House Doctor eases Dutton's pain

EQUESTRIAN: Philip Dutton, a member of Australia's Olympic three-day event gold medal teams at both Atlanta and Sydney, was far from happy when he was dropped from the team for the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, but he made his point to the selectors pretty emphatically yesterday when he swept into an individual lead after the first day of dressage.

American-based Dutton, obviously still smarting after being overlooked for team selection at these World Games, brought out the 10-year-old House Doctor - his ride on the triumphant Australian team on home turf at Sydney two years ago - to top the individual rankings in a day of dramatic lead changes.

David O'Connor, who claimed individual gold and team bronze for America at Sydney, set the early target with a mark of 34.2 for his classy test with the Irish export, Giltedge, and that looked likely to stay in front throughout. But fellow American John Williams, whose last championship outing 11 years ago ended in disaster with a fall at the Pan-Am Games, joined O'Connor at the head of the field at 6.30 last night.

Williams, who earned his place on the American team after a second-place finish at the big Rolex four-star in Kentucky back in April, put in a personal best with the 10-year-old Carrick which, despite its name, is Canadian-bred. Also scoring 34.2, Williams shot up the top of the leaderboard in joint-first with O'Connor.

Moments later, New Zealander Kate Lambie came within .2 of making it a three-way tie for first when scoring 34.4 with her mare Nufarm Alibi to move into third. Lambie was another aggrieved individual, having been told after Wednesday's horse inspection that she wouldn't be part of the Kiwi team, but the 27-year-old - with four perfect 10s - gave her best retort to the selectors by slotting into third.

There was still further juggling of the placings to come, however, and, shortly before 7 p.m., Dutton put in his bid for glory and, with a mark of 33.6, took over the top slot for Australia. But the Americans, who have never taken team gold at the world championships, are well ahead in the team standings on 68.6, over 20 points clear of Australia, with the British third on 87.6.

Ireland's tally of 115.0 after the first two team riders Jane O'Flynn (56.8) and Eric Smiley (58.2) means eighth place - less than two points adrift of defending champions New Zealand - going into today's second day of dressage, when Sasha Harrison and Patricia Donegan will be bidding to boost the team up the order before tomorrow's tough cross-country test.

There was no surprise at top of the pure dressage rankings, with Germany once again claiming team gold, but the Dutch - traditionally the only nation to even vaguely threaten the German dominance - right out of the picture in fifth, with silver going to America and bronze to the hosts, Spain.

THREE-DAY EVENT (individual placings after first day of dressage): 1, Australia's House Doctor (Phillip Dutton), 33.6 penalties; equal 2, America's Giltedge (David O'Connor) and Carrick (John Williams), 34.2; 4, New Zealand's Nufarm Alibi (Kate Lambie), 34.4; Irish placings: 27, Kilnadeema Star (Jane O'Flynn), 56.8; 30, Macloud (Eric Smiley), 58.2; 31, Just Beauty Queen (Susan Shortt), 59.0; 34, Glencara (Vina Buller), 63.2.

Grand prix dressage (final team placings): 1, Germany, 5,642 points; 2, USA, 5,527; 3, Spain, 5,403; 13, Ireland, 4,816.

Grand Prix dressage (individual qualifier): 1, Germany's Farbenfroh (Nadine Capellman), 77.96%; 2, Germany's Rusty (Ulla Salzgeber), 75.64%; 3, America's Brentina (Deborah McDonald), 74.56%; Irish placings: 33, Fosbury (Anna Merveldt-Steffens), 65.48%; 42, Accolade (Yvette Truesdale), 64.32%; 52, Welt Adel (Heike Holstein), 62.84.