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Sad day O'Connor holds onto lead in individual three-day
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- American David O'Connor of the United States conquered the cross-country course with a perfect ride Thursday to lead the Olympic individual three-day event on a day in which two riders had to be hospitalized and a horse euthanized. O'Connor, of The Plains, Va., added no penalties to his lead after dressage on Custom Made, with 29.0. The other two U.S. riders also got around the course clean. The medals will be decided by the show-jumping round on Friday. With his lead of 7.6 points, O'Connor, a member of the bronze-medal three-day team, can knock down one fence and still take the gold. The day did not go as well for everyone else. Two riders in the early going were hospitalized - Roberto Macedo of Brazil with a broken pelvis and Nils Haagensen of Denmark with a seriously bruised shoulder. Bermuda's Gold, ridden by Mary Jane Tumbridge of Bermuda, broke her left front leg at the second fence and was euthanized later at a nearby veterinary clinic. Tumbridge and her mare won the individual title in the 1999 Pan Am Games. Heidi Antikatzidis of Greece had a clean round and was left with 37.4 on Michaelmas to stand second. Mark Todd of New Zealand was in third with 39.0 on Eyespy II. Robert Costello of Southern Pines, N.C., ended in sixth on Chevalier with only his 42.4 points left from dressage. Julie Black of Newnan, Ga., was in 12th with 53.6 on Hyde Park Corner. Costello moved up into medal contention from ninth place after dressage and Black improved from 22nd to 12th. O'Connor isn't picturing himself on the gold-medal platform quite yet. "Custom Made gets aggressive in show jumping," O'Connor said. "If he doesn't run at his fences he jumps clean." The U.S. riders, who had a late draw, were not aware of all the problems happening out on the course. Out of 38 horses and riders who started the course, 13 withdrew or were eliminated, many due to falls. The U.S. won bronze in the team event that ended Tuesday. O'Connor was the only U.S. rider from the team event also entered in the individual event. Horses cannot go twice since the endurance phase is too arduous. The endurance phase here is 14.9 miles, with the cross-country phase and its 29 obstacles in the final 4.6 miles ridden at a hard gallop. The three-day event is the equestrian equivalent of the decathlon and includes dressage, cross-country endurance and show jumping.
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