Olympic Update

EVENTING
With the arrival in Athens yesterday of six horses from Luton (GBR), the Australian Eventing team is all set to break the Olympic record and win a fourth consecutive gold medal.

Andrew Hoy, three-time team gold medallist and winner of the individual silver medal in Sydney four years ago, will look to set a personal record. Philip Dutton was a member of the gold medal winning team in Atlanta in 1996 and in Sydney and has been a member of the Australian team since the 1994 World Equestrian Games. Stuart Tinney is again part of the Aussie team with Jeepster, a 17-year old bay gelding he was already riding in Sydney. Olivia Bunn, 29 year old, will be riding her first Olympic Games after having been a reserve rider for the Australian team in 2000. The youngest member of the team, Rebel Morrow (27), is also making her Olympic debut. She won the selection trial in Sydney with Oklea Groover.

Sarah Cutteridge (GBR) has withdrawn from the Olympic Games after her horse Wexford lady was injured during a training session on 10 August at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian centre. Team Great Britain confirmed that the injury is not severe. It would have been the first appearance of Sarah Cutteridge on the Olympic scene. She is replaced by experienced Olympic rider and former European Champion Mary King who will ride King Solomon III.

The Eventing cross country, which will start on 17 August at 09:00, will be designed by Albino Garbari (ITA). Garbari started course design in 1965 in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, and since then has been the course designer in every major event organised in the country, including the Eventing European Open Championship in 1995 and the World Equestrian Games in 1998.

DRESSAGE
The Netherlands hope for Dressage gold at the Athens Olympic Games have suffered a blow following an injury to 11 year old stallion Lingh, ridden by Edward Gal. The pair has been withdrawn for the competition, to be replaced by 27 year old Imke Schellekens-Bartels, who will make her first appearance at Olympic Games riding Lancet.

Gal and Ling form one of the most competitive combinations on the international circuit, and following their second place in this years World Cup Final in Düsseldorf (GER), they were seen as key players for the Dutch hopes for team gold. Lingh was injured while stepping out of a lorry in the Netherlands, returning from a training session.