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Cross country
Part 2
 
Another fall immediately after the long hold on course, & we’re beginning to wonder if they’ll get through all the competitors before it’s dark!! The Japanese rider Takayuki Yumira scoots out looking amazingly controlled, riding the lines of a Porsche, until yet ANOTHER fall. Latina seems to put a foot down on the cricket bat fence, & tip up on landing eliminating yet another rider! Hopefully all’s ok…
Mary King blazes around, using all of her experience to stay upright. She manages to do so to the roar of a home crowd, but is held on course whilst Latina is tended to. Mary King’s Imperial Cavalier looked incredibly strong…he didn’t need the break on course!
…I never thought an ‘easy 2 star’ course would cause this much carnage…!
Thankfully we are treated to some skilful riding, by the young Swede Ludvig Svennerstal (who looks every bit of a new poster boy for the pony club!) rides a cracker of a round to come home under time & tip Chris Burton (Burto) into 2nd! NZ’s Jock Padget does a super job, clear with 4.8 time & a class act.
Mary King’s corrected time faults put her into the lead, pushing Burton into 3rd.
The heart-in-mouth viewing continues, until Andrew Hoy circles the start box. He leans forward down the big bank & nearly pops out the front door!! Rutherglen earns his feed for the week by lining up the skinny 4 strides ahead & saves our Aussie. A clear round, 7.6 time penalties, & a great job on such a nice young horse!
Ingrid Klimke has a wealth of experience & uses this experience around every corner & over every fence. She manages to avoid any unscheduled sideways action, & boldly takes the lead, pushing Chris Burton into 4th.
We’re beginning to count the possible pulled adductor muscles with every skid round these slippery corners, & imagine there may be some sore ponies at tomorrows trot up?!
Dunkas & Marc Rigouts from Belgium come down the hill & round the corner to the first water like a kid with morning fresh on a tarpaulin!
Zara Phiilips can be heard and seen by the Mexican waves from the home crowd, & she does a great job to come home under time! More massive cheers & approving smiles from the Royal relatives in the front row.
NZ’s Caroline Powell were a picture on course, this could have been an equitation round from the veteran 19yo grey horse. Sara Algotsson also came in fast & clear on the big unit Wega & into 2nd place, & the Thai 20yo Nina Ligon showed some beautifully trained technique & style, a few moments of inexperience but a great display for a clear round with 16 time faults.
Lucinda Fredericks sets off on Flying Finish, the pair having an intermittent wrestle for control. All of a sudden he just runs through her hand & scoots out past the skinny step out of the water, with all of Lucida’s strength pulling him in a circle, he manages to jump over the decoration barrels back into the water, as she steers him over the option. Lucinda’s face is ashen as she pilots him strategically home. Australia moves to 5th, & really needs a cracking round from Clayton.
Suddenly the teams eventing competition is looking sketchy – our best 3 scores put us into 5th, just under 30 penalties away from our German leaders. Bestcase scenario, if Clayton goes under time & we use his score of 40.4, we could enter the final showjumping day on 135.8. At the moment that’s enough for 2nd, but the other teams could still also use better scores to come.
Another hold on course whilst the ground crew do some repairs…
Andrew Nicholson is an amazing rider & one who has piloted countless difficult horses to top level. He’s scooting around, & so is Tina Cook, who produces a super clear round under time in great style. Niklas Lindback has a monumental miss at the last & nearly ruins his clear round, but manages to hold on for 2.8 time.
Stefano Brecciaroli is riding Apollo with medals in his sights, & it is such an amazing horse. Nippy, athletic yet scopey & a galloper, Apollo jumps with the reaction of a mousetrap, which is lucky as he nearly misreads the second last combination by lining up the barrier! Clear, and fast round by Stefano.
Phiilip Dutton is no stranger to quality cross country rounds, & has Mystery Whisper humming along beautifully. His helmet silk comes undone & is flapping like a parachute, but doesn’t cause much unnecessary wind resistance for a handful of time.
AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH CLAYTON & BENDIGO JUMP OFF THE BIG BANK & COMPLETELY SLIP OVER!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ELIMINATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gone are Australia’s medal chances.
Clayton & Bendigo are both unharmed, but that split second slip caused Bendigo’s hindquarters to go from under him, putting the horse on it’s side & tipping Clayton off onto the turf.
Should he have trotted off such a big drop? Who knows… but up until then it was looking great.
Michael Jung looks amazing, balanced & educated, to complete another day in the office & slide into 3rd place.
Canada’s Rebecca Howard adds to the eliminated tally with a lack of control down one of Greenwich’s steep hills, & Holland’s Elaine Pen failed the fight with gravity after being jumped off in the water.
Dressage leader Yoshi Oiwa is looking great, until the same bank as Clayton tips him out the front door & into the dirt! My god, action stations!!
William Fox-Pitt sets off like a game of Super Mario Cart, the crowd erupting as he enters the main arena. Lionheart is showing his efficiency & certainly eats up the course, however needs his jockeys assistance as he tires near the finish for 9.2time
Toddy the master is a little more careful, & pays particular attention to the big drop that has claimed so many before him. The last on course, it’s incredible to think he’s 56, because for a tall guy, he’s remarkably flexible & lightly balanced. A very tired Campino crossed the finish with .4 of a time fault, to retain individual 3rd before tomorrow’s showjumping.
Wow….. who would’ve thought we’d have such an exciting day?!
Amanda Ross reporting for Equestrian Life.
Click Here for Part 1 of Amanda's Cross Country Report.
Click here for full results
Click here to view the Photos from the day
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