August 17, 2008
Another round of Olympic show jumping was held today in Hong Kong. These scores are combined with those from the qualifying round as the riders move forward in individual competition. This is also the first of two rounds that will determine the team medals.
The USA and Switzerland are tied for first, each with 12 total faults, followed by Sweden with 13. The US’s McLain Ward and Sapphire are tied for the invididual lead with Eric Lamaze and Hickstead of Canada.
The course was tough, with tight turns, tricky verticals, a water jump that gave horses trouble, and heights that had to all be at or close to the maximum. The US team handled the difficult course well. McLain went clean for the second time. Laura Kraut and Cedric were clear until the very last fence of the course after showing impressive athleticism. Will Simpson had 8 faults, one rail and one foot in the water, while Beezie Madden and Authentic had a rough go with a refusal, a rail, and 3 time faults. Their 11 faults are dropped in the team standings.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in General 
1 Comment »
August 16, 2008
Isabell Werth of Germany is currently on top of the individual standings after the top 25 riders performed the Grand Prix Special test. Favorite and defending champion (times 2) Anky Van Grunsven of Netherlands is in second followed by Heike Kemmer of Germany and Steffen Peters of the USA.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Dressage 5 Comments »
August 15, 2008
With three out of four of the American riders going clean, and the bottom score being dropped anyway, the US Olympic Equestrian Team is leading the show jumping event after qualifiers.
The qualifying round of the show jumping included all 77 competitors, and started with those who were riding as individuals only. A total of 13 riders had clean rounds — no jump or time faults — including Beezie Madden, Will Simpson, and McLain Ward of the USA. Ian Millar of Canada, who had one rail down, made history when he tied the record for the athlete competing in the most Olympic Games when he took to the arena for his 9th Olympics since his debut in 1972.
The course was just challenging enough to limit the clean rounds, but doable enough that riders with a great eye and horses with a great jump were able to navigate it well. All of the jumps were designed with Chinese themes, including vibrant colors and intricate patterns. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Show Jumping 1 Comment »
August 15, 2008
The first Grand Prix show jumping event dates back to 1866 in Paris, and helped the sport to gain recognition internationally. It was added to the Summer Olympic Games in 1900 and was dominated by military riders until the first civilian won in 1952.
Each horse and rider team is required to complete a course of 10-13 jumps including verticals, spreads, water, walls, and double and triple combinations within a set time. Riders are eliminated for going off-course (taking the jumps out of order), if their horse refuses to jump two times, or if they fall off. They incur penalties for knocking rails down on the fences or for finishing over the time limit.
The winner is the horse and rider team with the fewest penalty points. If multiple teams have clear rounds, they move to a jump off. There, if more than one pair has a clear round, the winner is the one who went clear with the fastest time.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Show Jumping 2 Comments »
August 15, 2008
For US Olympic show jumping team member Will Simpson, it’s all about the horses. He just plain loves to ride … whether he’s breaking a young horse or riding a successful Grand Prix jumper. No matter how he places at the 2008 Olympic Games, then, at least he’s going to enjoy himself!
Will and his 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Carlsson vom Dach earned their spot on the Olympic show jumping team after jumping three clear rounds out of four at the 2008 USEF Olympic Trials, winning the $100,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier/Zada Enterprises LLC Masters Cup and the WEF Challenge Cup in the process.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Show Jumping No Comments »
August 14, 2008
Germany continues to dominate the Olympic equestrian team events, taking team gold in dressage. After 46 rides in the Grand Prix round, Germany took gold, Netherlands silver, and Denmark bronze. The US finished a close fourth.
The top 25 riders will now move on to the first round of individual competition, the Grand Prix Special. The scores from the Grand Prix test are scrapped, and the qualifying riders will start fresh for the individual competition. The riders with the best 15 scores (including any ties for 15th), will move on to the Grand Prix Freestyle round. The scores from the Special and the Freestyle will be averaged to determine the winners.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Dressage 1 Comment »
August 14, 2008
Dressage comes from the French word “dresser” meaning “to train”, and originated in the Renaissance Era, when it gained recognition as a good training method for European cavalries. This competition tests the obedience and agility of the horse and its coordination with its rider. The discipline is often referred to as “equestrian ballet” because the horse and rider team is required to perform a series of carefully designed, graceful movements.
Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Dressage No Comments »
Recent Comments