Horse welfare to the fore in Olympics team showjumping qualifier as rider eliminated

Brazilian combination Pedro Veniss and Nimrod De Muze have been eliminated from the Olympic team showjumping qualifier at the Paris Games as “minor blood” was found on the horse’s flanks.

The combination had jumped a beautiful clear as the first to go for Brazil but the small amount of blood was found at their post-round check, leading to their elimination.

“Elimination under this rule does not imply that there was any intention to hurt or harm the horse, but the FEI discipline rules have been put in place to ensure that horse welfare is protected at all times,” the FEI statement in relation to the elimination reads.

The Brazilian team is not eliminated as a whole, but will be ranked below all teams that finish with all three combinations.

“The rules relating to blood on the horse are discipline-specific due to the different requirements of each of the FEI disciplines,” the statement reads. “Under the FEI jumping rules, blood on the flanks or in the horse’s mouth results in elimination.”

The 13-year-old gelding had looked on fine form in his round this morning, and his and Pedro Veniss’s clear was followed by a four-fault round from their teammates Stephan de Freitas Barcha and Primavera. But, after news of Pedro and Nimrod De Muze’s elimination emerged, Rodrigo Pessoa withdrew Major Tom, clearly saving him for the individual competition, which starts on Monday (5 August).

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