CARNAGE on the cross-country course resulted in major changes on the eventing leaderboard at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games today as falls, eliminations, jumping penalties and time penalties took their toll on the 14 teams competing.

Fifteen eliminations, two retirees and one withdrawal make this statistically the toughest Olympic cross-country test in recent years, according to Equiratings.

Irish pathfinders Padraig McCarthy and Simon Porloe were third out on the course and sadly their Olympic adventure ended with a fall at fence 11/12 the Palm Tree corner. Simon Porloe met the corner badly and fell, narrowly avoiding his rider on the landing side.

Next out for Ireland, Clare Abbott and Euro Prince (ISH), started well but unfortunately had two stops on course and incurred 40 jumping penalties. They came home safe and sound on 112.6 penalties.

Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes drift (ISH) put in a super jumping round and incurred just 22.8 time penalties to finish on 64.6 penalties.

Anchorman and three-time Olympian Mark Kyle had one jumping problem, incurring 20 penalties, and added 30.80 time penalties to finish on a score of 101.20 after cross-country.

The team result of 278.40 puts Ireland into eighth place in the team competition ahead of tomorrow’s final show jumping phase.

Australia’s Christopher Burton and Santano II lead then individual competition after a cross-country masterclass, finishing on 37.60 penalties.

Less than one show jumping fence behind is the reigning Olympic champion, Michael Jung and Sam FBW for Germany (40.90), while third place is occupied by Frencham Astier Nicholas and Piaf de B’Neville (42.0).

New Zealand’s Mark Todd and Leonidas II (46) are in fourth, while the US duo of Phillip Dutton (Mighty Nice ISH) and Boyd Martin (Blackfoot Mystery) are in fifth and sixth places on 46.80 and 50.90 respectively.

Clarke Johnston (Balmoral Sensation) shares equal seventh place on 51.30 with the home crowd favourite Carlos Parra and the Irish-bred former racehorse Summon Up The Blood.

Sam Griffiths and the Irish-bred Badminton winner Paulank Brockagh lie ninth at this stage for Australia (53.10) and 10th place is held by France’s Mathieu Lemoine and Bart (53.60).

In the team competition, Australia lead on 150.30, followed by New Zealand on 154.80 in second and France on 161.

Germany’s team lies in fourth (172.80), followed by The Netherlands (238.60) in fifth and Sweden in sixth (243.10).

Seventh place is occupied by Britain on 252.10,followed by Ireland on 278.40.

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