Text © World of Showjumping

Editor’s note: This article has since its publication been corrected and updated to include a clarification in regard to the FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games. 

Two out of 95 horses were not accepted during the first horse inspection for the jumpers at the Olympic equestrian venue in Versailles on Wednesday: Andres Azcarraga’s 17-year-old Contendros 2 (Contendro I x Drosselklang II) for Mexico and Kevin Staut’s 15-year-old Viking d'la Rousserie (Quaprice Bois Margot x Apache d'Adriers) for host nation France. After not passing Wednesday morning's trot-up, both horses were asked to come back for a re-inspection at 4.30 PM – but none of them were accepted. 

As a result, Andres Azcarraga will be replaced by Federico Fernandez and Romeo (Lando x Cheers Cassini) and Kevin Staut by Olivier Perreau and Dorai d’Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon) in the Olympic team competition in Versailles.

For Staut, who had been selected with the honour of representing France on home soil, the decision delivered by the inspection panel – led by Ground Jury President Frances Hesketh-Jones – was hard to accept. “I think many people think that they know what the feeling is, but they don't,” Staut told World of Showjumping. “It's really hurtful, it's something deep. And anyway, we still have to smile and be polite because it's our job and we have to respect this decision. But personally, it's really hurtful. It's something to manage, and I will try to do it.” 

“When I rode the horse this morning, before the vet-check – because there was still time for substitution – the horse was completely normal,” Staut went on to explain. “Nothing happened, and when we came for the vet-check this morning, they made the decision to see the horse again. Between the time of what happened this morning around 8:30 and then now at 4:30 PM, we tried to get an idea of what it could be, and it seems that maybe it's a hematoma, like an inflammation on the right front. Honestly, when you ride him, you don't feel or see anything. It seems that when he is on the hard ground, there is maybe more vibration coming, making him uncomfortable. He has plastic shoes and we tried to make a small change with the blacksmith about that, but it seems that it didn't change so much. From what I know from the physical aspect, this is where we are at right now; we don't know so much.” 

As per the FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games, both riders will still have the opportunity to participate in the individual qualifier if their respective horses pass the second horse inspection – which takes place on Saturday 3 August. Should the horses pass the second inspection, and their teams want to enter them for the individual qualifier, a pre-competition change must be made in accordance with the regulations. A pre-competition change must be done no later than two hours prior to the start of the individual qualifier.

The jumping now gets underway with a training session this afternoon at 6 PM, while the competitions begin on 1 August with the team qualifier.