Equestrian: NZ lose world eventing crown

9.00am

The New Zealand eventing team couldn't make up for lost ground in the showjumping, finishing fifth and losing their crown at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, overnight.

With Andrew Nicholson the best individual in ninth place, it represented a disappointing return for the New Zealanders, who have dominated eventing at the three previous World Games.

Despite a solid performance on the difficult showjumping course, the defending champions couldn't improve on the fifth position they held after the dressage and cross-country stages.

Nicholson knocked over one fence on Fenicio, while Daniel Jocelyn, who finished in 12th place, hit two rails on Silence.

The next best overall New Zealanders were Kate Lambie, who was 17th on Nufarm Alibi and Heelan Tompkins, 24th on Classic Hits Crusada.

New Zealand's overall hopes divebombed when defending champion individual combination of Blyth Tait and Ready Teddy fell in yesterday's cross country.

Tait was disappointed New Zealand's run of success at the World Games had come to an end.

They have won all three previous individual crowns and won two out of the three teams titles dating back to 1990.

"Sometimes things just don't go your way and that was the case here," Tait told NZPA.

"If I had managed to go clear on the cross-country, I was on for a good time so our overall score today would have been a lot better. We could have been among the medals.

"It's ifs and buts I suppose. But we can't get too down. We were still fifth out of 13 nations."

Tait admitted his team had ceded too much ground in the first two disciplines.

He couldn't comment on reports that Nicholson was considering announcing his international retirement.

The United States won the world championships team title for the first time since 1974.

Led by fourth-placed individual John Williams, the strong US team which also included David O'Connor, Kim Vinoski and Amy Tryon were almost assured of victory when Australia's Stuart Tinney recorded 26 faults.

That saw the Olympic champion Australians drop from second to fourth place, with France promoted to second and Great Britain third.

There was more good news for France when Jean Teulere leaped from third after the cross country to win the individual crown on Espoir de la Mare.

His 45.80 penalty points saw him become his country's first evening champion, following a nail-biting end to the showjumping.

Jeanette Brakewell of Great Britain was second on Over To You while the bronze to Piia Pantus on Ypaja Karuso gave Finland a rare medal.

New Zealand's remaining chance of a medal in Jerez rested with the endurance team of Paul Jeffrey, Brian Tiffin, Madonna Harris and John Stevenson, who were to begin their 12-hour, 160km odyssey this evening (NZ time). They won the discipline four years ago in Rome.

- NZPA