Britain is in a great position at the end of the first rotation in the Paris Olympic showjumping, but there have been some surprises so far.
Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly got Britain off to the best of starts with a clear round, as did world champions King Edward and Henrik von Eckermann for Sweden. Christian Kukuk and Checker 47 for Germany, Laura Kraut and Baloutinue for the US, the Netherlands’ Maikel van de Vleuten and Beauville Z, Brazil’s Pedro Veniss with Nimrod De Muze and Belgium’s Thomas Gilles and Ermitage Kalone all also jumped clear.
But the European champions, Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme were among those caught out by Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo’s tough track, coming home with eight faults.
“It was a very bad round,” Steve said. “The result was bad, obviously, but the round was bad so it feels very bad right now but I have to find a few solutions; the run didn’t feel good at all. And that’s very rare with that mare.”
Steve said his round felt like the worst he has had with the 11-year-old Snaike De Blondel mare, who jumped well in the warm-up.
“I felt very confident walking into the ring,” he said. “But from the first jump she backed off a little bit. That she can do sometimes, but normally, when the round goes, it gets better but it never felt better to the last fence.
“She’s jumped in Aachen, at championships, everywhere. So that’s definitely not an excuse, when you come to the Olympics, that there is too much atmosphere.”
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Steve Guerdat said the course is tough, but this was expected, and similar to the one in Tokyo.
“It’s just me that was not up to what was asked today,” he said, adding when asked whether the heat was a factor: “No, those are not excuses that we could use. When we come to the Olympics, we have to be up to what the Olympic Games is. And not hide ourselves behind silly excuses.”
Steve said the long distances proved challenging, and the fences going into and coming out of the corners.
Germany’s Christian Kukuk said the course was tougher than he thought it would be.
“It’s very technical, and big enough,” he said. “I would say there are many options; you really have to be focused and concentrate. If you take the direct line or if you say a little bit to the left and right, give yourself room or to move up a little bit.
“There are many questions, especially in the last line to the last oxer, six or seven, to the Liverpool oxer, six or seven, after the water is long, to the water as long, or go one extra – so many options, which doesn’t make it easier. So it’s a very tough course.”
But Christian said the 14-year-old gelding has been making courses look easy all year.
“The first round is always very special,” he said. “That gives me and him even more self-confidence, which is one of the most important things you have to have for such an event and I’m really looking forward to the next round.”
Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz got Ireland off to a solid start with just four faults on the board.
“He jumped great, a cheap rail for us, I suppose, not our usual kind of fence but we held it together and finished with a solid score,” he said. “I’d imagine if we could get three scores like that we could be ok for tomorrow.”
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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.
