Update on riders who fell on World Championships cross-country course

Neither of the riders whose falls caused holds on the World Eventing Championships cross-country was badly injured, it has been confirmed.

Spanish rider Carlos Diaz Fernandez and Nicolas Touzaint, of France, were among those who suffered falls on Saturday (17 September), but although Carlos was taken for X-rays as a precautionary measure, Nicolas did not need to go to hospital.

Carlos fell from Taraje CP at 7c, the second skinny fence at the foot of the Slide. He hung on to the side of his horse for a few strides, then fell, and it looked as if the nine-year-old gelding struck him with a hoof as he hit the ground.

Nicolas fell from Absolut Gold HDC at the oxer-to-corner combination at fence 16abc, the MIM Clip Complex, which had caused issues for a number of combinations.

The French partnership, who went into today with a 34.4 dressage score, were on the side that took bronze in Tokyo, and finished sixth individually, but the fall capped a day that had not gone as planned for France. The team was in sixth place after dressage, and would have been within reach of the podium had today gone well, but slipped to 14th of 16 after the World Eventing Championships cross-country.

Nicolas’s countryman Gaspard Maksud and nine-year-old mare Zaragoza jumped clear inside the time, but Thomas Carlile was also eliminated for a fall. He and Darmagnac De Beliard were eliminated at the skinny at fence 19; the horse was not on a good distance on the approach and jumped through the side of the fence, resulting in Tom coming off.

The first French team combination to go, Astier Nicolas and Alertamalib’or, had a run-out at fence 7c, the final part of the Slide, and 11 penalties for a broken frangible device at fence 18, the Goldspan Farm, along with 8.4 time-faults.

The Spanish were 11th after dressage, but are now in 16th place. No horses fell or suffered serious injuries during the cross-country.

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