Not to be for Scott Brash at World Championships as unlucky fall brings individual medal dream to an end
Scott Brash and Hello Mango both walked out of the arena after Scott was unseated in the individual final
It was not to be for superstars Scott Brash and Hello Mango in today’s individual final at the showjumping World Championships.
The British combination had been in the lead individually going into Friday night’s team final, but the very first fence – a Lindt oxer that had fallen more than any other jump that day – fell for them. Scott rode beautifully and the mare owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham flew to jump the rest of the round clear and secure team bronze for Britain – but the four faults meant they went into today’s individual final in 10th place.
In the first round, Scott showed some superb horsemanship to get through the triple combination but as Mango went a bit high over the wall, the six strides to the Longines oxer wasn’t quite there and they clipped it. Their score of 8.8 was enough to take them into the second round in 12th place.
This meant they were first to go, and the second-round track appeared to be a great deal tougher; only the eventual medallists jumped clear.
Scott Brash unseated at World Championships
Scott and Mango started strong, the mare looking full of jumping, until she caught the back rail of the first element of the triple combination. She then paddled through the second and Scott was unseated, falling to the ground under the fence as she jumped the last element.
Scott got back to his feet and he and Mango walked out of the arena. He then rode her briefly to cool her down in the warm-up arena – and was one of the first to congratulate team-mate Harry Charles on his and Freda’s fantastic bronze.
It was an individual final of incredible drama; of those top 25 combinations the medallists – champions Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme of Switzerland Belgium’s Thibeau Spits and Impress-K van't Kattenheye Z and Harry Charles and LT Holst Freda – were the only combinations to put two clears on the board.
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Piergiorgia Bucci and Hantano for Italy, Colombians Roberto Teran Tafur and Dez’ Ooktoff and home rider Daniel Deusser with Otello De Guldenboom, who had been second, third and fourth individually going into the second round this afternoon, had a fence down each – the very last for both Daniel and Piergiorgio.
Daniel, who had been in second place going into today but had one down in each round, said a better result than this is needed to win a medal.
“Maybe [Otello De Guldenboom was] tired, maybe it was concentration, maybe it was a bit a lack of energy,” he said. “It’s difficult to analyse right now; but he did a lot of good things also in between.”
Roberto added: “I’m very happy because I had a great week.
“I’m a little sad because I am not on the podium, of course. But I had a fantastic week. I enjoyed every minute, and you have to be grateful to be here at this level. And fifth place is a dream for me.
“I’m crazy happy with [my horse]; he’s one of a kind for me. He has done everything for me. He doesn’t owe me anything, and he gave me his heart out there in the ring.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.