Tom McEwen is out of the running following a fall late on the European Eventing Championships cross-country course.
JL Dublin dropped his back legs on the rails into Le coffin Fischer (fence 22abc), incurring 11 penalties for breaking a frangible, and then put in an awkward jump at the shoulder brush out of the water at fence 25b (Le gué des nations FEI), unseating Tom.
James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin is the reigning European champion, having won double gold in Avenches in 2021 with Nicola Wilson. Tom took the reins following Nicola’s serious accident at Badminton Horse Trials last year. An individual medal here would have been an emotional result for all concerned, but it was not to be.
The ground is proving a strong factor in today’s European Eventing Championships cross-country, with horses tiring as they progress round the shortened course, and there were also several falls among the riders before Tom.
Austrian team rider Daniel Dunst took an early bath when he fell in the first water at fence seven (La falaise et le gué des Ducs de Normandie) from Chevalier 97 and Danish individual Hanne Wind Ramsgaard came unstuck at the cart at fence 19 (Le charriot de géants Tendance Ouest) with her home-bred Amequ Torino.
Also among individual riders, Dutch competitor Elaine Pen and Divali fell at the brush at fence 24 (Le saut des nations de la Fédération Équestre Internationale) and Italy’s Federico Sacchetti parted company with GRC Shiraz at the left-hand corner at fence 18 (L’étang du Conseil Departemental De L’Orne).
German individual Jérôme Robiné, who was seventh after dressage, was held at the table at fence 23, just one fence before the last water, with Black Ice due to others’ problems on course. He finished without jumping penalties, adding 18.4 time-faults to his first-phase score, and currently sits fifth.
This was the first time Jérôme has ever been held on a cross-country course,
“It’s hard to get into it again. But all the coaches were in the area pretty fast and told me what to do – that’s a good thing when people come to you telling you what to do,” said Jérôme, who felt overall the hold was beneficial to his round, although he had to change his plan at the last water.
“It was positive because Black Ice really could come back a bit stronger, especially for the last hill and for the finish. He could breath a bit. But I think for the water it was not that good – I wanted to go on the inside line, which is a bit faster, but I had to go on the outside line. But in that moment to go the longer way was the right decision.”
Around the halfway point of this European Eventing Championships cross-country, Kitty King still holds the individual lead for Britain with Vendredi Biats, with Stéphane Landois sitting second for France individually on Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau.
Britain currently retains team gold after two riders, with Germany second and France third but with Yasmin Ingham having had a run-out on Banzai Du Loir, Britain needs strong performances from her final two riders, Laura Collett and Ros Canter.
End of day update: Jérôme Robiné holds 10th place overnight. Kitty King is in individual bronze and Stéphane Landois sits fourth. Full individual results
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