“F***ing annoying,” was Tom McEwen’s reaction after losing the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event title in the showjumping today.
Leading overnight, Tom and JL Dublin gave supporters a scare when they rattled the oxer at fence 9a, but the pole stayed. However, the penultimate fence fell and the pair also had 1.2 time-faults to drop to second behind winners Oliver Townend (Cooley Rosalent), the same place they took at Kentucky last year.
“He jumped amazing,” said Tom of the horse who belongs to Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston. “I’m delighted with him. We slightly fell in on the line to fence 12 if I was being critical of myself, but he jumped an amazing round.
“Realistically I thought I should have been a few marks up after dressage and it was a shame yesterday we had the moment coming off the leaf pit [which led to an unplanned long route] as otherwise I’d have had a bit in hand over Oliver, so I’m gutted really, because second is the world’s s***est place.
“I’m delighted with the horse, he was fantastic. And he’s shown what he is for the Olympic team and where he’s at. It was just one of those days.”
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai Du Loir, who belongs to Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund, were second overnight, but dropped to third when they lowered the front rail of the oxer at fence eight in the Kentucky Three-Day Event showjumping. Had they gone clear, they would have won.
“It”s part of the sport, isn’t it? It’s right down to the very final day always and it’s always very exciting,” said Yasmin. “Obviously I’m a bit gutted but at the same time, I’m delighted with how he jumped.
“He just breathed on one oxer, which is really unfortunate, but at the end of the day, he’s had a fantastic week and it’s not been our day today. But he’s certainly put out a very, very strong performance at the highest level of the sport. That’s exactly what we came here to do, to show ourselves at the highest level of the sport in this year,” add Yasmin, alluding to Paris Olympic selection.
Asked if she would do anything differently if she rode fence eight again, Yasmin said: “I think I was very conscious of the time and maybe I just got a little bit forward around the turn. I should have maybe just set him back on his hocks a little bit more before the oxer, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
“I’m sure I’ll be analysing that video the whole way home, but you learn from all these experiences and I believe it makes me a stronger rider and a better competitor, better person. We’ll learn for the next time.”
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