Equestrian: Riders divided over Nicholson criticism

1.00pm - By KEVIN NORQUAY

ATHENS - Olympic three-day eventers are divided on the merits of the Games cross-country course, with most backing New Zealand rider Andrew Nicholson, who criticised it as too easy.

Twelve of the top 20 riders in the overall standings rode clear cross-country rounds today, a proportion well out of line with top class events.

"Even though I had a fall I'd say it's far too soft for this level," Nicholson told NZPA.

"You've only got to see all the clear rounds there are. These horses have gone around clear, and when was then last time they went clear at a big event?"

New Zealander riders were disappointed they had prepared for an endurance test in intense heat, only to confront an event in which dressage scores played a more important part than usual.

Poor dressage scores combined with an "easy" cross-country have New Zealand on the verge of failing to win an eventing medal, after bringing one home from every Games since 1984.

Fault-free rounds by Daniel Jocelyn, Heelan Tompkins and Matthew Grayling did not lift the team from the sixth place they were in after the dressage.

Nicholson took a tumble at the 31st fence of 34, putting it down to his mount Fenicio becoming blase after a string of "soft " fences.

Horse and rider were posed few questions, he said.

"I shouldn't be able to get that far around the course and the horse feel like he's just going for a walk in the park."

Italian Albino Garbadi built the 5570 metre course, which contained 34 fences.

It was part of a format change that axed the roads and tracks phase and the steeplechase preceding the cross-country.

Four riders toppled at the fence that claimed Nicholson, and the water jump and sunken road posed some problems.

But mostly riders rated the course technical and not particularly difficult.

"Though I fell, I think the course was too easy, not difficult enough for Olympic level," Heidi Antikatzides of Greece said.

Nicholson was just 18 seconds outside the allowed time, even though he had to catch and remount Fenicio.

Former Olympic champion Blyth Tait told NZPA he understood why the course was not as testing as it might have been.

"They have gone for a bit of a safer approach, probably sensibly," he said.

"It would have done the sport no good if there was carnage out there because they'd over done it, we are going to be victims of that fact."

Belgian Constantin van Rijckevorsel told NZPA the easing of the cross-country was good for the sport, even if elite riders did not like it.

It was important not to eliminate smaller nations from the Olympics, by making eventing too tough, he said.

Accidents in the cross-country were a bad image for the Olympics and if they continued there was a risk eventing would be tossed out, the three-time Olympian said.

"We are trying to stay with the sport in the Olympic family, they want to get the endurance in instead of the eventing," he said.

"The perfect excuse they will have is to say 'look at the eventing, look at how many problems there are, look how many accidents, it's a dangerous sport why do we keep on having it?'

"It is good to have it once a bit easier, and then we can keep on going."

New Zealand coach Mark Todd said the course could have been made more testing, without making it more dangerous.

It offered too few changes of direction, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic gold medallist said.

"The essence of eventing is that it's a challenge, and an adrenalin rush.

"At the end of the day the best ones will still win."

- NZPA