Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-19 23:21:02

(HONG KONG, August 19) — Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands retained her Dressage Individual gold medal for a record third time after scoring 82.40 percent in the Grand Prix Freestyle riding Salinero. Her combined total for both Grand Prix Special and Freestyle tests was 78.68 percent. The win confirms her reputation as Queen of the Freestyle and makes her the most successful Dutch Olympic athlete.

Silver went to Team gold medalist Isabell Werth of Germany with Satchmo on a combined score of 76.65 percent. She now holds five gold and three individual silver medals. Werth has had problems in both the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle with Satchmo spooking during the piaffe movement.

Heike Kemmer of Germany riding Bonaparte claimed bronze, winning her first Olympic Individual medal. Kemmer’s Freestyle score of 75.95 percent gave her a combined score of 74.45 percent. Going into the Freestyle test from third position, she was one of few riders to use a combination of vocals and orchestration with a medley of 1960s pop hits.

Steffen Peters of the United States and Ravel showed smooth transitions and movements like extended half pass in passage to give them a total score of 74.150 percent, but could not improve from fourth place, ending just out of the medals.

The second Dutch rider Hans-Peter Minderhoud moved up to fifth place, riding Nadine.

Fifteen competitors from 10 NOCs let their horses dance to music and showed a prescribed set of movements in the order of their choice. They were marked on both technical execution and artistic impression.

Updated: 2008-08-19 02:37:04

(HONG KONG, August 18) — The Individual medals for Dressage hang in the balance and everything depends on the results of the Freestyle at the HK Equestrian Venue (Shatin) on Tuesday. Germany’s Isabell Werth is only 0.24 percentage points ahead but could stop the Netherlands’s Anky van Grunsven from winning her third consecutive gold.

Gold favorites:

Werth could not protect a strong lead in the Special after her horse Satchmo spooked badly and it has to be seen whether the horse has settled again.

Grunsven had similar problems with Salinero showing two mistakes. They are the current World Cup winners and Grunsven holds a record of eight World Cup wins.

Bronze favorites:

Heike Kemmer from Germany aboard Bonaparte is in third position on 72.250 percent after a faultless test in the Grand Prix Special. A member of two gold medal-winning teams, she has yet to win an Individual Olympic Games medal.

Steffen Peters from the United States and Ravel are ranked fourth on 71.800. Ravel, a Dutch stallion, can be expected to deliver a fascinating Freestyle.

An outside chance for a bronze medal is Russian Alexandra Korelova, riding ex-police horse Balagur. The grey stallion is known for exceptional piaffes and passages. Both movements count for much in the Freestyle.

Half of the Freestyle marks are based on artistic presentation. This includes rhythm, harmony between horse and rider, choreography and use of the arena, degree of difficulty, music and interpretation of the music. The Freestyle counts for half of the medal score.

Fifteen riders qualified for the final. The riders with the top five scores will ride last, after a draw for their starting order within their group. Grunsven has the advantage of riding last.

The first rider out in the arena will be Danish Team bronze medalist Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein with Digby.

Updated: 2008-08-19 01:21:44

Mclain Ward and Sapphire compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

The United States, defending title holders, won the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Jumping Team gold, holding off a strong challenge from Canada in the Team final competition at the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Shatin) on Monday night.

Norway came third on 27 penalty points to claim the bronze medal.

Beezie Madden and Authentic compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Riders from the US team celebrate. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Will Simpson and Carlsson Vom Dach compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Riders from the US team celebrate. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-08-19 00:55:24

(HONG KONG, August 18) — The United States retained their Olympic title after a jump-off with Canada in the Jumping Team competition on Monday, August 18 in Hong Kong. It is the first time an Olympic Gold medal has been decided in a jump-off. Norway finished on 27 points, giving them bronze, their first Olympic medal in Equestrian.

The jump-off was called after the United States and Canada ended on 20 penalties in the second round of competition. For the US team, McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Will Simpson all went clear well within the 45 seconds allowed. Vice world champion Beezie Madden did not need to go out for the jump-off.

Canada had only three riders in the competition after Ole for Mac Cone could not compete because of an injury. Olympic veteran Ian Millar, 61, and at his ninth Olympic Games, did not proceed into the jump-off after Jill Henselwood had a pole down and the cause was lost for Canada. Millar is the oldest medalist in Equestrian, and seventh oldest in Olympic history across all sports. Eric Lamaze and Hickstead, ranked World No. 3, had stayed clear in the jump-off. It is Canada’s first Olympic Equestrian medal since winning gold in Mexico City in 1968.

Tony Andre Hansen, 29, was the leading rider for Norway after a clear round with only one time penalty. First-round joint leaders Switzerland dropped out of the medals into fourth position on 30 penalties after European champion Christina Liebherr had a disappointing round on 23 points. Germany and the Netherlands finished equal fifth.

There were no eliminations. Peter McMahon from Australia had a fall in the practice ring, which resulted in a damaged shoulder and an Australian team with only three riders. After a promising start they dropped back when Matt Williams finished on only 17 points.

Updated: 2008-08-18 23:08:50

(HONG KONG, August 18) — The United States beat Canada in a jump-off to win Team gold in Equestrian Jumping. Both teams were on 20 penalty points after the qualifying rounds. Norway won bronze on a penalty score of 27.

Updated: 2008-08-18 03:23:38

(HONG KONG, August17) — Switzerland and defending gold medalist the United States are tied in top position on 12 penalties going into the second Round of the Team Jumping competition on Monday.

Third-ranked Sweden is only one time penalty behind the leaders, with Ralf-Goran Bengtsson and Ninja staying clear in the first round.

Great Britain and Canada are tied in fourth place on 16 points; the Netherlands and Norway are one point behind, tied at sixth place.

Favorite Germany and outsider Australia are both tied on 20 penalties, as nine teams move into the second round of the Team final.

The competition also serves as the third qualifier for spots in the Individual final. Eric Lamaze from Canada and Mclain Ward from the United States are tied for first place with clean slates.

Defending gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil is ranked third, carrying forward only one time penalty.

Denis Lynch of Ireland, Tony Andre Hansen of Norway and Jos Lansink of Belgium are tied for fourth position on two penalties.

Fifty riders will move into the third round, among them Patrick Lam for Hong Kong, China, placed 22, in front of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum of Germany and Beezie Madden of the United States, who were second and third at the 2006 World Championship.

The Team final opens at the HK Equestrian Venue (Shatin) on Monday at 7:15 p.m. (UTC/GMT 8).

Updated: 2008-08-18 03:21:20

(HONG KONG, August 17) — Switzerland and the United States are in the lead after the first round of the Jumping Team competition at the HK Equestrian Venue (Shatin) on Sunday. Both finished on 12 penalties, but Switzerland gave a more even performance. Each of the four Swiss riders had only one pole down.

The US team had Mclain Ward finishing clear, but silver World Champion Beezie Madden became the scratch result after a surprise stop by Authentic coming into the triple combination.

Sweden lies in third place, scoring 13 penalties. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson had a clean slate with Ninja.

On 16 points each, Great Britain and Canada share fourth place. Britain had only three riders competing after John Whitaker had to withdraw Peppermill shortly before the competition.

Canadian Eric Lamaze, No. 3 in the world ranking, delivered one of the night’s five clear rounds. Teammate Ian Millar came in with just one pole down at his ninth Olympics.

Germany ended on a score of 20 with no clear round. World No. 1 Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum produced the team’s best round with one pole down in the triple combination, which proved a bogey obstacle for many riders.

Course designers Leopoldo Palacios from Venezuela and Steve Stevens from the United States offered a technical course with a tricky line over the water fence. At 4.20 meters wide, the water proved difficult to clear because horses saw it only very late behind a low barrier at the take-off point. The last fence over the 1.60-meter triple bar proved another tough challenge for many horses.

Individual riders Jos Lansink of Belgium and Denis Lynch of Ireland turned in clear rounds, as did defending gold medalist from Athens 2004 Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. All three take only time penalties forward, as does Tony Andre Hansen of Norway.

Four riders were eliminated, among them the Ukrainian tycoon Aleksandr Onishchenko and Pedro Veniss of Brazil, leaving the Brazil team with only three riders and out of the second round on Monday.

Twenty-year-old Jamal Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s first Olympic rider, had a nasty fall and was taken to the hospital, but soon released. His horse Ionesco De Brekka was unharmed.