Highs and lows from the Olympic individual qualifier in Versailles

“All Olympics are special, but they are all different. This is extra special, with the backdrop and the atmosphere, and to see it, you have to kind of pinch yourself because it is so incredible,” Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa – who was doing his 8th Olympic Games at Paris 2024 – said after Monday’s individual qualifier in Versailles. “I have been going to a lot of shows in my life and many Olympic Games, but the Olympics is something different, it has a special feeling. It is the biggest thing in the world for many athletes.”

With 73 horse-and-rider combinations at start and only 30 spots available for Tuesday’s individual final, the pressure was on in the qualifier. In the end, the course designer duo of Gregory Bodo (FRA) and Santiago Varela (ESP) got exactly what they wanted; twenty clears, while one pair with a single time penalty and nine fast four-faulters also made the cut in a competition where fortune favoured those with a certain amount of experience, able to come up with answers to the many questions asked by Bodo and Varela. On the bottom part of the result list, four riders finished on a score of twenty penalties or more, six retired and one withdrew ahead.

Monday’s qualifier also saw the much-debated article 241.4 in the FEI Jumping Rules being used; the rule gives the President of the Ground Jury the possibility to eliminate a horse-and-rider combination while a round is ongoing if he or she decides that this would be in the best interest of the wellbeing and/or safety of the horse and/or athlete. The bell was rung during Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj’s round aboard Kinmar Agalux, after the rider from Thailand had plenty of troublesome moments during the course.

And with this photo special, we look back at the Olympic individual qualifier with all its highs and lows.

All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping. No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.

The first to deliver a clear were no. four in the ring, Mexico's Andres Azcarraga and Contendros 2, who got their ultimate revenge after having been kept out of the team competition as the 17-year-old stallion failed to pass the first horse inspection in Versailles.

A happy Andres Azcarraga thanks Contendros 2.

World no. one Henrik von Eckermann posted the next clear with his double world champion and multi-medallist King Edward, but not without excitement as the two made a gasp go through the crowd with a small miscommunication about the distance to the oxer at no. 7. “I walked it as a normal four for me, actually. But when I came over, it looked long – and I did one more,” von Eckermann explained. “Then I should have done seven instead, but of course when it was such a short one to the oxer, I had to bring him out and go eight.”

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France's Olivier Perreau and Dorai d’Aiguilly – clear in the team final – were maximum unlucky when the mare clipped the back rail on the very last Le Petit Prince-oxer at no. 14...

...leaving them out of the individual final.

The Saudi riders were having a good run; here Abdulrahman Alrajhi and Ventago who posted the third clear in the qualifier.

USA's Karl Cook and Caracole de La Roque posted their third clear of the Olympics in the individual qualifier.

With a fast four-fault round, Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z qualified for the final. Like so many, they had a rail down in the Champs-Élysées triple combination at 10abc.

Ireland's Shane Sweetnam celebrates a clear with James Kann Cruz.

These were more than likely the last Olympics for the 18-year-old stallion Quel Homme de Hus, who has served Belgium and Jerome Guery more than well during his incredible career.

Two rails down for Switzerland's Edouard Schmitz and Gamin van't Naastveldhof...

Fresh from their team gold, all British riders went through to the individual final. Here, Harry Charles and Romeo 88.

A rider that really won over hearts in the qualifier was Victoria Gulliksen who in her Olympic debut piloted Mistral van de Vogelzang to a clear round.

There is always time for a snack.

“My horse was incredible, for the first time in this atmosphere, he was a little bit more anxious than normal,” Rodrigo Pessoa explained after jumping clear with Major Tom. “He always gets a bit fired up, but after we got started, he was foot-perfect, he was listening to everything I asked of him and listening to all the questions, really gave such a good feeling of confidence and jumping easy. It was a nice 75-76 seconds, it was a pleasure and a round I will remember. When the bell goes, he just locks on the first fence. I am very lucky to ride a horse of this quality."

A pole down in the triple combination kept Sweden's Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Zuccero HV out of the final.

Italy's Emanuele Camilli and Odense Odeveld en route to a clear round.

Staying protected from the sun in the Sun-King's kingdom.

A quick four-fault round helped France's Simon Delestre and I Amelusina R 51 through to the final.

Japan's Takashi Haase Shibayama thanks Karamell M & M after a clear round.

Kim Emmen gives Imagine a hug after their third clear round at the Olympics.

Also Ireland's Daniel Coyle and Legacy posted their third clear of the Games.

Got to love these two: Belgium's Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone jumping a clear round.

2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat bounced back with Dynamix de Belheme after a disappointing round in the team qualifier, to make the cut into the final. “I had a very good feeling today, it has been a long three days waiting,” Guerdat said. “The worst part is that I did not really know what happened on the first day. Everything went well up to the first jump the first day, so I didn’t know how the reaction would be on the first fence today obviously. Straight away she gave me a much better feeling in the ring than in the team competition and made my life easier. She was back to herself today and we had a really, really good round.”

“He felt really good, I thought he jumped super,” Brash said of Jefferson after a clear round. “Maybe I had a touch of luck in the middle part of the combination; it felt like it was the only one he touched, other than that, he felt super. When I walked it, I thought it was a really clever course; it was tricky. But, honestly when I watched the first ten-fifteen go, I thought there was going to be too many clears. So, what do you do; do you set off to have a fast time just in case you have a fence? There is always a balance, you always want to try and be clear, but luckily it paid off.”

It was not to be for Germany's Richard Vogel and United Touch S, as the German rider put the pedal to the metal after having a rail on 10c. As a consequence of the increased speed, two rails fell and the pair finished on a score of twelve, although with an incredibly quick time.

Brazil's Yuri Mansur was clear all the way up to the wall at no. 12 where his mare Miss Blue unexpectedly threw on the breaks.

Nevertheless, Mansur thanked his wonderful mare.

It was not only Miss Blue who took a disliking to the wall. Here, Daniel Bluman's Ladriano Z slams on the breaks.

When you run out of luck. Mexico's Eugenio Garza Perez had a rail down in the triple combination with Contago, like so many others.

Guess who's next?

Home hero Julien Epaillard and Dubai du Cedre stole the show in the qualifier with one of their trademark rounds – even at the Olympics the French master of faster was going quick.

“There was a lot of pressure in the team competition, I was the last to go and playing for a medal; silver, bronze or nothing,” Epaillard said. “It is different in the team, you represent your country, you have your friends with you, and you don’t want to disappoint anyone. After this medal, the heavy shoulders I had before went away and I think today I rode differently, maybe more relaxed. Also, my mare has a lot of blood and every day she is more relaxed. It helped me to have more precision in what I do. I am really happy for today, this was the first step, and it was not easy; it is not a big, big, round, it is more delicate, all the distances are a bit open, and that is not the best for me; I like it when it is a bit short with my mare. I am really happy to be taking part in the final tomorrow.”

Crossing the finish line in 73.07 seconds, Epaillard pushed Sweetnam down below him with 0.28 seconds separating the two – the roars from the crowds were so loud that they could be heard to the other side of the Grand Canal and Parc de Versailles, all the way into the Chateau, beyond the statue of Louis XIV and into the Ecuries du Roi.

With love from Versailles! Ramzy Al Duhami and Untouchable 32, making it two Saudis in the final with a clear round.

A disappointed McLain Ward leaving the ring after Ilex clipped the front pole on the very last oxer, keeping them out of the final.

Harrie Smolders and Uricas v/d Kattevennen delivered a brilliant performance, going clear.

Switzerland's Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei delivered one of the most exceptional clears of the qualifier.

This wall caused a bit of a stir...

Ben Maher's Dallas Vegas Batilly surprisingly sent the bricks on the wall flying to finish on four faults. However, with a fast time, Maher made it just inside the thirty moving on to the final.

Monday’s qualifier also saw the much-debated FEI Jumping Rules’ article 241.4 being used; the rule gives the President of the Ground Jury the possibility to eliminate a horse-and-rider combination while a round is ongoing if he or she decides that this would be in the best interest of the wellbeing and/or safety of the horse and/or athlete. The bell was rung during Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj’s round aboard Kinmar Agalux, after the rider from Thailand had plenty of troublesome moments during the course.