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Thursday, September 21
Horse put to death after event
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- American David O'Connor of the United
States conquered the cross-country course with a perfect ride
Thursday to lead the Olympic individual three-day event on a day
that was marred by a horse's death and spectacular spills.
O'Connor, of The Plains, Va., added no penalties to his lead
after dressage on Custom Made, with 29.0. The other two U.S. riders
also got around the course clean.
The medals will be decided by the show-jumping round on Friday.
With his lead of 7.6 points, O'Connor, a member of the bronze-medal
three-day team, can knock down one fence and still take the gold.
The day did not go as well for everyone else.
Bermuda's Gold, ridden by Mary Jane Tumbridge of Bermuda, broke
her left front leg at the second fence and was euthanized later at
a nearby veterinary clinic.
Tumbridge and her mare won the individual title in the 1999 Pan
Am Games.
Two riders in the early going were hospitalized -Roberto Macedo
of Brazil with a broken pelvis and Nils Haagensen of Denmark with a
seriously bruised shoulder.
Heidi Antikatzidis of Greece had a clean round and was left with
37.4 on Michaelmas to stand second. Mark Todd of New Zealand was in
third with 39.0 on Eyespy II.
Robert Costello of Southern Pines, N.C., ended in sixth on
Chevalier with only his 42.4 points left from dressage. Julie Black
of Newnan, Ga., was in 12th with 53.6 on Hyde Park Corner.
Costello moved up into medal contention from ninth place after
dressage and Black improved from 22nd to 12th.
O'Connor isn't picturing himself on the gold-medal platform
quite yet.
"Custom Made gets aggressive in show jumping," O'Connor said.
"If he doesn't run at his fences he jumps clean."
The U.S. riders, who had a late draw, were not aware of all the
problems happening out on the course.
Out of 38 horses and riders who started the course, 13 withdrew
or were eliminated, many due to falls.
The U.S. won bronze in the team event that ended Tuesday.
O'Connor was the only U.S. rider from the team event also entered
in the individual event. Horses cannot go twice since the endurance
phase is too arduous.
The endurance phase here is 14.9 miles, with the cross-country
phase and its 29 obstacles in the final 4.6 miles ridden at a hard
gallop.
The three-day event is the equestrian equivalent of the
decathlon and includes dressage, cross-country endurance and show
jumping.
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