2004 OLYMPIC INFO AND NEWS
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3-DAY EVENTING

TEAM--Who Won?
THE GERMANS WON--NO, THE FRENCH WON--NO, IT WAS THE GERMANS--NO, THE FRENCH
If you did not get in on the controversy, the lead German rider, B. Hoy, crossed the start line of the jumping twice, and thus accumulated 14 jumping penalties instead of a clear round...as ultimately ruled by the Olympic committee. 
   The French, the second place team noticed this violation and filed a complaint.  Initially, the Germans prevailed, on appeal the French prevailed.  There is no further appeal, according to NBC news (see their story at above link).(NBC additionally provided a taping that showed that she had indeed crossed the line twice.)
    So, the Germans are moved to fourth and everybody else moves up...Final is French winning, GB silver, US bronze.
    As one of the commentators for NBC said, it is a "mistake that any Pony Clubber in the world knows not to make".  This is the ultimate of  "rider error".
    Hoy lost her individual medal too.
    I do not think I would want to be B. Hoy at this time.  Or any time in the near future.  Or maybe lifetime.

INDIVIDUAL--WHO WON?
After the above, the final results were GB, US, GB--Leslie Law and Kim Severson taking the top spots.
See all results at www.nbcolympics.com 

BREEDS OF HORSES COMPETING
EVENTING--"Thoroughbreds rule" should be the motto here, in the current vernacular.  The Jockey Club should be very, very pleased!  If it was not Thoroughbred, it was a cross, and little else mattered!  Exception was  Windfall II, the Trakehner stallion purchased this year for DC of the US team
For Arabian enthusiasts, an Anglo-Arabian completed the grueling test for the Italian team--very respectfully.
AND this Anglo-Arabian was one of the oldest horses competing at the age of 17.
The US's Poggio II was the oldest equine competitor at 18.
 
ROUND VS. FLAT JUMPING
An interesting discussion by the commentators ensued during the cross country about round vs. flat jumping.
This carried over into the show jumping.
 
PICTURES
See the Links page for excellent pictures of the competitors in 3-day and resources for tapes

copyright ler 2004