China scored a major form upset when they beat Japan in the Olympic ticket showdown at Millstreet last week (1–5 June), claiming a qualification spot for Paris 2024 in eventing.
Two Olympic spaces were on offer in the CCIO3*-L for unqualified countries in groups F and G. Australia and Japan were the hot favourites to claim the spots, with China and South Africa also in the mix. New Zealand fielded a team, but were not hunting for an Olympic spot, having already qualified for Paris with team bronze at last year’s eventing World Championships.
As expected, Australia powered through to take top spot, led by Shenae Lowings, who won the class individually on the ex-racehorse Bold Venture. She was backed up by Kevin McNab (Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, fifth) and Shane Rose (Dotti, seventh).
“This has been the plan for a long time, so to do the job here is great, and means that we can now work towards Paris and maybe going one better than in Tokyo,” said 2021 team silver medallist Shane, who had flown over from Australia for the event.
It was a mark of Australia’s dominance that they won by 21.3 marks despite losing their second-best combination after cross-country when Andrew Hoy withdrew his Tokyo Olympic individual bronze medallist Vassily De Lassos, who was lying third at that stage, as he was not feeling 100% after picking up “a minor cut” on the cross-country.
Andrew Hoy (Vassily De Lassos), Shane Rose (Dotti), Shenae Lowings (Bold Venture) and Kevin McNab (Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend) secure Australia’s Paris 2024 spot with a win at Millstreet in June 2023. Credit: FEI/Libby Law Photography
Australia led the competition throughout and the leaderboard behind them started as expected when Japan sat second after the first phase. But things unravelled for the Japanese when they could only punch in two cross-country jumping clears and they dropped to third.
China rose with clears across country for Alex Hua Tian (Chicko, eventual fourth), Huadong Sun (Lady Chin Van’t Moerven Z, eventual eighth) and Yingfeng Bao (Flandia 2, eventual ninth). In the final phase, China held off Japan to claim second and the Paris 2024 ticket by just 3.6 penalties, despite podium finishes for Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto (second on Brookpark Vikenti) and Ryuzo Kitajima (third on Feroza Nieuwmoed).
This will be the second time China has fielded an Olympic eventing team after their team debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where they finished ninth.
Alex lives in Cheshire, and Huadong and Yingfeng are both based in the Netherlands with trainer Martin Lips. Fourth team rider Ruiji Liang (17th on Kiriaantje) divides his time between Belgium and China and competes primarily in showjumping.
“It’s worth saying just how much of a sacrifice they have all made, leaving their families behind to represent their country in eventing,” said Alex.
Eventing Paris 2024 qualification: five more team spots available
There are 16 team slots on offer for eventing at Paris 2024, including one for host nation France. Germany, the USA, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland all secured their places at last year’s World Championships, while Poland qualified on home soil at the recent group C qualifier in Baborówko.
Two places are on offer at the European Championships in Haras du Pin, France, in August and two at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October.
The last team place will go to the top squad in the 2023 Nations Cup series, which culminates at Boekelo in the Netherlands in October. Belgium look to be targeting this spot and did their chances no harm with second in the Nations Cup at Millstreet last week.
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