KEY POINTS:
Andrew Nicholson's well-documented torment at the Olympic Games extended to a form of Chinese water torture yesterday as New Zealand's hopes of securing an equestrian medal went west on a damp cross country course at Beas River.
A stoic Nicholson might not have forecast his demise on the
penultimate obstacle of a challenging 29-jump layout.
Though given his history, there was barely a tremor when Lord Killinghurst failed to scale the second fence at The Pagodas - a daunting structure of railings and brush practically within sight of the finish line.
Nicholson fell relatively delicately but the discomfort was still evident when, unrepentant, he explained a flawed approach that prompted his elimination and caused irreparable damage to New Zealand's campaign in the teams' competition.
There was an opportunity to take a slower, more conservative route as Mark Todd chose when he was the first rider to take on the endurance test with Gandalf. But for Nicholson it was never a consideration, regardless of the risks involved.
"The long way around was no good for me," he said.
"Getting 10 time faults, and then go and do the showjumping - I'd have the others too close to me. I needed to be two rails in hand over them. He's not a good showjumper."
The plan unravelled just when Nicholson, 21st overnight, appeared on course to record one of the fastest completions on a route where no rider managed to beat the optimum time of eight minutes.
Nicholson's misfortune helped ensure New Zealand ended the day as they began - in sixth position, but now with barely a minuscule chance of making the podium.
Realistically, they need provisional bronze medallist Great Britain to have a disastrous showjumping experience, though Italy and Sweden also start the final phase ahead of New Zealand. Germany lead on 158.10 penalties, Australia are hot on their heels on 162.00.
A debilitating showjumping round is not without precedent, as Nicholson is acutely aware.
Last away with Spinning Rhombus at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and with a seven rail buffer over second place, their accident-prone performance is now unfortunately entrenched in New Zealand sporting folklore. They dropped nine rails, gift wrapping the gold for Australia.
That failure marked the beginning of Nicholson's despair at the Olympics. In Atlanta four years later he claimed a team bronze, though his scores were not included.
Then in Sydney both New York and Dawdle were vetted out before the dressage; in Athens he fell from Fenicio on what was regarded as a gentle cross country course.
He remounted to finish 61st, but new regulations brought in on August 1 now demand a fallen rider is automatically eliminated.
"It's very disappointing, but that's the sport. I've had bad day's before, Olympics aren't very lucky places for me," he said. "At least we tried and gave it our best. There's no point finishing forth or fifth. Steady clear rounds are not much help, I don't think so anyway."
Ultimately it was just that from an indefatigable Todd that at least spared New Zealand the ignominy of joining defending champion France on the periphery.
The French lost two key riders before the dressage and were consigned to an early exit when Jean Renaud Adde became the eighth and final rider to come to grief.
Individual champion at Los Angeles in 1984 and again at Seoul four years later, Todd played the perfect support role before realising he would actually be picking up the pieces with Caroline Powell and Joe Meyer.
Todd, 29th overall, consciously took the roundabout option at Pagodas, circling after the first fence to give more time to set up for the second.
Meyer, on Snip, was again New Zealand's leading rider in 19th - though not until a successful appeal against a 20-point jumping penalty.
Powell (Lenamore) was 26th while Heelan Tompkins' struggles on Sugoi continued as she placed 56th among the revised field of 60.
- NZPA
