Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos.

Image: FEI TV

The cross county phase of the eventing took place today at WEG in Tryon (early hours of this morning AEST) amidst rain, and it was mixtued fortunes for the Aussies.

Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos were the only Aussies to end the day on their dressage score (29.8) as they completed the course free of jump and time penalties. They now sit in 11th position, just over 6 penalties off the winner. Of the 82 competitors, there were only 16 clear rounds with no time penalties, so it was a fabulous effort by the eventing legend on a relatively inexperienced horse.

Emma McNab and Fernhill Tabasco, the best placed Aussies after the dressage, jumped clear but picked up 6.8 time penalties to end the day on 33.8 for 20th place.

Chris Burton unfortunately picked up an uncharacteristic 20 jumping penalties on the course with Cooley Lands, which saw them drop to 48th position on 48.6; the pair still managed to complete the course inside the time. Similarly, Shane Rose and Virgil picked up 28 penalties (a stop and time penalies) to also slip down the leadboard to 53rd on 57.4.

The good news is Australia still has a team of four heading into the final jumping phase.

Bill Levett and Lassban Diamond Lift, who were riding as the individual combination for Australia, were unfortunately eliminated on course.

We will provide an update on the position of the Australian team once the information is available!

It was a day of big changes to the leaderboard, with the dressage leaders Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH picking up 28.4 penalties to drop from 1st to 47th. It was her German teammates, Ingrid Kilmke and SAP Hale Bob OLD, who emerged atop the list after a clear round to finish the day on 23.3. Great Britain’s Rosalind Canter and Allstar B are in second, with Ireland’s Sarah Ennis and Horseware Stellor Rebound in third.

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