Cross Country Olympic Wild Ride!
By Paula Parisi July 30, 2012
Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper (www.StockImageServices.com)
Great Britain just may pull off Olympic Gold on home turf! Germany has a narrow lead after cross country eventing ― 124.70 to 130.20 ― the difference of a few show jumping penalties. No one can doubt after Great Britain’s full-throttle performance Monday that they are serious about winning this.
In fact, with a rather narrow lead separating the top four teams, it’s going to be an exciting final day in the stadium tomorrow (Tue.) The climactic third leg in the triathalon of equestrian sport will also see Sweden and New Zealand give chase to the top of the podium.
Great Britain, Germany and New Zealand each managed to get three individuals in the cumulative top 10. Sweden had two. At 12th, Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper leveraged a strong dressage score to become the USA’s chart topper after cross country. Ranked strictly on the XC test, Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere were the top U.S. performers and tied for sixth with minimal time faults.
Karen O’Connor and Mr. Mendicott logged 11th on the day two rankings, followed by Tiana Coudray, who got off to a very rocky start (with a refusal at fence 3) yet managed to recalibrate into a whiz-bang Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that landed her a very respectable 18th (in a field of more than 70 starters). The USA’s William Coleman and Twizzle also had a refusal and finished 56th.
With 50 points separating fifth-place USA, a peak performance coupled with a run of bad luck by others could boost the team into serious contention. Odds are greater that Phillip Dutton (an Australian by birth, now based in PA) will medal as an individual.
Only three riders made it over the course fault-free: UK’s Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz, Australia’s Christopher Burton and Holstein Park and Germany’s Ingrid Klimke and Abraxxas.
The Japanese, meanwhile, had quite a spectacular crash and burn. Three eliminations on cross country and one completion (Toshiyuki Tanaka’s 56th place) took the nation from toast of the town to the kids in the basement. Nonetheless, there is huge upside for Japan, which successfully managed to brand itself “the little nation that could” with its spectacular day one performance in dressage. Had they managed more consistent yet conventional results, they would not have fared as well. The message out of this Olympics is Japan is on the map in eventing, expanding its international reach and upping the excitement quotient of the sport in much the same way the Arabian riders have done in show jumping.
As with endurance’s Tevis Cup, which takes place Saturday, this was one of those courses where “to finish is to win.” To merely label it “challenging” would be a serious understatement. The 28 jump / 39 effort course designed by the U.K.’s Sue Benson will go down in history as a high-point of the sport. Time allowed was a very brisk 10 minutes 3 seconds.
Working within the confinement of a big city grid, she was able to pull off a dazzling, nuanced course that was unforgiving for those who were going for the win, yet manageable for those who opted for a more deliberate pace.
The spectacular flourishes included a crescent moon whose drop-side featured a spectacular panorama of the city skyline, a bright orange version of ringed Saturn and three formidable water features. But the most creative flourish was the integration of the stadium with the greenery of Greenwich Park. Benson had the riders enter through a tunnel and exit via a tiny gateway. What lay between was a very interesting test, where the contestants could bank some precious time if they were willing to careen flat out. (Something they’d have to think twice about, thanks to snakey curves and a harrowing hair-pin.)
Many of the jumps had fanciful themes (the children’s book “The Wind in the Willows,” a chess table that conjured “Alice in Wonderland,” with British history and celestial adventure also recurring. An awe-inspiring leap of imagination, the final jump was a self-contained sculpture garden ― a riot of flowers around a giant horseshoe held in place by two epic equines sculpted out of real horse shoes!
One hopes this piece becomes a permanent landmark on the beautiful grounds of London’s oldest royal park. The House of Windsor was well-represented, as the princes Harry and William (now Duke of Cambridge), along with his duchess, Kate Middleton, and Camilla Parker Bowles, were there to cheer on their cousin, Zara Phillips, the 31-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and a rider for the British team.
Phillips performance at her first Olympics reflected well on both the crown and her father, the outgoing chef d’equipe of the U.S. eventing team, Captain Mark Phillips. Riding High Kingdom, an 11-year-old bay gelding, she tied for 10th. This despite the fact that her horse lost a shoe on course.
The final jog is at 8:15 a.m. London time, with stadium jumping to follow, and the team and individual eventing medals to be awarded immediately thereafter.
Team results following cross country www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-team/index.html
Individual results following cross country www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-individual/index.html
Results for cross country only:
1. Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz) (Britain) 0.0 points
1. Christopher Burton (Holstein Park) (Australia) 0.0
1. Ingrid Klimke (Abraxxas) (Germany) 0.0
4. Ludwig Svennerstal (Shamwari 4) (Sweden) 0.4
5. Mary Thomson-King (Imperial Cavalier) (Britain) 1.2
6. Aoife Clark (Master Crusoe) (Ireland) 3.6
6. Boyd Martin (Otis Barbotiere) (U.S.) 3.6
8. Jonathan Paget (Clifton Promise) (New Zealand) 4.8
8. Joseph Murphy (Electric Cruise) (Ireland) 4.8
10. Peter Thomsen (Barny 47) (Germany) 5.2
11. Karen O’Connor (Mr.Medicott) (U.S.) 5.6
12. Jonelle Richards (Flintstar) (New Zealand) 6.0
13. Andrew Hoy (Rutherglen) (Australia) 7.6
14. Dirk Schrade (King Artus) (Germany) 10.8
15. Linda Algotsson (La Fair) (Sweden) 20.0
16. Virginie Caulier (Nepal Du Sudre) (Belgium) 21.2
17. Tim Lips (Oncarlos) (Netherlands) 22.0
18. Tiana Coudray (Ringwood Magister) (U.S.) 25.6
19. Andrey Korshunov (Fabiy) (Russia) 32.8
20. Ronald Zabala-Goetschel (Master Rose) (Ecuador) 36.0
21. Sara Algotsson (Wega) (Sweden) 39.3
22. Mark Todd (NZB Campino) (New Zealand) 39.5
23. Aurelien Kahn (Cadiz) (France) 39.6
24. Lionel Guyon (Nemetis de Lalou) (France) 40.0
25. Michael Jung (Sam) (Germany) 40.6
26. Tina Cook (Miners Frolic) (Britain) 42.0
27. Marcio Carvalho Jorgo (Josephine) (Brazil) 42.8
28. Sandra Auffarth (Opgun Louvo) (Germany) 44.8
29. Andrew Nicholson (Nereo) (New Zealand) 45.0
30. Alexander Peternell (Asih) (South Africa) 46.0
30. Denis Mesples (Oregon de la Vigne) (France) 46.0
32. Zara Phillips (High Kingdom) (Britain) 46.1
33. Phillip Dutton (Mystery Whisper) (U.S.) 47.1
34. Niklas Lindback (Mister Pooh) (Sweden) 48.0
35. Stefano Brecciaroli (Apollo van de Wendi Kurt Hoeve) (Italy) 50.1
36. Karin Donckers (Gazelle De La Brasserie) (Belgium) 51.6
36. Donatien Schauly (Ocarina du Chanois) (France) 51.6
38. William Fox-Pitt (Lionheart) (Britain) 53.3
39. Vittoria Panizzon (Borough Pennyz) (Italy) 53.5
40. Caroline Powell (Lenamore) (New Zealand) 53.8
41. Samantha Albert (Carraigh Dubh) (Jamaica) 54.0
42. Nicolas Touzaint (Hildago de I’lle) (France) 55.2
43. Marc Rigouts (Dunkas) (Belgium) 56.8
44. Jessica Phoenix (Exponential) (Canada) 57.2
45. Toshiyuki Tanaka (Marquis de Plescop) (Japan) 60.0
46. Malin Petersen (Sofarsogood) (Sweden) 61.2
47. Andrew Heffernan (Millthyme Corolla) (Netherlands) 63.0
48. Michelle Mueller (Amistad) (Canada) 63.2
49. Joris Van Springel (Lully des Aulnes) (Belgium) 64.7
50. Mark Kyle (Coolio) (Ireland) 65.9
51. Nina Rujiraporn Ligon (Butts Leon) (Thailand) 69.9
52. Atsushi Negishi (Pretty Darling CD) (Japan) 76.0
53. Pawel Spisak (Wag) (Poland) 77.2
54. Lucinda Fredericks (Flying Finish) (Australia) 78.0
55. Ruy Fonseca (Tom Bombadill Too) (Brazil) 80.3
56. William Coleman (Twizzel) (U.S.) 82.7
57. Marcelo Tosi (Eleda All Black) (Brazil) 87.6
58. Mykhailo Nastenko (Coolroy Piter) (Russia) 111.8
59. Aliaksandr Faminou (Pasians) (Belarus) 116.5
Harald Ambros (O-Felitz) (Austria) EL
Alena Tseliapushkina (Passat) (Belarus) EL
Peter Barry (Kilrodan Abbott) (Canada) EL
Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure) (Ireland) EL
Takayuki Yumira (Latina) (Japan) EL
Carl Bouckaert (Cyrano Z) (Belgium) EL
Hawley Bennett-Awad (Gin & Juice) (Canada) EL
Sam Griffiths (Happy Times) (Australia) EL
Serguei Fofanoff (Barbara) (Brazil) EL
Camilla Speirs (Portersize Just A Jiff) (Ireland) EL
Kenki Sato (Chippieh) (Japan) EL
Rebecca Howard (Riddle Master) (Canada) EL
Elaine Pen (Vira) (Netherlands) EL
Yoshiaki Oiwa (Noonday de Conde) (Japan) EL
Clayton Fredericks (Bendigo) (Australia) EL
EL
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