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Sunday, September 24
Horses lose footing on big stage
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- Slippery footing and a touch of equine
stage fright took their toll on the U.S. show jumping squad here
Monday.
Rhythmical, ridden by Nona Garson of Lebanon, N.J., fell on a
turn during the qualifying round, eliminating her from the
individual event. Horse and rider were unhurt and will be in the
team event Thursday.
|  | | Nona Garson's fall will not eliminate her from the team competition. |
"I've done this sport for a long time," Garson said. "You can
be a queen or you can be on the ground in a heartbeat. It hasn't
stopped me before, and it won't stop me here."
Her teammates also knocked down a lot of rails, and so did just
about everyone else.
"My round was not as nice as I hoped for," said Margie
Goldstein Engle of Wellington, Fla., who took down four rails on
Perin to score 16 faults. "It means I have a little more homework
to do."
The crowd of 18,000 scared some of the horses, including the
mare Liberty, ridden by Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wis., who
lowered two fences for 8 faults.
"She was looking in the stands sort of starstruck," said
Kraut. So was Clasiko, ridden by Lauren Hough of Ocala, Fla., who
scored 12.5 faults.
"He didn't focus," said Hough. "He was looking around. But
he's a smart horse. He knew he wasn't supposed to have those rails
down. He will bounce back for Thursday."
Kraut finished 21st in the group of 74 riders, Hough 37th and
Engle 49th. The scores will be wiped clean if they move forward to
the final event on Sunday.
Garson felt the arena footing contributed to poor performances
as well as her fall. Rhythmical knocked down six rails before he
went down.
"It is hard underneath and soft on top," she said. "He could
feel himself slipping. When the ground gives way he starts to fight
forward. He then starts going too fast."
"People who are responsible for the ground still have some work
to do," said Ludger Beerbaum of Germany who finished third on
Goldfever 3 with just 1.25 time faults.
Jeroen Dubbeldam of the Netherlands on Sjiem and Bruce Goodin of
New Zealand on Lenaro had the day's best rounds with just .5 fault
each.
Many riders opted for wider turns and risked time penalties
instead of more costly jump penalties. There were no clean rounds,
but four had only time penalties. Half scored 12 faults or worse.
Scores from Monday and the two rounds of the team competition
Thursday will decide the final 45 jumpers to ride for individual
medals on next Sunday.
Dressage riders will take over the venue Tuesday as the Grand
Prix team event begins. The U.S. has a chance at the bronze behind
the Germans and Dutch.
There are three equestrian events -- show jumping, dressage, and
three-day -- with team and individual medals in each. The U.S. won
individual gold and team bronze last week in three-day, the
equestrian equivalent of the decathlon.
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