Equestrian: Nicholson and the team take a tumble

By EUGENE BINGHAM in Athens

In this place of mythology and legend, the sporting gods had a small chuckle last night.

Out at the Olympic three-day eventing course at the Markopoulo Equestrian Centre, the New Zealand riders had grumbled that the cross-country course was too easy, a factor which meant that their chances of recovering a team medal position were much diminished.

Four of their five riders went clear over the fences and only one, Blyth Tait on Ready Teddy, incurred a small time penalty.

Then the gods made themselves heard, their laugh no doubt carried on the winds which blew in over the surrounding olive tree-clad hills and kept the feared heat at bay.

Andrew Nicholson, nicknamed Mr Stickability for his knack of staying on his horse, was on course for a clear round when he tumbled off after Fenicio caught the 31st of the 34 jumps.

Two rides later, Australia's Olympic triple gold medallist Andrew Hoy, repeated Nicholson's feat.

Before the round, nobody would have taken a bet that two of the most experienced riders in the field would fall at the same fence, not least because it was a straight-forward looking course.

New Zealand riders have traditionally thrived on the cross-country phase of major international events, where the courage of horse and rider can wipe out the effects of a poor dressage mark.

But the course provided few opportunities for New Zealand to climb from their overnight sixth position and they stayed sixth on 156.20 points.


France led on 113.40, followed by Germany (119.60), Great Britain (125.60), the United States (129.60) and Australia (135.40).

New Zealand would have been closer but for Nicholson's fall.

French rider Nicolas Touzaint on Galan de Sauvagere was the leading individual rider.

The team competition will be decided by a showjumping round tonight. After that, the top 25 riders will jump off again under lights for the individual medals.

The three inexperienced New Zealand riders, Heelan Tompkins, Daniel Jocelyn and Matthew Grayling, performed the best last night, all riding clear rounds.

After the dressage and cross-country, Tompkins on Glengarrick - at 18 the oldest horse at the Games - was 10th, Grayling on Revo 17th, Tait 33rd and Jocelyn on Silence 35th.

Nicholson, who was 64th, said he still believed the course was not tough enough. In fact, he believed that Fenincio took it too easily.

"He felt like he was just cantering around, as if he was just schooling," said Nicholson, slightly bloodied on the face from the fall.

"I should not be able to get around the course that far and have the horse feel like he was taking a walk in the park."


The New Zealanders knew that if they were to vault up the leaderboard after the dressage phase, then others needed to make mistakes in the cross-country.

But 46 of the 75 riders last night did not incur any jump penalties.

Tait said the team had not given up.

"We were picked because we've got good jumping horses," said Tait, who rode a clear round on Ready Teddy and incurred only a small time penalty of 1.60.

A four-time Olympian, Tait said it was the easiest cross-country course he had seen at a Games, but he was not bitter.

"They've gone for a bit of a safer approach and probably sensibly. It would have done the sport no good if there was carnage out there because they had overdone it."

Team coach Mark Todd said it was a shame the course designers had been so cautious. "They could have made it more testing without making it more dangerous."