After a tough fall on the cross-country course eliminated the United States’ equestrian team, U.S. rider Lauren Kieffer and her mare Veronica took a disappointed walk back to the barn.
“By the time we got back to (the veterinarian) box, she was jigging and trying to bite me,” said Kieffer, a native of downstate Mount Carmel. “I don’t know which one of us was more mad.”
The U.S. team was tied for sixth heading into Monday’s cross-country event in Deodoro, where many riders predicted the course would be difficult. Those concerns proved prophetic as only 47 of 65 entries made it across the finish line – and only handful of riders did so without jumping or time penalties.
Kieffer and fellow American equestrian Clark Montgomery both failed to finish the course, eliminating the U.S. team — which finished seventh in London four years ago — from medal contention. U.S. teammates Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin, who are currently ranked fifth and sixth respectively, will continue in the individual competition, which concludes Tuesday with the show jumping phase.
The United States had a promising start, as Martin and Blackfoot Mystery — one of the greenest mounts in the field — finished the course with only 3.2 time penalties added to their score, boosting them from 35th to sixth in the standings. Martin, whose parents were both winter Olympians, said he was relieved to have such a strong run.
“I am so thankful I was on an old racehorse from Kentucky because he kept fighting the whole way home,” Martin said. “He was definitely on empty coming to the last three fences and he just tried his heart out and jumped every jump. I am so pleased with him.”
Montgomery, a Texan who trains in England, was eliminated after his horse, Loughan Glen, refused to jump three times.
“He’s definitely not himself,” Montgomery said. “It’s an old problem that he used to do a couple years ago that we found out how to fix, and obviously we missed it somewhere in his preparation.”
Kieffer and Veronica, for their part, were in the middle of a strong run when the pair caught a gate toward the end of the track. They both toppled to the ground.
Neither Kieffer nor the horse was seriously injured.
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“For a second I thought she might save it, but down we went,” Kieffer said. “My job was to get a clean round first and foremost. It’s a great disappointment to let the team down.”
Shortly after the team was eliminated, American rider Phillip Dutton followed with a solid ride, making it around the course with no jumping penalties and only 3.2 time penalties. He and Mighty Nice, a 12-year-old gelding, are less than 10 penalties off the leaders heading into the show jumping phase.
While happy with his showing, Dutton acknowledged it was a bittersweet day given the team’s overall performance.
“I think everybody is pretty shocked,” he said. “Most of the Olympics, cross country hasn’t been as advanced, but it is what it is and it’s probably not my favorite type of course, but it was the same for everybody.”
Twitter: @stacystclair