Tears for a champion
There are anxious moments for Britain and Ireland, but the team standings remain unchanged as Ros Canter climbs to the top step of the podium
NO one seemed sure whether a forced day off thanks to Hurricane Florence would leave horses fresher or stiffer for showjumping.
The trot-up took place in pouring rain at 3pm on Sunday and brought nervous moments for Ireland — Sarah Ennis admitted she had spent all of Sunday “trying to get my horse through the trot-up” and Horseware Stellor Rebound and his team-mate Horseware Ardagh Highlight both ended up in the holding box. But they passed on re-inspection.
After the trot-up, the British horses were all given a brief ride to loosen them up, while some other riders jumped their horses.
Britain started the final phase with two fences in hand to secure team gold. With all the quartet riding good jumpers, that sounded like ample margin, but for a few nervous minutes, it looked like Team GBR could let this slip away.
Gemma Tattersall had three fences down late on course, not a disaster as she was the team’s discard score, but a clear round would have provided a nice back-up.
“I’m absolutely gutted, he was just too strong,” she said. “He gets tight in the neck and has them down behind. Once he’s had one he gets worried as he knows he shouldn’t have them down.”
It wasn’t a great moment for Toledo De Kerser to have the second rail of his international career, but he and Tom McEwen faulted at the upright at fence 11.
When Quarrycrest Echo went unusually spooky in the arena, Piggy French did a masterful job to keep her faults to four — at the first part of the double at 12.
“I had to hold him tighter than ever before and keep my legs on and then I found the jump was a bit quicker,” she said. “When you are on a good jumper you try not to change anything, but when they do something different you have to react to it the best you can.”
Individual Tina Cook provided a high for Britain with a clear on Billy The Red to finish ninth.
STONG TEAM PERFORMANCES
MEANWHILE, France was progressing towards team bronze — Sidney Dufresne (Tresor Mail) and Thibaut Vallette (Qing Du Briot ENE HN) racked up four faults apiece, but Maxime Livio (Opium De Verriers) went clear and they finished with a comfortable cushion ahead of Japan.
Over in the Irish camp, Horseware Ardagh Highlight always jumps to the right and despite Sam Watson knocking the wing at the last element of the treble with his foot, it stayed up.
“It’s something we’ve got to keep working on in training, but he’s careful and he’s got the ability through his body,” said Sam.
Padraig McCarthy also delivered with a super clear on Mr Chunky.
“In my previous life I used to be a showjumper and that gave me confidence,” he said.
Sarah Ennis kicked off the action in the individual medal zone and “Rocket” looked a touch strong, but finished with just the middle part of the treble down.
“He gave it everything and I’m still delighted,” she said.
Her pole down dropped her to fifth and gave Ros Canter a fence in hand to secure team gold, although not to keep individual silver. Composed as ever, Ros kept her hands soft to let Allstar B jump an immaculate round.
“You just have to try to block out the situation and jump fence
by fence,” she said. “I’m lucky enough to be sat on a horse who, so long as I get it vaguely right, goes higher and higher for me.”
Team gold and individual silver was in the bag for Britain. No one really expected any more, even as the leader SAP Hale Bob OLD rubbed several fences. Ingrid Klimke approached the final oxer on a zero score and it looked like she would add world individual gold to the European one she won last year. But suddenly there were gasps — “Bobby” had hit the front rail.
“I wasn’t overexcited and didn’t do something stupid; I thought I’d made it,” said Ingrid. “But if somebody had told me before this week I’d win individual bronze,
I’d have been happy. For sure I’m disappointed, but it was Bobby’s only mistake all week.”
And so, Britain’s Ros Canter became world champion. Even her composure slipped in this moment, as she admitted: “There were quite a few tears — and that’s not normal for me”.
Winning individual gold isn’t exactly part of normal life for anybody, Ros.