ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands--The U.S. show jumping team of Adrienne Sternlicht, Lucy Deslauriers, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward started brilliantly in the first round of the Nations Cup at Rotterdam on July 2, but everything fell apart after Madden opted out of the second round and deepening shadows affected the final riders.

File photo of Lucy Deslauriers on HesterAlthough no explanation was given during the class, Madden later revealed that she had not only decided not to compete on Garant in the second round but her husband John and Garant's owner, Abigail Wexner, had also removed him from consideration for the team for Tokyo.

Madden had also been short listed on Wexner's Breitling LS, but he is also out, so Madden is no longer on the short list for Tokyo.

"John and Mrs. Wexner have decided to withdraw Garant for consideration for the U.S. Olympic team this year," said Madden. "We all believe strongly in Garant's future as a championship horse, but know it's not the right time for him yet, We hated to let our country and teammates down today, but the only thing more important than the team is the horse."

"I love Garant and wouldn't trade him for any other horse in the world," said Madden. "He is healthy and sound but is just not quite ready for what the Olympics would ask of him. We have to put his best interests first."

"Fortunately, the short list for the U.S. show jumping team remains strong, and we have no doubt the riders and horses chosen will make the United States proud in Tokyo," said Madden. "All of us at team JMS look forward to cheering them on next month."

 

WITH THE Grand Prix at Windsor on Sunday, July 4, still to come as an observation trial, the remaining riders are Ward with Contagious, double clean in the Rome Nations Cup and 0 and 4 in Rotterdam, and HH Azur. Kent Farrington on Gazelle, 4 and 4 in Rome's Nations Cup but won the Grand Prix at St. Tropez, Jessie Springsteen on Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, 4 and 1 in Rome and third in the Grand Prix as well as winning a Grand Prix at Saint-Tropex, Laura Kraut on Baloutinue, 8 and 0 in Rome and second in the Grand Prix there, Lucy Deslauriers on Hester, 4 and 8 in the Sopot Nations Cup and second in the Grand Prix but then double clear in Rotterdam/s Nations Cup, Brian Moggre on Balou du Reventon, 0 and 4 in the Sopot Nations Cup and won the Grand Prix there, Adrienne Sternlicht on Benny's Legacy, 4 and 0 in Sopot's Nations Cup and 0 and 8 in Rotterdam's Grand Prix, and Bliss Heers, who fell off in the Sopot Nations Cup.

File photo of McLain Ward on Contagous in Forida (Photo by Sportfot)It looks like a hard job to choose the team of four and one alternate for Tokyo that will be announced the evening of July 4 after Windsor's Grand Prix.

In Rotterdam, Sternlicht, Deslaurier and Ward were all clean in the first round while Madden had a foot in the water and a time fault for 5 faults, leaving the team with 0 faults to tie  with France, Sweden and Germany, also on 0 after round one, while The Netherlands and Ireland had 1 fault each.

But after a 20 minute wait for the second round in the late afternoon at Rotterdam, deep shadows had stretched across much of the course and things changed dramatically, particularly for the fourth rider for each of the leading teams as the teams in the second round went in reverse order of placings..

Germany and Sweden's fourth rider each had 4 faults while France's final rider and the U.S. final rider, Ward, each had 8 faults.

Although Netherland's final rider had 12 faults, the first three had accumulate only 6 faults to emerge the winners on 7 faults, with Sweden second on 9 faults, France and Germany tied for third on 12, Ireland fifth on 13, Japan sixth on 14 and the U.S. seventh on 16.

With Madden out of the second round, Deslauriers was clean again while Sternlicht and Ward each had 8 to finish on 16.