The British team order for the Olympic eventing in Paris has been revealed.
Tom McEwen is the pathfinder with Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin. He’ll be followed by his team-mate from the Tokyo Games, Laura Collett, on her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52. Finally, Ros Canter will start on Michele and Archie Saul’s Lordships Graffalo.
Britain is the ninth nation to start of the 16 countries fielding a full team of three.
Outside the British team order, Yasmin Ingham is the Team GB alternate for the Olympic eventing, with Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund’s Banzai Du Loir. Under the Olympic eventing format, if should anything befall one of the team members, Yasmin can be substituted in without penalty up to two hours before the start of dressage. After that, she can be substituted in under certain circumstances, at a cost of 20 penalties to the team score.
All the British horses passed the Olympic eventing first trot-up this morning, although Banzai Du Loir was sent to the holding box and then passed on re-inspection. Four other horses were also held and one, Austrian Lea Siegl’s ride DSP Fighting Line, was eliminated.
The dressage starts at 9.30am local time (8.30am British time) tomorrow morning. Sixty-four horses – 48 representing 16 teams and 16 as individuals from 11 different countries – will come forward between the white boards for the first phase, which will be judged by the ground jury, consisting of president Christina Klingspor (Sweden) and members Xavier Le Sauce (France) and Robert Stevenson (USA).
The horses all had a chance to work in the main arena during a familiarisation session yesterday, but the 16,000 seats in the stadium were empty, so the atmosphere in Versailles will certainly ramp up as the spectators arrive and competition gets underway tomorrow.
- To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You might also be interested in:
One horse eliminated and British horse among five held at Paris Olympic eventing first trot-up
It’s time! First look at every fence on Paris Olympic cross-country course in Versailles
Olympic debutante called up as top nation make last-minute change to Paris eventing team
How to watch eventing at the Paris Olympics live from around the world
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round