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1. Nicholas Touzaint (FRA), Galan de Sauvagere - 29.6
2. Pippa Funnell (GBR), Primmore's Pride - 31.4 (1.8)
3. Bettina Hoy (GER), Ringwood Cockatoo - 32.0 (2.4)
4. Kim Severson (USA), Winsome Adante - 36.4 (6.8)
5. Jean Teulere (FRA), Espoire de la Mare - 38.4 (8.8)
6. William Fox-Pitt (GBR), Tamarillo - 38.6 (9)
7. Rebel Morrow (AUS), Oaklea Groover - 40.6 (11)
8. Ingrid Klimke (GER), Sleep Late - 41.0 (11.4)
9. Frank Ostholt (GER), Air Jordan - 41.4 (11.8)
10. Leslie Law (GBR), Shear L'Eau - 43.2 (12.6)
11. Andrew Hoy (AUS), Mr. Ptacatan - 43.6 (14)

(Numbers in parentheses represent points behind.)

Other American (and adopted American) Scores:

15. Darren Chiacchia (USA), Windfall 2 - 44.6 (15)
21. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Nova Top - 46.8 (17.2)
23. John Williams (USA), Carrick - 47.6 (18)
29. Amy Tryon (USA), Poggio II - 50.6 (21.0)
56. Julie Richards (USA), Jacob Two Two - 65.4 (35.8)

TEAM SCORES after the Dressage Phase:

1. Great Britain - 113.2
2. France - 113.4 (.2)
3. Germany - 114.4 (1.2)
4. USA - 128.4 (15.2)
5. Australia - 129.4 (16.2)
6. New Zealand - 154.6 (41.4)
7. Belgium - 160.4 (47.6)
8. Sweden - 161.2 (48)
9. Ireland - 170.0 (56.8)
10. Austria - 175.0 (61.8)
11. Poland - 178.2 (65)
12. Canada - 187.8 (74.6)
13. Italy - 194.0 (80.8)
14. Brazil - 205.8 (92.6)

(Numbers in parentheses represent points behind.)

Only 1.2 faults separate the top three teams after Dressage. This is the closest Olympic Eventing competition in memory.

What a GREAT day of Olympic Three Day Eventing Dressage! The over all quality of the top rides was the best ever seen by this reporter, who has been to eight Olympic Games.

24 year old Nicholas Touzaint (FRA), the reigning European Individual Champion (Punchestown, 2003), rode the grey Galan de Sauvagere to first place on a score of 29.6, the second highest dressage score ever achieved in Eventing Dressage. The record belongs to the Reigning Olympic Champions (for two more days), David O'Connor and Custom Made, Sydney, 2000. Touzaint and Galan de Sauvagere received a 10 for their medium trot. However, two of the French pair's flying changes were poor. Galan de Sauvagere humped his back at the first change and failed to change in front and behind simultaneously at another.

Sitting in second place is Great Britain's Pippa Funnell with her 2003 Rolex-Kentucky winner Primmore's Pride. Pippa won the Rolex Challenge last year forplacing first in the three CCI****'s - Rolex-Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton, and Masterfoods Burghley, in consecutive order. Primmore's Pride's trot work was sensational! He received all 9's for his medium trot and all 10's for his extended trot. (Pippa and Primmore's Pride are pictured at the right in the Dressage Phase at Burghley, 2003, where they won the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.) Sadly, this pair's canter work did not live up to their trot work in that some of their flying changes were not up to snuff. The result was a score of 31.4, just 1.8 faults adrift of the French leaders.

Bettina Hoy (GER) and Ringwood Cockatoo, the overnight leaders, were the only ones to survive in the top ten from Sunday's first day of Dressage. The judges had quite a case of what is normally called Fridayitis - the tendency to mark higher on the second day of Dressage, than on the first - only, in this case, it was Mondayitis! Bettina might have scored slightly better had she been differently positioned on the German Team running order. Nonetheless, her score of 32.0 still stands her in good stead. It is difficult indeed to forget Ringwood Cockatoo's suppleness, lightness and self carriage.

Kim Severson (USA) and Winsome Adante, twice winners of the Rolex-Kentucky CCI****, stand in fourth position on 36.4, one of only six competitors to score in the 30's. (Kim and Winsome Adante are pictured at the left in the Dressage Phase at Rolex-Kentucky, 2004.) Kim, riding at her first Olympic Games, was described by David O'Connor, the Guest Commentator on NBC/Bravo television, as being, ". . .an out right perfectionist." This sense of never settling for anything but the best showed in a beautifully cadenced and accurate ride, which perhaps just lacked some of the brilliance of those who scored higher. Dan's canter work was a shade better then his trot work and scored 8's and 9's. His flying changes were seamless - amongst the best of the entire competition.

The reigning World Champions (Jerez, 2002) Jean Teulere and Espoire de la Mare, were relegated to fifth place, if one can use the word "relegated" to describe fifth position. That the World Champion could only be 5th best, points up the true quality of the top placings. Espoir de la Mare's flying changes just were not good enough - sometimes late and not always changing in front and behind at the same instant.

6'4'' tall William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and his 2004 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI**** winner Tamarillo, caused the most controversy among the top ten finishers. They started off with brilliant trot work and then fell apart when it came to the canter. Nonetheless, the pair scored 38.6 for sixth place, leading one long time observer of Eventing to comment regarding the carping of some observers, "If they'd wanted our opinion, they'd have asked for it!" (William and Tamarillo are pictured at the right in the Dressage Phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****, 2004.)

So it is on to the Cross Country on Tuesday. It will soon be seen how Albino Garbari's Cross Country Course effects the standings.

NB: The USA goes 5th in the 14 Team rotation - not 13th as previously mentioned.

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Some quotes from American Riders:

Kim Severson:

"I am very happy - very happy with it. I rode him three times today, which is more than I ever ride him - just to make sure.

" I was very much on my aids and I was very happy with him."

Regarding the Cross Country: "You'll just have to be on the ball all the way around. At any event, it is anybody's game."

John Williams:

"A situation like this doesn't phase him in the least - I was hoping the crowds and the wind would perk him up more - exactly what everyine else was not hoping for.

"It wasn't windy enough. He is not your typical event horse - cold and wind and snow are all good.

"Oh, well, we were pleased enough with our performance, I mean you always wish it was a little better; but I am a little disappointed in the score."

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A Press Release from the FEI:

FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
FEI OLYMPIC UPDATE
EVENTING

A fireworks of 9's and 10's on the scoring board shot the French 24 years
old Nicolas Touzaint in the lead after the dressage competition of Eventing.
With a total of 29.4 points for Galan de Sauvagere, the European Champion
and his grey Selle Francais awed the spectators at Markopoulo Olympic
Equestrian Centre. He received a 10 from all three judges for his extend
trot. "He was simply irreproachable," said Touzaint at the press conference
following the competition. "Galan de Sauvagere is a very tempered horse,
very concentrated".

In runner-up position, Pippa Funnel (GBR) the Grand Slam winner and
multi-medallist scored 31.4 with Primmore's Pride. "I am delighted with
Primmore's Pride performance" she commented, "He did his best test ever".

Bettina Hoy (GER) who was leading the competition after Day 1 is now third,
with a score of 32 points with Ringwood Cockatoo.

The British Team is in the lead after Dressage with 113.2 points, for the
best three of five riders, closely followed by the French with a total of 113.4. Germany lies third with 114.4.

Expectations are high on the French side; as the Eventing Team Gold Medal is
the only Olympic (discipline in which they have never won a Team Title.) Jean-Jacques Guyon indeed won the Individual gold in Eventing in 1968 (Mexico City) with Pitou, and Bernard Chevalier in 1948 (London) with Aiglonne.

Muriel Faienza
Communication Manager
Federation Equestre Internationale
m.faienza@horsesport.org
www.horsesport.org
T +41 21 310 47 47

* * * * * * * *

Contact: Jennifer Ward
tel: (613) 569-2423

August 16, 2004
For Immediate Release

Hawley Bennett Top-Ranked Canadian Eventing Team Member in Athens

Athens, Greece – At the conclusion of the opening phase of dressage, Hawley Bennett, of Langley, BC, was the top-placed member of the Canadian Eventing Team competing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Bennett, 27, posted a score of 61.20 penalty points to move into 47th position from the field of 75 starters. In addition to being the youngest member of the Canadian Eventing Team, Bennett is also the sole female competitor.

“My horse was really, really good, I am very happy with him,” said Bennett of Livingstone, a 14-year-old Canadian thoroughbred gelding that she purchased ten years ago. “The atmosphere in the ring was electric, the winds were high and the flags were snapping, but he really kept it together and put in a good test. It is overwhelming to think that I am riding at the Olympics, and that I just did my first Olympic dressage test.”

Also competing for Canada on Monday at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center was Bruce Mandeville, 44, of Summerland, BC, who earned a score of 66.40 penalty points for 60th place in his second consecutive Olympic appearance riding Larissa, a 15-year-old Canadian-bred Trakehner mare owned by Franz and Elke Hollenbach.

On Sunday, the three other Canadian Eventing Team members – Ian Roberts, of Port Perry, ON, Garry Roque, of Caledon East, ON, and Mike Winter, of Toronto, ON, completed the dressage portion. Riding Balista, a 14-year-old thoroughbred gelding owned by Emeline Loughlin, Winter, 29, earned a score of 63.20 penalty points and now sits in 51st position in the standings. Winter is immediately followed by Roque, who is in 52nd position with Waikura, a 13-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding owned by Gustav Quast, after earning a score of 63.40 penalty points. Roberts, 45, is currently placed 68th with a score of 70.60 penalty points riding Mata-riki, an 11-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding owned by his wife, Kelly Plitz.

Canada is currently 12th in the Team standings with a score of 187.80 penalty points, counting the best three performances of Bennett, Roque and Winter. The leader board is extremely tight with Great Britain narrowly edging World Champion France 113.20 to 113.40 penalty points. Germany is one point behind with a score of 114.40 while the United States sits in fourth position with 128.40. The defending Olympic champions, Australia, are also in the hunt with a score of 129.40 penalty points.

On Tuesday, August 17, all 75 horse-rider combinations will contest the second phase of Eventing competition, the challenging cross-country portion. Riders will have nine minutes and 46 seconds to complete the course designed by Albino Garbari of Italy. The lead-off rider for Canada will be Roque, followed by Roberts, Winter, Bennett and anchor rider Mandeville.

“I am excited, I have been given the go-ahead to take all of the direct routes,” noted Bennett, who is making her Olympic debut after helping Canada win the Silver Medal at the 2003 Pan American Championships and qualify for Athens. “It is a very interesting course because the first few fences are fairly small and some people think the course is going to be easy, but I think you will have to ride every fence and it is going to be really tough to make the time allowed. My horse feels great, this is the most fit he has ever been, and now is the time!”

The Canadian Eventing Team is competing under the guidance of International Technical Advisor Jimmy Wofford and Dressage Coach Jane Savoie in addition to numerous other support personnel.

Canadian standings are:

47. Hawley Bennett (CAN), Livingstone - 61.2
51. Mike Winter (CAN), Balista - 63.2
52. Gary Rogue (CAN), Waikira - 63.4
60. Bruce Mandeville (CAN) Larissa - 66.4
68. Ian Roberts (CAN), Mata-Riki - 70.6

For complete results, please visit www.athens2004.com

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