Change made to Australian Olympic eventing team after first trot-up

A major change has been made to the Australian Olympic eventing team since the first horse inspection at the Tokyo Games today (29 July).

All the team’s horses were accepted at the trot-up, but the decision was then made that Stuart Tinney’s ride Leporis, owned by Stuart and his wife Karen, would not start the competition. They have been replaced by Kevin McNab riding Don Quidam, who is owned by Scuderia 1918 and Kevin’s wife Emma.

“Based on advice from the team veterinarians and in consultation with the athletes, the decision was made in the best interest of the horse and team,” a spokesman for Equestrian Australia said.

Under the new three-to-a-team Olympic format, Leporis and Stuart Tinney now become the alternate combination.

This was Stuart and Leporis’s original position when the squad for Tokyo was announced in June, as Chris Burton and Clair Poole’s Quality Purdey were selected for the team.

But the potential medallists had to withdraw from what would have been Chris’s third Games as a minor injury was found during a vet check before the horses flew to Tokyo.

The three Australian combinations due to start the competition, which kicks off with the first day of dressage tomorrow (30 July), are now Andrew Hoy on David and Paula Evans’ Vassily De Lassos, Shane Rose on his own, his wife Niki and Michelle Hasibar’s Virgil and Kevin on Don Quidam.

One horse was eliminated at the first horse inspection and one was sent to the holding box but passed when represented. All the British horses – London 52 (Laura Collett), Toledo De Kerser (Tom McEwen), Ballaghmor Class (Oliver Townend) and alternate Allstar B (Ros Canter) – looked well and were accepted.

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