot, because this horse has quite a lot of knee action and probably isn’t the most comfortable trotter in the field. This is a sweet, functional test so far, though the changes are a tad colourful.

1.59: Jan Kaminksi and Jard are in now for Poland, taking the place of Pawel Spisak and Banderas, who were spun at the first horse inspection. My laptop is certain that this horse is actually called Hard, but he isn’t, because that would be a bit weird.

1.57: 34.4 for Bao and Flandia means they exceed expectations by several marks! Imagine what that’d have been without that mistake. Really, really great start for this pair, and China go into cross-country day on 93.5 – just 0.1 behind Australia!

1.54: An excellent first change from Flandia! She doesn’t always find them super easy, but Bao has worked so hard with Tim and Martin Lips on this phase. Just the final change is a bit iffy, but it’s nothing major. Flandia changes her lead on the final centreline – which is what happened to his teammates Sun Huadong and Lady Chin at Luhmühlen in June. Hopefully it won’t be too costly.

1.53: Final Chinese rider in now! This is Bao Yingfeng and Flandia 2. This little mare is so, so sweet – when I stayed at Lips Stables in Breda in June, she was one of the first horses I saw every morning and she always had a good morning kiss ready and waiting for me. Just a really nice character and a pretty little thing with a heart of gold. Great reinback for them in this test, too.

1.52: It’s a 29.6 for Andrew and Vassily, and 93.4 for Australia to move into bronze behind Japan, pushing the US off the podium.

1.50: First change is the best of the lot – he dives a bit in the second, and the last two are fine but not wow. Vassily doesn’t look like he likes the outside aid for the half-pass, and reacts when it’s applied.

1.48: Economical and correct in the lateral work in trot for Vassily. God, this is a lovely, lovely horse – a product of Tom Carlile’s exceptional production.

1.47: Australia’s Andrew Hoy in now with Vassily de Lassos. This is Andrew’s eighth Olympics, and this exceptional horse could be about to shake things up a lot.

1.46: Japan’s score is 90.1, so they move ahead of the US into silver at the moment.

1.45: 31.5 for Yoshi and Calle 44. Hmph.

1.44: First two changes were good – I loved the second one, which was very decisive. The third is clean, but a bit disconnected. I’d like to see more risk-taking in the extension, but they do just enough and the final centreline is tidy.

1.43: Like this walk, which is a bit of a saunter. They pick up the counter-canter really nicely.

1.42: Good halt into reinback, but the final step of the reinback is a bit shuffly. Their trot half-pass into shoulder-in is accurate and bold – nice stuff.

1.41: Maggie predicts around a 28/29 for this pair.

1.40: Final rider in for Japan now! This is Yoshi Oiwa and Calle 44. Yoshi famously lead the dressage at London 2012, and Japan finished yesterday in bronze position.

1.39: 37.1 for Robin and Jet Set, which put Switzerland onto 99.9 and moves them behind the US.

1.37: Jet Set’s looking a bit spooky in the ring, but Robin doesn’t rise to it. He just keeps smiling, and nurturing, and helping his horse along. Honestly, such an underrated rider, this.

1.36: This horse has never been a showstopper in this phase – he’s a bit of a gangly thing who comes into his own in the other phases. Robin is a seriously good rider, though, and he’s just nursing this through.

1.35: The final Swiss rider in now – this is Robin Godel and Jet Set. Robin is one day off being the youngest rider in the field at 22, and Jet Set was previously ridden to 5* by Andrew Nicholson, who now coaches the Swiss team for cross-country.

1.32: 31.1 for Boyd and Thomas. That puts the USA on a 94.6 after dressage. That’s not going to allow them to climb as much as hoped from ninth, where they sat after day one.

1.31: Aaaahhh, man. That walk to counter-canter transition goes rather dramatically wrong, and Thomas swaps, inverts, and dashes off. They still get a very good first change, though.

1.30: They don’t quite commit to all five steps in the reinback. But now into the walk – Tsetserleg prowls like a delicious little panther. Yum.

1.29: Sexy Legs/Tsetserleg looking very good indeed so far. He and Doug Payne’s Vandiver have the same sire – Darren Chiacchia’s Athens bronze medallist Windfall II. You wouldn’t guess to look at them, mind.

1.28: Well, they’re sub-30 – but only just. It’s tenth place and 28.9 for Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg in now, who Maggie is predicting will earn a 25.8 score or thereabouts.

1.27: There’s not enough kissing or crying on the Kiss & Cry. Come on, folks, offer me some (pandemic-safe) sauce. God, I’ve watched way too much Love Island this month.

1.26: Oof. First change not quite as good as it could be from this pair. Second one comes up fast. They pull it together for the rest and end well, though Toledo threatens to fidget in the halt.

1.25: Mind you, when I say a weaker phase, it’s certainly never been bad. This is a horse who won the Bramham under-25 CCI4*-L as a nine-year-old. This is still looking solid, though Tom has to wipe his brow in the walk. Bit sweaty, champ?

1.23: Lovely through the extended trot. This horse is such a professional in this phase now, which always used to be his weaker point as a younger horse – possibly in part because he’s an exceptionally quirky character. Tom can’t even jump school him at home.

1.22: Okay, Tommy boy! Our final Brit comes forward now. By my maths, even if Michi Jung gets a 20 (which is truly possible), GB will stay in the lead if Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser stay sub-30. They almost certainly will.

1.21: Back to Love Island for a moment. I can’t stop thinking about how much better it would be if the Olympics introduced athletes like this:

Rather than like this:

(That’s the face I make when I hand someone my phone to show them a photo and they start scrolling.)

1.19: Lovely first change, and a very good second one, too. Third one looks great and the fourth is well-timed but it looks as though he slightly locks his back legs in the fourth and almost hops through it. It’s very subtle, though, and won’t necessarily be expensive.

1.17: Well this is a lovely little horse, and he’s chrome-y as well, which feels like a very American thing for me to say. Shame about the halt before the reinback, which is just a tad late, not quite square, and they don’t really give us that fifth reinback step. But never mind! This pair looks great otherwise so far. You can see the French influence of Maxime Livio coming through in the elegant way Korntawat sits.

1.15: And we’re back! Korntawat Samran and Bonero K coming forward first in this batch for Thailand. They’re unlikely to move out of 15th place with this test, but it’s not really their priority – this is a history-making first Thai team, and they’re here to gain serious experience.

1.12: Ooh, we’ve got our scream-y tennis(? Basketball? Some other sport, anyway) noises being piped in again. Very confusing.

1.09: Time for a drag break, and then we’ll head into our final batch of team riders, starting with Thailand’s Korntawat Samran and Bonero K. I’ve now fallen down the well of Love Island gifs, if I’m honest.

1.07: It’s a 40.9 for Nicolas and Altier d’Aurois, who Nicolas has previously described as ‘an extremely worried horse’ but looked to me more like ‘a real party animal.’

1.03: Think Altier d’Aurois is thinking too much about tonight’s action-packed episode of Love Island and not enough about doing the sand dancing. Looks a bit unfocused and is very, very green in the changes.

1.01: Ecuador’s Nicolas Wettstein in now with Altier d’Aurois. Nicolas is Swiss by birth, and is based there, too, but was able to claim Ecuadorian nationality through his marriage in 2011.

00.59: Some discussion of Shannondale Sarco in the group chat, where we all agree that many we’ve known have been rather argumentative tanks. Which isn’t to say there aren’t some excellent ones out there, before anyone slides in my DMs with a stern word.

00.57: Tidy strike-off into counter-canter for Mikhail and Imagine If, who’s quite a heavy type compared to some of the horses we’ve seen here. This isn’t going to be a particularly competitive test, but they’re just getting the job done out there. Not sure this is a horse who’s ready for a double bridle.

00.54: Merel’s looking really disappointed, and you can’t blame her. That will have proven expensive – they put a 31.5 up, and would almost certainly have gone sub-30 without that wibble-wobble. Russia back now – this is Mikhail Nastenko and MP Imagine If.

00.52: Oh, bugger! The Quizmaster inverts and says ‘absolutely not, thanks’ as he comes down that final centreline. Not sure what set him off there; that was a real shame.

00.51: Merel Blom and The Quizmaster in for the Netherlands now. She opted for this horse over her Dutch national champion, Ceda NOP, and so far, it’s looking good. This horse just comes to work with a smile on his face.

00.45: While we have a little unplanned gap, let’s talk about teams and predictions. Our stats analyst in residence, Maggie Deatrick, has been crunching the numbers and pulling her predictions for the final session, which you can check out here:

Dressage Powerhouses of Tokyo: Session Three

Maggie is very good at math and stuff, whereas I can just about manage simple addition, but I went ahead and did that simple addition to see what will happen to the team leaderboard if Maggie’s predictions end up hitting the mark. Here’s my homework, Teach:

00.44: A late withdrawal now for Austria’s Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Cosma. We don’t have any further information, but are crossing our fingers that it’s nothing serious. Poor Katrin – this was to be her Olympic debut.

00.42: It’s a 46.1 for Miroslav and Shutterflyke. He’ll be disappointed but, I suspect, also quite pragmatic about the whole thing. These ten-year-olds are all pretty low mileage as a result of the pandemic-affected calendar of fixtures.

00.41: Poor Shutterflyke just really felt the pressure of the day in there, and it rather ruined their canter work. A real shame, as this is a really lovely horse, but she’s also only 10 and will likely have been produced much more with Paris in mind. This is all valuable experience along the way.

00.36: Andrey looks really pleased with sweet Gurza, who post a 36.1 for 32nd provisionally in their second Games. Now we have another combination from the Czech Republic – this time, it’s Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke. I fell madly in love with the other Czech horse, Ferreolus Lat, yesterday, and I’ve seen this horse as a youngster when they finished in the top ten in the Six-Year-Old World Championship at Le Lion d’Angers in 2017. She’s actually beaten some pretty excellent horses, including Julia Krajewski’s Amande de b’Neville, who currently sits third here.

00.33: It’s so easy for us all to write off these Eastern European combinations, because we rarely actually see them and they often compete against very small fields in their countries – but actually, all of them so far in this line-up have surprised us. There are some little mistakes in this test; the changes, for example, aren’t quite as established as a horse like London 52, but this is a super sweet, blood-looking horse.

00.30: First up will be Russia’s Andrey Mitin and Gurza. They almost look like they’re about to halt and salute at the beginning of the test, but they remember and ride on down the centreline. This horse has the teeny-weeniest tail I’ve ever seen – is she turned out with yearlings? Or goats? Please let us know, Andrey.

Stories from the Mixed Zone: Our Favorite Quotes from Day One in Tokyo

By on Jul 30, 2021 5:31 pm -

Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto takes his turn in the socially-distanced mixed zone. Photo by Shannon Brinkmann.

The beauty of the Olympics is that the leaderboard only tells one story – but every single person, horse, and supporting team out there has been on an extraordinary journey to get to this biggest stage of all. We’ll be bringing you a closer look at some of their tales of triumph, but first, join us in the mixed zone for some of our favourite quotes from the first day of dressage.

Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci de la Vigne – Japan (25.9)

Kazu was formerly a top showjumper, but switched to eventing in 2016 to aim for Tokyo. He relocated to England to train with William Fox-Pitt, and rides the former Astier Nicolas ride Vinci de la Vigne at his home Olympics. When he asked how he helps his horse relax in an environment like this, he revealed his top tips.

“Deep breaths! And not asking too much, keeping it as normal like we’re training at home. [William] always gives me a great idea, especially in the championships, or Badminton, or big events. He understands everything for big events – how to relax, how to fix horses, and the recovery, so he really helps with this.”

Kazu, more than most, wishes the Olympics could be open to spectators.

“It’s really, really special at my home country, but it’s really a shame to have no spectators here, especially for us Japanese riders and my family and friends. But still, we got so many messages and message cards, so we can do it!”

Kazu has benefited from working with chef d’equipe Laurent Bosquet, who has been influential in securing great French horses, including Vinci:

“[The French horses] are really, really clever. Always, [Vinci] could do his performance as usual – he’s a ‘bonne garçon’, right? A good boy.”

Arinadtha Chavatanont (Thailand) and Boleybawn Prince. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince – Thailand (42.4)

Arinadtha, or Mint, was the trailblazer of the first session, and rides as part of Thailand’s first-ever Olympic eventing team.

“It’s very special, of course, because it’s the first time in our history to have the three of us here. Before we used to have individuals, but this time is the first time that we were able to qualify three riders. And to be here in the team – we will not be in a really top, top placing but we hope we finish with a really good score and looking forward to the Games.”

“[Trainer Maxime Livio is] special for me because he never puts pressure on the rider and he teaches each rider differently. My horse is a special one and he knows where is the strong point, so we really push that, and where he’s weak we really try to keep it not more weak. He really pays attention to the health of the horse. Every show, even in Europe, we always have a vet with us and the horse is a priority for me — even more of a priority than me, my body. Since he cannot talk, we really look after each little detail to see how he’s feeling, and since my horse loves bananas so much, the most important thing is to have bananas with me. He’s really happy to have bananas with him all the time — it keeps him really relaxed.”

Lauren Billys (Puerto Rico) and Castle Larchfield Purdy. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy – Puerto Rico (39.9)

California-based Lauren talked about her decision to ride for Puerto Rico, for which she’s also been  involved in relief work in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes:

“In 2009, I was at an event and my grandmother was there. She’s from Puerto Rico – she grew up in Bayamón – and there was another rider there called Mark Watring, who competed at the Sydney Olympics. And so my grandmother went and talked to him, and we found out that her nationality transferred to my own. That’s how I got recognised as Puerto Rican, and I’ve been riding under the Puerto Rican flag since I’ve become an international competitor, so ever since I was 21. It’s been the way I’ve always competed internationally, and it’s the way I’ll always compete forever. I was just committed to going the furthest I could with my career, and I always pictured myself on the world stage – and Puerto Ricans are Americans. I’m really glad God gave me the opportunity to represent my heritage. It’s such an honour.”

Lauren spoke eloquently about riding as an individual at the Games.

“To be fair, I think it’s harder to shine as an individual; there’s not a buzz around you and behind you. And I think sometimes that shows, and I think that sometimes individuals are viewed as weaker riders or programs. So I feel a responsibility to say, you know, screw that, you can do it any way you want to, and it’s anybody’s day on any given day. So I feel that kind of responsibility for sure. There’s also just a lot of general logistical responsibility in terms of getting here – a lot of teams have the support of the finances of their country that support them in many grants to compete all over the world. I’ve worked my tail off to provide enough money for my family and also for me to be able to compete here. So it’s a responsibility at home as well as on the international stage.”

Lauren was affected by the California wildfires, which disrupted her preparation with her nineteen-year-old horse of a lifetime:

“I have a lot of gratitude towards him. I mean, I was thinking about that today – like, we are clearly meant to be here. We’ve had plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t be here. He almost died in 2018, and we survived a fire last year that nearly burned down our home. And so we’ve been through a lot – and even in the jog yesterday [when he was sent to the hold box], just that little spike of adrenaline, you know – we’re clearly meant to be here. I wouldn’t want to be here with anybody else. So today and this week is a celebration of our partnership together. He’s an older guy, but he’s pretty wise and experienced.”

Lauren also wore a number of ribbons and pins: one in memory of much-loved California event volunteer Don Trotter, who passed away in 2019, one to represent Area VI, and another to keep her mother, who can’t be here this week, close to her. Her mother is wearing the same one as she supports from home.

Francisco Gaviño Gonzalez. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Francisco Gavino Gonzalez and Source de la Faye – Spain (47.7)

Individual competitor Francisco, who’s based in Seville, had a tricky time in the ring with this spicy, tense mare, who had to be nursed through with tactical, sympathetic riding.

“She’s a really difficult girl – a really difficult chestnut Anglo-Arab girl. I try my best but it’s really hard to find a way to work with her inside sometimes, because she gets really, really excited. The test is really short for her – it’s good because it’s short from one point, but it’s really technical and the movements come very fast so you don’t have time to prepare. I suppose she was going to be like that, but the worst part is done!”

“This is unbelievable for me – I think it’s a really big achievement for me. I’m just 24, when I qualified I was 22 and I was really happy. I didn’t expect to qualify, but the championships were going really good in 2019. We won a couple competitions, and she was amazing. And here, the feeling is… I am here, it’s incredible, and I’m really happy, I’m enjoying a lot; I’m trying to learn a lot from the best riders here.”

Francisco works as a pharmacist and has been at university for the last four years. He’s been training with Michael Jung for the last two years and prior to that, he trained with Andrew Hoy.

“It’s quite a difficult thing, but for me it was more difficult in university because I didn’t have enough time to do everything. I started the day at 5:30 in the morning and I rode my horses until 8:30, then from 8:30 to 12:30 I was in the lab in the university because pharmacy is a degree with a lot of lab work, and in the afternoon I had the lessons in the university, and then I came back to the stable and sleep and start again every day. And now it’s a bit easier, because my father is my boss so I have a bit more time to prepare. I was really, really conscious that I wanted to make it in five years a degree and make all my Europeans – Junior, and Young Riders, and also qualify for the Olympic Games – so I’m really happy with this.”

Thomas Heffernan Ho (Hong Kong) and Tayberry. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry – Hong Kong (46.7)

British-based Tom rides the oldest horse in the field – Tay is an impressive 20 years old, and also the smallest horse at just 15.1hh. He obviously doesn’t know it, though; he gave a sparky performance in the ring that required careful management from Tom.

“I think he loves the sport as much as every athlete here. He doesn’t feel his age – he’s as sparky as a young horse, he still has life in him and to be honest, I don’t do a lot with him. We care for him the best we can, and we provide for him the best physios. Being in the UK with the racing industry, and eventing’s quite a big sport there, is a massive help. He looks after himself very well.”

“He thinks he’s the biggest horse around. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of pony blood in him – he’s 15.1, so in terms of that, that might be why he’s still doing the sport. He has a fifth leg when he goes cross country; he loves it as much as I do. I would say the dressage is always a struggle with him – he finds it quite boring and competitive and he thinks he knows better. We’ve deliberately not practiced [the Olympic test] that much – so the intensity has helped him.”

Tom is Hong Kong’s first Olympic eventer.

“It’s always a proud moment when we represent our country in a championship. I was lucky enough to represent Hong Kong in the Asian Championships, Asian Games and the China National Games. I still have to pinch myself every time I’m here.”

Malgorzata Cybulska of Poland celebrates a great test with Chenaro 2. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2 – Poland (31)

23-year-old Gosia is a full-time student of Psychology at the University of Warsaw and makes her Olympic debut just two years after aging out of Young Riders. She’s spent a long time building up a great partnership with Chenaro 2, who she’s owned since he was a five-year-old.

“My horse Chenaro, he is the sweetest horse ever. When I got him, though, I have to say that I hated him – I hated him so much! He was like, ‘party!’ all the time. I was not able to work with him; my dressage tests were like 45%, because every centerline he was like, ‘woohoo, party time!’ and [gave me] nothing – just freestyle. So at first I really hated him and I was afraid of him. But with time we are already working seven years together, so I competed on him through Juniors, through Young Riders, and our biggest competition we’ve been to was European Championship at Luhmühlen two years ago. It was a really successful start for us. Now everybody says that he’s an angel, and he’s so calm, and so on, but what is the most important about him is that I really trust that he will help me with, for example, cross country. This is a huge thing, because this is my only horse. I’m not training, five horses a day, so I don’t have too much training. And competing at this level, I have to have in my head that if I do mistake, he will help me out – so he has a huge heart for this competition, and we are a great couple.”

 

Victoria Scott-Legendre and Valtho des Peupliers. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Victoria Scott-Legendre and Valtho des Peupliers – South Africa (39.5)

French-based Victoria lived in her native South Africa until she completed university, and her background in the sport is, perhaps, a bit different than most riders.

“We were lucky enough to have some really nice venues that happened to have some wild animals on the property, and I’ve had a dressage test where a herd of zebra have come through, and a couple of occasions where some giraffe have popped [their heads] over the trees. The horses are often quite spooky about that and do a 360, so we have to chase away the animals – so it was fun! It’s a great experience, and it’s almost normal for us – but sadly I didn’t bring a South African horse!”

Victoria crowdfunded her trip to Tokyo:

“Our federation is, of course, not the most concentrated on horses, so we don’t get as much support as other nations. Coming here can be very costly, so we did a GoFundMe campaign, which was so, so well-supported worldwide. We had a lot of help and we got to our goal, which took a bit of the financial burden off us, because we had a lot of stress on the preparations and that helped us to breathe and focus on the goal. It was amazing – from all around the world we had this wonderful support.”

Jesse Campbell runs through his safe words. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Jesse Campbell and Diachello – New Zealand (30.1)

Jesse joins power couple Tim and Jonelle Price on the Kiwi team, and is sharing a room in the Olympic Village with Tim – though no word on who’s big spoon and who’s little spoon.

“We’ve got code words for if they, you know, need some one-on-one time!”

Diachello has come into his own this year after a careful production period, and until late last year, Jesse has intentionally run him slowly.

“I think it was a little bit out of necessity because when I first got him, he was so fat. I couldn’t even get him around a pre-novice cross-country! I was very mindful of what a talented horse I had, and my owner allowed me so much time to produce him. I said to him, ‘look, it’s gonna be a long term thing to get him fit and strong to do his job.’ You know, sometimes I’ve been well placed and I’ve had to go and get twenty time faults because he’s not quite there, but he’s now starting to – he’s got a five star under his belt, and he’s ready to give a little bit more.”

Mélody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Mélody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire – Switzerland (36.1)

Mélody took the ride on Toubleu just last year, and they tackled their first FEI event together in September. Mélody show jumped originally, but took up eventing three years ago after her husband challenged her to try it.

“He came to me one year ago, and he was always simply simple and just so great to ride. We did a lot of master classes when we had Covid [restrictions] and no international eventing. It was a really good chance for all the Swiss riders to work and do something like a real international eventing competition. I had to do the three shorts, three longs, four shorts, and four longs [to gain the qualification], so it was quite short. But he was always good, always cool, and always fun.”

Mélody makes the use of Switzerland’s striking natural terrain to prepare her horses for events:

“We have a lot of mountains, so really, we’re up and down and for us, it’s natural to have horses who have good condition to do eventing.”

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Phillip Dutton and Z – USA (30.5)

This is Phillip’s seventh Games, and he’s seen plenty of changes in the sport along the way – not least, this year’s change to a three-person format:

“I started off in Atlanta [in 1996] where you had to carry weight and you had to be a minimum weight, and [there were] roads and tracks and steeplechase, and so yeah, it’s come a long way. I really liked this dressage test. I think three in a team is certainly going to make it exciting, because you don’t have a drop score, and I’ll be interested to see every team’s tactics and plan as they go out. But if I had to say, I’m not a fan of three on a  team. I think it was ideal having the four and being able to drop a score.”

Weerapat Pitakanonda and Carnival March – Thailand (38.2)

Weerapat is part of the historic first-ever Thai Olympic eventing team, and he partners a former Piggy March ride in Carnival March. The horse finished in the top ten at the Young Horse World Championships with Piggy, and was the first horse to receive the ‘March’ suffix from the business she and husband Tom set up.

“I bought him off the end of 2019. And we’ve been together for one and a half years, roughly. It’s quite a short period for us, and it’s a new relationship for me, yeah, but we work hard. Maxime [Livio] is my trainer, and he helped me a lot to fix it, to improve dressage, to make me jump better. We will try to focus on and do more improvements.”

All the Thai riders relocated to Maxime’s base in France to mount their Tokyo campaign – and with the delay of the Games and the pandemic, they were forced to spend an extra year abroad without seeing their families. Being here makes it all worth it for these riders.

“It feels amazing – I’m so excited. This is the first ever team eventing team for Thailand, and yeah, we work hard. We’ve been working for years towards this, and especially with the paused format of the Olympics, we need to stay in Europe longer. And then finally we made it. It’s quite difficult to go home because COVID, and there was no flights, and also there’s the restriction of when we go to Thailand, we need to quarantine ourselves in the public state quarantine for two weeks. It’s a waste of time, so that’s why we need to stay in Europe most of the time.”

 

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

 

 

 

 

Friday Video from SmartPak: Take a Tour of the Olympic Village

By on Jul 30, 2021 5:00 pm -

There’s something about the Olympic Village that always seems extraordinarily mysterious to me – partly, I suppose, because we never get to see an awful lot of it, and partly because I read Jilly Cooper’s Riders way too young and it’s governed the way I view everything about top-level sport since then, sticky bushes and all.

This year’s Olympic Village obviously has a slightly different vibe than normal years, where by all accounts, it’s a pretty sociable place (er, in more ways than one). But on-site athletes are still getting some chances to mingle with the superstars of other sport, if at a safe distance – and the Village, as always, is stocked with everything a top sportsperson needs to have the week of their lives. Want to see for yourself? Join British diving gold medalist Tom Daley – the man who famously knitted a little cover for his medal – as he gives you the Grand Tour.

Go…Diving!

#TheTeaFromTokyo: Day One of the Dancing Horses

By on Jul 30, 2021 9:26 am -

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

I don’t know if it’s the lack of sleep, the enormous amount of coffee and Diet Coke in my system, the fact that I’ve eaten three pizzas in four days, or simply the overwhelming emotion of the whole Olympic experience, but absolutely everything has been making me cry over the course of the first two sessions of dressage. Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto, who’s sacrificed everything to try to help his country to the podium, putting a mid-20s mark on the board? Sobbed, mate. Ireland’s Sam Watson, giving 15-year-old Tiggy Hancock her Olympic debut after her tragic death last month by wearing a yellow ribbon in her honour? Bawled like a baby. Every rider who completed their halt and salute and then threw their arms around their horse’s neck in elated gratitude? I’ve got tears for you, and tears for you, and TEARS FOR EVERYONE, baby.

If you’re like me and missed most of the finer points of the first two sessions purely because it’s quite hard to see through teary eyes, refresh your memory with our round-up of the best of social media – and rehydrate before the final session begins at 7.30 p.m. Eastern time/00.30 British time tonight. Go Eventing, indeed…

Thailand’s Korntawat Samran summed up the vibe before his teammate, Arinadtha Chavanatont, got the first session of dressage underway: 

We saw one of the heaviest hitters in the field take an early lead as Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class posted a 23.6 when performing the second test of the first session:

Doug Payne and Vandiver kicked things off for the US effort, putting a 33 on the board:

Swiss lynchpins Felix Vogg and Colero got off to a super start, scoring 26.7 for provisional sixth:

Australia’s Shane Rose and Virgil scored a 31.7 after a technical hitch in the scoring system erroneously put them in the 40s:

Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro shaved nearly five marks off their Rio test, which saw them eventually finish in the top ten – now, they sit second going into the final session on a super score of 23.9:

Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey were first in for France, and produced a smart, workmanlike test for 29.6: 

Ireland’s Sam Watson and his golden boy Tullabeg Flamenco honoured 15-year-old Tiggy Hancock, who died in a training accident in June. They delivered a 34.3 and sit in the top 30 currently:

The FEI shared a carousel of reaction shots – including a brilliant pic of Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto, who sits fifth on 25.9 with Vinci de la Vigne:

We all fell in love with the striking Ferreolus Lat, the ten-year-old mount of the Czech Republic’s Miloslav Prihoda Jr:

Jessica Phoenix was on cheerleading duties for Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges of Canada: 

There was dancing! So much dancing:

New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell soaked up the sun before his moment of reckoning: 

The second session started with a bang, as India’s Fouaad Mirza and Seigneur Medicott delivered the best-ever Indian dressage score of all time. Their 28 has them in equal seventh and the only non-team rider in the top ten: 

The big test of the second session was that of Laura Collett and London 52 – but despite dazzling in much of their performance, they didn’t usurp Oliver. They sit fourth on 25.8:

China’s second rider, Sun Huadong, produced a solid 35.2 with pretty Lady Chin V’T Moerven Z, sitting them in the top 30 and helping the team into fourth place provisionally: 

Australia’s Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam stepped into the team after a call-up from reserve after the first horse inspection. They scored a 32.1 to sit in the top 20, though they’ll have been aiming for sub-30 as a partnership that’s twice been top ten at CCI5*:

Sweden’s Louise Romeike stormed into the top ten on a score of 28 with Cato 60, helping Sweden into provisional silver: 

Brazil’s Rafael Losano brought forward Fuiloda G, arguably the greenest horse in the field, and rode her sympathetically for a 36: 

24-year-old Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur put a 33 on the board to tie with Doug Payne and Vandiver: 

Even the people on site in Tokyo had to keep track of the times somehow – though at least there’s no math involved there:

Those supporting from home went all out – including Ingrid Klimke, who was sidelined with an injury: 

Piggy March sent her support to Thailand’s Weerapat Pitakanonda, who rides her former mount Carnival March: 

 

 

Paula and David Evans, who own Andrew Hoy’s Vassily de Lassos, were well-stocked for their viewing party:

Commentator John Kyle surveyed his kingdom:

Boyd Martin is busy getting some tips from the boss:

The question on everyone’s lips – can Michael Jung beat the Olympic dressage record? We’ll have to wait for the final session to find out:

 

Freshly-Squeezed Live Updates: Dressage Session Two

By on Jul 30, 2021 4:55 am -

Julia Krajewski (Germany) and Amande de B’Neville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Welcome back to the second of three sessions of dressage here at Tokyo! If you’re based in the UK, this is the only one at a civilised sort of time, starting at 9.30 a.m., though that’s a slightly less social 4.30 a.m. for those of you on the East Coast of the US. Nevertheless, we preservere! Scroll on down for your second session live updates – but first, take a quick look at the leaderboard as it stands:

You can also catch up on all the first session’s action, with our full report from Sally Spickard:

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class Best of Session One in Tokyo

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

12.06: And here’s what the final dressage session will look like. It’s full of heavy hitters, including reigning Olympic champ Michael Jung.

12.02: The team ranking currently looks like this, with one rider left to go for each. Remember, there are no drop scores this year:

11.59: Here’s the individual top ten, with full results here:

11.58: Slightly surprised by 37.2 for Lara and Alpaga, which puts them into 33rd. Standby for the top ten and team standings.

11.56: That’s a wrap for this session of dressage. The next will take place tomorrow morning at 8.30 a.m. in Tokyo, which means a 12.30 a.m. start tonight for British viewers and a 7.30 p.m. start tonight for East Coast US viewers.

11.55: HUGE pats and a beaming smile as they finish that test. What a special moment this is for Lara, who missed London due to horse injury and had to sit Rio out because she was pregnant. She’s finally here! Get it, girl.

11.54: One of the better reinbacks we’ve seen over the two sessions from Lara and Alpaga. They get a bit backwards before the early changes, thought he first is clean. Slightly better in the last two, though a bit thrusty.

11.53: Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier in now for her Olympic debut with stalwart partner Alpaga d’Arville. This is a homebred, and out of the same mare as Nooney Blue, who was Lara’s Young Rider horse and the horse she rode in her first Senior championships. She now has a four-star ride out of Nooney Blue, Hooney d’Arville, so there’s a seriously cool breeding programme going on at Lara’s place.

11.50: It’s a 33 for Janneke, which she should be really happy with – they were correct and workmanlike, and this puts them just outside the top twenty at this stage.

11.49: The final halt is a bit wishy-washy but who cares when it’s your first Olympics: with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face, she salutes and hugs her horse.

11.48: Sweet, workmanlike changes from this kind-eyed grey, who wouldn’t be naturally designed for dressage superstardom. These two have a lovely relationship.

11.46: 39.6 for Victoria. Now we have 24-year-old Janneke Boonzaaijer and Champ de Tailleur in for the Netherlands. This is a big step up for this inexperienced pair, who stepped up after some last-minute blips knocked Tim Lips and Herby out of selection contention in what seemed like a real sure thing.

11.43: The final two changes — those in the half-pass — are better than the first two. This won’t be challenging the leaders, but nice for French-based Victoria to get this bit done so she can crack on with the good stuff.

11.41: Valtho hollows in the reinback and offers one too few steps there. Decent shoulder-in, but the transition down to walk is a bit sloppy and rushed.

11.39: Back to some individuals to round out this session. Only one individual rider has made it into the top ten – that’s India’s Fouaad Mirza. Can any of these guys join him? First to try is South Africa’s Victoria Scott-Legendre and Valtho des Peupliers.

11.37: It’s not going to be a super competitive test, but what an experience for this 11-year-old mare and 23-year-old rider. They score a 36 and girlfriend Amanda Brieditis looks delighted for her partner. Onwards!

11.34: Rafael Losano of Brazil in now with Fuiloda G. Rafa makes his Olympic debut here – he’s based with Mark Todd and will be hoping to gain crucial experience for himself and his very green horse, who will likely come into her own for Paris 2024. She only made her FEI debut in 2018.

11.33: Yikes. 34.1 for Sandra is an expensive mark for the Germans – remember, there are no drop scores in this Games. Germany is currently fifth in the team rankings.

11.30: Ahh! Viamant du Matz is the second horse to pick up the wrong lead in what’s meant to be a counter-canter strike off. His second change is hoppy and the final change is late – they’re nearly all the way in the corner before he delivers it with a big swing of the hips. It’s surprising to see this many errors from Sandra, but this is still quite a young and inexperienced horse.

11.27: Time for our next German. This time, it’s Sandra Auffarth, our former World Champion, and the striking chestnut Viamant du Matz. They were second in the final selection trial at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S in June, which was chock-full of Tokyo combinations.

11.25: Economical, correct third change, which is the first in the half-passes, but loses momentum in the last half-pass and the final change suffers as a result. That will really throw his scores. What a shame for Jesse, who rode a blinder of a test there.

11.24: Love that marching walk – Diachello has places to be, but he won’t be ruffled. SUPER first flying change and decent second one.

11.22: Jesse is TALL – like, 6’6 – and is just so able to drop his own centre of gravity and keep his horse together. Great halt and a decent reinback. Nice angle in the shoulder-in, too.

11.21: It’s a 38 for Austin and Salty, who sit just inside the top 30 for now. New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell in now with Diachello. They were 11th at Kentucky this spring and so, so impressive – we’re expecting big things this week and they should go sub-30.

11.18: The changes aren’t super established yet – they’re clean, but he slightly flings every corner of his body in a different direction to make it happen. ‘Salty’ also skips through a couple of unneeded lead changes with his hindend on that final centreline. That could be costly.

11.17: Workmanlike test so far with some little wibble wobbles. He wants to rise above the contact in the walk but transitions very sweetly into the counter-canter. ‘A beautiful strike-orff,’ as Lucinda Green says.

11.15: And we’re back! Ireland’s first in, with Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue making their Olympic debut. He found out after yesterday’s first horse inspection that he’d be riding on the team, when it was decided that Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua would step into the reserve spot because the horse has felt a bit flat.

11.11: It’s 11:11, make a wish! And keep the form guides open so you can learn all about these horses and riders, and the teams:

Form, Function, and Fun Facts: Your Guide to the Tokyo Eventing Competitors

Making Moves for Medals: Your Guide to the Tokyo Teams

11.08: Here are the riders left to come. Note that Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua have been replaced by Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue.

11.06: Final drag break now and then we’ll go into the last group of riders of this session. Here’s the top ten at the mo:

11.05: 33.9 and provisional 24th for Susanna and Imperial van de Holtakkers. A shame – that disastrous first change cost them dearly.

11.04: This has made me laugh. Rookie error to write on one’s sweaty palm, I reckon.

11.03: The final two changes, which come out of the half-passes, are super clean and easy. It’s interesting to see which horses prefer which approach to the changes.

11.02: Oh dear, that first change really doesn’t happen for them. They just about get it before they have to do the second change.

11.00: Italy’s Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers in now. This is a horse who went to the WEG with Belgium’s Joris van Springel in 2018, and Susanna took the ride on after that. He starts his test with his, um, fifth leg out.

10.58: 33 for Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC. He’ll be frustrated with that, because he knows how tough it’ll be for France to defend their Rio team gold.

10.57: Some wobbles in the changes for Nicolas and the relatively inexperienced Absolut Gold. The French have had a couple of big blows this week: the very, very experienced duo Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot had to withdraw a couple of weeks ago, and leading pair Tom Carlile and Birmane were forced to withdraw once in Tokyo after the horse tied up after her final gallop.

10.54: Nicolas Touzaint – who became the youngest ever European Champion at the age of 22 back in 2003. He rode at the Olympics in 2000 at the age of 20, so he brings an extraordinary amount of experience to the table.

10.53: 28 for Louise Romeike and Cato 60 means they now have two riders in the top ten and the team moves in silver position. They’re not messing around, and they still have lynchpin Ludwig Svennerstal to come.

10.51: Louise is an excellent architect of a test. Her strike-off into counter-canter is a thing of beauty.

10.49: I know we all loved Marius – and Hinrich, who worked as a dentist, rather than a professional eventer – so let’s just enjoy this for a moment.

10.48: Sweden’s Louise Romeike and Cato 60 in now. This is another really delicious horse: tall, dark, and handsome. He was produced to the top by her husband Claas, who’s the son of 2008 individual and team gold medallist Hinrich Romeike.

10.46: Malgorzata – known as Gosia to her pals – celebrates all her successful eventing outings with sushi. I hope she’s sourced some good urumaki, because she’s earned a 30.7 and will go into eleventh, tied with Jonelle Price. Awesome stuff!

10.45: They’re young but they’re a reliable pair and shouldn’t be underestimated. They’re doing some really nice canter work here, and Chenaro is such a lovely, game partner. Hopefully he won’t be slammed too much for licking his lips throughout.

10.42: Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2 in now. This is her first Olympics – in 2019, she made her senior championship debut at the Europeans, despite having about six months off riding that year after a spinal surgery to correct a degenerative disc condition. She’s only 23 and studying Psychology at the University of Warsaw.

10.41: 35.2 for Alex and Lady Chin, who suffered at the hands of those pesky changes. Justice for the Chin!

10.39: Two of the four changes are reactive, but a lovely finish to the test. There’s so much to like about this pair, and this is their first-ever championship. What an accomplishment!

10.38: The second change is going to be expensive, with a big kick out.

10.37: Is it going to get confusing with two men called Alex on the Chinese team? Nah, I believe in us, we can cope with this. Lovely Lady Chin is such an elegant stamp of a horse – some super trot work, and now the walk is on the verge of anticipation but really a beautiful mover in this tricky pace.

10.35: Sun Huadong in for China now with Lady Chin V’T Moerven Z. He goes by Alex, and is based in the Netherlands with former Dutch chef d’equipe Martin Lips and his son, Olympian Tim. I was lucky enough to spend ten days staying with them all in June, and these guys work so hard and ride so well. We saw this pair do a lovely test at Luhmühlen four-star in June – let’s make it happen again, Alex!

10.34: Oh dear, Kevin looks really disappointed with 32.1. This duo certainly can go sub-30 very easily. A shame, but they’re also real climbers. They’ll be hoping for a tough cross-country day now.

10.33: God, this really is such a quick test. Nice work from Kev and Don, but if we’re being critical, it wasn’t their best. The changes weren’t quite there today, so I don’t think we’ll see a personal best from them today.

10.32: Sadly, Kevin’s wife Emma, who rode at the WEG in 2018, isn’t able to be here for her husband’s Olympic debut. She’s at home with their new baby Charli, who was born in June, and we know she’s watching with more nerves than anyone.

10.31: Really marched into that down transition to walk. Lovely stuff. That halt before the reinback was good but a touch fidgety. Pay attention, Don Don!

10.30: Australia’s Kevin McNab in now on the divine Don Quidam. They were sub riders and got swapped into the team after the first horse inspection, despite all horses passing. This pair were sixth at Kentucky this spring, where they romped home inside the time. I am unashamedly obsessed with this cool little gelding!

10.28: 32.6 for Toshi Tanaka and Talma d’Allou, which moves them into 15th at the moment. It’s a good score but a shame, really, because that one error will have been so expensive in what was otherwise a super bit of work.

10.26: Bugger. Toshi is the first to miss the transition into counter-canter from walk. It takes him a while to get the horse to swap, and then the first change comes up within a couple of strides. Luckily, this pair is very good at the changes. Toshi is riding as though the error didn’t happen, and the rest of the canter work is very nice indeed.

10.25: Great halt before the reinback. Toshi, who’s based in the UK with Angela Tucker, is taking his time and riding for accuracy here. He doesn’t want to throw any marks away, and that’s how you get great scores.

10.24: Nice entry and a super, super extended trot. Very correct and relaxed, but with power. Lovely to watch.

10.23: We’re back, I have more coffee, and Toshiyuki Tanaka is working around the outside of the ring with Talma d’Allou. They look good! I’m rooting so hard for Japan to get on the podium here after their years of hard work and sacrifice. They deserve it the most of anyone, in my opinion.

10.19: Catching up on the news on the ground at the mo. Poor Laura Collett says London 52 didn’t want to go forwards at all in the warm-up, which explains some of the resistance and lack of communication we saw. Very minorly, of course – this was still a beautiful mid-20s test – but when you’re watching pairs this exceptional, you pay close attention to the tiny details.

10.16: We appear to have an audio issue in this break. We have dramatic, generic music, the occasional voice of commentator John Kyle – and what sounds like an aggressive tennis match. Every few seconds you just hear a man bellow “EEEEUUUUGGHHHHH” as though something REALLY horrible or REALLY delightful is happening to him. Has anyone checked on Oliver recently?

10.15: We’ll start again in seven minutes with Japan’s Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma d’Allou up first.

10.12: Time for the first drag break! Here’s a look at the top ten after the first group, with some new entries sneaking in:

10.10: SUCH nice changes – bar one with a kick-out – from this horse, who tries so hard. Melody looks thrilled, despite that little error and a not-so-polished canter strike-off. Huge cheers from the Swiss contingent, including cross-country trainer Andrew Nicholson. They earn a 35.8. That’ll put them 21st at the moment.

10.09: Switzerland’s Melody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire in now. This horse is sired by Mr Blue, which makes him a paternal half-brother to Canada’s Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Love this horse, who has partnered two previous Swiss ladies at championship level.

10.08: Phillip, for what it’s worth, I hope you’re not always going to be known as the girl who didn’t go to Paris.

10.05: 30 for Phillip and Z. Nice slow-mo of him there letting the rain hit his face. Disappointed not to hear this playing:

10.04: Just a reminder that you can see predictions and fun facts about each and every horse and rider in our bumper form guide:

Form, Function, and Fun Facts: Your Guide to the Tokyo Eventing Competitors

10.03: Phillip was individual bronze medallist at Rio with Mighty Nice. We’d be looking at Z to score around a 28, and he’s looking roughly there – though the early canter work is a little bit disconnected. It’s improving quickly.

10.00: Time for our second US rider: this time, it’s Phillip Dutton and Z. At 57, P. Dutty is the oldest American Olympian this year, but he’s not actually the oldest rider in the eventing field – that honour goes to Australia’s Andrew Hoy, who’s 62.

9.59: 25.8 would be the stuff of dreams for most people, but Laura looks disappointed – that’s fourth place, and she knows she could have stormed to the top here and made herself very hard to catch. Oliver is a tough rider to overtake, and Michi probably will be as well – but Laura continues her quest to be eventing’s first-ever female individual gold medalist.

9.58: Weather looks rubbish, but WHO CARES. Changes are solid so far. Wouldn’t say the first one was as perfect and snappy as we’re used to but there wasn’t a mistake there. The horse is maybe just a fraction fizzier and less responsive than normal, though most of this work is still *chef’s kiss*.

9.57: Laura knows how to master every inch of an arena. Poetry.

9.56: Crikey, this is a lovely test so far. We’ve seen them flirt with the 20 mark so many times and they could well lead this phase overall. EXCELLENT halt before the reinback.

9.55: Okay, okay, okay. Breathe. It’s time for Laura Collett and London 52.

9.53: 38.2 for them – and ‘Bomb’ looks delighted. He, like all the Thai riders, is based with France’s Maxime Livio, but he used to be based in the UK with Australian Badminton winner Sam Griffiths.

9.51: Now back onto our team riders. First in, Weerapat Pitakanonda with Carnival March. This horse was top ten at the Young Horse World Championships a few years back.

9.46: A lovely test from 22-year-old Lea Siegl, the youngest horse in the field, and DSP Fighting Line – this is very much a combination that could surprise us this week. They score a 32.6! That’s the best-ever Austrian mark at the Games.

9.36: Peter Flarup and Fascination next up for Denmark. They post a 33.8, which will put them 15th so far.

9.35: Wow – 28 and straight into the top ten! This is just their third four-star together, though this horse has won a lot at the top with Bettina and has been German national champion.

9.30: Morning, folks! We’ll be looking at a group of individual riders first up this morning. First in the area? India’s Fouaad Mirza, who rides the former Bettina Hoy mount Seigneur Medicott. These guys could really make waves here this week.

Live Updates: The Tokyo Dressage All-Nighter, Part One

By on Jul 29, 2021 7:35 pm -

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Friends, Romans, countrymen: lend me your groggy eyes and weary earsies, for I am hyper-caffeinated and far too excited for the start of the Tokyo Olympics. Whether you’re also watching along in the wee hours of the night, or whether you simply want to sleepily scroll along, I’ll be updating you on everything that’s happening in the ring, as it happens. Let’s do this thang!

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

3.30: Oh, and if you need easy access to like, ALL THE THINGS, our ultimate Tokyo hub will sort you right out:

The Ultimate Guide to Eventing at Tokyo 2020

3.19: While you’re patiently awaiting the next session of dressage in a mere six hours, why not brush up on your knowledge of the field of competitors with our team and individual form guides, plus our at-a-glance stats?

Form, Function, and Fun Facts: Your Guide to the Tokyo Eventing Competitors

Making Moves for Medals: Your Guide to the Tokyo Teams

Need-to-Knows: The Tokyo 2020 Eventing Line-Up At a Glance

3.18: The market is open if you haven’t secured your Eventing Manager team yet! Get it pinned down and then join our EN league – the code is EQYLJD.

3.14: Here’s a link to the full scores so far. The next session starts at 5.30 p.m. Tokyo time, which is 4.30 a.m. Eastern/1.30 a.m. Pacific/9.30 a.m. British time. Our first in the ring will be India’s Fouaad Mirza and Seigneur, who I think will surprise you all. Here’s the full list of times.

3.08: Here’s the top ten after the first session of dressage: 

2.58: And that’s that for the first session of dressage at Tokyo! Stand by for our current leaderboard.

2.56: Poor Tom looks really disappointed after that. He gets a 46.7 – which, hey, sure, there have been better scores. But this is Tom’s first Games, and he’s making history as the first Olympic eventer for Hong Kong. He’s here to learn and lay some foundations and he’s doing that! Keep doing your thang, Mr Ho. You’ve got this.

2.54: Naughty Tay! He’s doing some interpretive dancing in the changes. And in the canter half-pass. What a saucy little old man this horse is!

2.51: Tom Heffernan Ho in now for Hong Kong with 20-year-old Tayberry – the oldest horse in the field. This is such a lovable little horse.

2.50: 47.5 for Francisco and Source de la Faye. Onwards! Upwards! Grab a beer and go walk your course, kiddo, because who cares about the sandpit anyway.

2.48: Well, they’ve got that behind them, and they, too, can look forward to the fun bit now. I suspect they’ll be great fun for us all to watch, too – I reckon this horse will attack the course like the tiger she obviously is.

2.47: Oh dear. The problem with a hot little horse like this is that sometimes they bubble over in the changes – and that’s what we’re seeing here. It’s all falling apart after the first explosive change. Francisco is sitting quietly and nursing her through.

2.45: Spain’s individual rider Francisco Gaviño Gonzalez in now with spicy little chestnut Source de la Faye. God, this is a lovely stamp of an animal. Looks like it requires tact and sympathetic riding but wow, you can see how clever and sharp the horse is.

2.43: Can’t tell if Lauren is wiping away a tear or some eyeball sweat, but she looks delighted with Purdy nonetheless. Onto the fun bit now for them! 39.8 on the board for Puerto Rico. Ended their test on a good transition into halt, but not square in front, which was a shame.

2.41: Losing a bit of the rhythm in the canter half-pass to the left, but it’s better to the right. The changes are a bit kick and pray but he’s getting them.

2.40: Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy in for Puerto Rico now. At 19, this horse is such a cool campaigner. He does a super reinback – just one solid step after another, with no fuss.

2.37: 33.8 for Miloslav Prihoda and Ferreolus Lat! Super start and no real mistakes there, just a tiny jog step in walk. This is definitely my new horse crush. Think the rider could be a dark horse entry into the eye candy stakes as well, mind you.

2.35: Gosh, this is a nice horse. Still obviously green at eleven and will need to establish a more consistent contact but wow, the raw materials are there!

2.33: This is one of three Jaguar Mail sons here – the other two are Andrew Hoy’s Vassily de Lassos and Austin O’Connor’s Colorado Blue.

2.31: It’s 35.6 and provisional 14th for Colleen Loach and Qorry. They didn’t do much wrong out there – these judges are hard to impress! Now we have Miloslav Prihoda Jr in with Ferreolus Lat for the Czech Republic. This is a lovely looking horse.

2.29: First change clean but slightly stilted, second clean but slightly flat. Third is super, into a very active half-pass, and the final one is a bit hoppy – fractionally late behind. Off topic, Qorry has the same sire as Swiss horse Toubleu du Rueire, and they really are twins.

2.28: Qorry is workmanlike, rather than ultra-flashy, but that’s no bad thing. He and Colleen have such a super partnership and look like they’re out to solve a puzzle together.

2.27: Now we’ve got our sole Canadian pair in the ring: that’s Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges, who hold down the fort following the withdrawal of Jessie Phoenix and Pavarotti before the jog. Looking good so far, but slightly swings his quarters to the right in the reinback and is rather shuffly.

2.25: What a lovely, chunky monkey of a horse Carlo Grande is – he and Alexandr Zelenko score a very respectable 30.9, putting Belarus well on the map. They originally had two riders here, but Alexandr Faminou opted to withdraw his horse, Martini, a couple of days ago.

2.22: We’re back from the drag break for the final group of riders in this first session of dressage. Now we’re looking at individuals, rather than team competitors, and first up is Belarus’s Alexandr Zelenko and Carlo Grande Jr. It was Alexandr’s birthday two days ago – happy birthday, Alex!

2.09: A really sweet test from elegant Glenfly, who gives his all for his rider. Love, love this Munnings painting come to life.

2.07: Marcelo Tosi in now for Brazil with Glenfly, the only full Thoroughbred in the field. This horse sold for nearly €45,000 as a yearling but was pretty rubbish at jumps racing.

2.05: Not quite the new leader but a great starting score for Julia and ‘Mandy’ – they put a 25.2 on the board for third at this point. Not a shabby place to start out!

 

2.03: Julia is an absolute maestro on the flat. She produced Chipmunk, ridden here by Michi Jung, to four-star and posted a 19.9 on him at the 2018 WEG, so she has serious form. There were some tiny little joggy steps in here but this could well be the new leader.

2.01: Julia Krajewski and Amande de b’Neville in now. God, I love this mare, who Julia describes as ‘like riding a lion.’ She’s got big shoes to fill: Julia would have ridden her top horse, 5* winner and Olympic mount Samourai du Thot, but he was retired earlier this year after losing his eye in a freak accident.

1.59: It’s a 30.7 for Jonelle and Grovine de Reve, who head into the misting tent to cool down. Jonelle looks disappointed with that – she knows there’s more in there, but this is still actually about a mark better than the horse’s 4/5* average.

1.56: Another one who nails the walk to counter canter transition. The second change is tense and hollow, third is better, and the fourth and final is resistant. This will likely prove expensive – remember, changes are nearly 20% of the marks in this test.

1.55: Not quite square in the halt before the reinback for Jonelle and Reve. Lovely transition from the half-pass into the shoulder in! That’s a really tricky thing to do well, but it looks easy when these horses and riders nail it.

1.54: Jonelle Price in as trailblazer for New Zealand now! She rides Grovine de Reve, previously campaigned by fellow Kiwi Dan Jocelyn, who rode him at the 2018 WEG. Jonelle and Reve finished third at Kentucky this spring.

1.52: Big smiles from Sam as he and Flamenco finish their first Olympic test. It’s a 32.4, which puts them off the pace at the moment – but it’s a score that can easily be climbed from.

1.50: Sam has a yellow ribbon pinned on his lapel in honour of 15-year-old Tiggy Hancock, a very talented young Irish eventer who tragically died in a training accident in June.

1.49: Ireland’s Sam Watson and gorgeous golden Tullabeg Flamenco in the ring now in Sam’s Olympic debut! We’re all cheering this real good egg on. They look a bit rushed in the early part of the test. Breathe and enjoy!

1.45: Bless his heart – Super Cillious is getting a bit insecure in the ring and alternately running off with Vitto or dropping back behind the bit. She’s riding so tactfully to nurse him through. He hops his way down the final centreline in canter, but lovely Vitto laughs as she gives him a pat. She’s a great horsewoman.

1.41: 29.6 for Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey! Next in is Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious.

1.40: This is just one of those pairs that makes me want to stand on a rooftop and BELLOW about how much more attention we should be paying them. They’ll be great fun to watch in the cross-country!

1.39: Totem isn’t flashy but he’s such a lovely little try-hard horse, and Christo is really working to keep things crisp and accurate. This horse has lovely canter half-passes.

1.37: Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey in now. Love this underrated pair, who were fourth at the 2019 European Championships and best of the French. Christo doesn’t come from a horsey background or money, and only got his first horse when he was 20 – and this was a client’s horse who was sent to him to keep ticking over while she went to university. Now, they’ve given him the ride and even turned down a big money offer from Team Japan after the Euros in 2019.

1.34: 28.1 for Therese and Viscera! A super start, but she looks a little disappointed — she knows she can go low-20s. She should be so proud, though; she’s never even done junior or young rider teams.

1.32: Lovely, sharp transition into the counter-canter. Therese is riding like this is her fifth Olympics, not her championship debut.

1.30: Therese Viklund and Viscera in now for Sweden. I LOVE this game mare, who has done some seriously smart tests at four-star level and is fierce in the best sort of way. She has one eye after losing one due to uveitis in 2018.

1.28: Fantastic Frieda isn’t a first-phase phenom and that’s fine – she knows what she’s here for. There were some bits of that test that were much improved from previous work I’ve seen from them, and Joanna is really tactful in coaxing the best out of her horse without expecting her to be something she isn’t. It’s a 40.5 for them.

1.25: We’re back after the drag break with Poland’s Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda, which is truly the best horse name in this field. Poland, of course, suffered a real blow yesterday when their lynchpins, Pawel Spisak and Banderas, were spun at the first horse inspection. They would have been in the hunt for a top ten individual placing.

1.11: A fist pump from Alex as his score is confirmed as 23.9! That puts him 0.3 behind leaders Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class.

 

1.09: First two changes super. Tiny bobble in the head in the half-pass, but third change also super. Alex’s girlfriend is top dressage rider Sarah Higgins – so there’s no excuse for not nailing this phase! They finish the test and Alex looks pleased. Good boy Don!

1.08: This duo finished in the top ten at Rio, and it would be wonderful to see it happen again this year, when China has their first-ever eventing team at the Olympics. Alex has worked so hard with China to develop the sport, with the help of Tim and Martin Lips, who have been training the team.

1.07: Alex and the Don are SUCH a lovely pair on the flat – when Psycho Don doesn’t come out to play. He’s having to be a bit careful in the halt and reinback, which looked quite reactive. Don didn’t stay straight at all.

1.06: Aah, it was a technical hitch, with movements being scored an erroneous 0. It’s a 31.7 for them to go ahead of Doug and Vandiver, who are now on 33. China’s Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro in now!

1.05: We’re seeing a lot of scores getting adjusted: the TV says Shane and Virgil are in the 41 region, while the live scores say 31.7. Not like that’s a big margin or anything, lads.

1.04: Curious about the likely leaders in this first session of dressage? Our in-house stats analyst Maggie Deatrick has crunched the numbers and produced some absolutely fascinating graphs predicting how this’ll play out:

Dressage Powerhouses of Tokyo: Session One

1.03: Virgil looking a little argumentative in this canter work. The extended canter was smart, but he looks like he wants to go cross-country stat. They finish on a lovely halt and Shane looks delighted with his old buddy.

1.02: Australia’s Shane Rose and Virgil are in the ring now. This man has had so. Many. Injuries. Apparently he’s also injured right now. I’ve catalogued his previous lumps and bumps in our form guide, which has everything you need to know about every horse and rider in this field.

Form, Function, and Fun Facts: Your Guide to the Tokyo Eventing Competitors

1.00: 26.1 for Kazu and Vinci. That’s three marks better than the horse’s 4 and 5* average!

 

00.59: Even though there are no spectators, everyone has gathered to watch this test – and as Kazu finishes, there’s a roar of cheers. He’s beaming. I’m crying. What a gorgeous test, and what a gorgeous transition into the extended canter. He took all the right risks today, and I hope that pays off for him.

00.58: Beautiful into the counter-canter, but a fraction early. If he’d left it a stride though, he’d have risked the horse anticipating and breaking into canter – and missing that counter-canter.

00.57: A tiny error in the transition to walk. The rest is looking good, but it would be nice to see Vinci stretch a bit more in this walk.

00.56: You can get to know Kazu a bit better in this episode of The Eventing Podcast.

00.55: Kazu, who trains with William Fox-Pitt, has led this phase at 5* before. He’s an extraordinary dressage rider, even though he only started this sport in 2016 – he was a showjumper before that.

00.53: Next in the ring is the first of our Japanese riders, Kazuma Tomoto on the former Astier Nicolas ride Vinci de la Vigne. This must be one of the most popular riders in the world – he’s sacrificed an enormous amount, is incredibly talented and hard-working, and is probably the nicest person I have ever met. Yeah, I might cry through this test.

00.51: Colero looks a bit fizzy and forward today – he’s quite a blood horse, so he can’t hide it as well as some if he goes against the bit. This won’t be a personal best for them.

00.49: It’s nearly 1am here in the UK and so I think maybe we all just need this as a pick-me-up:

Felix Vogg and Colero. Photo courtesy of Massimo Argenziano.

00.48: Oooh, we have our first eye candi-date of the day. Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and Colero prepare to start their test. They lead on day one of dressage at Kentucky in 2019 and finished sixth.

00.46: An argument in the final change, too. This is a very short test with four changes in it, which means that the changes are worth just shy of 20% of the whole test. They come up in quick succession, too, so it can fall apart easily in this movement. Doug and Vandiver miss two changes, which puts them on 32.9 – it’s going to be tough out here, folks.

00.45: A couple of wobbles in the contact here for Vandiver, and a slightly uncommitted reinback. He struts his way through the walk like a panther, picks up the walk to counter-canter transition beautifully, but then has a little argument in the first change.

00.44: Horses really do pick their moments, don’t they? Vandiver decides to have a poo in his extended trot, which does make it rather harder to be flashy, I would think. I hasten to add that I don’t know from experience.

00.43: The bell rings for Doug to start, and he’s not getting rushed or flustered: he takes his time to get his affairs in order before he enters at A. That’s how it’s meant to be done – there’s always time to breathe.

00.42: It’s a 23.6 for Oliver, and a 42.4 for first in the ring Mint Chavatanont of Thailand. Doug Payne and Vandiver are our next in the ring!

00.40: A great strike-off from walk into counter-canter on the short side from Oliver and Ballaghmor Class. They finish their test nicely – it’s all been very correct, but for a tiny bit of head-tilting, but not necessarily a ‘wow’ test. He’s put the pressure on those to come, but he can probably be eclipsed.

00.38: A conservative but correct half-pass from Oliver and Ballaghmor Class. They aren’t taking risks in the ring, like Oliver normally would – but this is part of riding on a team. Sometimes, you’re told to play it safe.

00.37: We’re right into the thick of it now: Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class are in, and will be fighting hard to put a seriously good score on the board. They’re one of three pairs who could absolutely lead this phase.

00.30: Thailand’s Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince are our first pair into the ring to tackle this tough, quick test that takes under four minutes to complete. ‘Mint’ also rides pure dressage, and this sweet horse is a game little dude. He does break into canter in that extended trot, though.

 

Form, Function, and Fun Facts: Your Guide to the Tokyo Eventing Competitors

By on Jul 29, 2021 7:33 pm -

It’s nearly time for the start of dressage at the Tokyo Olympics, and by my reckoning, that means you’re all going to need something to scroll through on your phone while you half watch those flying changes. Allow us to sort you out good and proper, dear reader: keep those thumbs a-working and get to know every last dang one of the Tokyo competitors coming forward this week. Let the Games begin!

Here’s how the data works, courtesy of our in-house stats queen, Maggie:

  • The dressage average is calculated solely from four- and five-star tests, because the Olympic test is heavy on flying changes and top-level skill sets, and mistakes will be seriously costly – so we wanted to look at how horses fare when they have to produce a change. Often, you’ll see a big difference in scores at Intermediate or three-star and four- and five-star, purely because those changes come into play.
  • Then, we’ve got a speed rating and a reliability rating, both of which are ranked out of five stars. We’ve calculated the speed rating based on how fast a horse tends to be compared to his opponents, rather than how many time penalties he usually gets – so we’re looking at if he tends to be one of the fastest or slowest horses in any field he’s in. It’s all very complicated and math-heavy, so we’ve simplified it to a star system: 5 stars denotes one of the fastest horses on the list, while 1 star is the slowest. The star system also applies to reliability across the country: if they tend to jump around without penalties, they’ll have more stars than a horse who’s got a ropier record.
  • Finally, we’ve predicted the poles that will fall, keeping in mind how the horses jump on the final day of a long-format vs a short format CCI.

Happy form-guiding!

AUSTRALIA

Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Andrew Hoy with Vassily de Lassos 

12-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding (Jaguar Mail – Illusion Perdue, by Jalienny), owned by Paula and David Evans, Stefanie Hoy, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 31.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Vassily de Lassos – who was originally produced  to CCI4*-S by France’s Tom Carlile – is a serious tour de force and a strong campaigner for an individual medal. He’s finished in the top ten in 22 of his 26 FEI starts, has only ever picked up a 20 once, at a CCI4*-L at Sopot in 2018, and has only picked up 3.2 time penalties in total across his international career. This pair were fourth individually at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and finished third in their final prep run at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S, where they pinned down a first-phase personal best of 27.6 and were the fastest of the day across the country.

Fun fact: This is 62-year-old Andrew’s eighth Olympics, making him the most seasoned Olympian in Australian sporting history. If he wins a gold this week, he’ll make history again: that would give him the widest-ever margin between winning gold medals. It’s been 29 years since he took a team gold home from Barcelona in 1992. Totally unrelated? Vassily arrived at Andrew’s yard on May 13, 2017 –  the same day he got married to wife Stefi, who he describes as “my absolute rock.”

Shane Rose and Virgil. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Shane Rose with Virgil

16-year-old Australian Warmblood gelding (Vivant – unknown Thoroughbred dam), owned by Michelle Hasibar, Niki Rose and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 31

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This is one of the most established partnerships in this year’s field: Shane and Virgil have logged 12 years together so far, as the rider began producing the gelding for breeder and part-owner Michelle Hasibar when he was just a fresh-face four-year-old. Since then, they’ve run at four five-stars with great success, finishing 2nd at Adelaide on Virgil’s debut in 2015, 16th at Burghley in 2016 despite knocking a frangible pin, seventh at Luhmühlen in 2017, and third at Pau in 2019, when they travelled all the way from Australia to compete. This will be Virgil’s second championship after an uncharacteristic 20 at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, and as one of two Aussie-based competitors in this team, he’ll have had an easier journey than most, which could play to his advantage. He won’t need much help, mind you: in two of those four five-stars, he finished on his dressage score, and in 2019 at Pau, he only added 1.6 time penalties despite a tie-up scare post travel. This is Shane’s third Games: he was eliminated on cross-country at Rio, but the Australian team still scooped bronze, and he was part of the silver medal-winning team at Beijing in 2008.

Fun fact: At 17hh, Virgil is one of the biggest horses in the field. Don’t expect Shane to get vertigo up there, though – he’s extraordinarily tough, or perhaps just a bit mad. His business is split between eventing at the top level and producing racehorses, and along the way, he’s amassed enough injuries to make Boyd Martin look fresh out of the box: he’s broken both arms and legs a couple of times each, smashed both wrists, reconfigured his thumbs, done most of his ribs, punctured a lung, split his liver, contracted a brutal staph infection, and got himself a new face – with eight metal plates behind it – after a particularly hideous accident left him in a coma for a week. He’s also battled through thyroid cancer, back in 2001 when he was 28. Four years after that came the accident that rearranged his face, when he was using long reins to teach a horse to enter the starting gates and ended up being double-barrelled. His face was in such bad shape that the surgeons had to work from photographs to recreate it. “I took in photos of Brad Pitt, but it didn’t work,” jokes his wife, Niki.

Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Kevin McNab with Don Quidam 

13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Quidam – Nairobi, by Amethist), owned by Scuderia 1918 and Emma McNab

4*/5* dressage average: 30.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Kevin and Don Quidam – who ditches his commercial Scuderia 1918 prefix for the Games – were originally listed as non-travelling reserves, and then bumped up into the travelling sub spot after the withdrawal of Chris Burton and Quality Purdey. They find themselves on the team in a last-minute switcheroo after the first horse inspection, which sees them take Stuart Tinney and Leporis’s spot. They’ll now wait in the wings in the sub spot. In any case, Australia’s in a pretty luxurious position when you consider what a quality partnership this is: they’ve been top ten at two CCI5*s, including sixth at Kentucky this spring, where they produced one of the only clears inside the time over a tough Derek diGrazia track in difficult conditions. That’s exactly what they could be faced with again this week – but they have everything they need to pull it off again and aim for another top ten finish individually.

Fun fact: “Don Quidam is cheeky in a nice way; he’s a bit of a pretty boy, a bit blonde in a nice way. Every day’s fun with him — he’s a horse you enjoy riding each time,” says Kevin, who runs a thriving yard south-west of London with wife Emma, who rode on the Australian team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. The son of dairy farmers is a rider who’s really been waiting for his own big moment: he’s responsible for producing world-beating riders including Chris Burton and Jock Paget, and now his time has come to shine.

Travelling reserve: Stuart Tinney with Leporis – 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Lasino – Miss Danny, by Heraldik xx), owned by Karen Tinney and the rider

AUSTRIA

Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and DSP Cosma. Photo by FEI/Massimo Argenziano.

Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati with DSP Cosma

12-year-old Brandenburg mare (Canterbury – Farah, by Ferman), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 38.7

XC speed rating: ☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is an Olympic debut for 34-year-old Katrin, who rode mercurial Cosma at the 2017 and 2019 European Championships. They jumped clear and finished 24th in 2017, but picked up a 20 on Saturday and withdrew before the final horse inspection. We saw this mare, who Katrin bought as a yearling because she’d ridden one of her full brothers, make her CCI5* debut at Burghley as a nine-year-old, and though that was a bit of a fraught experience, she bounced back to head to Pau the following month, where she jumped a steady clear. That was in the latter part of 2018, and we haven’t seen her return to five-star yet – instead, she’s been solidifying her form at four-star and becoming a steadier, more reliable cross-country competitor. They won’t threaten the leaders, but Katrin and Cosma should gain some great experience this week while on their quest to further Austria as an eventing nation.

Fun fact: Just one woman has previously represented Austria in eventing at the Olympics: that was Margit Appelt, who rode Ice On Fire at the 2004 Athens Games, making history for the country. Katrin, who is a self-taught eventer, joins Lea Siegl in Austria’s girl-power effort this year.

Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lea Siegl with DSP Fighting Line

14-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Ostermond xx – Pia, by Laretto Diabolo), owned by Marianne Mühlböck

4*/5* dressage average: 32.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Like Katrin, Lea is an Olympic debutante – and this is, in fact, a first Senior Championship for rider, who competed multiple times at the Europeans at both Junior and Young Rider level. In 33 FEI competitions together, this pair have finished in the top ten an impressive 19 times, though their final prep run at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S saw their dressage scores – which can dip sub-30 – take a nosedive to 38.5. They added nothing to that through the weekend, though, proving once again that they’re fast and reliable across the country. One rail could prove expensive in this company, but Lea and Fighty will win plenty of new fans on cross-country day.

Fun fact: At just 22, Lea is the youngest rider in this year’s field – but only by the tiniest of margins: Switzerland’s Robin Godel was born one day before her. She managed to qualify an impressive three horses for Tokyo, but opted for ‘Fighty’. She’s trained by her father, Harald, who rode for Austria at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

BELGIUM

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Alpaga d’Arville. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier with Alpaga d’Arville

15-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Wunder Boy van de Zuuthoeve – Mooney Raaphorst xx, by Shamaraan xx), owned by Larga S.P.R.L.

4*/5* dressage average: 35.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Experienced Belgian competitor Lara comes forward for her Olympic debut with her stalwart campaigner, Alpaga. Together, they’ve contested two European Championships (2017 and 2019), finished in the top twenty at the latter, and they went to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, too, where they jumped a quick clear. Beyond her successes with the 15-year-old Belgian Sport Horse, Lara has ridden at a further two World Equestrian Games and two Senior European Championships, following an extraordinarily successful career as a young rider that saw her contest six Europeans. Expect a solid performance from this pair, though the final phase will stop them from threatening the upper echelons of the leaderboard – they can jump clear or have several rails down, and it’s never particularly clear which way they’ll go on any given day.

Fun fact: Alpaga is particularly special to Lara – who’s based at Arville in Belgium with German husband Kai Steffen Meier – because he’s a homebred. Her mother, Barbara, decided to put the Thoroughbred mare Mooney Raaphorst in foal when a friend dropped her off at the yard because the horse didn’t have a job to do – but Alpaga isn’t actually her first foal. His maternal sister is Nooney Blue, now 24, who was Lara’s Junior and Young Rider Europeans mount and her first Senior Championships ride, partnering her at the 2010 WEG and 2011 Europeans. Now, Nooney’s offspring are part of Lara’s competitive string – her daughter, Hooney d’Arville (Alpaga’s ‘niece’), is competing at four-star. Lara’s Olympic debut has also been a long time coming; she missed London due to horse injury and Rio due to her own pregnancy.

BELARUS

Alexandre Fominov and Carlo Grande Jr. Photo courtesy of the Belarus Equestrian Federation.

Alexandr Zelenko with Carlo Grande JR

11-year-old Polish Half-Bred gelding (Carlo Grande – Kaloe, by Spartakus), owned by the Belarus Republic Olympic Equestrian and Breeding Center

4*/5* dressage average: 34.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This will be Carlo Grande’s first FEI competition outside of Minsk since mid-2019. In that period, he’s finished third once and won twice in three runs at the four-star level, but it’s worth noting that these Belarusian internationals tend to yield really small entry lists, so it’s more important to note the performances themselves. We’re looking at consistent low-30s marks, steady-to-slow cross-country runs, and at least one rail, but usually more – Carlo Grande hasn’t jumped clear in any of his 14 international runs. The relatively young horse is coming into his own, though, after a tricky 2018 and early 2019 that saw him clock up cross-country jumping penalties in six consecutive FEI runs. They aren’t here to be competitive, but rather to gain experience that they can bring back to Belarus’s fledgling eventing scene.

Fun fact: Alexandr celebrated his 45th birthday on Tuesday – and celebrated by walking the newly-opened cross-country course. Tokyo marks Belarus’s third time in the Olympic eventing competition: in 2008, they made their debut with two athletes, and sent two to London, as well. A horse and rider were qualified and eligible to go to Rio, but the Federation opted not to send them due to concern’s about the horse’s age and the conditions. This will be Alexandr’s Olympic debut.

BRAZIL

Carlos Parro with Goliath

10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Chello III – Octa, by Belisar), owned by EMTEC Laboratories and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 36.6

XC speed rating: ☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Ten-year-old Goliath comes forward as one of the youngest horses in this year’s field, and arguably the least experienced. He’s done just two CCI4*-L competitions since stepping up to four-star at the tail end of 2020: on his CCI4*-L debut at Barroca d’Alva in December he retired after two problems on course, but then regrouped for a steady clear at Strzegom in April of this year. Since then, he’s run in one FEI event: Carlos stepped him down to CCI3*-S at Keysoe earlier this month, but withdrew as intended before cross-country after a 31.3 dressage and a rail in the showjumping. This is a big ask for him, but Brazil has had to work with the horsepower that it’s got at the moment – so although Goliath is a more likely Paris horse, this could be a great educational building block for longer-term success if Carlos is able to ride him with that in mind.

Fun fact: Carlos first moved to the UK to train with Chris Bartle in 1997, and then set up shop permanently from 2002. These days, he gets help on the flat from none other than Britain’s most-medalled female Olympian of all time, dressage superstar Charlotte Dujardin. This is his third Olympics: he competed at Sydney and Rio, and rode at the WEG for the first time when he was nineteen.

Rafael Mamprin Losano and Fuiloda G. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Rafael Losano with Fuiloda G

11-year-old Finnish Warmblood mare (Van Gogh – Quiloda Z, by Quilot Z), owned by Cristiana Losano, Wagner Losano and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 33.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is only Fuiloda’s third full season of international-level eventing: she made her CCI2*-S debut in May of 2018, and in the summer of 2019 the pair won team silver at the Pan-American Games, held at CCI3*-L. That autumn, the horse moved up to CCI4*-S with some teething problems on her debut at Ballindenisk, though they turned their fortunes around to finish the year with third place at Montelibretti CCI4*-S and 13th place at Pratoni in her first CCI4*-L. They competed in just one FEI event in 2020, at Burgham CCI4*-S at the end of the summer, and then ran around Houghton’s CCI4*-S this May, though they retired on course. There’s plenty of reason to think this could be a competitive horse with some more experience under her belt but for now, Rafa – like Carlos before him – will need to focus on building experience sympathetically for the future.

Fun fact: 23-year-old Rafa has only been eventing since he was 13, but by the time he was seventeen, he knew it was what he wanted to do full-time. He moved from Brazil to the US, where he worked for Australian Olympian Clayton Fredericks, before relocating to the UK and basing himself with Mark Todd. Now, he runs his own business with his girlfriend, Swedish eventer Amanda Brieditis, at Mark’s Badgerstown Stables in Wiltshire.

Marcelo Tosi and Glenfly. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Marcelo Tosi with Glenfly

16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Presenting xx – Dorans Glenn xx, by Over The River xx), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 35.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 4

The need-to-knows: This is nearly a second Olympics for Glenfly: he did the Rio test event and was very much in consideration for the real deal, but Marcelo decided he was too inexperienced and opted to save him for the next Olympic cycle. Now, he comes to his Games debut with a WEG run and three five-stars under his belt: he jumped clear at Tryon in 2018 for eventual 53rd place, and he’s jumped clear around Kentucky in 2019 and Pau the same year, though Marcelo took a tumble in their Burghley attempt. Though they’ve amassed 15 top-six finishes in FEI competitions in Brazil, they tend to find themselves a bit further off the pace against top-class fields. They won’t trouble the obvious medal candidates, but Brazil would be savvy to send them out as the first of their competitors: Glenfly is experienced, and Marcelo has been to two Olympics already, so they can fact-find out on course and bring back vital information for their teammates to utilise with their considerably greener mounts.

Fun facts: Glenfly is the only full Thoroughbred in this year’s field – his sire is top National Hunt stallion Presenting, and his dam is by the same stallion who sired British Olympic silver medallist Over To You. Glenfly himself raced underwhelmingly over fences, despite his not inconsiderable purchase price of €44,000 as a yearling from Tattersalls Ireland. He retired from racing in mid-2012 after pulling up in his final run, and Marcelo bought him directly from his owners after a tip-off from a friend. By the end of the year, he’d run in several BE90 (US Novice) events. Marcelo’s partner is top British dressage rider Anna Ross.

Travelling reserve: Marcio Appel and Iberon JMen – 19-year-old Brazilian Sport Horse gelding (Indoctro – Landina JMen, by Landino), owned by Samantha Tonello

CANADA

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Colleen Loach with Qorry Blue d’Argouges

17-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mr Blue – Hardie du Bourg, by Count Ivor), owned by Peter Barry

4*/5* dressage average: 34

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is a second Olympic appearance for this partnership, who competed at Rio and finished 42nd after a couple of issues on course. They’re among Canada’s brightest stars, though they’ve been a bit unlucky on a few occasions at the top level: they were on track for a solid result at Kentucky this spring, but Colleen fell in the showjumping, and at Kentucky in 2019, they fell on the flat on cross-country. In 2018, though, they finished in the top twenty. This is a super partnership, and horse and rider know one another inside out, so expect a solid finish from them. They could make the top twenty here.

Fun fact: Qorry is owned by Canadian Olympian Peter Barry, for whom Colleen started her career as a groom 15 years ago. She progressed on to riding, and in 2014, was paired up with Qorry with the aim of getting her to the Pan-Ams and then selling the horse on. After the competition, though, it was decided that the horse would stick around and the Barries would support Colleen on her path to the Olympics and WEGs. This will be the last hurrah for the French-bred gelding, who shares a sire with Swiss horse Toubleu du Rueire. We hope he’ll get plenty of cashews, his favourite snack, in retirement.

CHINA

Sun Huadong and Lady Chin van’t Moerven Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sun Huadong with Lady Chin V’T Moerven Z

11-year-old Zangersheide mare (Lord Chin – Paola, by Matchero), owned by Houfeng Shen and Yu Liu

4*/5* dressage average: 35.3

XC speed rating: ☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: 30-year-old Sun (or Alex, as he’s known to his friends) has had a bit of a topsy-turvy path to Tokyo, with an unfortunate tumble on cross-country at the pair’s final prep run at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S last month. But prior to that, 2021 and 2020 yielded plenty of solid, if not particularly competitive results: they jumped consistent, steady clears and lodged low-30s marks at Marbach CCI4*-S, Haras du Pin CCI4*-S, and Pratoni CCI4*-L, as well as CCI3*-S classes at Strzegom, Varsseveld and Oudskarpel. They’ve been putting in plenty of hard work since coming together as a partnership in 2018, when the mare had just contested the Young Horse World Championships under Belgium’s Annesjien Wouters, and the rider has picked up considerable mileage aboard the former Tim Lips ride Brent, young international mount Incredible Verte, and showjumping mount Empress Ellis since relocating to Europe in 2015. While they won’t challenge for a medal here, they’re capable of logging a smart completion – and that’ll mean enormous things for the growth of equestrian sport in China.

Fun fact: This is China’s first-ever eventing team at the Olympic Games, and it’s been helped along in large part by the effort of Dutch Olympian Tim Lips and his father Martin, who have been instrumental in creating training programmes for Alex and Bao Yingfeng, both of whom are based at Lips Stables in Breda.

Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro. Ouest Image.

Alex Hua Tian with Don Geniro

14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Don Kennedy – Gina, by Giorgione), owned by Pip Higgins, Sarah Higgins, Pam Dews, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 27

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 31-year-old Alex returns with his Rio partner The Don, this time as the lynchpin of the fledgling Chinese team and their greatest hope for an individual medal. Don is spectacular on his day, and can easily put a 22 on the board in the first phase, but his marks do tend to fluctuate through the twenties if he’s struck by his inner ‘Psycho Don’. On cross-country, he’s generally reliable but does have the odd blip – including an unfortunate 20 and subsequent retirement in his last FEI run at Bicton CCI4*-S last month. Now 14, he’s less likely to demonstrate his sense of humour, but the wind will need to blow in the right direction to get his best performances this week. If all goes to plan, he can easily aim for another top-ten finish – or better.

Fun fact: Alex made history in 2008 when he became China’s first-ever Olympic equestrian and the youngest-ever Olympic eventer at just eighteen. Though it ended in heartbreak – he fell on cross-country – it spurred him on to improve and he returned to the Games at Rio in 2016 and finished in eighth place. He’s a testament to all the reasons why you shouldn’t write off the developing nations, nor the riders you may not know quite as well yet, because he proves that every step along the way is a crucial brick in the foundation being built. He’s also a forward-thinker within the equestrian world, not just for his work with the Chinese equestrian federation on building the sport, but as an ambassador for the Red Cross, the founder of a charity to help low-income kids get in the saddle, and an outspoken supporter of inclusivity and diversity in the sport. We have no choice but to stan, as the youth say.

Bao Yingfeng and Flandia 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Bao Yingfeng with Flandia 2

15-year-old Westphalian mare (Fidertanz 2 – Petit Fleur, by Polany), owned by Houfeng Shen and Yu Liu

4*/5* dressage average: 36.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Originally piloted to four-star with mixed results by Poland’s Jacek Jeruzal, petite and pretty Flandia has 43 FEI competitions under her belt. With Jacek, she contested the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, where the famously poor conditions likely contributed to her eventual fall on cross-country. After that, her performances took something of a nose dive and he passed the ride on in 2016, first to Bao’s teammate Sun Huadong, and then to fellow Chinese rider Bayier Chagan, before Bao took the reins in 2018 and finished 5th in their first FEI event together. Though there were some blips when he first stepped the mare back up to four-star after over four years since her last attempt at the level, Bao persevered through the rough patch and she’s come out the other side considerably more confident. She comes to Tokyo with five consecutive clears under her belt, and though she won’t set the world alight this week, Bao will be working hard to ensure that this run continues to pay into her bank of self-belief. Her flying changes can be tricky, which will make this test quite a tough one for her, but the name of the game is completion, and they’re on the right track to get the job done.

Fun fact: Like Sun Huadong, 33-year-old Bao is based in Breda, the Netherlands, with Tim and Martin Lips. Flandia is one of a small string of competition mounts for the rider: he also competes the former Andrew Nicholson ride Teseo at four-star, and has a two-star horse called Corona 94. (Yes, really.) He’s also got a showjumper in his string in the form of Destenation.

Travelling reserve: Liang Ruiji with Agora de Bordenave – 11-year-old Anglo-Arab mare (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz –Milady de Bordenave, by Daguet du Rochau), owned by Man Yin Rebecca Fok, Hoi Au Ha, Yongtao Ao, and Jea Young Pai

CZECH REPUBLIC

Miloslav Prihoda and Ferrelous Lat. Photo by Petr Šedivý.

Miloslav Prihoda Jr with Ferreolus Lat

11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Jaguar Mail – Veonille II, by Royal Dance), owned by Vladimir Malak and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 34.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This pair were quite successful in the horse’s first couple of seasons competing internationally, with several top-ten placings to their credit, and they still occasionally sneak onto the leaderboard at the upper levels now: they were third in a CCI4*-L at Sopot, sixth in the CCI4*-L Olympic qualifier at Baborowko, where Poland booked their team ticket, 10th in a CCI4*-S at Sopot, and seventh in a CCI3*-S at Kreuth, all in 2019. In 2020 they gave solid but uncompetitive performances, which have continued into 2021 – though a 12th place finish in Strzegom’s CCI4*-S against many Tokyo competitors and third in the CCI3*-S at Kreuth on their final run aren’t to be sniffed at. They won’t be fighting for a top finish here, but they could prove to be a delightful surprise this week with three exciting performances that will win them plenty of admirers.

Fun fact: 31-year-old Miloslav underwent hip surgery when he was just twelve years old, and the aftereffects of the operation affected him for several years thereafter. He’s from a particularly horsey family: his mother show jumped, his father evented, and both his younger sisters have evented at FEI level. He’s competed at six European Championships, representing the Czech Republic at Pony, Junior, Young Rider, and Senior level, finished thirteenth twice at the Young Riders level. He’s had Ferreolus Lat since the horse was a four-year-old, and there are two paternal half-brothers in this field: Vassily de Lassos and Colorado Blue are also by Jaguar Mail.

Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Miroslav Trunda with Shutterflyke

10-year-old Dutch Riding Horse mare (Sir Shutterfly – Zaramba, by BMC Kigali), owned by Svobodova Adela

4*/5* dressage average: 37.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Miroslav tends to produce his own horses through the levels, rather than buying established competitors, and this is a prime example: Shutterflyke first hit the international scene in 2017, and that year, she finished eighth in the Six-Year-Old World Championship, beating fellow Tokyo competitors Goliath, MP Imagine If, Chicuelo, and Fascination, as well as notable horses such as Cooley Quicksilver (Liz Halliday-Sharp), Senza Fine (Tim Price), and John the Bull (Susie Berry). Across her 24 FEI runs, she’s finished in the top ten 14 times, and while she tends to compete in Central to Eastern Europe where the entry lists are somewhat smaller, she’s still beaten significant opponents at four-star, including Julia Krajewski’s Amande de b’Neville, Michael Jung’s Highlighter, and Louise Romeike’s Cato 60. She’s a fast, efficient horse on cross-country with the right kind of fighting spirit that’ll serve her well this week. Her showjumping is improving significantly, and while her high-30s score will keep her out of the upper echelons of the leaderboard, she’s another under-the-radar horse who you might find yourself falling in love with this week.

Fun fact: Prague-based Miroslav is a full-time vet. “Given that I treat and service horses for leading domestic and foreign riders, both in home stables and in races, I consider it a great advantage and experience,” he explains. “Obviously it is manageable, but of course there are times when I feel more mental and physical pressure during the season. However, since these are two different issues, I feel more like working with horses. In general I perceive competing and horse training as my hobbies. My primary goal is not to collect winning ribbons, no one is pushing me anywhere, and I consider this a huge advantage. I just do what I enjoy.”

DENMARK

Peter Flarup and Fascination. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Peter Flarup with Fascination

10-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion (Favorit Ask – La Mirage, by Lando), owned by Victoria Ulrikke Hjortnaes

4*/5* dressage average: 32.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Generally, we’d consider Fascination Peter’s second string to top horse Frankie, but he’s proving to be an exciting partner for the experienced Dane, who competed at the 2008 Olympics and is in the top 100 in the world rankings. The rider has twice finished in the top five at CCI5*, on different horses each time, and has logged three top-ten finishes (including a win at Montelibretti) at four-star with Fascination. This horse isn’t quite as established as Frankie yet, and is still prone to the odd wobble – such as the 20 he picked up in a CCI3*-S at Kristianstad earlier this year – but on his day, should deliver three respectable rounds that’ll put them comfortably in the top half of the pack.

Fun fact: Peter began riding at the age of 12 and received his first pony as a confirmation gift. Together, they won the Danish Eventing Championships. Peter went on to become a farrier, though he now focuses solely on training and competing.

ECUADOR

Nicolas Wettstein and Altier d’Aurois. Photo by P. Barki.

Nicolas Wettstein with Altier d’Aurois

11-year-old Selle Français gelding (Sisley de la Tour Vidal – Julye d’Aurois, by Crystal Diamonds), owned by Frank Wettstein, Monique Deyme, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 37.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This is a second Games for Nicolas and a first for Altier d’Aurois, and the major aim will be for Nicolas to get the completion that evaded him in 2016. ‘Doudou’ is described as ‘an extremely worried horse’, and he’s still young and relatively inexperienced, which does occasionally show in the cross-country phase – but he comes here off the back of two confidence-boosting top-ten finishes in three-star classes at Montelibretti. They’ll likely make use of some alternative routes in an effort to give this up-and-coming horse a positive, educational experience that they can build on for Paris 2024.

Fun fact: Based in Switzerland, Nicolas is the son of a Swiss father (who himself evented internationally) and a French mother. Nicolas was named as a reserve for the Swiss team at Athens in 2004 and rode for France as a Junior, but swapped nationalities to Ecuador when he became eligible via marriage in 2011. He competed for the country at Rio in 2016 and was the first Ecuadorian representative to ride at Badminton. He also has a degree in hotel management, which seems like a pretty great case for never using one’s higher education, since he now runs a pharmaceutical company.

FRANCE

Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Karim Laghouag with Triton Fontaine

14-year-old Selle Français gelding (Gentleman IV – Grenouil Fontaine, by Nightko), owned by Philippe Lemoine, Guy Bessat, Camille Laffitte, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 32.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Originally the first non-travelling reserve, Karim and Triton Fontaine stepped into the sub spot when Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot were forced to withdraw due to a minor injury before the team left for Tokyo. They’ve now stepped into the team proper after Tom Carlile and Birmane also withdrew as a result of a muscular issue. Karim is a very experienced team rider, and was part of the gold medal-winning Rio squad, but Triton Fontaine is less seasoned. Karim picked up the ride from Antoine de Silly back in mid 2018 and since then, they’ve had nine top-10 finishes at FEI events – but in their six CCI4*-L and CCI5* runs, they’ve only got a 50% clear rate. When the horse goes well, he’s very capable of finishing on a score around the 30 mark, which would be enough to make a splash here – but he’s just as likely to have issues on course or knock several rails. Fortunately, he’s paired with a rider who has all the experience necessary to coax the right stuff out in this all-important round.

Fun fact: We imagine family holidays with Karim are rather jolly – he’s married to the daughter of French Formula One legend Jacques Lafitte, and his brother-in-law is the comedian Arnaud Tsamere. Karim, who was World Number One in 2007, battled injury at a young age: he fell down a flight of stairs when he was two years old, and was injured so badly that he was bed-ridden for two-and-a-half years. After that, he spent six months in a wheelchair and then went into six months of physical therapy to learn how to walk. He wasn’t able to participate in any sport until he was eight.

Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Christopher Six with Totem de Brecey

14-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago*HN – Jessy Landaise, by Quouglof Rouge), owned by François and Juliane Souweine

4*/5* dressage average: 30

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Christo and Totem de Brecey were originally named as the French team’s travelling reserves, but were called into duty following the withdrawal of Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot. It’s an exciting moment for this pair, who have been waiting in the wings and producing some really consistent results for France – most notably, their fourth place finish at the 2019 European Championships at Luhmühlen, where they competed as individuals and were best of the French. They’re consistent, and will almost certainly score between a 28 and a 31 – and they’ll do a good job of finishing close enough to that. They came in just two seconds over the optimum time at the Europeans, and jumped a super clear on the final day. This is a horse who tends to jump his best at a three-day, so the two-round format could suit him well.

Fun fact: Christo and Totem came together purely by chance. His owner brought the gelding for schooling livery at Christo’s yard when she moved to Paris for university, and the rider started competing him in 2017. The pair went from strength to strength, and so the Souweine family decided to let him keep the ride – even when Team Japan came knocking with a big-money offer after the Europeans. For Christo, who came from a non-horsey background without significant backing and only got his first horse when he was 20, this is an extraordinary adventure and one that could lead to a major result at the end of the week.

Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC. Photo by William Carey.

Nicolas Touzaint with Absolut Gold

11-year-old Selle Français gelding (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz – Belle Meralaise, by Verglas), owned by Haras de Coudrettes

4*/5* dressage average: 31.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Nicolas took the ride on in 2018 from fellow French rider Elodie Patenotte, who produced him up to CCI3*-S, and since then, he’s been an impressive rising star for the French contingent. This is a fifth Olympics for the rider, who was part of the gold medal-winning team at Athens in 2004. With Absolut Gold, he’s logged one championship run: they finished tenth at the 2019 Europeans at Luhmühlen, adding nothing through the week to their 31.6 dressage. They’ve finished on their dressage score in their last three FEI runs and haven’t finished lower than 12th since 2018. They won’t lead the first phase – instead, look for a mark around 30 – but they’re odds-on to finish on it, which will allow for major movement on the leaderboard.

Fun fact: Nicolas, whose uncle Thierry is the team chef d’equipe, was something of a child prodigy: he was just 20 when he competed at his first Olympics in 2000, and he became the youngest-ever European Champion when he was 22. He’s also the only Frenchman ever to win Badminton, which he took in 2008 with Hidalgo de l’Ile.

GERMANY

Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sandra Auffarth with Viamant du Matz

12-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Diamant de Semilly – Heralina, by Voltigeur le Malin), owned by Prinz Nikolaus von Croy

4*/5* dressage average: 30.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This is a third championship appearance for ‘Mat’, who retired on course as a nine-year-old at the 2018 WEG but was 11th at the 2019 European Championships. In their last eight FEI runs, they’ve only finished outside the top ten once, and that was just because of a slow cross-country time that was likely planned. This is an exceptional horse who learned a lot from those blips as a young prodigy – rather like Laura Collett’s London 52, his inexperience simply played out in the spotlight, which always incurs longer-lasting judgement. His first-phase scores can fluctuate a bit but tend to stay sub-30 (and sometimes dip right down to the low 20s) and he’s quick and reliable over solid fences and show jumps alike. He was second in the selection trial at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S last month, against hot competition that included much of the Tokyo field. The only question mark? He hasn’t run a long format since the Europeans two years ago.

Fun fact: Former World Champion and Olympic individual bronze medalist Sandra also trains India’s Fouaad Mirza, who makes his Olympic debut this week. The daughter of farmers, her first-ever four-star was the 2011 European Championships, where she won individual silver and team gold.

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images for FEI.

Michael Jung with Chipmunk FRH

13-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro – Havanna, by Heraldik xx), owned by Deutsches Olympiade-Komitee für Reiterei e.V., Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff, Klaus Fischer, Sabine Fisch

4*/5* dressage average: 22.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: The reigning Olympic champion returns as hot favourite for another gold medal, this time with the former Julia Krajewski ride Chipmunk. She produced him to the top level and competed at the 2018 WEG with him, scoring an extraordinary 19.9 in the first phase but unfortunately picking up a 20 on course. That winter, the German Federation bought the horse for Michael, and though they’ve had to take a fair amount of time to gel in the showjumping, they’ve already won six four-stars, including the final selection trial at Luhmühlen last month, become reserve European Champions, and won team European gold, too. They’ll be fighting hard for the top spot in the first phase and will likely add nothing on cross-country day – but the question mark still remains over the poles. They haven’t knocked one in their last two FEI runs, and the horse certainly looked better in this phase than ever at Luhmühlen (where, it’s worth noting, the short format showjumps on the final day) –  but we also haven’t seen him in a long-format since the Euros in 2019, and he pulled one there during a spate of penalty-marred showjumping rounds. But it’s hard to bet against a horse who finished on 21.4 in his last run, or against the man who has won gold at the last two Olympics, has been World Champion, and won the Senior Europeans three times.

Fun fact: Chipmunk is sired by Contendro I, and thus has two half-siblings in this field: German reserve horse FRH Corrida, and Louise Romeike’s Cato 60. Felix Vogg’s Colero is a nephew – he’s by Chipmunk’s half-brother Captain Fire.

Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Neville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Julia Krajewski with Amande de B’Néville

11-year-old Selle Francais mare (Oscar des Fontaines – Perle be B’Néville, by Elan de la Cour), owned by rider and Bernd Heicke

4*/5* dressage average: 27.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Though relatively inexperienced, feisty, talented ‘Mandy’ has truly stepped up to the plate this year after a shock accident and the subsequent loss of an eye meant that Julia’s Olympic horse Samourai du Thot had to be retired from competition. Riding him, she’s said, was like riding a go-kart, while riding Mandy is like riding a lion – and like all good mares, she’s now coming into her own and ready to take on the world with all guns blazing. We saw her finish fifth at the final selection trial at Luhmühlen, where she’d have been second if not for a frustrating pole, and she won Saumur CCI4*-L in April. Her scores have been steadily getting more and more formidable, and she’s now looking like a real sub-25 horse. Her inexperience lends a slight question mark to cross-country day, but she looks strong, fit, and confident, and could be a real dark horse shout for an individual medal here. “She’s a real princess,” says Julia – and this week, it may well be time for her to become a queen.

Fun fact: Prior to joining Julia’s string as a six-year-old, Mandy had only show jumped. She was spotted by Myriam Meylemans, who had sourced Samourai du Thot originally.

Travelling reserve: Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida (12-year-old Hanoverian mare by Contendro out of Expo and owned by Alina, Andreas and Susanna Dibowski)

GREAT BRITAIN

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Laura Collett with London 52

12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Landos – Vernante, by Quinar), owned by Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 25.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Alongside Michael Jung and Oliver Townend, Laura is the tied favourite to fight for the individual gold here with the exceptional London 52, despite b being an Olympic debutante. He was a bit of a child prodigy, stepping up to the top level within two years of beginning his eventing career at the age of seven and winning the prestigious Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S just three years into the job. He followed that up with second at Boekelo on his CCI4*-L debut, second in CCI4*-S classes at Belton and Burnham Market, and then a win at Chatsworth in 2019. But every horse, no matter how preternaturally talented, must go through a learning curve at some point, and his came in the second half of 2019 when he was well and truly in the spotlight. He picked up a green 20 at Bramham, an unfortunate late run-out while leading at Aachen, and Laura fell at the end of the course at the European Championships that year. By the end of the season, though, they regrouped to win Boekelo CCI4*-L, and the horse has been extraordinarily consistent ever since. He’s picked up two more CCI4*-S wins, two fourth place finishes, and a win at Pau in his first five-star. He’ll lead or come very close to it in the first phase, where he scored a 21.3 at Pau, and he’s among the quickest cross-country horses in the field. He’s ordinarily super over the poles, too, and his recent rail at Bicton shouldn’t be a cause for concern – it was a tiny brick atop a wall that came down, rather than an actual pole.

Fun fact: London 52 was sourced in Germany at the yard of former Olympian and soon-to-be German chef d’equipe Peter Thomsen. Like all her horses, he’s named after a Gossip Girl character – at home, he’s known as Dan, to go with Chuck (Mr Bass), Rufus (Camouflage), and Nate (Lyjador – now campaigned by a young rider). Laura is also passionate about racing, and has a sideline in schooling top-level National Hunt horses over fences.

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom McEwen with Toledo de Kerser

14-year-old Selle Français gelding (Diamant de Semilly – Ariane du Prieure II, by Papillon Rouge), owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns, and Ali McEwen

4*/5* dressage average: 28.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Another Olympic debutante, Tom and Toledo are among the most consistent combinations in the world and stand a seriously good chance of stepping on both podiums this week. They won the final selection trial at Bicton CCI4*-S, took the win at Pau CCI5* in 2019, and have been in the top ten at Badminton, Burghley, and Pau again. In eight five-star runs (including WEG 2018), the only cross-country jumping penalty they’ve logged is a frangible pin at Badminton in 2019, when the horse had recently recovered from a virus. They also won the Bramham CCI4*-L for under-25s back in 2016, when the horse was just a nine-year-old. Expect them to put a mid-20s score on the board and stay there: this is one of the very best show jumpers in the field and over the past couple of seasons, he’s become one of the quickest cross-country competitors, too. They were part of the gold medal-winning British team at the World Equestrian Games in 2018, and they’ll certainly want to take home another of the same colour.

Fun fact: Toledo is less than 50% blood, though that hasn’t affected his stamina or gallop: he’s been at his best over some of the toughest tracks in the world, such as Bramham and Burghley. He’s an extraordinarily quirky horse, too, and can’t be jumped at home – or caught, much of the time.

“You can’t jump him at home – if you try he’ll bolt blind, or refuse to come in a second time or he’ll be like a crouching tiger and press himself to the floor, then go flat out,” Tom told Horse&Hound earlier this year. “He’s never done a grid or polework. Rather than make an issue of it, we’ve just never made an issue of it.”

Oliver Townend Ballaghmore Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Oliver Townend with Ballaghmor Class 

14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Courage II – Kilderry Place, breeding unknown), owned by Karyn Schuter, Angela Hislop, and Val Ryan

4*/5* dressage average: 27

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Oliver and ‘Thomas’ round out a British team chock full of Olympic debutants, and for Oliver, this moment has felt an awful long time coming. It would have been almost impossible to overlook this pair though, who might well be the most consistent five-star competitors in the world: they’ve completed six so far, winning two of them and never coming lower than fifth place. One of those wins was Burghley on the horse’s debut as a ten-year-old; the other was Kentucky this spring, over a course designed by Tokyo designer Derek diGrazia. It all bodes rather well for the tough-as-nails Yorkshireman and the rangy Irish gelding, who shares a sire with similarly quirky superstars Ringwood Sky Boy, the Duke of Cavan, and Cooley Rorkes Drift. A couple of outlier scores earlier in the horse’s career drive up his first-phase average, but you can realistically expect a 25 or lower – he’s scored a 21.1 at CCI5* before, and will fight hard for the dressage lead against Michi Jung and Laura Collett. He’s fast and as accurate as they come across the country, but it’s showjumping that can be the heartbreaker for this pair: they’ve only ever jumped clear on the final day in three long-format events, though one of those was a very convincing round at Kentucky when winning it this spring.

Fun fact: Though he’s one of the world’s best horses – and has certainly contributed to making Oliver the World Number One – Ballaghmor Class wasn’t always an easy ride. “He’s always been very sharp and he’s had us all on the floor at home,” said Oliver after that first Burghley win. “He had a girl off going up the gallops just two weeks ago and he’s gone through arena mirrors and out of the school through the fence in the past. But I’ve always liked him and we’ve probably got a stronger relationship as a result.”

Travelling reserve: Ros Canter with Allstar B – 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ephebe For Ever – Narenca B, by Ekstein), owned by Caroline Moore and the rider

HONG KONG

Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry. Photo courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry

20-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Feridoon – Rismo, by Kimball), owned by Irene Ho and Miranda Rauis

4*/5* dressage average: 43.2

XC speed rating: ☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 3

The need-to-knows: Not likely to be competitive, but here for the experience – and this is a significant moment for Hong Kong’s eventers, who’ve never qualified for the Olympics before. Tom and Tay paired up in 2015, after the horse had been produced to four-star by Britain’s Isobel Hudson, and then Tom gained experience working his way up the levels with the gelding. They’ve had some promising runs, including a top ten finish in a CCI4*-L at Strzegom, but they’re averaging just over a 50% clear rate at four-star. The name of the game here will be to take each phase as it comes, and each jump as it comes, and work towards getting a completion in the bag so that British-based Tom can build on the experience for the future.

Fun fact: Tayberry is the oldest horse in the field at 20 years old. We’re seeing an older field than normal here, with several 19 year olds and no nine year olds – arguably due to the fact that younger horses haven’t been able to be campaigned as aggressively for the Olympics, while riders have been incentivised to keep older horses ticking over for an extra year with the delay of the Games.

INDIA

Fouaad Mirza and Seigneur Medicott. Photo courtesy of Sports View India.

Fouaad Mirza with Seigneur

15-year-old Westfalian gelding (Seigneur d’Alleray xx – Gina XIII, by Finley-M), owned by M/S Embassy Property Development PVT Ltd

4*/5* dressage average: 23.1 (29.5 as a combination)

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This wasn’t Fouaad’s first-choice horse for Tokyo; instead, he’d hoped to bring other ride Dajara 4, who is a slightly stronger showjumper and would thus perhaps be better suited to the two-round format of Olympic eventing’s final day. But he made an eleventh-hour swap for Seigneur Medicott, who will lose his commercial suffix for the Games, and who was Fouaad’s partner to team and individual silver at the 2018 Asian Games. This exceptional horse once won four four-stars in a row with former rider (and Fouaad’s former coach) Bettina Hoy, starting with Blenheim CCI4*-L and culminating in the German National Championships at Luhmühlen, and Fouaad – who’s based with Germany’s Sandra Auffarth – took the reins in 2017. Though they’ve only run at four-star twice together because the horse had time off with a ligament injury, Fouaad has a fair amount of experience at the level amassed with his other horses, including former Zara Tindall ride Fernhill Facetime. Most recently, this pair finished 2nd in the CCI4*-L at Baborowko in May, and they have five FEI top fives under their belt together. If they can overcome a slight lack of top-level match practice as a combination, they could be a serious dark horse pair this week, because they’re very capable of scoring sub-30 and staying pretty close to it.

Fun fact: Fouaad will be the first Indian equestrian at the Olympics since Imtiaz Anees rode at Sydney in 2000, and just the third-ever Indian Olympic equestrian. His Asian Games success boosted public interest in the sport, which he hopes to build on here: “The 2018 medals really boosted people’s confidence to pursue the sport back at home. We’re still at the grassroots and I think people still need to know more about the sport before they can really support me like they support their cricket team.”

IRELAND

Sarah Ennis and Horseware Woodcourt Garrison. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sarah Ennis with Woodcourt Garrison

12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Garrison Royal – Davitt Star, by Furisto), owned by Breda Kennedy

4*/5* dressage average: 34.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: We’re used to seeing Sarah cleaning up at the top of the leaderboard with lightning-fast Horseware Stellor Rebound, her 2018 WEG team silver medalist, but Woodcourt Garrison isn’t short of experience: he was Sarah’s partner at the 2019 European Championship, where he jumped a quick clear and finished just outside the top twenty. Over the last year he’s had four top ten finishes at four-star level in Ireland, but also a rider fall at another and a flag penalty at Aston le Walls in the UK. Still, they should be able to put a finishing score on the board that will be a boon to the team, even if they won’t be in contention for an individual medal.

Fun fact: Sarah’s a qualified diver and a keen sailor, and she met her husband, Niki Potterton, at a yacht club. On one of their earliest dates, she invited him to go out hacking with her and she let him ride her favourite horse, which strikes us as quite a bold move, all things considered.

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue

12-year-old British-bred Sport Horse gelding (Jaguar Mail – Rock Me Baby, by Rock Kind), owned by The Salty Syndicate and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 33

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Austin stepped into the team from the sub spot just hours after the first horse inspection, swapping places with Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua, who has been struggling to acclimatise in Tokyo and will be under inspection by team vets. Austin has ridden ‘Salty’ throughout the gelding’s international career, and he’s become quite a reliable competitor – though he’s not quite ready to fight for individual titles just yet. Salty made the move up to five-star at Pau last year, jumping clear inside the time, though he was spun from the final horse inspection. Since then, we’ve seen him jump quick clears at Ballindenisk CCI4*-L, where he was fourth, and CCI4*-S classes at Houghton Hall and Bicton. Ordinarily, it’s his mid-30s marks that stop him from being competitive – but he put a 27.9 on the board at Bicton. If he can repeat the feat here, he could make a big impression over the course of the week and aim for a top twenty finish.

Fun fact: There are a few paternal half-sibling relationships in this field, but Colorado Blue goes one better – he’s got the same dam as another entrant. That’s Ludwig Svennerstal’s Balham Mist, competing for Sweden. Both horses were bred by Kate Jarvey, a Boston native who owns Austin’s base, Attington Stud.

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco. Photo by William Carey.

Sam Watson with Flamenco

12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tullabeg Fusion – Tullabeg Heidi, by Ardenteggle Sir), owned by Vahe Bogossian

4*/5* dressage average: 33.3

XC speed rating: 4☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Riding Ardagh Highlight, Sam was part of the silver medal winning team at the 2018 WEG, and he’s never let anyone forget it – so now, the much-loved rider and co-founder of equestrian analytics company EquiRatings has to win another one here, lest he run out of conversational material. In all seriousness, though, he and his glorious golden horse are on good form, with three top-six finishes at four-star in the last year. Their scores fluctuate between the mid-high 20s and low 30s, but have been trending downwards, and they’re quick and reliable across the country, though a 20 at the 2019 Europeans was an unfortunate (and rare) blip. They’ve notched up a CCI5* completion as well, also at Luhmühlen, where they jumped clear and finished just outside the top ten. Should be a real asset to the Irish team, which is smarting a bit from the loss of Cathal and Rioghan Rua, and could compete for a top ten himself if everything falls into place.

Fun fact: Sam was actually quite a late starter to the world of riding, only picking it up at 16 despite being the son of Olympic event rider John Watson: “I am the only boy in the family and I sort of rebelled against horses. I wanted to kick footballs and things like that. When my sister Rosie had a horse named Demi Tasse that bucked everyone off in the yard, I saw this horse as a challenge and started from there.”

Travelling reserve: Cathal Daniels with Rioghan Rua – 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Jack Of Diamonds – Highland Destiny, by Flagmount King), owned by Margaret Kinsella

ITALY

Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Susanna Bordone with Imperial Van De Holtakkers

13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel – Ava VD Holtakkers, by Argentinus), owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi

4*/5* dressage average: 34.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Susanna and her Olympic mount have been a partnership since the very end of 2019, when she took the ride over from Belgium’s Joris Vanspringel, who rode him at the 2018 WEG. He jumped clear there and, indeed, has many clears at the four-star level under both riders – and with 44 FEI competitions under his belt, he’s well-campaigned for a relatively young horse. Together, this pair have amassed five FEI top tens from ten starts, and other than an odd blip in a three-star at Sandillon last summer, they’ve been consistent and confident in tandem. Their job this week isn’t to try to claim individual glory but rather, to contribute to a solid team result for Italy, who have been working hard to become more competitive on the world stage. They’re quick, reliable, and have now had three clear showjumping rounds in a row – so they should be very valuable indeed in what is Susanna’s third Olympics.

Fun fact: Susanna is married to fellow Italian eventer and racehorse trainer Simone Sordi, better known as ‘that guy who ripped his top off during the opening ceremony for the 2019 Europeans – and then again at the drinks reception – actually, have we ever seen him with a top on?’ Susanna is made of tough stuff: she was bitten in the face by a horse back in 2011 and had to have reconstructive surgery.

Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Vittoria Panizzon with Super Cillious

12-year-old British-bred Sport Horse gelding (Deanes San Ciro Hit – Lady Priscilla, by Rock King), owned by Lucy Allison, Deborah Bevan, Juliet Donald, and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 32.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is a third Olympics for Vittoria, who was 16th in 2008 on Rock Model and 11th in 2012 on the exceptional Borough Pennyz. Her ride this year, Super Cillious, was her partner for the 2019 European Championships, where Italy finished fifth and earned their Olympic team qualification. Unfortunately, he comes to Tokyo off the back of a 20 in his final run at Bicton’s CCI4*-S, but otherwise, he tends to be a reliable cross-country partner and more often than not finishes inside the time. It’s unlikely she’ll beat her own best Olympic finish, but as long as the horse didn’t lose any confidence at Bicton, they should be able to deliver a solid performance that helps Italy lodge a decent finish.

Fun fact: British-based Vitto, who rides in the uniform of the Italian Air Force sport group, has spent lockdown learning how to manage a newly-diagnosed autoimmune condition. She’s doing a rather marvellous job of it, mind you – she very nearly won the inaugural Burnham Market CCI4*-L last year in her first long-format back.

Arianna Schivo (ITA) and Quefira de L’Ormeau. Photo by FEI/Massimo Argenziano.

Arianna Schivo with Quefira de l’Ormeau

17-year-old Selle Français mare (Iolisco de Quinhon HN – Isabelle du Brulot, by Beausejour IV), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 36.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This well-established partnership has already been to the Rio Olympics, the 2018 WEG, and three European Championships, plus Badminton twice. They had a 20 at Rio and a very early fall at Badminton in 2017, but since then, they’ve been ultra consistent, jumping clear around Badminton, Bramham, WEG, and two Europeans. In fact, they hadn’t had an FEI cross-country jumping penalty since early 2017…until their final prep run before Tokyo, where Arianna fell. With any luck, it won’t have done any damage to their confidence, and they can focus on delivering a typically solid performance with a sub-40 finishing score.

Fun fact: Arianna’s father competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics in athletics. Quefira, who’s known at home as ‘La Madame’ was bought as a young horse from Nicolas Touzaint, and shares a sire with Maxime Livio’s Pau winner Qalao des Mers.

Travelling reserve: Stefano Brecciaroli with Bolivar Gio Granno – 10-year-old Anglo Arab stallion (Gio Granno – Native de Sautussan, by Faalem), owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzochi

JAPAN

Yoshiaki Oiwa and Calle 44. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Yoshiaki Oiwa with Calle 44

14-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Cristo 5 – Sara IV, by Quebec), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 29.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Yoshi, who is based in Germany with Dirk Schrade, first leapt into the spotlight when he led the dressage at the London 2012 Olympics, his second Games. It ended in heartbreak for him when he fell on cross-country day, but it was a landmark moment and ensured that the world was sitting up and paying attention to Japan’s eventers. Though the emotional anguish of the experience nearly made him give up riding, he decided to stick at it when, in 2013, Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics. Since then, he’s finished 20th at Rio, 20th at the 2018 WEG on this horse, and won the Asian Games, as well becoming the first-ever Japanese rider to win a European four-star when he took Bramham with Calle 44 in 2017. After that, the pair won Strzegom CCI4*-S twice and have been victorious at Baborowko CCI4*-S, too. They’re not the fastest of combinations, though they’re certainly not the slowest, either, but they’re incredibly consistent and Yoshi is a born competitor with ice in his veins. This is his chance to exorcise those London demons once and for all as Japan fights for a well-deserved team medal.

Fun fact: Yoshi comes from a dynasty of exceptional athletes: his aunt competed at the World Championships for figure skating in the 1960s, his uncle won a silver medal in swimming at the 1960 Olympics, and his wife represented Japan in showjumping at the Rio Olympics. Yoshi rode as a child and teenager and began eventing at university, but briefly quit after graduating and worked at a cockroach extermination company for a spell before moving to England in 2001 to pursue it properly.

Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma d’Allou. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Toshiyuki Tanaka with Talma d’Allou

14-year-old Selle Français gelding (Opium de Talma – Belle de l’Etang, by Prince Ig’Or), owned by Riding Club Crane

4*/5* dressage average: 31.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Toshi returns for his second Olympics after making his debut at London 2012, where he finished 48th after a problem on course. He has three horses qualified for Tokyo, but brings forward his 2018 WEG mount, with whom he finished 15th and helped the team to fourth place. In the past couple of seasons they’ve had some exciting results, including a win in the CCI4*-S at Barroca d’Alva, a top ten in CCI4*-S classes at Burnham Market and Lignieres, and good results at Millstreet, Aston le Walls, and Bramham. Though Talma’s dressage flits between the 20s and 30s, it never gets too high, and so they can focus on a sub-40 finishing score here on their hunt for a team podium. Their showjumping record is patchy, but the horse – who was originally produced by France’s Sebastien Chemin – tends to jump best on the final day of a three-day. They’ve never knocked a pole in a CCI4*-L.

Fun fact: Toshi, who’s been based in the UK with Angela Tucker since 2012, took up riding at the age of 15 after seeing equestrian sport on TV. It might not seem like much of a fun fact, but considering what the Japanese eventers are working towards – that is, a podium finish to inspire their home country and make them take equestrian sport seriously – it’s a poignant full circle. Now he’ll be the one on the TV, while other people watch and feel that unique fire spark up inside them.

Vinci de la Vigne and Kazuma Tomoto. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kazuma Tomoto with Vinci de la Vigne

12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Esterel des Bois – Korrigane de Vigne, by Duc du Hutrel), owned by the Japan Equestrian Federation

4*/5* dressage average: 29.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: A 20 in their final run at Bicton CCI4*-S is a shame, because otherwise, Kazu and the former Astier Nicolas mount Vinci have been an exciting pair. They’ve finished in the top ten in five of their seven FEI runs, and put a personal best score of 23.5 up at Bicton before their blip. They won Camphire CCI4*-L in 2019 and were second at Tattersalls CCI4*-S that year, too, and they were tenth in a seriously competitive CCI4*-S at Aston le Walls in May of this year. If we can disregard the Bicton blip, and considering that this horse finished seventh at the 2018 WEG with Astier, we could easily see them in the top ten. They’re an outside shot for an individual medal, too, and there would be few winners more popular if they managed it. Top of the priority list, though? Get the team on the podium – which is a doable task. Their showjumping is 50/50 between a clear and a rail, but determination can’t be underestimated here.

Fun fact: Kazu isn’t just the nicest man in eventing (although he really, truly is that), he’s also quite a remarkable athlete: he originally showjumped for Japan at World Cup events, but the Japanese Federation felt that they had enough jumping candidates on the trail to Tokyo and so asked him to consider swapping to eventing in 2015. In 2017 he relocated to England to base himself with William Fox-Pitt, and that autumn, he finished second in the prestigious eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S at Blenheim, missing the win by a fraction of a second. He’d been eventing less than two years at that point and had done his first FEI event just a year prior. Since then, he’s been part of the family on the UK and European circuit, and has been kicking ass and taking names wherever he goes, including leading the dressage at Luhmühlen CCI5* in 2019, winning CCI4*-S classes at Ballindenisk and Chatsworth and a CCI4*-L at Camphire on different horses, and finishing top ten at a number of events, including Blenheim CCI4*-L, Boekelo CCIO4*-L, Little Downham CCI4*-S (on two different horses in the same event), and Tattersalls CCI4*-S. He also got four horses qualified for Tokyo. In short, he’s bossing it.

Travelling reserve: Ryuzo Kitajima with Feroza Nieuwmoed – 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (VDL Groep Zagreb – Uthodina, by Frisbee Kerellec), owned by Riding Club Crane

THE NETHERLANDS

Merel Blom and The Quizmaster. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Merel Blom with The Quizmaster

12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Albaran xx – Zarah-Maro, by Casco), owned by Stal Hulsman B.V. and Blom Sports Stables

4*/5* dressage average: 30.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This is a second Olympics for Merel, who rode at Rio and both the 2018 and 2014 WEGs with the late Rumour Has It NOP. She’s also ridden at four European Championships, and piloted The Quizmaster to second place at the Six-Year-Old World Championship at Le Lion d’Angers in 2015. She qualified two horses for Tokyo, but opted to bring The Quizmaster instead of her Dutch National Champion Ceda NOP. In their six FEI runs over 2020 and 2021, they’ve finished in the top ten five times – and the other time was simply a withdrawal prior to cross-country. It was a major disappointment for the Netherlands not to qualify a team for Tokyo, but Merel should be able to notch up a respectable individual place – they’ll likely score between 31 and 33, and they’re quick across the country. Their showjumping is something of a question mark and they’ve had the odd blip on cross-country, but Merel is experienced at creating confidence-building situations for her horses, so this shouldn’t cause any issues on their current form.

Fun fact: Merel isn’t just an exceptionally good rider – she’s also a smart cookie. She’s got a master’s degree in financial law and balanced her studies with training and competing at the top level, finishing thirteenth in her CCI5* debut at Pau while still a student.

The Netherlands’ Janneke Boonzaiijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Janneke Boonzaaijer with Champ de Tailleur

14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel – Vera, by Oberon du Moulin), owned by HJC Roozendaal and Lieke van der Werf

4*/5* dressage average: 32.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 24-year-old Janneke will be an unknown entity to many eventing fans outside Europe – she stepped into this slot at Tokyo after some unfortunate green blips from Tim Lips’s Herby ruled him out in the final weeks before departure. This is her first Senior championship; she’s ridden at two Young Rider European Championships, earning team silver and individual seventh in 2017, and two Junior European Championships. With Champ de Tailleur, who she took the ride on in 2018, she’s notched up some promising results, including top tens at Strzegom CCI4*-S and Pratoni CCI4*-L. They’re ordinarily low-30s scorers, but had a tricky final event at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S, scoring 42.9 and knocking two rails. They did, however, romp home just one second over the optimum time. This will be an educational experience for them more than a competitive one, but they should be able to finish in the top half of the pack.

Fun fact: Janneke comes from an eventing family: her father, Gert, competed to four-star and her sister, Henrieke, also competes internationally.

NEW ZEALAND

Jesse Campbell and Diachello. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Jesse Campbell with Diachello

11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado – Visser Cholin, by Chello I), owned by Kent Gardner and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 30.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Produced to CCI2*-L by Italy’s Giulio Guglielmi, Danny joined Jesse’s string in early 2018 and promptly finished second in the CCI2*-L at Houghton Hall, adding just a solitary showjumping time penalty to his 27.1 dressage. From then, Jesse has produced him conservatively and sympathetically, amassing just eleven FEI runs through their partnership and allowing the rangy horse to grow into himself. This has allowed the horse time and space to learn, and it’s also taken the pressure off them both, as the long-term goal of producing him to be a successful five-star and team horse has far outweighed any concerns about winning every run along the way. Instead, Jesse has been happy to run the horse steadily around CCI4*-S classes, and as a result, the horse has largely gone under the radar.

A third-place finish at Lignières in Danny’s second CCI4*-L changed all that. Though we’d all gotten used to seeing double- digit time penalties on cross-country, Jesse saw the event as a perfect opportunity to take the handbrake off and allow a more established and bold Danny to put his education to the test at speed. It paid off marvellously, and the gelding romped home easily just one second over the time. Eleventh place in tough conditions at Kentucky this spring sealed the deal and showed off how classy this pair are. He’ll be an asset to this team effort and could well feature in the top ten himself.

Fun fact: Danny’s a firm favourite among the team at Jesse and wife Georgie’s Wiltshire base, where he’s Mr Perfect in every way – except, of course, when he gets bored on his holidays and jumps the farm’s five-bar gates for fun. This is Jesse’s Olympic debut, and he’ll be a joy to watch across the country: he got his start retraining ex-racehorses and has trained with Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson, so his feel and tact are exceptional.

Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Jonelle Price with Grovine de Reve

13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Hermea de Reve – Erkina Jane, by Rimilis), owned by Therese Miller and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 31.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Though the partnership between Grovine de Reve and Jonelle is fairly new – they only joined forces in early 2019 – Reve brings championship experience to the table. Produced to CCI3*-S by Rodney Powell and then to CCI4*-L by Dan Jocelyn, Reve was part of the Kiwi effort at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, where he finished 38th after a 32.8 dressage, a clear cross-country round with 13.2 time penalties, and two rails knocked on the final day. That was to be his last competition with Dan, and since then, we’ve seen some exciting results from the horse, including top-ten finishes in Event Rider Masters classes at Wiesbaden and Jardy and a second place finish in the CCI4*-L at Camphire. More recently, he stepped into the spotlight when finishing 12th at Pau CCI5* in 2020 and then third at Kentucky this spring. He’s fast – and ridden by the fastest woman in the world – and tends to post marks that are consistently around 30. His showjumping is improving but has let him down in the past – right now, it’s 50/50 whether he’ll go clear or knock one. Kentucky proved that on his day, he could be a dark horse shout for a medal – and the Kiwi team will be looking to change their fortunes at the Games. This will be Jonelle’s third Games – she was part of the bronze medal winning team at London 2012.

Fun fact: Tim and Jonelle aren’t the only power couple on an equestrian team together at this Games – Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud have been together more than a decade and both competed on the Dutch dressage team.

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Price with Vitali

11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Contender – Noble Lady I, by Heraldik xx), owned by Joe and Alex Giannamore and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 26.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: The announcement of Vitali as Tim’s ride for the Kiwi team might have come as something of a surprise to many – after all, he has five-star winners in his string, and only paired up with the gelding in October of 2020. Admittedly, Tim’s original aim had been to ride 18-year-old Wesko here for his last hurrah, but the gelding sustained a minor injury in the build-up and was retired. Vitali is extremely talented but green, with just 12 FEI runs under his belt. He was originally intended as a ride for Jock Paget, but when Jock opted to relocate back to New Zealand, fellow Kiwi James Avery inherited his yard, sponsorship, and horses, and produced Vitali through the FEI levels to his first CCI4*-S at Blenheim. They led the dressage there – despite the groom forgetting to put studs in, and despite Vitali never having run an Advanced – added just 2.4 time penalties on cross-country, and ultimately finished sixth after James lost his reins on course and they pulled a rail. That was their last competition together, back in 2018, and though the horse flitted from yard to yard a bit after that, he didn’t compete in an FEI event again until this April, when he and Tim won Strzegom CCI4*-L in their first international run together. They then finished sixth in the seriously competitive CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen last month, and led the dressage at Barbury CCI4*-S in July, pulled a highly uncharacteristic two rails due to the crowds, and then executed a planned withdrawal. The Olympics will be just their third international cross-country run together, but Tim’s as experienced as they come and Vitali, who has eight FEI top tens in 12 runs, should rise to the challenge as a dark horse contender.

Fun fact: Tim Price is currently World #2, just five points behind Oliver Townend in the #1 spot. Their results this week could change everything.

Travelling reserve: Bundy Philpott with Tresca NZPH – 15-year-old New Zealand Sport Horse gelding (Fuego du Parlet – Paradise NZPH, by Barbarian), owned by Brian Philpott and the rider

POLAND

Poland’s Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Małgorzata Cybulska with Chenaro 2 

12-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Chequille – Dayenne, by Dinaro), owned by Marzenna Walden

4*/5* dressage average: 31.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 23-year-old Malgorzata – known as Gosia – is one of the youngest riders in this year’s field, and she rides a horse she’s produced from a five-year-old. Together, they’ve competed at a Junior Europeans and two Young Rider Europeans, and in 2019, they made their Senior debut at the European Championships at Luhmühlen, jumping a polished clear and finishing just outside the top 30 despite a major spinal surgery for degenerative disk disease earlier that year, which meant she couldn’t ride for six months. They’ve proven they can go sub-30, but are more likely to sit in the mid-30s this week. More importantly, they’ll want to deliver a characteristically confident, if steady, cross-country round, like they did in their final run at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S in June – not a run like the one they had at Baborowko in May, where they picked up 40 penalties on course. Getting home will be the key, because Poland no longer has a substitute pair if things go pear-shaped for any of the riders.

Fun fact: Gosia balances her eventing with studying Psychology at the University of Warsaw. She celebrates every major success by going out for sushi, so she’s certainly making her Olympic debut in the right country.

Jan Kaminski with Jard

11-year-old Polish Half-Bred gelding (Czuwaj – Jucznia, by Chef Supreme) owned by Marcin Kaminski

4*/5* dressage average: 35.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 3

The need-to-knows: The 2018 Polish Champion steps into the team following the sad elimination of lynchpins Pawel Spisak and Banderas at the first horse inspection. This is his second Senior Championship: he competed at the 2019 Europeans as an individual with Jard, but was eliminated on cross-country day, and has ridden at two Young Rider Europeans. As a sub combo, he and Jard have an important role: get home safely, without heroics, so that the team can complete. We haven’t seen them contest a long-format event since the Europeans in 2019, and he’s had some issues in short-formats since then, so expect them to take some alternative routes and make some sensible decisions under team orders. This effort will build valuable experience for the future for this young team.

Fun fact: Jan works as chef d’equipe for the Polish Young Rider squad alongside his own competitive career.

Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Joanna Pawlak with Fantastic Frieda

12-year-old Hanoverian mare (For Edition – Pirola, by Pinkus), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 42.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: At 30, Joanna is the oldest rider on this young team of up-and-comers, and though she’s competed at Junior and Young Rider Europeans, this will be her first time representing her country at a Senior Championship. She and Frieda won’t make waves in the first phase, nor will they be particularly speedy across the country, but they’re reliable show jumpers and ordinarily very consistent across the country. They’ve had blips in two CCI4*-S events over the past year, so like Jan, they’ll need to make sensible decisions and prioritise a team completion and experience.

Fun fact: In 2018, Joanna was awarded Athlete of the Year at Wroclaw University of Technology, where she studied Geology. She’s a multitalented sort: she won a gold medal at the International Biennial of Children’s Art for her ceramics as a teenager, and has contested lots of singing competitions as a trained soprano.

Travelling reserve: none. Jan Kaminski and Jard have stepped into the team to replace Pawel Spisak and Banderas, who were spun at the first horse inspection.

PUERTO RICO

Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy. Photo by Abby Powell.

Lauren Billys with Castle Larchfield Purdy

19-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Karistos – Hallo Purdy, by Hallo), owned by the Purdy Syndicate CCC and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 35.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: California-based Lauren claims her Puerto Rican heritage through her grandmother, and became the first Puerto Rican eventer to go to the Olympics when she competed at Rio with Purdy. She and Purdy have had some recent blips, including a rider fall in the tough CCI4*-S at Kentucky this spring and a 20 at Galway Downs before that, but prior to that, they’ve picked up good results including second place in Rebecca Farm’s CCI4*-L, a win in the Twin Rivers CCI4*-S, and a top twenty at Fair Hill CCI4*-L. As one of the oldest horses in the field, Purdy will realistically be bowing out after this Games, so the aim won’t be to change the world: it’ll be to go out there and enjoy every second of the last hurrah of what has been a wonderful partnership over the last seven years.

Fun fact: Lauren majored in chemistry and wine at Cali State, making her absolutely the person you want to hang out with at the competitors’ party. She fundraised to make the trip out to Tokyo, and has been involved in contributing to others’ causes, too, including relief efforts for horses in Puerto Rico after the hurricane in 2017.

RUSSIA

Andrey Mitin and Gurza. Photo by Arnd Bronkhorst/www.arnd.nl for the FEI.

Andrey Mitin with Gurza

14-year-old Trakehner mare (Kwazimodo – Gabonya, by Bant), owned by Ferdinand Kibizov and the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 33.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Like many riders from Eastern Europe, Andrey largely competes at events with very small international fields, such as Minsk, which often has just three or four riders in a four-star. That means that this pair has several wins and second places on their FEI record, but it’s a slightly different story when they step onto the world stage. The aim at this Games, Andrey and Gurza’s second, will be to complete: they were eliminated at Rio, but have looked more confident and reliable since. This can partly be attributed simply to good health – Andrey underwent shoulder surgery prior to Rio and injured his hand just before the Games.

Fun fact: Russia’s riders will have to compete under the Olympic flag this year, rather than their nation’s flag, because of a ban on Russian athletes of all disciplines in the wake of the doping scandal of 2019.

Mikhail Nastenko with MP Imagine If

10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan – Fast Morning Flight, by Errigal Flight), owned by Tatyana Gura

4*/5* dressage average: 38.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: MP Imagine If is one of the youngest horses in this year’s field, but she’s had slightly more exposure to the wider eventing world than we’d ordinarily see from Russian combinations: her last outing was at Strzegom, though she picked up a 20 there, and she competed at the Young Horse World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers as a six- and seven-year-old. She’s amassed a collection of top ten placings in Russia and Belarus, though again, that doesn’t necessarily translate to the world stage, and Mikhail’s aim will be to give her a good, educational experience in what is his second Olympic appearance.

Fun fact: Mikhail represented Ukraine until 2009, when he opted to switch to riding for Russia. He comes from a traveller background, which is how he was first exposed to horse riding.

SOUTH AFRICA

Victoria Scott-Legendre and Valtho des Peupliers. Photo courtesy of Victoria Scott-Legendre.

Victoria Scott-Legendre with Valtho des Peupliers

12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Tinka’s Boy – Etna Pierreville, by Rosire), owned by the rider

4*/5* dressage average: 36.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆

Predicted poles: 3

The need-to-knows: This is an Olympic debut for Victoria and her horse, who represented South Africa at the 2018 WEG, though they had some issues on cross-country day and withdraw before showjumping. This will be a big ask for the inexperienced gelding, whose form doesn’t suggest he finds the four-star level particularly easy – though his final FEI run at Lignieres last year, which ordinarily has quite a tough track, was a steady clear. They haven’t run in an FEI event since then. Giving the horse an educational, confidence-building run is the goal here.

Fun fact: Like Lauren Billys, Victoria fundraised to make the trip to Tokyo. She grew up in South Africa and studied at the University of Pretoria, but relocated to France in 2013 to base herself with Rodolphe Scherer. She now runs a business with her husband, French eventer Edouard Legendre.

SPAIN

Francisco Gaviño Gonzalez with Source de la Faye

15-year-old Anglo-Arab mare (Tresor du Renom – dam unknown), owned by Francisco Gaviño Carabantes

4*/5* dressage average: 42.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This is a first senior championship for Francisco, who rode for Spain on Junior and Young Rider teams. He and his Olympic ride both stepped up to four-star for the first time at Barroca d’Alva in early 2019, grabbing a win in that auspicious debut. Since then, they’ve finished eighth in their one and only CCI4*-L at Pratoni and 10th in their final prep run at Strzegom CCI4*-S, though they’ve also had a couple of rider falls, one on cross-country and one in showjumping, in the last year.  The goal will be to use cross-country day for experience and then get to the final phase, where they really shine.

Fun fact: Francisco’s father was formerly the president of the Spanish Association of Anglo-Arab Horse Breeders. He trains with Australian team member Andrew Hoy, and has a Pharmacy degree.

SWITZERLAND

Switzerland’s Robin Godel and the former Andrew Nicholson mount Jet Set. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Robin Godel with Jet Set

14-year-old Spanish Sport Horse gelding (Nordico – Carina), owned by Jean-Jacques Fünfschilling and Olivia Sellar

4*/5* dressage average: 34.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: It’s an Olympic debut for 22-year-old Robin, but not his first Senior championship – he was part of the Swiss team at the 2019 Europeans, went to the WEG in 2018, and competed for the Tokyo team ticket on offer at the Boekelo Nations Cup finale in 2019. He’s experienced beyond his years and a very exciting cross-country rider – and that’s certainly been helped by the fact that the Swiss team now trains for this phase with Andrew Nicholson, whose influence suits Robin’s natural abilities well. His mount this week isn’t his usual top horse, Grandeur de Lully, but rather Jet Set, a former CCI5* ride of Andrew’s. He picked up the ride at the beginning of 2020, and they’ve since competed at nine FEI events, finishing in the top ten four times and never picking up a cross-country penalty nor dropped a rail. Their first-phase score will put them out of the hunt but they should be reliable in both jumping phases, and this will give them some seriously valuable experience as they contribute to the development of Switzerland as an eventing nation.

Fun fact: Robin is very nearly the youngest rider in the field – but Austria’s Lea Siegl is a day younger than him. He’s based at Avenches, the site of this year’s European Championships, where he coaches students as well as training for his own competitive endeavours.

Melody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Mélody Johner with Toubleu du Rueire

14-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mr Blue – La Guna de Rueire, by Bayard d’Elle), owned by Peter Hasenböhler and Peter Thuerler

4*/5* dressage average: 36.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is a relatively new partnership: they came together in early 2020, and the horse has rather done the rounds of Swiss riders. He competed at the 2017 European Championships with Sandra Leonhardt-Raith, then at the 2019 Europeans with Tiziana Realini, though he didn’t have much luck on either occasion. Despite this, he’s picked up 12 FEI top ten finishes since the end of 2017, and in his eight runs with Mélody, he’s been top-ten six times. They’ve not picked up any cross-country jumping penalties and looked at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S to be getting along well. This is Mélody’s second championship – she also rode at the 2017 Europeans, though was eliminated – and if they carry on on current form, they could put a respectable result on their record in their Olympic debut.

Fun fact: Mélody started her career as a showjumper, and was Swiss junior jumping champion in 2003. She picked up eventing in 2013 after her husband, Benoit, issued her a challenge.

Felix Vogg and Colero. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Felix Vogg with Colero

13-year-old Westfalian gelding (Captain Fire – Bonita, by Bormio xx), owned by Jürgen Vogg

4*/5* dressage average: 29.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 31-year-old Felix is the lynchpin of the Swiss team, with considerable experience including two WEG appearances, a trip to the Rio Olympics, and three senior European Championships, as well as sixth place in the CCI5* at Kentucky with Colero in 2019, when they lead the first day of dressage. They’re capable of putting some very, very good scores on the board, and posted a 23.9 on their last run at Avenches, but those scores can fluctuate into the low-30s. They’re fast and accurate across the country, and ordinarily they’re reliable over the poles, though they had a highly uncharacteristic three down at Avenches. On their day, they could sneak into the top ten. They’ve done so 26 times out of their 39 FEI starts.

Fun fact: Felix, who was based in the US for two years, keeps the best of the best in his corner: he trains with Michael Jung, Bettina Hoy, and Andrew Nicholson. As a junior, he competed in the Swiss alpine skiing championships. No word on whether he keeps a pair of lederhosen on hand for special occasions. He’s actually German, so we expect so – though we mustn’t say that too loudly. His family has a rich history of representing Switzerland in equestrian sport: his grandfather evented at the 1956 Olympics, his mother competed at the Swiss equestrian championships in 1980, and his brother, Ben, rode at Rio.

Travelling reserve: Eveline Bodenmüller with Violine de la Brasserie – 12-year-old Swiss Warmblood mare (Galant Normand – Clarte de la Brasserie, by Cinema), owned by Mathias Bodenmüller and Christian Kohn

SWEDEN

Louise Romeike and Cato 60. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Louise Romeike with Cato 60

17-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Contendro I – Melanocarpa, by Heraldik xx), owned by Hinrich, Louise and Susanne Romeike

4*/5* dressage average: 31.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This is Louise’s Olympic debut, though she’s ridden at the 2018 WEG and three European Championships, picking up team silver in 2017 and team bronze in 2019. Cato 60, who was competed by husband Claas until 2020, ordinarily wouldn’t eclipse the likes of Wieloch’s Utah Sun or Waikiki in her string, but looked to come into his own enormously in his final run at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S in June, where he was fourth. They should contribute a strong finishing score to the team and could even nudge their way into the top ten individually, as they’ve been trending around 27 on the flat recently, are fairly quick and reliable across the country, and tend to be good over the poles, too.

Fun fact: Louise is married to German eventer Claas Romeike, whose father, Hinrich, won team and individual eventing gold at the 2008 Olympics with Marius, despite working full-time as a dentist. Louise used to balance her riding with working as a lingerie saleswoman, but after a trial weekend working for Germany’s Peter Thompsen, she decided to do the horse thing full time.

Ludwig Svennerstal and Balham Mist. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ludwig Svennerstål with Balham Mist

14-year-old British-Bred Sport Horse gelding (Mill Law – Rock Me Baby, by Rock King), owned by Andrew Ayres and Svennerstål Eventing AB

4*/5* dressage average: 34

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: ‘Misty’ tends to either place or not complete, and there isn’t an awful lot in between – but their last handful of runs have seen them on good form, with an eighth place finish in a hot CCI4*-S class at Aston le Walls rounding off their 2021 season thus far. The CCI5* level has been an issue for them, with two rider falls and a 40pen in three runs – but the Olympic cross-country is set at four-star, which has historically been a more comfortable level for them. Ludwig is experienced at championships, with two Olympics, a WEG, and four Senior Europeans under his belt already, so he should be able to coax a solid performance out of the horse – but don’t expect them to fight for an individual medal. If they can finish on a score under 40, which they ought to, it’ll contribute to what could be a podium hunt for the team.

Fun fact: There are a few paternal half-sibling relationships in this field, but Balham Mist goes one better – he’s got the same dam as another entrant. That’s Colorado Blue, who’s been moved into the Irish team from the sub spot with Austin O’Connor. Both horses were bred by Kate Jarvey, a Boston native who owns Austin’s base, Attington Stud.

Therese Viklund and Viscera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Therese Viklund with Viscera

13-year-old Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz 2 – Wilhelmientje, by Wolkentanz), owned by Lena Nyström

4*/5* dressage average: 29.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles:

The need-to-knows: This pair can produce a seriously smart dressage test, and have danced their way to scores in the mid-20s, including a 25.9 at their final prep run at Bicton CCI4*-S. Unfortunately, they also picked up their first 20 penalties since 2017 there, though as they’ve had eighteen consecutive clears at FEI events, we’ll let that one slide. They’re capable of being quick when Therese pushes for speed, but their final phase can let them down sometimes. This is a championship debut for the Swede, who relocated to Britain in 2020, and the partnership she has with this feisty little mare will serve her well this week. They could certainly impress.

Fun fact: Viscera only has one eye – though it hasn’t slowed her down in any way. She lost it in 2018 after a bout of uveitis, and Therese says she never felt any different after the fact.

Travelling reserve: Sara Algotsson Ostholt with Chicuelo – 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Click and Cash 1155 – Expensi, by Empire 1115), owned by Patricia Oddshammar & Gunnar Modalen

THAILAND

Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince. Photo by Pauline Chevalier/Saumur Horse Trials.

Arinadtha Chavatanont with Boleybawn Prince

17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Colin Diamond – Ann Brook Lass, by Clover Hill), owned by Karnchanaporn and Tanakom Chavatanont, Natthaya Lertrungamorn

4*/5* dressage average: 36.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Arinadtha comes forward as part of the first-ever Thai eventing team at the Olympics, led by trainer Maxime Livio. Her horse is a previous mount of Maxime’s, too – actually, he’s been the ride of pretty much everyone, from Dirk Schrade to Yoshi Oiwa to Dagmar Lipp – and ‘Mint’ first got the ride in 2016. She and Maxime have taken it in turns to do events with him since, and their results are generally consistent with the odd blip. They’re not here to be competitive, but to get the team home and gain vital experience.

Fun fact: 28-year-old Arinadtha has also show jumped at World Cups, even though she only began riding at the age of 15. Her eventing career began just five years ago. She’s a regular competitor and medallist at Asian Games and Championships, but this will be her first time competing on the world stage.

Weerapat Pitakanonda and Carnival March. Photo courtesy of the Thailand Equestrian Federation.

Weerapat Pitakanonda with Carnival March

10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cavalier Carnival – Ryans Cruise, by Atlantic Cruise), owned by Harald Link, Sureeporn Pitakanonda, and Nunthinee Tanner

4*/5* dressage average: 35.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: ‘Bomb’, as he’s known to his pals, was part of the gold medal-winning Thai team at the 2019 Asian Championships, but this is a first championship on the world stage for the rider, who was previously based with Australia’s Sam Griffiths in the UK. Carnival March was formerly ridden by Piggy March (no relation), and she piloted him to ninth place at the Seven-Year-Old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers in 2018. Bomb took the ride in mid 2020, after the horse had had nearly two years off, and they’ve picked up a top ten in a CCI4*-L at Baborowko since – but they’ve had problems on cross-country in all three of their other attempts at the level. Their campaign this week will be about skipping the heroics and making sensible decisions instead to build experience and confidence for them both for the future.

Fun fact: He was inspired to try riding after watching The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a Chinese TV series that features some characters who rode.

Korntawat Samran and Bonero K. Photo courtesy of the Thailand Equestrian Federation.

Korntawat Samran with Bonero K

15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Son de Niro – Moonlight, by Damiro), owned by Nara Ketusingha and Vithai Laithomya

4*/5* dressage average: 35.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Originally produced by Britain’s Roo Fox, Bonero K was briefly piloted by Spain’s Alberto Hermoso Farras in 2019 before ‘Nat’ took the reins in July of that year. After a couple of early teething problems, they were away flying, with eight consecutive clear cross-country runs at FEI events. A 20 in the CCI3*-S at Saumur earlier this year broke that streak, but they’ve finished ninth at the same level at Baborowko since. Like the other Thai riders, Nat’s main priority will be an educational completion – particularly as they don’t have a reserve rider – but they look the most reliable of the three and even come in with an FEI win under their belt, which they earned in a CCI3*-S at Barroca d’Alva at the end of 2020.

Fun fact: Nat won the 2019 Princess’s Cup at the Equestrian Rising Star Awards Night in Thailand. He has a degree in Sports Science from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Travelling reserve: none

USA

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Phillip Dutton with Z

13-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Asca – Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z), owned by Thomas Tierney, Ann Jones, Caroline Moran, Simon Roosevelt, and Suzanne Lacy

4*/5* dressage average: 30.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: The first of our Ameri-stralians on the US team, P.Dutty was actually named to the Aussie Sports Hall of Fame back in 2002. He relocated to the US in 2001 to put himself in a hub of the sport, and changed nationality officially in 2007. He’s long been the country’s most stalwart campaigner on teams, and this will be his seventh Games. He won individual gold at Rio on Mighty Nice, and Z finished 13th at the WEG in 2018. Though Z had a tricky 2019 with a few blips, he’s been on top form since, with six top-ten FEI runs in a row. They finished eighth at Kentucky this spring, and are fast, reliable, and super over the poles. Their 25.3 in a CCI4*-S earlier this year proved they can even scare the dressage leaders – but we’re more likely to see them post a high 20s score and climb after that.

Fun fact: Phillip is the oldest US athlete competing in any sport at the Olympics this year – and was at Rio, too. He was inspired by Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl at 43 this year: “I was very inspired by Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, because he kind of proved that there’s no set age or number for when you can do your best. I don’t think there’s a set number when you have to stop. I’d like to go for as long as I can, but I also don’t want to be stupid about it. I don’t see a retirement date at this stage. As long as I’m not embarrassing myself or the family, I think I can keep going for a while.”

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg TSF

14-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall II – Thabana, by Buddenbrock), owned by Christine Turner, Thomas Turner, and Tommie Turner

4*/5* dressage average: 30.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Boyd was born to be an Olympian – after all, both his parents were. His dad, Ross, competed for Australia in cross-country skiing while his mum, Toy, represented the USA in speed skating. This will be his third Olympics: he competed at London, though didn’t complete, and was in the top twenty at Rio. He’s also done three WEGs, including 2018 with Tsetserleg, and two Pan-American Games, winning team and individual gold with Tsetserleg in 2019 and helping the US earn a ticket to Tokyo in the process. Tsetserleg was the US National Champion in 2019 after finishing as the highest-placed American at Kentucky, where they were second, and in their last eight FEI runs, they’ve been first or second six times. Their Kentucky run this spring was unfortunate: they had a freak fall near the end of the course when Tsetserleg left a leg, as a couple of other ordinarily consistent horses did, and they haven’t had an international run since. He wasn’t originally named to the team, but has been swapped in as a reserve horse, and Boyd may need to nurture him a bit around the course to ensure his confidence wasn’t dented in Kentucky. If they can put that blip behind them, they can fight for a podium place.

Fun fact: Both Tsetserleg – who’s named after a town in Mongolia – and Doug’s ride Vandiver are by Windfall II, the Trakehner stallion with whom Darren Chiacchia won team bronze at Athens in 2004. Boyd first saw him as a four-year-old being ridden at a clinic in Texas and admits he thought he was nothing more than a fat, woolly pony. Fortunately, ‘Thomas’ didn’t take it personally.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Doug Payne with Vandiver

17-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall II – Visions of Grandeur, by Mystic Replica xx), owned by Debi Crowley, Doug Payne, and Jessica Payne

4*/5* dressage average: 34.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Doug and Vandiver were originally named as travelling alternates for Team USA, but stepped into the team after the withdrawal of Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. They haven’t finished lower than 12th in an FEI event since Burghley in 2019, where they took a tumble, but it hasn’t had any negative effect – they were twelfth at Kentucky this spring and won the CCI4*-S at Tryon earlier this year, which bodes well since Doug spotted some similarities between Tryon and Tokyo’s tracks while walking. They’re an experienced and solid pair and should deliver a strong result that helps push the US towards a long-awaited team podium place.

Fun fact: Doug likes to relax by…flying planes, which doesn’t sound relaxing at all. “Usually I just rent a plane from the flight school when I need it. It allows us more time to spend with family. It’s something different. My background is in engineering, so I really enjoy it; it gets your brain working. Frankly, the learning process to fly, there were a lot of similarities to riding. It’s helped me with teaching and thinking about different ways to learn,” he told the Chronicle of the Horse. 

Travelling reserve: Tamie Smith with Mai Baum – 15-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Loredano 2 – Ramira, by Rike), owned by Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell

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Major Changes to Australian and Irish Teams as Last-Minute Swaps Made

By on Jul 29, 2021 10:28 am -

Kevin McNab and Don Quidam step into the Australian team just hours before the start of competition. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Following this morning’s first horse inspection at Tokyo, where all the Australian horses were accepted, the decision has been made within the Team Australia camp to move substitute pair Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam into the main team. Stuart Tinney and ten-year-old Leporis will now move into the substitute slot, which means that they won’t compete unless they’re called into replace a team member who’s unable to continue at any point.

“Following the acceptance of all Australian team horses at the first horse inspection today, a decision has been taken that Leporis, ridden by Stuart Tinney, will not start the competition and will be replaced by Kevin McNab riding Don Quidam,” reads the statement released by EA. “Based on advice from the team veterinarians and in consultation with the athletes, the decision was made in the best interest of the horse and team. Under the new Olympic format, Leporis and Stuart Tinney now become the P alternate combination.”

Because this change has been made more than two hours prior to the start of the dressage, the team will not be awarded any substitution penalties.

Kevin and Don Quidam bring forward an impressive wealth of experience, with a sixth place finish at Kentucky CCI5* under their belt this spring and a 7th place finish in the horse’s CCI5* debut at Pau in 2019. There has been no word from EA on whether this swap will prompt a change in their team order of go, which currently features Kevin in the middle slot.

Ireland’s travelling reserves, Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, take their place in the main team. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Team Ireland has also undergone a major change, as reserve combination Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue take the place of European bronze medallists and WEG silver medalists Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Cathal will now move into the substitute spot, from which he can be called into the team as needed pending veterinary approval.

“Being reserve is that awkward position where to get a run yourself, something has to go wrong for a fellow team member,” says Austin’s team in a statement on his Facebook page. “Our commiserations go to Cathal, his owners and his team. We only hope that Austin and Salty can do their country proud. Riding at the Olympics is the ultimate honour and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Team Ireland’s chef d’equipe, Sally Corscadden, says: “Obviously this is really tough for Cathal and Rioghan Rua’s owner and breeder Margaret Kinsella, particularly with it happening so close to the start of the competition. We did everything we could and gave the mare every chance to be ready, but unfortunately we were forced to make a decision and of course horse welfare is always paramount for everyone. Austin now steps in and he is ready to go. We are very lucky to have someone of Austin’s calibre to step in, he is in great form, we still have a very strong team and are looking forward to the start of the competition.”

Like Kevin, Austin looks set to move into the middle of his team’s order of go.

Dressage is set to begin at 8.30 a.m. Tokyo time on Friday, 30 July (7.30 p.m. Eastern/4.30 p.m. Pacific, Thursday July 29). You can check out full start times here.

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The Mount Fuji of Fashion: EN’s Totally (un)Official Trot-Up Awards

By on Jul 29, 2021 9:26 am -

Travelling to the other end of the world, navigating tough training programmes and navigating ever-changing competition schedules in a pandemic, and being resolute enough to cope with an Olympics sans crowds is all very admirable – but it doesn’t exempt you from being lovingly lampooned in this, the Tokyo edition of our highly-coveted Golden Chinch Awards. Winning Badminton or Burghley (remember those? Okay grandma), Kentucky (Land Rover? Rolex? Just remind me that I’m broke, why don’t ya), or a championship title is all well and good, but everyone knows that all the pros are in the game for one reason: to fight for the honour of having a truly ludicrous jog award bestowed upon them by me, a journalist about to embark upon her third consecutive all-nighter in a t-shirt that’s covered in coffee stains. You think you know FASHION? Move aside, chaps, because it’s time for the Anna Wintour of equestrian media to take the floor.

Awarding the Golden Chinches at an Olympics is a unique experience: whereas riders at five-stars are free to make their own bad decisions (or to let their managers and PRs make them for them), Olympic attire is governed by the higher-ups. Whether it’s the national equestrian federation that decides the outfits, or the country’s Olympic committee, each member of the team is stuck with whatever’s been pulled out of the wardrobe and thrust in their general direction. Sometimes this works well for them. Sometimes you end up dressed like a deceased royal.

And so, without further ado, let’s dive into Tokyo Fashion Week: where the colour schemes were questionable and the shorts were, well…you’ll see.

The Golden Chinch for the Outfit Most Likely to Have Been Picked Up at a Market Stall:

Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Alpaga d’Arville. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, Belgium

Londoners will feel this one in their soul: you’re fifteen years old, with a bit too much eyeliner on and a slathering of Dream Matte Mousse that would suit Charlotte Dujardin’s Gio, but not you. You’re feeling extra grown up because you’ve been allowed to jump on the train into town by yourself to blow your money from your weekend babysitting job and furtively share a cigarette with eight of your closest pals. You’re feeling cooler than you’ve ever felt, and so your first port of call is Camden Market, where you’ve got your sights set on some bold, statement pieces. After sifting through some bootleg band t-shirts (The Roling Stones? Nervana? Lawsuit-proof, baby), you find it: a striking jumpsuit that makes you look like you’re working on the children’s ward at 3 but you’ve got a rap-battle lined up at 6. “For you, young miss, I do £10,” says the stallholder. Sold.

(NB: Props to Lara, mind you, for avoiding the orange foundation and heavy eyeliner look. You’ve pulled this off in a way that no one else can, and in the interest of not losing my job, I must acknowledge the fact that this was editor Sally Spickard’s favourite outfit of the day.)

The Golden Chinch Award for the Rider Most Likely to Go to Space with Jeff Bezos:

Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Alex Hua Tian (China)

Look at him! He’s got his little space suit ready! Now all he needs is some billionaire to fork over $28 million for the trip and then realise he’s got a haircut booked that day. When that happens, Alex is ready and waiting to take his place. Alex, pal, while you’re up there, can you ask Jeff to put Game of Thrones on Prime Video?

The Golden Chinch for the Outfit That Would be Most Improved by the Addition of a Little Helicopter

The Winner: Team Australia

Fixed it for ya, lads.

The Golden Chinch for Mastery of the People’s Princess to Revenge Outfit Pipeline:

Winners: Malgorzata Chybulska (Poland), Jesse Campbell and Jonelle Price (New Zealand)

“There were three of us in this Golden Chinch award, so it was a bit crowded.”

It’s rare that we award a Golden Chinch to a group, rather than an individual – but consider this the ‘Best Picture’ of this year’s awards. It’s a collaborative effort that is worth more than the sum of its parts, and we must commend everyone’s extraordinary work in pulling it off. It’s the nod to the Princess of Wales that we probably could have used at London 2012, but we’ll accept it nearly a decade later, because she’s still the Princess of our Hearts, or something.

Much has been written in the mainstream media about the timeline of Diana’s wardrobe: from fresh-faced, doe-eyed little Lady, to ’90s doyenne of athleisure, to jilted woman who sought revenge with sexy outfits, every bit of it has been ripe for analysis. And so we saw it played out on the jog strip today: we’ve got Malgorzata Cybulska of Poland in the prim and pretty dress, representing Lady Di at the moment when an interviewer asked her and Charles if they were in love and he replied, “whatever love is.” Ouch. Then we’ve got a whole host of knobbly-kneed boys in peak trendy Diana mode: this is Di as a young mum, striding through town in cycling shorts and oversized sweatshirts, gleaming white trainers stuck to the end of toned, tanned legs. Some days she added a cap, some days she added shades, and notably, she would sometimes chuck a structured, oversized blazer over the whole thing, as Jesse Campbell did this morning. It’s a look that screams “I know about the tampon phone call, and I’m rising above it”, and we are here for it. Finally, in the role of Revenge Di, Jonelle Price dons a spicy little black number that’s just begging for a dance with John Travolta.

The Golden Chinch for the Best F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Reference:

Switzerland’s Robin Godel and Jet Set. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Robin Godel (Switzerland)

It’s faded salmon, okay?

The Golden Chinch Award for Looking Like a Dating App Red Flag:

Hong Kong’s Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Tom Heffernan Ho (Hong Kong)

Tom is a lovely chap, so let’s get that out of the way first of all. Absolutely delightful. Not at all into causing harm and heartbreak on the world wide web. But the very fitted trousers? The slimline (white!) blazer? The carefully-honed, boyband hair situation? This is a look that you’d swipe right for, even though you’d do it with a sigh because you’d know, deep down, that this man would reel you in like a helpless little fishy, wooing your defences away by making you playlists full of Sufjan Stevens and Phoebe Bridgers, texting you terribly clever lines from the book he’s reading (“just made me think of you x”), and making intense and compelling eye contact while he asked you lots of questions about your childhood, before ultimately ghosting you one day and unmatching you on Tinder. Every. Damn. Time. Just go for the guy with the sedated tiger photo and keep the bar really low next time.

(Tom is engaged, so we’re confident this isn’t his actual method. But man, did he dress like it today.)

The Golden Chinch for the Team Most Likely to Sell You Thin Mints:

Sweden. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: the ladies of Team Sweden

“They’re only $5 a box and 76% of your purchase will go towards building girls of courage, confidence, and character,” says Sara Algotsson Ostholt, her little foot stubbornly stuck in the door jamb to stop you from shutting her out of your house. She’s only small, and she’s laden down with what looks like hundreds of boxes of cookies, but there’s something frightening in her unblinking eye contact and wide smile. Underneath her natty neckerchief, you can see hundreds of achievement badges dotting her shirt. You’re not sure what any of them mean, but you think you spot one that has what looks like a dagger on it. A sweat forming across your back, you opt to buy ten boxes to try to assuage the tiny assassin and her murderous, unseen overlords.

“Thank you for feeding joy today,” she says – and that’s the last thing you ever hear.

The Golden Chinch for the Rider Most Likely to Get Arrested for Stealing a Ribena From a Corner Store:

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Cathal Daniels (Ireland)

My gym is in a vaguely dodgy bit of town, and every time I go, I inevitably drive past a group of guys punching each other’s lights out in front of the Job Centre. They’re always dressed exactly like the Irish team, though I’ve never yet seen any of them bring a horse to the fight. (Mind you, if you were going to bring one, diminutive and feisty Rioghan Rua would be my choice – I’ve seen those hind legs in action, and they’re both fast and accurate.) Cathal’s look here tells me that this is a man who ‘loves the sesh’, ‘lives for the bants’, and ‘will dwell in his mum’s basement until he’s 45’.

The Golden Chinch for the Who Dat? Hottie of the Day

Fouaad Mirza and Seigneur Medicott. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The Winner: Fouaad Mirza (India)

My first thought when I saw this photo was ‘wow, this is giving me Viktor Krum at the Yule Ball vibes.’ My second thought was ‘oh my god, I’m thirty years old and dangerously close to assigning this Olympian a Hogwarts house on the internet. This is why I’m single.‘ So instead, I’m going to be really civilised, really responsible, and really professional, and give Fouaad the inaugural ‘Who Dat? Hottie’ prize for somehow managing to smoulder even while wearing a face mask. The thirst is real, and not just because it’s 90 degrees out there.

The Golden Chinch for the Rider Who Got Really Into Home Workouts During Lockdown

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Oliver Townend (Great Britain)

This is the outfit of someone who spent six hours trawling the internet to find the only dumbbells left after the great workout splurge of early 2020. The outfit of someone who spent six months drinking Huel instead of eating actual meals, because they were certain they’d come out of lockdown looking like Brad Pitt. The outfit of someone who hasn’t ever seen anything funnier than that time Joe Wickes accidentally farted in one of his live workouts. The outfit of someone who cries every time they do a Yoga with Adrienne video. Now drop and give us twenty, Oliver.

The Golden Chinch for the Outfit Most Likely to Feature in an Alanis Morrissette Music Video

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Colleen Loach (Canada, eh)

The real irony of this outfit, though, is that she couldn’t find any blue jeans to complete the Canadian tuxedo.

The Golden Chinch for the Best Example of a Zoom Meeting Outfit

Peter Flarup and Fascination. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Winner: Peter Flarup (Denmark)

This is the Pandemic Olympics, and this is a rider who’s summed up the vibe of the last 18 months so wholly and conclusively that it almost brought a little tear to my eye. Who among us hasn’t woken up three minutes before an important Zoom call, rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, and chucked a blazer on over their undergarments to transform into a boss business babe? Peter could have been a mere footnote here, an honourable mention in the Princess Di pipeline, but the addition of that jazzy red and some shorts that really are short has launched this look onto its own podium. It’s business up top, party down below, and it’s taken WFH and made it couture. Timely, topical, and tailored. The grand champion.

Congratulations to all our lucky winners! Please still grant me interviews when I next see you all.

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#TheTeaFromTokyo: Walk, Walk, Fashion Baby

By on Jul 29, 2021 6:03 am -

Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve. Photo by Sally Spickard.

And just like that, eventing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics had started. If you’re the kind of lunatic who pulled a late one just to attempt to follow along with the first horse inspection (which had no live coverage or streaming, and was thus saved for the masses by our Sal’s live tweets), we salute you. If not, we commend your wise life choices and hope you might impart some of your sanity to us later this week, when we’ll surely need a top-up.

Want to catch up on what went down at the horse inspection, and check out some of Sally’s super shots? Head on over to the report, which is jam-packed with everything you need to know. Want to mercilessly tease the riders for their dodgy team outfits? Hold tight, because our Golden Chinch awards are on their way to you. In the meantime? Relive the whole experience through the eyes of the riders and their teams, with these bumper round-up of today’s social media from Tokyo:

All was a-flurry in the stables, as the grooms prepared their charges for the first inspection:

Okay, mostly all a-flurry. Felix Vogg’s Colero prioritised a few extra minutes of sleep, and we feel that: 

Australian sub Kevin McNab got ready for his first day of school – erm, the Olympic inspection: 

A very serious Ros Canter and Allstar B passed without hesitation:

And the USA’s Doug Payne and Vandiver made a strong entry in the Braids of the Day competition:

Okay, no, we need to look at those Aussie outfits again. Take it away, Andrew Hoy: 

Laura Collett and London 52 – the handsomest horse in the world – were accepted to begin their fight for gold: 

Team Thailand and Team Japan’s behind-the-scenes squad kept the morning sociable:

Sweden’s Louise Romeike and Cato 60 looked perfectly polished as always:

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class win just about everything – but can they win gold in their Olympic debut? They can certainly try, after being accepted this morning:

Okay ONE MORE LOOK at those Aussies, because we cannot get enough:

Belarus’s Alexandr Zelenko had us all holding our breath when he was asked to trot again, but he was subsequently accepted (on the day after his birthday, no less!): 

China’s first-ever Olympic eventing team was accepted, helmed by Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro, back to try to better their top-ten finish at Rio:

Britain’s Tom McEwen gives Toledo de Kerser – everyone’s favourite horse – a big pat: 

We’re getting NASA vibes with these USA trousers, but we’re kind of into it: 

Our boots-on-the-ground, Sally Spickard, snapped the jog and kept us all updated: 

Here’s another look at Belarus’s Alexandr Zelenko: 

It wasn’t all fun and games. We’re heartbroken for Canada’s Jessica Phoenix, who withdrew Pavarotti prior to the inspection, and Poland’s Pawel Spisak, who was spun with Banderas:

Spain’s Francisco Gavino Gonzalez made the best of the stress: 

The turnout was top notch:

I could look at this photo for hours and still not find the words to describe this extraordinary outfit: 

Dutch Olympian Tim Lips cheered on Team China, who he’s been instrumental in developing:

Team Ireland looked like they might be about to fight one another outside a JobCentre:

Sweden leaned in to the yellow trousers – but disappointing, neither Ludwig Svennerstal nor chef d’equipe Fred Bergendorff got involved: 

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier made sure Belgium stood out:

The commemorative People’s Princess team took revenge fashion to a whole new level:

Russia’s Mikhail Nastenko and Andrey Mitin posed for a snap in the cavernous main arena: 

London 52’s owners, Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett, made it to Tokyo:

The Hong Kong contingent look stylish:

Mind you, though, Tom Heffernan Ho gave off the vibe of a man who’s about to ghost you on Hinge: 

Team USA made sure everyone knew where they’d come from:

And Team GB planned their outfits so they don’t even need to get changed before they hit the gym:

The Dutch went all-out orange and…kind of smashed it, to be honest: 

Team Brazil kept it simple:

Team Japan looked seriously sharp in their crisp suits:

Phillip Dutton made the sure whole team – grooms, trainers, and all – got involved:

Boyd Martin tracked down McLain Ward for some extra jumping juju:

EquiRatings’ Diarm Byrne got a bit soppy from home: 

The Kiwis headed straight back to the schooling ring to prepare for tomorrow’s dressage:

And Germany continued their campaign of intimidation. How do they look cool and frightening in red and peach t-shirts?! It is a great unsolved mystery:

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#TheTeaFromTokyo: The Calm Before the Storm

By on Jul 28, 2021 8:20 pm -

 

 

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It’s nearly time for the eventing at Tokyo to begin in earnest, with the first horse inspection just minutes away from getting underway. But what have our competitors been up to four the last 24 hours since we caught up with them yesterday? Let’s take a look…

We got our latest entrant in the People Hanging Out By the Rings photo suite, this time from Spain’s Francisco Gavino Gonzalez:

Today marked exactly 37 years since Andrew Hoy made his Olympic debut. Now he’s at his eighth Games:

Kazuma Tomoto’s Vinci de la Vigne malfunctioned. We recommend turning it off and then turning it back on again:

Oliver Townend’s Ballaghmor Class spent his day well – napping and making high-profile pals:

Germany’s Sandra Auffarth headed out for another coursewalk with student Fouaad Mirza and groom Nils Trebbe:

Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos enjoyed massages:

The Germans intimidated everyone by looking cool and frightening:

William Fox-Pitt put Kazuma Tomoto’s skills to the test:

Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier schooled among the cherry blossoms: 

The Canadians came out to play:

Sweden’s Therese Viklund reflected on her journey so far:

France’s Nicolas Touzaint counted down to go time:

US sub Tamie Smith schooled the black stallion:

And Aussie sub Kevin McNab got to work with Don Quidam:

And British sub and World Champion Ros Canter was pretty busy, too:

Thomas Heffernan Ho’s Tayberry enjoyed the misting tents: 

Course builder David Evans went out to double-check his masterpiece:

Charlotte Dujardin had a good day in the office, winning individual bronze in the dressage freestyle:

Laura Collett had a fangirl moment:

And Team Thailand celebrated getting this show on the road!

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Meet India’s Olympic Eventer, Fouaad Mirza

By on Jul 28, 2021 7:07 pm -

Our EN Slack chat is always a pretty fizzy place to be, with rapid-fire messages coming in from a number of timezones throughout the day and night. But when part of the team is at a major event? Hooooo boy, does it POP OFF. We’ve got our editor-in-chief Sally Spickard on site in Tokyo this week, and when she arrived to watch arena familiarisation the other day, she wasted no time at all: within minutes, she was reporting back on her horse crush of the week. Naturally, we’ve all been following him – and his rider – from afar ever since.

The former Bettina Hoy mount Seigneur Medicott is undeniably striking, with a dressage average in the low-20s and legs that seem to go on for days. But it’s well worth taking note of his rider, too. Indian competitor Fouaad Mirza is based with former World Champion Sandra Auffarth in Germany, and he’s no slouch: we’ve seen him making a mark on the European circuit in his quest to put India on the eventing map. We were keen to find out more about the up-and-coming superstar before he becomes everyone’s new favourite rider this week – so check out this video to find out some of what we learned and get yourself on the bandwagon nice and early.

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Making Moves for Medals: Your Guide to the Tokyo Teams

By on Jul 28, 2021 6:46 pm -

Three cheers for Olympic madness – back when you could squeeze this many riders on a podium without triggering a city-wide state of emergency.  Photo: Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI

We’re on the final countdown now to the first horse inspection in Tokyo, which takes place at the wildly unsociable hour of sometime-in-the-middle-of-the-damn-night for most of us. But while we all wait to pull our all-nighters and panic over the lack of live-stream (head to our Twitter and Instagram for live updates), let’s take a closer look at the competition ahead of us – and those in the hunt. We’ll be looking at the riders themselves in fine detail tomorrow, but today, it’s all about the 15 teams that have traversed the globe on their quest to wear a medal made out of bits of recycled cell phones. Who are they? Where did they come from? Where did they go? What’s their secret weapon, Cotton-Eye Joe? We’ve got all you need to know about their form, their history of success at the Games, and what you can expect this week. Oh, and we’ve put it in drawn order, too, for ease of use, because we’re nice like that. Take it away, pals…

 

Chef d’equipe: Nara Ketusingha, who is a tour de force in the Thai equestrian community: a former competitor himself, he’s the Secretary General of the Thai Equestrian Federation and has managed teams across the disciplines at multiple major championships, including the 2014 World Equestrian Games.

Team members: 

  • Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince
  • Weerapat Pitakanonda and Carnival March
  • Korntawat Samran and Bonero K

Team substitute: none

Where did they qualify? Like China, Thailand earned their ticket to Tokyo at the special qualification event held at Saumur, France in 2019. This was held at the CCI3*-L level and intended as a way for nations from Groups F and G (Africa and the Middle East; South East Asia and Oceania) to gain a place at the Games.

When did they last win a medal? Again, like China, this is a historic first team for Thailand at the Games, though not the first time the country has been represented in this discipline: Nina Ligon became the first woman ever to represent an Asian country in Olympic eventing when she came forward at London 2012.

What’s their form like? They had to work hard to get their necessary individual qualifications together, although each partnership is respectably solid. Without a reserve pair, though, they’ll need to focus on staying safe and sensible so they can aim to complete and lay a foundation for the future. They’re not ready to be competitive yet, but doing their job well this week will make it more likely for them to come back as competitive entities in the future.

What’s their secret weapon? A seriously top-notch team coach in the form of French five-star winner Maxime Livio. His girlfriend, showjumper Mathilde Montginoux, is supporting the team as head groom, too, so expect a finely-honed system for keeping these three horses in tip-top condition through the week.

Chef d’equipe: Chris Bartle and Richard Waygood, who both joined the team in late 2016 after a disappointing Rio performance a few months prior. Since then, the team has gone from strength to strength, and it’s no suprise: Chris Bartle was previously the architect of Germany’s success, and Richard Waygood helmed the British dressage team during its extraordinary trajectory from zero to hero.

Team members: 

  • Laura Collett and London 52
  • Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser
  • Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class

Team substitute: Ros Canter and Allstar B

Where did they qualify? Great Britain handily earned their ticket to Tokyo while winning team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

When did they last win a medal? The British team took silver at the London Olympics in 2012, though they were understandably slightly disappointed not to take the win at their home Games. Prior to that, they took bronze at Beijing in 2008, silver at Athens 2004, Sydney 2000, Seoul 1988, and Los Angeles 1984. To find a team gold, you have to go all the way back to Munich in 1972, where they won their second consecutive gold after success at Mexico City 1968. They also took gold at Stockholm in 1956 and bronze at the ‘Nazi Games’ in 1936, but that was, perhaps, something of a fluke before the true birth of British eventing in 1948. This is certainly one of the world’s most dominant eventing nations – and easily the team that’ll put up the biggest fight this year – but Olympic gold has proven evasive for a remarkable amount of time. Individually, Great Britain won gold in 2004, when Leslie Law and Shear L’Eau were retroactively awarded the win after a tribunal stripped Bettina Hoy of victory after a starting error in the final phase. Pippa Funnell took bronze that year, and in 2008, Tina Cook took bronze with Miner’s Frolic. In total, Great Britain has won nine individual medals, with just two golds – the other was won by Richard Meade and Laurieston in 1972.

What’s their form like? When a country is able to put the reigning World Champions in as reserves, you know they’re almost ludicrously on form. Anything can happen in eventing – and certainly at the Olympics – but on form alone, this is the team that comes forward as gold medal favourites. Each of the three combinations on the squad has won a CCI5* (and Ballaghmor Class has won two, including this spring’s tough Kentucky over a course designed by Tokyo designer Derek di Grazia). Unusually for the British team, though, none of the four riders has ever been to an Olympics before, and all have been working towards this moment for their entire careers. With their amassed experience, the pressure shouldn’t throw a spanner in the works, but there’s always a chance of that when your first Olympic experience coincides with the lucky circumstance of being the hot favourite.

What are their secret weapons? Ian Woodhead. The Yorkshire-based trainer – and father of top eventer Holly and top dressage rider Amy – has the magic touch and is able to finely-tune the riders’ warm-ups so they go into the ring at their absolute peak. With this team of first-phase phenoms, he’ll be an unbelievable asset that’ll likely push GB into a first-phase lead.

Chef d’equipe: Erik Duvander, who previously helmed the Kiwi team and stepped into the US chef role back in 2017.

Team members: 

  • Phillip Dutton and Z
  • Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF
  • Doug Payne and Vandiver

Team substitute: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum

Where did they qualify? The US missed out on a qualification at the 2018 WEG, but rallied to nab their spot at the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru, where they won gold. Boyd and Tsetserleg took individual gold there, too, for good measure.

When did they last win a medal? Team USA is on the hunt for its first Olympic team medal since Athens 2004, where they finished in bronze position. They did the same at Sydney 2000, and took silver at Atlanta 1996, Munich 1972, Mexico City 1968, and the last Tokyo Games in 1964. Going way back into the annals of eventing history, they were gold medallists at London 1948 and Los Angeles 1932, bronze medallists at the first Olympic eventing competition in 1912, and bronze medallists at Helsinki 1952, too. Individually, the US had a heyday after the First World War that continued through the Second, with four medals won between 1924 and 1948, and another four from 1968 to 1984 – oh, and another four from 1996 to 2008, including individual gold for David O’Connor and Custom Made at Sydney in 2000. The last individual medal won by the US was Phillip Dutton’s bronze at Rio in 2016, which he earned aboard Mighty Nice.

What’s their form like? Individually strong, but it hasn’t quite come together for the team at a championship for a while. They finished eighth at the WEG in 2018 after both Boyd and Tsetserleg and Will Coleman and Tight Lines ran into trouble on course, and they were 12th at the Rio Olympics when only Boyd and Phillip completed the competition. They have a very, very strong substitute option in Tamie and Mai Baum, who would be a strong shout for individual gold if they were on the team, but if they have to pull her in once the competition has started, they’ll likely push themselves out of the medals with that substitution penalty. All three will need to bring their A game – and Boyd will need to put a crashing fall at Kentucky in his last run with Tsetserleg well behind him. If all goes to plan, we could see them step onto the podium.

What’s their secret weapon? Showjumping gold medalist Peter Wylde, who hasn’t just been coaching the US riders over fences – he’s also been getting on their horses himself where necessary to provide useful feedback.

Chef d’equipe: Dominik Burger, who is also the team vet. We like a multipurpose man.

Team members: 

  • Robin Godel and Jet Set
  • Melody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire
  • Felix Vogg and Colero

Team substitute: Eveline Bodenmüller and Violine de la Brasserie

Where did they qualify? Switzerland took the very last team ticket, which was awarded to the highest-placed non-qualified team in the final rankings of the 2019 Nations Cup series. They beat Belgium to the spot in a tense showdown at Boekelo.

When did they last win a medal? Switzerland has won an individual and a team medal in eventing, and both at the 1960 Rome Olympics: they took silver that year, while Anton Bühler and Gay-Spark (yes, really) took individual bronze.

What’s their form like? Constantly improving. Robin Godel is an enormously underrated cross-country rider, though Jet Set’s dressage remains resolutely average, and he should be able to do some serious chasing on cross-country day. Felix and Colero are a formidable pair who’ve proven they can place at the top level, and while Melody and Toubleu are a new partnership – the gelding was ridden through 2019 by Switzerland’s Tiziana Realini – they look solid. We’ll be looking for a top-ten finish for Felix and a respectable result for the team. They might not quite make the podium in this company, but they should certainly improve upon 16th at the 2018 WEG. They didn’t field a team at Rio, so they’re already stepping up there.

What’s their secret weapon? Andrew Nicholson. He was brought in as cross-country coach in the lead-up to the 2019 European Championships and has remained in situ ever since, despite the difficulties of the pandemic. It’s a job he clearly adores, and the young Swiss team are flourishing under his intuitive instruction. He’s also responsible for some of their horsepower: Robin Godel will ride Jet Set, a former CCI5* mount of Andrew’s. Andrew’s mantra is ‘never change a winning team’ – and so he’s worked to support each rider’s current system and tweak the bits that need help, rather than do a total overhaul.

Chef d’equipe: Chef Shigeyuki Hosono is joined by team trainer Laurent Bousquet, who heads up the good ship Team Japan after a stint as France’s coach. He’s been in the role since 2016, having done a stretch from 1991 to 2004 as well.

Team members: 

  • Yoshiaki Oiwa and Calle 44
  • Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma d’Allou
  • Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci de la Vigne

Team substitute: Ryuzo Kitajima and Feroza Nieuwmoed

Where did they qualify? As the host nation, Japan automatically gets a team slot – but don’t let that downplay your sense of the scope of their achievements over the past few years. If they hadn’t already had a guaranteed spot, they’d have picked one up at the WEG, where they finished fourth.

When did they last win a medal? Though Japan’s eventers have never medalled at the Olympics, they’re not as new of an entity on the equestrian world stage as you might think – in fact, the showjumping individual gold medal in 1932 was won by Baron Takeichi Nishi, who set an early standard for equestrian excellence in the country.

What’s their form like? While they’ll have a fight on their hands to step onto the podium, they’re certainly capable and among the fan favourites to do so. They finished just off the podium at the 2018 WEG with a team that including both Talma d’Allou and Calle 44, who delivered fast clears over a tough track. (Incidentally, Vinci de la Vigne finished seventh there – but that was with France’s Astier Nicolas. Kazu took the ride that winter.) Japan has also led the first phase at an Olympics before: Yoshi Oiwa and Noonday de Conde went into cross-country at London 2012 in the top spot. Expect Kazu to make a good effort at troubling the leaders between the boards: he’s a first-class dressage rider, and while he and Vinci tend to score in the high-20s, they come here off the back of a 23.5 in the CCI4*-S at Bicton.

What are their secret weapons? It’s not so secret, really, but it’s chef d’equipe Laurent – or, in this case, his contacts in France. He’s been instrumental in the Tokyo pathway for the team since 2016, not just by orchestrating training and competition schedules but by using his French connections to secure some exceptional horses from his fellow countrymen, including Vinci de la Vigne, originally piloted by Astier Nicolas. Other excellent horses sourced for Japanese riders on the trail to Tokyo include Rio gold medallist Bart L, originally ridden by Mathieu Lemoine and now ridden by Yoshi Oiwa, and Ventura de la Chaule, who moved from Nicolas Touzaint to Atsushi Negishi.

Chef d’equipe: Performance Pathways Manager Will Enzinger takes on the chef role in Tokyo. It’s a job that’s tended to move around from championship to championship – even team rider Stuart Tinney has previously worn this hat – and top-level competitor and coach Will is forward-thinking and well-suited to the job.

Team members: 

  • Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos
  • Shane Rose and Virgil
  • Stuart Tinney and Leporis

Team substitute: Kevin McNab and Don Quidam

Where did they qualify? They booked their ticket to Tokyo after finishing sixth at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tokyo, where six spots were available for the highest-placed unqualified teams.

When did they last win a medal? Australia took the team bronze medal in 2016, team silver in 2008 at Beijing, and won three consecutive team golds from 1992-2000. They also took bronze medals at Montreal 1976 and Mexico City 1968, and gold at Rome 1960.  They’re part of a three-way tie for the most team victories in eventing – that’s four, and Germany and the USA are the only other nations to have managed it. Their most recent individual medal was Andrew Hoy’s silver on Swizzle In at Sydney 2000, and Matt Ryan and Kibah Tic Toc took gold at Barcelona in 1992. Prior to that, you need to go all the way back to Rome in 1960 to find an Australian individual medal – but that year, the country did the one-two when Lawrence Morgan and Salad Days won gold followed by Neale Lavis and Mirrabooka in silver.

What’s their form like? Enviable – although the loss of Chris Burton from the team after Quality Purdey sustained an injury was a big blow. He’s replaced by veteran campaigner Stuart Tinney, who’ll need to use all his experience to counter the inexperience of 10-year-old Leporis. Andrew Hoy and the exceptional Vassily de Lassos will lead the way for the squad, and will be in the hunt for an individual medal, too – they haven’t finished lower than sixth in an FEI event since early 2019. Shane Rose and Virgil bring a wealth of experience to the table and should climb after their high-20s/low-30s first-phase mark. Should substitute pair Kevin McNab and Don Quidam be called into competition, we can expect some exciting things: this pair finished sixth at Kentucky this spring over a tough track designed by Derek diGrazia, who also designed the Tokyo course. Overall, the three main team members have eight Olympic medals between them.

What’s their secret weapon? A certain Mr Nelson Pessoa. The legendary Brazilian showjumper — and father of Rodrigo — has been working with the European-based Aussies for the few years to perfect their showjumping skills. Andrew Hoy recently based himself with Pessoa for ten days in Belgium en route to last month’s Luhmühlen Horse Trials in Germany. The team also kept in close contact with Bettina Hoy, who reviewed dressage videos and gave remote feedback throughout the constraints of the pandemic.

Chef d’equipe: Martin Lips

Team members: 

  • Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro
  • Sun Huadong and Lady Chin V’t Moerven T
  • Bao Yingfeng and Flandia 2

Team substitute: Liang Ruiji and Agora de Bordenave

Where did they qualify? China earned themselves a team spot in a qualifying event at Saumur, France in 2019, which was a CCI3*-L qualifier specifically put on for Olympic regions F and G (Africa & the Middle East; Oceania and South East Asia).

When did they last win a medal? This is a historic first team for China’s eventers, who have been well represented at previous Games by Alex Hua Tian. He finished in the top ten at Rio in 2016 with Don Geniro, and will be the lynchpin of this effort, which is the culmination of plenty of work by plenty of people over the past few years building China’s equestrian scene.

What’s their form like? Alex is certainly chasing down another top ten finish, and on Don’s day, they could challenge for an individual medal. As a team, the aim is experience: they’ve worked hard to earn this spot, and in doing so, they’re helping to strengthen the foundations for a sustainable equestrian industry in China. They’re not here to fight for a podium spot, but instead to make good choices and come home all the wiser for it.

What are their secret weapons? If Alex is a secret, then he’s the worst-kept one we’ve ever encountered – so this spot must go to a family whose involvement has been very nearly as well-known. Dutch Olympian Tim Lips and his father Martin, formerly the chef d’equipe of the Dutch team, are at the forefront of building the Chinese eventing scene. Both Bao and Sun are based at their Breda stables, and Tim and Martin source horses to send back to China as well as heading over themselves to train riders and work on building the infrastructure of the industry. Martin will be on hand to help in Tokyo.

Chef d’equipe: Marcin Konarski, who splits his time between coaching duties and working as event director and course designer for Strzegom, Poland’s foremost FEI eventing venue.

Team members: 

  • Malgorzata Cybulska and Cenaro 2
  • Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda
  • Pawel Spisak and Banderas

Team substitute: Jan Kaminski and Jard

Where did they qualify? Poland nabbed a spot at the Olympics in 2019 after winning a special qualifier held at Baborowko in their home country. They faced off with Russia and Belarus in the competition, which was held to allocate a team spot to a Group C country (Central and Eastern Europe; Central Asia), and won handily, with Pawel Spisak taking the individual win top honours. (It’s worth noting, too, that the competition was open to other competitors – and Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH finished second to Pawel.)

 When did they last win a medal? In 1936, at the colloquially-named ‘Nazi Games’ in Berlin, where they won the team silver. They also took bronze at Amsterdam in 1928.

What’s their form like? Realistically, this is a chance to build form and experience for the relatively young and inexperienced team – with the notable exception, of course, of team lynchpin Pawel Spisak and Banderas. This experienced five-star and championship combination can realistically aim to try to break into the top ten.

What’s their secret weapon? Indirectly, it’s Michael Jung: he’s long been Pawel’s coach and friend, and has imparted a wealth of wisdom that the rider has no doubt brought back to his teammates. This is Pawel’s fifth Olympics – a remarkable feat, when you consider that he’s still in his 30s – and his compatriots will benefit from his finely-honed system and bountiful experience.

Chef d’equipe: British-based Fredrik Bergendorff, who has proven a solid captain for the Swedish efforts so far (and also wears a pair of chinos exceptionally well).

Team members: 

  • Louise Romeike and Cato 60
  • Ludwig Svennerstal and Balham Mist
  • Therese Viklund and Viscera

Team substitute: Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Chicuelo

Where did they qualify? At the European Championships in 2019, where there were two spots on offer for the two best-placed thus-far unqualified teams. Sweden took the first, with their bronze medal finish, while Italy took the second.

When did they last win a medal? Sweden were the dominant force in eventing in the early 20th century, and it was at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics that eventing as a sport made its debut. They were the gold medallists there, of course, and at Antwerp in 1920, and then they took silver at Paris in 1924. They disappeared for a couple of decades from the podium but returned for silver at London 1948, gold at Helsinki 1952… and then the reign of Sweden as eventing’s most formidable team was over. They haven’t won a team medal since, though the took individual silver at London 2012 when Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Wega wowed the world. Their most recent individual medal prior to that was at Munich in 1972, where Jan Jönsson took bronze with Sarajevo. In total, they’ve won three individual bronzes, two silvers, and four golds.

What’s their form like? They’re another team that’s improving all the time, and their line-up here is particularly exciting. Louise Romeike is a force to be reckoned with in any company, and she and Cato 60 finished fourth in the final selection trial at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S last month. Ludwig knows his way around an Olympics, and rides a very experienced horse, and debutante Therese Viklund has been very impressive competing in top company in the UK with the one-eyed Viscera. All three horses can, and should, go sub-30 – and Viscera can throw some seriously impressive marks up on his day. The Swedes were ninth at the 2018 WEG and eleventh at Rio, but this could be their moment to regain their long-coveted spot on the podium.

Chef d’equipe: Thierry Touzaint – uncle of rider Nicolas – continues his long reign as head of the French team. He’s tasted gold now, and will want to do so again.

Team members: 

  • Karim Florent Laghouag and Triton Fontaine
  • Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey
  • Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC

Team substitute: none. Karim stepped into the team after the withdrawal of Tom Carlile and Birmane.

Where did they qualify? France picked up one of the six team tickets handed out at 2018’s World Equestrian Games, where they finished in bronze medal position.

When did they last win a medal? The French team are the reigning Olympic medalists – they picked up the gold at Rio, though only substitute Karim comes forward from that team. They also won gold at Athens in 2004, with Nicolas Touzaint on the team, though that was their first team medal since taking bronze at Rome in 1960. Those three medals are the sum total of their team podium finishes since 1912, but they’ve also made an impact on the individual role-call: in 2016, Astier Nicolas took individual silver with Piaf de b’Neville, and they’ve nabbed the gold in 1948 (Bernard Chevallier) and 1968 (Jean-Jacques Guyon), as well as bronze in 1912 (Jacques Cariou) and silver in 1952 (Guy Lefrant).

What’s their form like? We’re used to seeing a French ‘old guard’ at championships, chock full of horses such as Thibaut Vallette’s Qing du Briot or Astier’s Piaf de b’Neville. But due to a combination of equine retirements and minor injuries, we’re looking at a relatively young and inexperienced roster for this year’s Games. It’s unlikely we’ll see them claim the gold again, particularly after the late withdrawal of Thibaut and ultra-consistent Qing, but they shouldn’t be written off: the stats suggest they could fight for a podium place, though the late withdrawal of Tom Carlile’s exquisite ten-year-old Birmane is an enormous blow. Though inexperienced, she represented a great hope for an individual medal.

Chef d’equipe: Giacomo Della Chiesa, who himself rode at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

Team members: 

  • Susanna Bordone and Imperial Van De Holtakkers
  • Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious
  • Arianna Schivo and Quefira de L’Ormeau

Team substitute: Stefano Brecciaroli and Bolivar Gio Granno

Where did they qualify? One of the final qualification routes for teams was the 2019 European Eventing Championships at Luhmühlen, where two spots were on offer for the highest-placed non-qualified team. Italy took one of those spots after finishing fifth in a nail-biting finale.

When did they last win a medal? The last time we saw Italy on the team podium was back in 1980, at the widely boycotted Moscow Games. Italy was actually one of the countries that opted into at least a partial boycott, which was led by the Americans in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and so the silver medal winning team competed under the Olympic flag, rather than the Italian flag. In more normal times, though, they’ve also clocked up successes: they took gold at the last Tokyo Games in 1964 and bronze at Paris in 1924. They also took individual gold in 1980 and 1964 (Federico Roman and Mauro Checcoli, respectively), silver at Munich in 1972 (Alessandro Argenton), and bronze at Antwerp 1920 (Ettore Caffaratti).

What’s their form like? Best described as ‘waiting in the wings’ – they’re on their way, but there are a few loose ends to tie up before they step onto it. They sent a team to Rio, which Arianna and Quefira were part of, but only one team member completed – Pietro Roman and Barraduff finished 23rd, and the team ended in ninth. At the WEG in 2018, each team member managed to complete, but a few too many time penalties across the board meant they finished 12th out of 16 teams. They didn’t field a team at the Nations Cup finale at Boekelo in 2019, but they were fifth at the European Championships that year, even with some expensive issues in the showjumping. This girlpower team is packed with reasonably consistent, good jumping horses who are quick, though all are low-30s horses – but two of them come here off the back of blips at prep runs, so it’s a long shot to expect Italy to finish on the podium this week. A solid result, though, will put them in good stead to throw down the gauntlet at next year’s World Championships, which will be held on home turf just outside Rome.

Chef d’equipe: Sally Corscadden, who rode on Ireland’s bronze medal winning team at the 1993 Europeans and then served successfully as the High Performance Manager of the Young Rider squad. She launched the Under 25 Development Programme in 2013, which has helped to create a concrete pathway for talented up-and-comers, and took over chef duties after Rio. Under her guidance, the Irish eventers became Ireland’s first team to qualify for Rio.

Team members: 

  • Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua
  • Sarah Ennis and Woodcourt Garrison
  • Sam Watson and Flamenco

Team substitute: Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue

Where did they qualify? At the 2018 World Equestrian Games, where they rode at their peak to take team silver. All three team members were on that team, though Sarah rode Horseware Stellor Rebound and Sam rode Horseware Ardagh Highlight.

When did they last win a medal? Ireland has never won a medal at the Olympics, despite many successes by Irish-bred and produced horses over the decades. This is due, in large part, to the fact that Ireland has become such an export hub for quality horses – often, without significant government funding for teams, riders have been forced to sell the good ones and constantly put themselves on the back foot. They’re well stocked with exceptional talent, though, and due their moment in the sun. 2018 looked very much like the start of a new era.

What’s their form like? On the up and up. They picked up that silver at the WEG – and an individual silver for Padraig McCarthy, too – and then Cathal and Rioghan Rua won individual bronze at the 2019 European Championships against much of the Tokyo field, where the team finished sixth after some issues on course. Cathal is one of the most formidable competitors in the world, and if all goes to plan, he’ll put some pressure on the leaders, particularly on cross-country day. Sarah and Sam both have significant experience too, and the confidence of having won that silver in the same company, and they’re mounted on consistent, reliable horses that can be pretty quick. They might not be obvious individual medal candidates, but if all three perform as expected, the team could fight for a podium position.

What are their secret weapons? Tracie Robinson, who has been such a significant part of the British efforts as team dressage trainer. Ian Woodhead stepped down from the role at the onset of Covid, so he could focus his attentions on his business and family in England, and Tracie is a worthy replacement: she’s coached the Brits at four Olympics and numerous other championships. She joins New Zealand’s Grant Wilson, who assists with showjumping. Oh, and of some help? Sam Watson’s EquiRatings. The data analysis company has been able to pull performance stats that the team can use to make valuable marginal gains.

Chef d’equipe: Canada’s Graeme Thom, who took the role in January 2017 but had to resign just three months later due to complications following a spinal surgery. By July, though, he’d reclaimed his rightful role and has been helming the team ever since. One of EN’s earliest articles named him as the man with the best hair in eventing. (Sorry, Burto)

Team members: 

  • Jesse Campbell and Diachello
  • Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve
  • Tim Price and Vitali

Team substitute: Bundy Philpott and Tresca NZPH

Where did they qualify? New Zealand were another of the six teams that nabbed a spot at the 2018 WEG – but they lived dangerously, taking the final slot available there when they finished seventh after an uncharacteristically tricky week for the team.

When did they last win a medal? They took team bronze at London 2012, which was Jonelle Price – then Richards’ – first Games. Prior to that, we saw a period of strong Kiwi Olympic form from Seoul ’88 through to Atlanta ’96 – they nabbed bronze at Seoul, silver at Barcelona ’92, and bronze again at Atlanta. That was a hot period for individual medals, too: Mark Todd took gold in 1984 and 1988 and bronze at Sydney in 2000, while Blyth Tait claimed bronze in 1992 and gold in 1996, followed by fellow countryman Sally Clark in silver medal position. That was, of course, an exceptionally strong line-up for the team – but the new guard are certainly on form to herald in the next era of Kiwi Olympic success.

What’s their form like? They’ve been unlucky at championships in recent years, which is something of a surprise when you consider how formidable the Prices are in any given international. Jonelle comes forward with the horse she’s always intended for Tokyo, which comes as no shock after Grovine de Reve’s exceptional run at Kentucky this spring – but Tim’s ride is perhaps something more of a surprise to fans who expected to see one of his plethora of five-star mounts head to Japan. He’s only had the ride on inexperienced Vitali since October 2020, and the horse is lacking some mileage after moving from rider to rider for a while, but they’ve already won a CCI4*-L together at Strzegom and were well-placed in strong company in the final selection trial at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S. Jesse and Diachello were also excellent at Kentucky and complete what looks to be a very exciting team. They’ll be ready to put that seventh place finish at WEG 2018 to bed and it won’t come as a surprise at all to see them better that fourth place from Rio.

What are their secret weapons? Luis Alvarez Cevera, who helps with the showjumping and, by all accounts, gives them the winning touch. We’ll expect the team competition to come down to the wire on the final day – could this man give them the marginal gains they need to step onto the podium?

Chef d’equipe: Hans Melzer continues on in the role he’s held for twenty years. This is likely to be his last hurrah, so we’ll almost certainly see replacement Peter Thompsen supporting him on site.

Team members: 

  • Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz
  • Michael Jung and Chipmunk
  • Julia Krajewski and Amande de b’Neville

Team substitute: Andreas Dibowski and Corrida

Where did they qualify? Germany nabbed one of six available tickets at 2018’s World Equestrian Games, where they finished fifth.

When did they last win a medal? How much time do you have? Germany has been the dominant force in eventing for a long time, and the country is part of a three-way tie for the most team golds won (4). They took silver at Rio 2016, gold at London 2012 and Beijing 2008, bronze at Barcelona in 1992 and at Los Angeles 1984 (well, West Germany, at that stage). West Germany  also took silver at Montreal 1976 and bronze at Munich 1972, and as the United Team of Germany, they took bronze at Tokyo 1964, silver at Stockholm 1956. When they took silver at Helsinki in 1952, they were back to just being good old Germany, as they were in Stockholm in 1912 (with a different coloured flag, mind you!). They also took gold at the 1936 Games, but don’t mention the war and all that, eh?

What’s their form like? Laughably good, really – as always, they’ll be fighting for the gold. This time, the Brits are looking just a smidgen stronger, but expect this to be a match race, with every other country there to fight it out over silver and bronze. Germany won the gold at the 2019 European Championships, team silver at the Rio Olympics, and took the Nations Cup CCIO4*-L finale at Boekelo in 2019 – but their WEG in 2018 was a bit of a disaster by their standards, and they finished off the podium in fifth place. Still, Chipmunk – then ridden by Julia Krajewski – scored a sub-20 on that occasion, so that’s something to aim for, isn’t it?

What are their secret weapons? Marcus Döhring, the team’s showjumping coach, who looks like something directly out of a Jilly Cooper novel. His significance can’t be understated at this Games: the individual gold medal will likely hinge on whether or not fischerChipmunk can deliver a clear round on the final day, which is something he’s typically found difficult. At the Olympics, horses will have to jump two showjumping rounds, too – a team medal decider and then one for individual medals. But in case you need a shoulder to cry on, Herr Döhring, EN is around…

Chef d’equipe: Julie Purgly

Team members: 

  • Carlos Parro and Goliath
  • Marcelo Tosi and Glenfly
  • Rafael Losano and Fuiloda G

Team substitute: Marcelo Appel and Iberon JMen

Where did they qualify? Brazil took one of two available tickets at the 2019 Pan-American Games (held at CCI3*-L) in Lima, Peru, where they finished in silver medal position.

When did they last win a medal? Brazil has never yet won an eventing medal at the Olympics – instead, the country’s resources have been redirected to showjumping, where they’ve logged a long history of success.

What’s their form like? They finished seventh at their home Games in Rio, a respectable spot halfway down the order considering that only one of the team logged a clear cross-country round. They fared slightly worse at the 2018 WEG, finishing 15th in that strong competition. Their team features two of the most inexperienced horses in this year’s field, plus one very experienced horse in Glenfly, so the aim likely won’t be to try to make a competitive mark – rather, they’ll use this as a way to give those young horses a plethora of valuable experience to build them up to next year’s WEG and, more pertinently, the swiftly-approaching 2024 Olympics in Paris. They’re last to go in the drawn order of teams, and so they’ll get plenty of opportunity to see how the competition is playing out and plan accordingly.

What’s their secret weapon? British dressage rider Anna Ross, who’s Marcelo Tosi’s partner and has been a very useful asset to this UK-based team. Mark Todd, with whom Rafa Losano is based, has also imparted plenty of wisdom and help.

 

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Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

Team Order Announced for Tokyo’s Eventing Extravaganza

By on Jul 28, 2021 7:45 am -

The golden boys: Ireland’s Sam Watson puts Tullabeg Flamenco through his paces. Photo by Sally Spickard.

With just over twelve hours to go before the first horse inspection, we’ve been treated to our first look at how this week’s competition could play out for our teams out in Tokyo with the release of the drawn order of nations. The 15 teams will compete in the following order:

  • Thailand
  • Great Britain
  • United States of America
  • Switzerland
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • China
  • Poland
  • Sweden
  • France
  • Italy
  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
  • Germany
  • Brazil

Each team will send riders out in groups – that is, one rider from each team will come forward first in a team trailblazer role, and then we’ll cycle through the second batch and finally the third ‘anchor’ riders. Individual competitors will be sprinkled throughout this order of go.

There are, of course, benefits and drawbacks to certain draw positions. We’re looking at early and late draws for the two teams likeliest to battle it out for the gold medal: Great Britain will send a rider out in second draw, while Germany holds down the fort in the second-to-last draw position. Going early can give teams the chance to set a formidable pace and put pressure on later combinations; equally, teams drawn early will have less information to work from about how the cross-country course is riding on Sunday. Then, there are tactics to be considered within the team: the roles of the team trailblazer and anchor are quite different, with one sent out to fact-find on course and the other required to save the day with top-tier performances. Of course, all three riders will be equally crucial in this new format, which sees us proceed sans drop score, so every ride matters.

We’ll have a better idea of how each team will be tackling their own rider order on Thursday, when we can expect dressage times to be released. For now, though, we’ve got the drawn order for the first horse inspection, which will take place at 9.30 a.m. Tokyo time on Thursday (1.30 a.m. BST/8.30 p.m. Wednesday Eastern time).

For now, we gather from the chef d’equipes that the rider order within the teams isn’t the confirmed ridden order – and, unfortunately, the jog itself won’t be live-streamed. We’ll be bringing you live updates on Twitter and Instagram throughout, plus a full gallery, report, and extra content as soon as it wraps.

Go Eventing, and Go Tokyo!

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

 

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Jul 28, 2021 5:54 am -

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve fallen totally and utterly head over heels for Charlotte Dujardin‘s Gio, or ‘Pumpkin’, as he’s known to his pals. He’s so small! So orange! Such a little try-hard! And at only ten years old, he’ll likely be around to add a bit of pony power to the world stages of dressage for a long time to come. I hope Charlotte always lets him hang his medals off his teensy-weensy earsies. (Mind you, we must give a big nod to Charlotte herself, here – she won her fifth Olympic medal yesterday, putting her on equal footing with Dame Kathleen Grainger as the most decorated British female Olympian of all time!)

Yesterday in Tokyo:

U.S. Weekend Preview

Coconino Summer H.T.: [Website] [Live Scores and Times]

Hunt Club Farms H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Catalpa Corner Charity H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Olney Farm H.T: [Website] [Entry Status/Live Scores]

Wednesday Reading List:

Burghley’s longtime director Liz Inman is stepping down after 16 years in the role and four decades working at the event.

Need a bit more inspiration from the dressage ring? Rebecca Langwost-Barlow has exactly what you need, after coming back from a nearly career-ending fall and a long pandemic to win at Grand Prix. 

Lusitanos are having their moment in the sun after capturing hearts during the dressage. Find out more about the progression of the breed – and ogle some gorgeous photos – here. 

Bit of an equine nutrition buff? Then you’ll be keen to find out more about new research that suggests that we’re not taking fermentation into account when planning our horses’ meals.

Want to get all of the latest Olympic eventing news in your inbox? Sign up for our free Olympic Digest newsletter, sent each Monday and then daily beginning July 28. Upon sign-up, you’ll receive a welcome message containing links to any editions that were already released. You can view this week’s edition here and sign up here.

To steam or not to steam? That’s the question, and Haygain has a new case study on the effects and benefits of hay steaming in their latest blog.

Wednesday Video:

It’s time to catch up on day four’s highlights from the BBC!

Tuesday Video: Charlotte Dujardin Becomes a British Record-Holder

By on Jul 27, 2021 8:31 pm -

We made it to our first equestrian podium today, with the dressage teams fighting it out for podium positions ahead of tomorrow’s individual freestyle final. While Germany won the gold and the US took silver, it was Great Britain’s bronze medal that allowed a little bit of Olympic history to be written: in winning five medals, she ties with rower Dame Katherine Grainger as the most decorated female British Olympian of all time. And if she winds up on the podium after her freestyle performance? She’ll stand alone as the record-holder. Check out her test with ten-year-old Gio today and get excited for the nail-biting finale!

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

#TheTeaFromTokyo: A Walk to Remember

By on Jul 27, 2021 7:58 pm -

It’s been a big day for the eventers in Tokyo, because they woke up early to the news that the cross-country course at Sea Forest was open for walking. And walk they did: round and round and round again, before many of them opted to dash back to the stables and pop over some of the cross-country training fences laid out there. Sounds like it gave them plenty to think about!

Our on-the-ground reporter, Sally, is out on her own walk now with course designer Derek di Grazia, and we’ll be bringing you lots of interesting insights into the course soon – but in the meantime, catch up with what went down with the riders today.

The USA’s Doug Payne took his first look at the course and found it similar to a track back home:

 Inspiration evidently struck while he was out and about, because he opted to head out for a cross-country schooling session on returning to the main venue:

The Belarusians made their way out to Sea Forest, too:

They also found time to celebrate competitor Alexandr Zelenko’s birthday:

Cathal Daniels could deliver us one of the quickest rounds of the weekend – but first, he had to check out all the spots where he and pocket rocket Rioghan Rua could shave off the seconds:

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, Belgium’s individual competitor, got an early start to check out the challenge:

Team Thailand headed out with trainer Maxime Livio (on his birthday!):

And Sarah Ennis admired the themed carvings and decorations:

Brazil’s Carlos Parro knows a photo op spot when he sees one: 

The Aussies adopted a buddy system with suitably bright t-shirts to ensure they didn’t lose one another. No word on if they had to hold hands in pairs: 

Sweden’s Louise Romeike got inspired: 

Back at the main venue, Russia’s Andrey Mitin got stuck into some cross-country training: 

As did the sole Spanish competitor, Francisco Gavino Gonzalez and his horse Source de la Faye:

The Kiwis opted to practice their showjumping: 

It wasn’t just about cross-country today. Some riders also took the time to welcome the newly arrived show jumpers – and Great Britain’s Laura Collett couldn’t resist some snuggles with Ben Maher’s Explosion W:

Someone tipped the Aussies off that the Kiwis had nailed the Olympic rings photo, so they scurried off to get their own done. We’re glad Shane remembered to bring a bucket hat, at least:

Plenty of teams also took the time to acknowledge their super line-up of grooms, including the Brazilians:

And the Aussies:

And a legendary Lucinda sent lots of luck across the pond(s): 

The Kiwis, as usual, were too popular for their own good: 

Oh, and the first equestrian medals of the Games were awarded, of course!

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

Belarusian Individual Pair Withdrawn from Tokyo

By on Jul 27, 2021 11:00 am -

Alexandr Fominov and Martini. Photo courtesy of the Belarus Equestrian Federation.

The Tokyo field has thinned by one after Belarus individual competitors Alexandr Fominov and Martini were withdrawn from the entry list due to an undisclosed veterinary issue. The problem was spotted by inspecting veterinarians in the Tokyo stables after the horse arrived from pre-export quarantine in Aachen, Germany.

“The Belarusian Federation is sorry to announce that only one Belarusian couple will participate in the Tokyo Olympics in the eventing: Alexandr Zelenko and Carlo Grande,” said the Federation in a statement released this morning (July 27). ” The second Olympic athlete Alexandr Fominov has to abandon this main start of the four year cycle due to his horse’s poor well-being to continue maintaining his health.”

While Martini is in the safe hands of Tokyo’s veterinary team, who are administering the necessary care and treatment for the horse, Belarusian eyes turn to Alexandr Zelenko and Carlo Grande JR to represent their country in the eventing competition, which begins on Thursday, 29 July with the first horse inspection.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

Where Can You Watch the Tokyo Olympics Worldwide? Your Live-Stream Guide

By on Jul 27, 2021 6:28 am -

We let Chinch watch the dressage, and now he won’t stop asking for an orange tailcoat.

No matter where you are in the world, your number one priority at the moment is likely figuring out how on earth to pin down some reliable coverage of the equestrian sports in Tokyo, rather than just highlights reels or a total channel-wide focus on cycling instead (we’re looking at you, BBC). Fortunately for us all, there are a number of on-demand streaming services that are providing full coverage to your sport of choice – so here’s how to tune in from around the world. (Oh, and no matter where you are, we recommend visiting The Olympic Channel to get the lowdown on some of the Games’ great sporting stories!)

Australia: 7plus has free live streaming and on-demand catch-up options in case you miss anything exciting.

USA: You can stream or rewatch all the Tokyo content your heart desires via the NBC website or app – but only if you have a cable provider login. If you don’t, you can download Peacock Premium ($4.99/month, with a seven day free trial) to access replays and highlights for every sport, and live coverage of several sports (unfortunately not including equestrian). Fubo TV also offers a paid streaming service with a free trial period. You can also sign up to access NBC channels via Sling or YouTube TV, which are easy to use on your smart TV, Roku, or FireStick, but they’ll cost you a bit more – Sling is currently discounted to $10, while YouTube TV is on offer for $54.99/month, with a free trial period, but it does come with lots of cool features.

Canada: The best option is CBC, which has a pretty comprehensive roster of free coverage. Or, you can watch via SportsNet or TSN, both of which have options available for cable subscribers or streamers at $19.99/month each.

U.K. and Ireland: DiscoveryPlus is your best bet for on-demand and live coverage of all the sports, for the low price of £4.99 per month. You can also make use of a three-day free trial. The BBC’s red button service and iPlayer will have some coverage, but they’re limited in what they can show this year. Eurosport is another good option at a comparable price point to DiscoveryPlus.

Europe: It’s Eurosport again, with that cheap and cheerful streaming package.

New Zealand:  You can stream much of the Games for free on TVNZ, or for comprehensive coverage, watch via Sky Sport or its streaming service, Sky Sport Now, which costs $19.99 per week.

Want to access coverage from another country? Consider using a VPN, which effectively changes your country for browsing purposes. We’ve used ExpressVPN successfully – it comes with a free trial and you can also download it as an app, which makes it considerably more user-friendly if you’re not particularly techy.

Happy viewing!

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

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Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on Jul 27, 2021 5:51 am -

 

The problem with these pesky timezone changes is that when something really, really exciting happens in Tokyo – such as, you know, the cross-country course being opened for walking – it does so in the middle of the damn night and then you get an Olympic adrenaline rush that totally wipes your sleep schedule off the board. Honestly, though, I can’t begrudge a 2 a.m. embargo lift – it’s all part of the joy and the madness of this extraordinary week (and jolly good prep for some all-nighters to come)! Are you guys committing to a sleepless week? Let me know what you’ve got on your snack menu if so, because I’m thinking that a solitary bag of Haribo isn’t going to cut it for me once we get to cross-country day…!

Yesterday in Tokyo:

  • Great British diver Tom Daley finally won a gold medal after taking bronze at both London and Rio. He and diving partner Matty Lee topped the leaderboard in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in what isn’t just a landmark moment for the athlete, but a huge moment for gay athletes, too. Tom is one of Britain’s only openly gay high-profile sportsmen.
  • Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic made another step towards his golden goal, and in other news, he’s like, really, really well-liked in the Olympic Village. 
  • Argentinian fencer María Belén Pérez Maurice might have lost the women’s sabre yesterday, but it wasn’t a total write-off of a day: moments after, and on live TV, her coach and boyfriend of 17 years Lucas Guillermo Saucedo popped the question. (She said yes!)
  • Germany’s female gymnastics team bucked the long trend of tiny leotards and opted for full-coverage costumes in an act of protest against the overt sexualisation of their bodies. This is the first Games since former US coach Larry Nassar was sent to prison for sexually abusing hundreds of young gymnasts, and many competitors fear that not enough has changed.
  • Speaking of gymnasts, 18-year-old Costa Rican competitor Luciana Alvarado found a creative way to circumvent the ban on political statements at the Olympics: she worked a raised fist into her floor routine. Attagirl.
  • One journalist logged 17,000 airmiles in his quest to cover the golf, due to a Covid test that had been taken 39 minutes too early. We’re relieved to report our on-the-ground reporter, Sally, has made it through without any such issues.
  • Japan leads the way in the gold medal table with 8 won so far – that’s already half their all-time high of 16. They’ve taken 13 medals total, while the US has 14 and China has an almost ludicrous 18. Despite the US being the second most successful country in both the gold and overall medal tallies so far, though, former president Donald Trump gave a speech blaming ‘wokeism’ for Team USA’s ‘failure’ at the Olympics. It…didn’t go over well. 

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo

Want to stay in the know with all things Olympic eventing? We’re getting ready to kick off daily editions of our Olympic Digest starting Wednesday, July 28. You can sign up for free right here.

Holiday: It’s National Scotch Day. You know who likes a glass of the brown stuff? A certain Herr Jung. IS THIS AN OMEN?

Events Opening Today:

Copper Meadows Eventing, LLC H.T., Tryon Fall Horse Trials, Chardon Valley H.T., Flora Lea Fall H.T., CDCTA Fall H.T., Apple Knoll Farm H.T.

Events Closing Today:

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T., GMHA Festival of Eventing August H.T., Otter Creek Summer H.T., The Summer Event at Woodside, Waredaca Farm H.T.

News & Notes from Around the World (but mostly Tokyo, let’s be honest):

‘Recycled’ audiences, eco-friendly medals, and an Olympic architecture legacy that’s been kept in the family – these are just some of the extraordinary facts and stories that came out of the Games before they even began. [Tokyo 2020: All Your Key Olympic Questions Answered]

There’s a typhoon on its way to Tokyo. No one seems all that worried, least of all the surfers. They’re looking forward to riding some bigger-than-average waves. [Pandemic Olympics endured heat, and now a typhoon’s en route]

There’s no denying that this is an unusual Olympics, and The Observer‘s Andy Bull has nailed the vibe pretty perfectly. [Surreal spectacle of a superbly set up Olympics with no one here to enjoy it]

The Spanish dressage team has become the first to invoke the new substitution rule. They’ve subbed in Divina Royal, José Antonio García Mena’s reserve ride, after he did the Grand Prix on Sorento 15. [Olympic horse substitution rule activated for first time ahead of dressage team final]

There’s further research now to suggest that horses have the capacity to remember the people in their lives. Which means that there are probably a lot of horses out there complaining about how annoying I am on their WhatsApp group. [Hey, I Remember You: The Extraordinary Equine Memory]

Listen: Meet some of the owners whose horses will contest the eventing this week at Tokyo.

Watch: A compilation of the best bits from yesterday’s sport at the Olympics. I can barely swim, but this makes me want to become a diver.