Eventing: Great Britain team's two gold medals at World Equestrian Games
The victorious Great Britain team (pic off TV coverage) Great Britain's eventers won the team gold medal at the eighth World Equestrian Games at Tryon, North Carolina - and Ros Canter on Allstar B took the individual gold.
The GB Team of Ros Canter, Piggy French, Tom McEwen and Gemma Tattersall finished ahead of Ireland (silver) and France (bronze). The Games are organised by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
As leading rider after the dressage and cross country phases, Germany's Ingrid Klimke jumped the 'demanding' show jumping course last of the 70 final combinations. She was clear to the last jump - but at that she had a pole down pushing her back into third place. Ireland's Padraig McCarthy took the silver medal.
Local New Zealand riders did not have a very comfortable ride at Tryon. After his show jumping round with only four faults, Sir Mark Todd said of the competition: "It's been an experience - we just had to be very flexible." Rain from hurricane Florence was just one of the problems.
The New Zealand team's medal hopes came to grief with the elimination of team member Blyth Tait in the cross country. Things got trickier when Sir Mark had a run out on the course.
The Marlborough based couple Jonelle and Tim Price saved New Zealand's reputation with excellent cross country performances. As it has almost come to be expected, Jonelle and Classic Moet put in the fastest cross country round.
In Saturday's cross country Tim Price (who is currently rated number two in the world by the FEI) had a good round on Cekatinka: "So happy with Tinka yesterday - such a class little mare, doesn’t know the meaning of can’t. I’m a lucky boy. Sorry to not have a stronger team standing, but there you go." He will now hand Tinka back to his wife - he had only borrowed her while Jonelle was pregnant.
The New Zealand team finished in seventh place - which means they have qualified to send an eventing team to the Tokyo Olymoics in two years time. But four faults in the show-jumping robbed Tim Price of the individual silver medal. He finished in eighth place, with Jonelle Price in 19th place.
The games were marred somewhat by the chaotic abandonment of the Endurance competition. After some riders were directed in the wrong direction, organisers tried to restart the competition.
This meant horses were going out when the temperature and humidity had risen, and for the safety of the horses it had to be stopped altogether. This was an enormous let down to riders who had brought their horses so far and at such expense - tempers became so frayed that police had to be called.
And the weather meant the cancellation of the Dressage – Individual Grand Prix Freestyle competition.