2004 Olympic Games

Outsider Germany Grabs Team Gold at 2004 Eventing Olympics

August 18, 2004

What a thrilling competition! The team medals were absolutely decided today by stadium jumping as rails were flying down and nations ping-ponged across the scoring board after each ride. It was Bettina Hoy-Overesch who put the gold lining on Germany's team gold medal. Hoy had a copybook jumping round aboard the grey gelding Ringwood Cockatoo and cleared the course in time. The pressure that was on her shoulders after Ingrid Klimke had pulled out Sleep Late from competition, was enormous; the relief when Hoy cleared that last fence was equally as big.

After Hoy dazzled the audience with her fantastic winning performance, she jumped off her horse and fell in the arms of her husband, the Australian Andrew Hoy, in tears. Andrew himself was totally overcome and couldn't surpress his emotions either. The German camp was jumping up and down while Dibowski, Ostholt and Romeike hugged their team mate.

"My husband won team gold before, but to experience it myself is just unbelievable," Bettina Hoy told the BBC. "We came here as the outsiders so we didn't feel that much pressure. We were very united at the training camp and for us a team medal was the most important. That it is gold is just unbelievable," Hoy rejoiced.

German eventing went through a major depression in the 90s and struggled hard to surface back at the top. Their last team medal was at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and then craved one again desperately. "We needed to win a medal in order to keep government funding," Hoy explained.

The French eventing team finished in silver medal position after performing quite a disappointing stadium jumping round. The French were comfortably in gold medal position after dressage and cross country, but the three leading riders knocked down 5 rails (20 penalty points) in total and had to incalculate 7 time penalty points as well.

The best French jumping round came from Nicolas Touzaint, who had been leading strongly in the individual ranking after two phases. Aboard Galan de Sauvagere, the 24-year old Touzaint made one lethal mistake on the last fence. Touzaint had to work really hard to get the strides right but didn't make it. His horse knocked off one rail on that final jump.

Touzaint is still leading individually, but now has less breathing space. One rail down in the individual finals and a clear round from second placed Bettina Hoy will make him lose that individual gold medal.

The BBC crew, which has religiously been broadcasting eventing these past four days, went through the roof when Pippa Funnell fulfilled her anchor role on the British team by riding a clear round aboard Primmore's Rose. Funnell's horse has scope to burn, which he profitably put to use jumping the course.

Britain went from a gold medal position after dressage to a third place after the cross country and it desperately clinged on to that place during show jumping, as the American team posed a threat to their medal position. The withdrawal of William Fox-Pitt's top jumper Tamarillo did not boost England's confidence. However, Leslie Law and Pippa Funnell both had clear rounds while Mary King put in eight penalty points. Their 143.00 score was good for bronze.

It was Amy Tryon on Poggio II who had the best American ride in stadium jumping. Tryon was the only one to clear the course. Much was expected from Kim Severson on her stunningly consistent horse Winsome Adante. Unfortunately on the last lightweight fence, Adante pinged one rail down behind and they also got 1.00 time penalty. So Team U.S.A finished fourth, but Severson still has individual medal chances.

Darren Chiacchia and Windfall got off lucky this morning during the vet inspection as the black Windfall turned out really stiff, but passed the jog anyway. The pair showed a decent course with only two rails down.

The team that has done the best stadium jumping today were the Belgians. All three riders -- Constantijn van Rijckevorsel, Karin Donckers and Dolf Desmedt -- had a clear round! They finished only in seventh place not being able to make up for the points they lost in dressage and cross country.

Their excellent performance in the stadium must have been very welcome after the tragic incident that happened with their team mate Joris Vanspringel. Vanspringel's horse Over and Over fell during cross country and broke the femur. He was transported to the vet clinic where he was operated on. Unfortunately, the injury was too severe and it was in the best interest of the horse for him to be euthanized.

Stadium jumping proved to be hughly influential in the eventing team competition. Germany won gold with 133.80 points, France the silver with 140.40 points and Great Britain the bronze with 143.00 points. The U.S.A got 145.60 in total.

The individual eventing medals are decided tonight. Will Nicolas Touzaint be able to grab that coveted gold medal? The young rider truly deserves it!

Photos copyrighted: Dirk Caremans - No Reproduction Allowed

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