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<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0Astier Nicolas on Piaf de b’Neville<\/em><\/p>\n Sam Griffiths rode a great team round, careful, calculating and Paulank Brockagh showed what a jumping machine she is. 6.8 time.<\/p>\n “It was tough I’m lucky I’m on such an experienced horse. To tell the truth, the worst part was the start box, but I have real confidence in my horse, she got in close to a couple of fences but she is so good in front. I did take a long way and that cost me the time.”<\/p>\n Sam Griffiths on\u00a0Paulank Brockagh<\/em><\/p>\n Celebrating Sam’s ride<\/em><\/p>\n Young British hopeful Gemma Tattersall had a wreck of a ride on Quicklook and came home with 89.6 penalties. And the falls started to happen, an Irish rider falls, a Belgian down but seemingly no damage…<\/p>\n Then the first major shock of the day, Sandra Auffarth on one of the world’s great cross country machines, Opgun Louvo. A run off on the fish in the first water, and Sandra is riding in a most un-German manner to get through the course, another run off on the ultra skinny at the last water and 44.8 penalties! Quelle horreur!<\/p>\n Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo gets her act together after the run out<\/em><\/p>\n Kiwi last minute inclusion Tim Price falls on a turn, slippery grass (no studs?) and he remounts Ringwood Sky Boy to walk slowly home.<\/p>\n Meanwhile Boyd Martin has cruised home with just 3.2 time on Blackfoot Mystery.<\/p>\n Boyd Martin on Blackfoot Mystery<\/em><\/p>\n It seems the French are human after all, Karim Laghuag on the beautiful Hanoverian stallion, Entebbe has two stops and finishes his round hailing a cab over the final skinny in the final water. 50.4 to add to his dressage.<\/p>\n Karim Laghuag on the beautiful Entebbe<\/em><\/p>\n Christopher Burton’s ride on his nine year old dressage horse, Santano, at its first four star, deserves to become the stuff of legends. Christopher not only mastered the course but did it so elegantly and the Sandro Hit gelding can really gallop, eating the ground in perfect rhythm (perhaps Sandro Hit does have a place in the world of sport horse breeding after all!) Clear – no time.<\/p>\n Christopher Burton on Santano<\/em><\/p>\n “He was so fast I couldn’t believe it, a horse with dressage breeding! I think we can stop calling him a dressage horse now. I had team orders to go the long way at six, then I was up on my time and a took another long one. Big track, first four star, I’m over the moon.”<\/p>\n The rider in front of Christopher after the first phase, William Fox Pitt has a run out and Chilli Morning has an ordinary galloping stride. 30.4 to add to the dressage, and C Burton will go into the showjumping in the lead.<\/p>\n William Fox Pitt and Chilli Morning<\/em><\/p>\n Mark Todd is still some sort of cross country genius even in the twilight of his career, and he has the Holsteiner, Leonidas perfectly balanced, hitting every spot – they were amazing through the last water…<\/p>\n Mark was not about to criticize the course: “Glad it was as strong as it was or we wouldn’t be sitting in silver – we walked the course, there were slow options but we knew if you wanted a medal, you had to be brave and go fast…<\/p>\n Mark Todd on Leonidas<\/em><\/p>\n Now for Marvellous Michi and Super Sam. Well it is not the usual picture as the rider is fighting to get control of the bay over the first few fences – only Michi’s amazing reflexes and Sam’s athleticism get them home. Clear, no time, lurking ominously in second place behind Burto.<\/p>\n “He got upset before the start, with the sprinklers and saw they other horses, and he got very excited and strong but he is a good horse, he came home…” Michael said afterwards<\/p>\n Michael Jung and Sam<\/em><\/p>\n The French seem to have decided to play it tactically, Thibaut Vallette on Qing du Briot takes a few long options but the quick way through the final water to come home with 24.4 time.<\/p>\n Thibaut Vallette on Qing du Briot<\/em><\/p>\n Stuart Tinney’s Pluto Mio has decided to be a good pony today, and Stuart as always is giving the grey every chance. What a ride! Just 2.8 to add to that awful dressage score but Australia has moved to the lead.<\/p>\n Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio<\/em><\/p>\n “I took a long route at the first corners, jumped the first one just a little off line, then the corner to the gate. He felt super the whole way round, didn’t put a foot wrong.”<\/p>\n He’s not young?<\/p>\n “Neither of us are – but we are happy. The course was right up there with Sydney, Olympics have been a little softer since then, but that was tough. He’s been showjumping well all year, let’s hope he keeps that up.”<\/p>\n Britain’s woes continue. How with the most sophisticated, biggest, grandest eventing scene in the world do they not produce some talented new faces and keep recycling the old ones, like Pippa Funnell who has a run off in the lake with Billy the Biz to add 40.4 to the dressage score.<\/p>\n Pippa Funnell looks all in after the ride<\/em><\/p>\n Clarke Johnstone is another classical stylist and his ride on Balmoral Sensation is a delight to watch, just 4.8 time and the Kiwis are looking scary.<\/p>\n But the Germans are not. Julia Krajewski has the softest of stops on Samourai du Thot going into the first water, then another, then another and that long ride home.<\/p>\n France’s Mathieu Lemoine is another riding a recycled dressage horse, Bart L, but the horse can gallop and can jump. They go the long way at the final water, clear – 14.4 time.<\/p>\n \u00a0Shane Rose and CP Qualified<\/em><\/p>\n We’ve still got our secret weapon, Shane Rose and Darcy, great all the way to that dreaded final water and that awful skinny at the end, the horse runs off, second\u00a0time lands on the jump, and then a third attempt, Shane thinks he jumped it and gets out of the water as fast as he can, but he is pulled up. Three refusals or the horse looking tired? Consensus is that it was a third refusal. But it won’t change the reality that we might be in the lead, but we are now down to three horses.<\/p>\n Jonelle Price is all steely determination, clear with just 8 time on Fairie Dianimo. Ingrid has a run-out in the water with Bobby, 26 cross country penalties.<\/p>\n Jonelle Price on Fairie Dianimo<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n