Team Three Day Event, Final Results
Australia Successfully Defends Team Gold: The Australian team of Andrew HOY on Darien Powers, Wendy SCHAEFFER on Sunburst, Phillip DUTTON on True Blue Girdwood and Gillian ROLTON on Peppermint Grove completed its successful defense of the team three day event gold medal at the Georgia International Horse Park on Wednesday. Australia started poorly, standing in sixth place as a team after dressage, but turned a 33.4 point deficit into a more than 70-point lead with a strong team performance on Tuesday's endurance course.
With the second-place finish of the United States, Karen and David O'CONNOR on Biko and Giltedge, respectively, became the first husband and wife pair to win medals on the same team in Olympic equestrian competition. Both O'CONNORs posted double-clear jumping rounds. New Zealand earned the third medal of the day, finishing just 7.75 points behind the Americans. Final Standings: Gold, Australia (Andrew HOY/Darien Powers, Wendy SCHAEFFER/Sunburst, Phillip DUTTON/True Blue Girdwood, Gillian ROLTON/Peppermint Grove), 203.85; Silver, United States (Karen O'CONNOR/Biko, David O'CONNOR/Giltedge, Bruce DAVIDSON/Heydey, Jill HENNEBERG/Nirvana), 261.10; Bronze, New Zealand (Andrew NICHOLSON/Jagermeister II, Vaughn JEFFERIS/Bounce, Blyth TAIT/Chesterfield, Vicky LATTA/Broadcast News), 268.55.
"We definitely showed the world how to ride a cross country round yesterday," said Andrew HOY of Australia. "Our three clear rounds on cross country really set us apart."
Aussies Take Lead, In Position to Defend Gold:
The endurance phase of the team three day event competition took its toll on team scores, but not the horses, at the Georgia International Horse Park on Tuesday morning. Only one rider, Jacques DULCY of France on Upont, was able to complete the course with no time or jumping penalties, but it was the Australian team that moved from sixth place after dressage to take the team lead on Tuesday. After two phases of the competition, the Australians hold a 60.9--point lead over the United States, finishing the endurance phase with a team score of 183.6 points. Andrew HOY on Darien Powers led the way for the Aussies, accumulating just 6.8 time penalties on the course. The U.S. held the lead after dressage competition, but lost ground due to 101.6 points of time penalties and a Karen O'CONNOR and Biko's refusal at the second element of the second water combination on the course, worth 20 points. Team Standings after Endurance (penalty points: 1. Australia, 183.6; 2. Unites States, 244.6; 3. New Zealand, 255.8
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