This may prove a timely feelgood story for British equestrian. With the sport still reeling from the appearance of a video showing Charlotte Dujardin – hitherto the golden girl of dressage – whipping a horse 24 times, Team GB could go at least some way towards repairing a public relations disaster.
After a strong showing in the cross-country in the spectacular grounds of the Château de Versailles, eventing team gold is within view. Laura Collett lies second in the individual standings with only Monday’s showjumping discipline to come.
Collett’s role in this scene remains remarkable, given she was placed in an induced coma and sustained multiple fractures when falling from a horse in 2013. An uplifting tale to offset Dujardin’s disgrace would benefit equestrian and Team GB mutually. Rightly or wrongly, winning masks a multitude of sporting sin.
Collett, plus her teammates Tom McEwen and Ros Canter, must be well aware of the broader picture in a scandal-hit environment. They will also know public opinion will not be on their side on day three.
In the penultimate ride of the cross-country, Nicolas Touzaint urged Diabolo Menthe home in a manner more akin to the 3.40 at Uttoxeter than the French aristocracy’s former playground in Versailles. In doing so, Touzaint took France to second place. Team GB’s 82.50 penalty aggregate leads 87.20 for the hosts.
“To be in the lead is extraordinary but we will do the count at the end of the event,” Collett said. “It is far from over. This is an amazing position to be in but nothing is done until the last horse is through. It was some buzz being out there.” Collett admitted a mixture of nerves and excitement meant she had not slept well before the cross-country.
Japan are in the bronze medal position, with Switzerland next best. Germany’s Michael Jung, on board Chipmunk FRH, swaggered round the course seven seconds inside the permitted time of 9min 2sec. On this evidence, Jung – seeking a fourth Olympic gold – will take some stopping. Collett’s overall score of 18.30 was pipped by Jung’s 17.80.
McEwen, riding the 13-year-old JL Dublin, had earlier sat atop proceedings but was sixth by the finish. His flawless ride in 8.58 added to his dressage score for 25.8.
“It is a fantastic Olympic course,” McEwen said. “It allows you to be really open and free to begin with and then requires the riders to think where you need to close up. I actually changed my mind on some of the elements just as we were about to start from watching how some of the others were jumping.”
Christopher Burton lies third for Australia, narrowly ahead of Switzerland’s Felix Vogg. MGH Grafton Street is the horse of fifth-placed Yoshiaki Oiwa. We therefore have the long‑awaited link between the Japanese Olympic equestrian team and Dublin’s most famous shopping street.
Obstacles were dressed up in all manner of obscure forms, presumably to make the domain look cool. The opulent surroundings were fitting for what is hardly a sport delivering aspiration to the working class. The huge audience was noticeably white, noticeably middle – at least – aged and noticeably affluent. To be fair to equestrian, it does not pretend to operate in anything beyond its own bubble but when cases such as the one involving Dujardin arise it is worth contemplating broader relevance. On a hot afternoon, horses ran and leapt around a course stretching 5.1km; it is not as if they have any opportunity to state they would rather not.
Australia’s Kevin McNab pulled up Don Quidam after the horse clipped a fence and appeared lame. Future, ridden by the Italian Emiliano Portale, was eliminated from the competition after blood was found in its mouth in a post-dressage check on Saturday.
“Elimination under this rule does not imply that there was any intention to hurt or harm the horse,” the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Equestre Internationale, said in a statement. “But the FEI discipline rules have been put in place to ensure that horse welfare is protected at all times.” And this is hardly the window within which to take chances.
Collett called London 52 “the horse of a lifetime”. The animal even lost a shoe early in this cross-country run. Collett added: “He’s not a natural cross-country horse and then he goes around a course like that as if he is on railway tracks. He was perfect. So it just shows what a partnership you can build up and you can make them believe in you. I have full faith in him now, which means I can go and enjoy myself out there.”
The stakes have never been bigger; for Collett, McEwen, Canter and the sport they are trying so desperately to rebrand.
