Top team make substitution to their Olympic showjumping squad hours before action starts

The USA have had to make a late change to their Paris Olympics showjumping team, just hours before the action starts today, with Karl Cook and Caracole De La Roque now joining the team. Kent Farrington and Greya have been withdrawn due to an “allergy related” question mark over the mare’s health.

Karl will be making his Olympic showjumping debut on Eric Navet and Signe Ostby’s 12-year-old mare. The pair were on the US team that secured qualification for Paris when they won a team gold at the Pan Am Games last year.

“There is a small question mark with Greya, which is allergy related, and erring on the side of extreme caution and with the no drop score in the format, we have made the decision to bring in Karl Cook and Caracole De La Roque,” said chef d’equipe Robert Ridland.

This alteration will come as a big blow to the US, who were the team silver medallists at the last Olympics in Tokyo and start among the leading countries this time. Equine data analytics experts EquiRatings gave the nation a 10% chance of team gold – fourth favourites – and a 31% chance of a podium finish before this team change. Kent and Greya were fourth at the World Cup Final in April and won the five-star La Baule grand prix last month.

Karl Cook will ride in the Paris Olympics initial qualifier as the second member of the US team, with Laura Kraut (Baloutinue) acting as their pathfinder and McLain Ward (Ilex) as the anchor rider. The class starts at 11am local time (10am British time).

The US have not had much luck at this Games so far. They had to make two changes to their eventing team before the competition started and then finished seventh in that sport, with their best-placed individual Boyd Martin (Fedarman B) in 10th.

Then on the first day of the dressage, Marcus Orlob and Jane were eliminated under the blood rule as the mare suffered a small nick to the skin on her right hind fetlock. Neither of the other dressage team riders – Adrienne Lyle (Helix) and Steffen Peters (Suppenkasper) – have qualified for the individual final, the freestyle.

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