Jerez de la Frontera, Spain -- September 14, 2002

Bruce Mandeville of Guelph, ON, is the top Canadian in individual competition at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, following cross-country, the second of three phases that comprise the equestrian sport of three day eventing.

The anchor rider for Canada, Mandeville completed the challenging course without jumping penalties riding Larissa, a 13-year-old Canadian Trakehner mare owned by breeders Franz and Elke Hollenbach. Adding 61.20 time penalties to his dressage score of 59.40, Mandeville now has a two phase total of 120.60 penalties to move him into 38th position overall from an original starting field of 80 horse-rider combinations.

“There were a lot of technical questions, a lot of twisting and turning,” noted Mandeville, who was Canada’s top finisher at both the 1999 Pan American Games and the 2000 Olympic Games, also with Larissa. “I was over the time even though she was jumping well, but you have to beat the course before you beat the time.”

Wyndham St. John was penalized twenty points at The Boat obstacle and incurred 80 time penalties in total to bring her two-day score to 127.60 and move her into 46th position individually.

“Oliver was great!” said St. John, originally from Vancouver, BC, of her 13-year-old American thoroughbred gelding. “It was hard work out there, but he answered all the questions.”

Unfortunately, Canada’s other two Team members failed to complete the second day of competition, meaning Canada is now unable to move forward as a team to the third and final phase of stadium jumping. James Atkinson of Mountain Road, MB, retired at fence 12 when Revisionist, his 15-year-old Canadian thoroughbred gelding, injured his stifle at the first water complex. Penny Rowland withdrew her mount, Aberdare, following the steeplechase phase of Saturday’s competition.

“At the end of steeplechase, as soon as I finished, I knew something wasn’t right,” explained Rowland, who was making her major games debut. “With the footing being so hard and dry, she overdid it.”

Canada’s individual representative, Robert Holman of Hawkestone, ON, also suffered bad luck when he had a refusal at fence 14 followed by a fall at fence 19 with A Criminal Mind after which Holman elected to retire.

In the team standings, the United States have moved into the gold medal position with a two-day provisional score of 147.40 penalty points, followed by Australia who earned the team gold medal at both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. An unexpectedly strong French team is sitting third while Great Britain, the leaders following dressage, slip to fourth position.

Individually, United States Equestrian Team member John Williams is in the lead with a score of 37.00 penalty points riding his Canadian Sport Horse gelding, Carrick. Two-time Olympic team gold medallist Phillip Dutton, who is representing Australia as an individual, is in second place with House Doctor. France’s Jean Teulere is in third with Espoir de la Mare.

The third and final phase of three day eventing, stadium jumping, takes place on Sunday. Medal presentations for both teams and individuals will immediately follow.

Related Link
Horsesdaily at the 2002 World Equestrian Games