August 1, 2024 
Twenty teams came forward for the first round of team jumping at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. But for five, it wasn’t with their original starting lineup.
With three rider teams and no drop score, the margin for error in the Olympic team event is minimal at best. Only the top 10 advance to Friday’s medal round—job one is to make the cut.
Five nations opted to make late substitutions to their line up and, for all five, it played to their advantage.
The first came just before the first horse inspection. Defending champion Ben Maher of Great Britain swapped 10-year-old Swedish warmblood stallion Point Break for the more experienced 11-year-old Selle Français mare Dallas Vegas Batilly.
“I think the Swedish people are unhappy with me,” smiled Maher. “Point Break is an incredible horse. He’s only ten years old and his time will come. I just felt with the venue here and the climate, I think experience will just carry us forward a little bit this week. Hopefully, I made the right decision.”
Early returns suggest it was the right call.
As the lead off rider for Team GB, Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly delivered a clear. Teammates Harry Charles on Romeo 88 and Scott Brash on Jefferson each added four to the board to bring the team total to 8, qualifying the Brits in the top three.
France and Mexico saw their hands forced after first string horses Viking d’la Rousserie (FRA) and Contendro 2 (MEX) did not pass the first horse inspection. But the change may have played to their favor.
Traveling alternates Olivier Perreau and Dorai D’Aiguilly for France and Federico Fernandez and Romeo for Mexico each posted a four fault performance to help push their teams through to the final.
First string picks Kevin Staut (FRA) and Andres Azcarraga (MEX) could still re-present their mounts for the individual qualifier.
The Netherlands made their strategic swap after Wednesday’s practice session in the Paris Olympic arena of Versailles, calling up Kim Emmen in place of Willem Greve. It was perhaps a risky call, replacing a new partnership—Emmen and Imagine have been teamed up for just eight months—in place of a proven one.
But the Olympic rookie delivered, producing one of two clears on the day for the Dutch.
Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z delivered the other. An eight fault performance by world no. 12 Harrie Smolders and Uricas v/d Kattenvennen put the Netherlands through on a team total of 5.
No change was more dramatic, however, than the last.
USA‘s traveling alternate Karl Cook arrived at the Palace of Versailles this morning dressed in his blue pants prepared to support his teammates. But an allergy concern with Kent Farrington’s Greya saw Cook called in at the 11th hour and produce a clear for Team USA.
“We were on the team the whole time mentally,” said Cook.
“I was the alternate. It’s very clear how late I could be called and so, we knew that going in and all of our prep—everything yesterday, everything last night, everything this morning—was as if we were showing.”
With a clear from Laura Kraut and Baloutinue and six on the board from McLain Ward and Ilex Team USA qualified in the top 2 for the Team Final.
“I purposely made sure that [Germany’s] Richie [Vogel] has to go last and get all the pressure. So I think it was a plan well executed,” joked Ward.
The two most dramatic performances of the day came from Team Germany, the only team to finish on zero, and Team Sweden.
With clears from their first two riders, the Swedes looked assured of a spot in the final when anchor rider, Peder Fredricson, and his veteran partner Catch Me Not S refused the tricky wall. The pair collected eight jumping and nine time faults to put the Swedes on 17 and in danger of not making the cut. They’re through.
Belgium, Ireland, and Israel also advance to the Team Final. All scores reset to zero for the team medal deciding round.
“Tomorrow we will go back to zero, and we start from scratch,” said Great Britain’s Harry Charles. “So it’s a new fight tomorrow.”
In the USA, all Olympic competition is streaming on Peacock and in Canada on CBC Gem.
