GREG Broderick and MHS Going Global’s Olympic dream ended today at Deodoro in another day of high drama and tension in the second show jumping qualifier.

Eight faults carried forward from Sunday’s opening qualifier ultimately proved too expensive when added to an uncharacteristic four faults at the water jump, plus one time fault from this morning’s round.

It left the Thurles rider, third to go,with an agonisingly long wait until early afternoon to see if his 13 faults would be enough to see him through to tomorrow’s cut of 45 individual riders.

The pair hung on until the seventh last rider to go, Bassem Hassan Mohammed had one fence down but this was still enough to see the Qatari rider edge out Broderick.

Ultimately the Irish pair finished in equal 50th place of the 69 riders who began today’s test.

Speaking afterwards to The Irish Field, the Irish rider said he was deeply disappointed over the result but remained steadfast in his belief that ‘Junior’ was one of the best horses in the world.

Very, very disappointing and frustrating because I know I have a horse that was capable of jumping a double clear in the individual final

“Very, very disappointing and frustrating because I know I have a horse that was capable of jumping a double clear in the individual final on Friday. He strolled around today, even though he had a foot on the [water fence] tape but he felt well within himself, he was very comfortable in the ring,” said Broderick. “It’s just disappointing to get knocked out at the early stages with such a talented horse.”

“To be honest, the first day [Sunday’s first individual qualifier] left us on the back foot a bit. The horse has been jumping clear rounds all year and the first day was as good as he’s ever felt and to come out with two fences down out of that was uncharacteristic. If a horse jumps poorly, you just have to deal with it but when your horse is jumping good, it’s frustrating.”

The bright blue water jump continued to cause problems today, as it had on Sunday, with the most notable casualty being Australia’s Scott Keach, who was catapulted into its base when his horse Fedor applied the brakes. Nick Skelton also fell foul of this fence eight and is currently appealing his four faults recorded there with Big Star.

For MHS Going Global, it was the 10-year-old’s first fault at a water jump in his career.

It’s the first time he’s had a foot in the water. When I jumped it he felt well clear

“It’s the first time he’s had a foot in the water. When I jumped it he felt well clear. It didn't feel like in midair that I was in trouble, it felt like he gave a good jump at the water.

“The lads said the judge was very slow to put up his flag, so it must have been a light rub, but that’s neither here nor there now, it’s kept us out of the next stage.”

Adding to Broderick’s frustration is his belief that the bigger the courses got, the more it would have suited the Quidam Junior gelding.

“Actually it would have suited the horse, the bigger and wider it’s getting. Others would have been struggling but my horse would have been just kicking into gear.”

He firmly discounted any notion of the pressure of riding at the Olympics affecting him, saying after his round this morning that he had felt under more pressure to deliver a clear round in the Aga Khan Nations Cup at Dublin, than in Deodoro.

Everyone has been so supportive and got behind us 100%

Broderick is looking forward to returning to his Ballypatrick Stables base as soon as possible but repeated that he was overwhelmed by the messages of support from back home, particularly in his local area.

He also thanked Lee Kruger, the co-owner of the ‘homegrown hero’ MHS Going Global.

“She’s a brilliant woman, a great support and a great friend. Everyone has been so supportive and got behind us 100%,” he said.

NO QUESTION

Ireland’s show jumping team manager Robert Splaine reiterated his support for Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global as the best combination to represent Ireland at the Olympics.

Tiny errors cost them dearly, like a toe in the water, at what was a hugely controversial water

“There is no question that they are truly Olympic material, tiny errors cost them dearly, like a toe in the water, at what was a hugely controversial water, cost us a place at the next round,” he told The Irish Field. “I do hear that the British team are appealing [Nick Skelton’s four faults at the fence], I’ve looked at it from every angle of the rules, the video evidence is inconclusive because the angle isn't good enough to view it constructively so from that point of view we have to accept that the judges’ decision is final.”

BOWING OUT

Other combinations to bow out today included four-time Olympian Beezie Madden and her 2014 WEG bronze medal winner Cortes C; Abdelkebir Quasar and Quickly De Kreisler and veteran John Whitaker and Ornellaia.

Eleven riders remain on zero scores going into the final individual qualifier and team medal decider tomorrow including Kent Farrington (USA) and Voyeur, Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Taloubet Z, Peder Fredricson (SWE) and All In, Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) and Verdi, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (USA) and Fibonacci, Harrie Smolders (NED), Daniel Deusser (GER) and First Class, Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP) and Carlo 273, Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Fine Lady 5, plus to the delight of the home crowd, two Brazilian riders: Alvaro Doda de Miranda and Cornetto K, plus Pedro Veniss and Quabri De L’Isle.

However, another Brazilian rider Stephan De Freitas Barcha was eliminated for overuse of his spurs, making him the third rider to fall foul of FEI rules on horse welfare at these Games.

In the team standings, four countries - Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States - are tied on zero scores heading into tomorrow’s team final, from which the 35 combinations for Friday’s individual final will also be decided.

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