Jumping Qualifier #1

Beezie Madden of the USA rides Authentic. photo ©Athens2004

Seventy-seven competitors from 27 nations participated in the first Jumping Qualifier leading to the Olympic Individual title.
 
None of the medal winners from Sydney are in Athens to defend their title. Germany is the title holder since Atlanta 1996 and the current European Champion, but the team is missing one important member, since the World Number One, Marcus Ehning, had to withdraw due to an injury to his horse.
 
Sixteen riders cleared the course without a rail down, among whom 10 within the time allowed of 94 seconds.  The ten riders with no penalties are a good mix of well known favourites and surprise successes.
 
The first one to break the jinx of either penalties or time faults was Peter Wylde (USA) on Fein Cera, directly followed by Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia on Albin III. Beezie Madden and Authentic was the second American combination finishing with zero penalties.
 
Thomas Velin (DEN) was not shaken by his very late entry, arriving last Friday to replace a Colombian rider. Carnute jumped well within the time limit, unfazed by the change in climate.
 
Sweden had two riders without penalties: Malin Baryard with her reliable Butterfly Flip and Peder Fredericson on Magic Bengtsson.
 
To the delight of the home crowd, Antonis Petris (GRE) was among the 10 best riders on Gredo La Daviere, 10 years old French Gelding by Qredo de Paulstr and Histoire D'aviere. Antonis Petris is training in the Netherlands with Henk Nooren for two years now. "I don't want to foresee anything," said Petris with a wide smile, "and I take one day after the other". After a break of 10 years, Petris started again to ride at a national level in 1993. These last two years, the Hellenic Equestrian Federation set up an Olympic preparation programme and Petris moved to the Netherlands to train.
 
Two new Olympic newcomers: Grant Cashmore (NZL) and Wim Schroder (NED) cleared all fences within the time as did the professional old-timer Ludo Philippaerts, fourth individually at Sydney 2000.
 
Fence No 9, the "Greek Door" and number 11, a combination called "Vine Trees" proved to be the most difficult obstacles of the course set up by Olaf Petersen (GER) and his course design team.