Thunder and lightning and high winds could delay but not keep riders [Photo: clipart.com]
in the equestrian category of eventing–from 22 nations and 75 competitors–from their appointed rounds of jumps over a twisting hilly terrain in the first preliminary round on Saturday July 28.
[Photo: Reuters]
Thunder may have frighten some horses, and the winds may have forced some riders to lose points, yet, when all is said and done 25-paired horse and riders made it to the second preliminary round on July 31. The medals competition begins on August 7.
Since the United Kingdom is hosting the 2012 London Summer Olympics, let’s begin with Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter who ended up in 24th place. High winds broke her stride on handling High Kingdom but not enough to deny her entry to round two.
But the biggest surprise of the day was a strong show by Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa, 36, on Noonday de Conde, who ranks first. According to Reuters, he himself joked, “Probably everybody is a little (shocked) now” that he outranks his strong competitors from top-seeded Germany, Australia and Great Britain.
Oiwa went on to note, the absence of Japanese media. He can bet when he rides in round two and has to jump 28 obstacles on an eccentric 5.7-kilometer course over hill and dale, they will be out in force. [Japan has a signal honor to have the oldest dressage rider in competition at the games.]
In fact, Italy’s Stefano Brecciaroli,37, on Apollo beat out to-seeded favorites Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, 43 on Lionheat, New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson, 50, on Nereo and Germany’s Michael Jung, 29, on Sam, among top contenders. Demark’s Anne-Mette Binder, according to Reuters, thought lightning had caused her to 14th place.
Still the 25 cross-country eventing contenders in the second round are fierce competitors. And the outcome may not please everyone. What, however, is certain: closely ranked British, Germans and Australians are looking forwards to winning Gold, Silver or Bronze in the medals competitor, if you look at top-medalist countries in Wikipedia list.
First round, first-ranked Oiwa will give his competitors a good run. He is German trained, and Germany has the signal honor of being historically the top medal winners in the Olympics. And he has benefitted from that tradition, it seems. Still, will the legs of Noonday de Conde bring him to another first rank or a rank good enough to go on to the medals competition?
Zara Phillips’ mother Princess Anne, herself an OLympian in eventing, broadly beaming at her daughter’s success has high hopes for the UK team. “Cross country is our strongest phase so we can improve our score,” according to Reuters.
