Tops-Alexander through to Top 30

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander remains alive in the individual jumping competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 after jumping clear during today’s third round.

The captain of the Australian Jumping team and her horse Ego Van Orti added only two time penalties to take their overall score to 8.43. It has them ranked 23rd at the end of the third round which sees them progress to the group of 30. US rider Beezie Madden (Cortes ‘C’) is the leader on 0.16 penalties.

In three rounds of competition Tops-Alexander has jumped clear on all three ocassions and has only accrued five time penalties. 

“I’m very happy with the way my horse jumped, he’s in unbelievable shape. He’s flying over the jumps. Yesterday’s time fault cost me a lot already, yesterday I was on the time but I just made one too many down one line.

“(Today) I probably should have been more focused, I was more thinking about trying to jump a clear, which is always good to do but you have to also think about the time." 

Australia’s Jamie Kermond was also in action in the round of 50 and he and his horse Quite Cassini picked up five faults. Although it signifies the end of his WEG campaign, Kermond is still pleased with his and his horse's performance at these Games, placing 41st overall.

“I thought Quite Cassini and I put on a good show, we definitely weren’t out of our depth.

“I was really happy with today. I was happy with the first two days, I was a bit too nervous on the first day, but you can’t help nerves.

“I thought I rode the plan really well. I know the horse’s stride quite well now, I just made one little mistake into the last where I was a fraction deep. But I was really happy with how I rode today.

“With a little bit of luck we could have been a bit higher up but unfortunately we had a cheap rail on the first and second day. Overall I’m extremely happy with the result."

Riders progressing to the top 30 now have a rest day before taking to the arena again on Saturday. At the end of this round only the top four riders will progress to the Final.

Results

LISTEN | Jamie Kermond Interview