Women Shoot for History at Today’s Olympic Trials

The final two rounds of the U.S. Olympic equestrian show-jumping trials take place today at the Del Mar Horsepark.

The top six coming into today’s trials are all women. If they hold their positions, the United States would become the first nation to send an all-woman show-jumping team to the Olympics.

After today’s final rounds, the field of 11 will be narrowed to the four riders and horses with the lowest fault total. Those riders, and one alternate, will go to Sydney.

“It would be groundbreaking,” said Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wis., who is in second place with her mount Liberty.

However, all the riders agree there is a long way to go before history can be made.

At the end of competition the riders are allowed to drop their worst score of the five rounds. Todd Minikus and Oh Star of Loxahatchee, Fla., who led after Wednesday’s round, committed 12.25 faults in the final round Friday. If they put together two good rounds Sunday and can eliminate that score, Minikus and Oh Star would be back in contention.

Raymond Texel and Pershing of Beverly Hills could drop a score of 17.25, and 1992 bronze medalist Norman Dello-Joio could eliminate a round of 13.50.

Consistency will be the key. None of the top six riders have committed more than 10.75 faults in the first three rounds.

Nona Garson and Rhythmical of Lebanon, N.J., the current leaders, have a possible drop of only 4.0. Kraut and Liberty have a round of 8.0 they could drop. Third-place Margie Goldstein-Engle and Hidden Creek’s Perin of Wellington, Fla., could eliminate a 4.0, and Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and Moonstar of Glendale, currently in fourth, could drop a 10.75.

“We are far from being done,” Garson said.

Competition begins at 11 a.m., with approximately a 45-minute break between rounds. The Olympic team will be announced at the conclusion.