Challenging day for the Showjumpers in Kentucky

Kiwi showjumpers Katie McVean and
Samantha McIntosh may be competing at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky but
they're looking to London Olympics.
 
New Zealand can now at best only
qualify an individual for the Olympics after a rather challenging day in
Kentucky today, the second round of the showjumping competition.
 
McIntosh on Loxley 38, McVean on
Dunstan Delphi and Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Apollo van Evendael will start
tomorrow in an individual ranking class.
 
Belgium based McIntosh, who is on
debut for New Zealand having previously ridden for Bulgaria at Olympic, World
Games and European Champs, was the best of the Kiwis today, picking up just
eight faults over a huge course, and could still make the top 30 for the
semi-final.
 
“He did his best out there,” she
said of Loxley. “It would have been nice not to have any faults but that's the
sport. Tomorrow is a whole new day.”
 
It was a disappointed McVean who
rode her lovely mare Delphi out of the arena with 12 faults to their
name.
 
They were fine until the treble,
when they paid the price for jumping too big into the first of the three.
 
That was followed by another rail
and then the first of the double.
 
“She's just green and a bit keen
sometimes,” says McVean.
 
They flew the 4.3m spread of the
water – a jump that cost many a rider faults today. 
 
Beatson was much happier with his
horse Apollo van Evendael (owned by Trudi Biggar). Apollo struggled a bit
yesterday after a fall a couple of days ago, but is most definitely on the mend
now.
 
“It's a tough track out there but
he did well,” says Beatson, who picked up 22 faults for his efforts. 
 
They were going well until the
water jump, where Apollo slipped a foot in, then it was a big challenge going
down the final line.
 
“That line was hard going,” says
Beatson. “He wants to jump well, but he is relatively inexperienced at this top
level, so it's hard for him. He needs to be at 100% to be able to achieve
that.”
 
The games are over for Guy Thomas
and Peterbilt.. It's been a big ask for the showy stallion as he'd been out with
injury a few weeks without a show prior to the games starting. Today he hardly
seemed to see the first fence at all, and that was followed by four more rails
around the course.
 
Thomas could feel his horse
simply wasn't right, so retired.
 
“That's showjumping,” he says.
“Some days are diamonds, others are dust.”
 
Peterbilt was cleared by the vet
to compete, but the rails down were just not the star of the past season.
 
“He's been brilliant all year, so
this was not like him at all.”
 
Chef d'equipe Richard Sunderland
was disappointed with the result, saying the team just didn't have the luck on
the day.
 
“We've got what I think are some
of the best horses we have ever had and yet it just didn't happen for
us.”
 
The team is sitting in
21st spot out of 27.
 
It was a far bigger course for
the 119 strong field today, with spreads as wide as 4.3m, to uprights that
topped 1.6m. The fences are all named for Kentucky history like famous race
horse Seabiscuit, top thoroughbred breeding and training operation Calumet Farm,
and the historic racing track Keeneland. 
 
The beauty of the course was not
lost on the thousands and thousands who packed the stands for a glimpse at the
world's best showjumping combinations.
 
The competition continues
tomorrow, and the games will close on Sunday. - Diana Dobson, Media Liason NZ

Posted by:
Anne Vallance

WEG News from Kentucky

Challenging day for the Showjumpers in Kentucky
Wednesday, 6 October 2010

WEG News from Kentucky

Challenging day for the Showjumpers in Kentucky Wednesday, 6 October 2010

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Challenging day for the Showjumpers in Kentucky
Wednesday, 6 October 2010