Sport-heute: ReportMix - CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN GAMES

03. August 2010, 19:29

CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN GAMES - MAYAGUEZ 2010

DRESSAGE – Team and individual gold for Colombia’s Marco Bernal

The equestrian events of the Central American and Caribbean Games were held in San Juan some 300 kilometres from the main Games venue in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The people of San Juan had this unique opportunity to enjoy the Games and Dressage was the first discipline to take place in Bayamon Park.

Brüttisellen, 3.8.10, Red. (mk) The team competition was interrupted for some time just before the last few riders due to a tremendous rain-storm, but the action continued when the storm abated. Colombian rider Marco Bernal’s mark of 70.053% with Farewall IV was instrumental in helping Colombia to team gold ahead of silver medalists, Guatemala, whose top scorer was Christa Dauber with 69.789%. Team bronze went to Mexico.

Two days later the individual medals were contested in the Prix St George. Riders participated in reverse order of merit from the team results, but only the Prix St George scores counted for the medals.

Antonio Rivera (MEX) riding Naval, a Spanish bred stallion that had finished fifth in the previous rankings, scored 69.530% to squeeze into the medals and claim the bronze. Yvonne Lozos (DOM) took silver with 70.737% and Marco Bernal held on to add the individual title to his team gold with 71.526%.

Guatemala's Christa Dauber lost some rhythm and with 68.895%, almost a full point less than her Nations Cup ride, lost out on the medals to finish fourth place.

A total of 25 Dressage riders from nine countries finished this XXI edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games that included not only countries from Central America, but also those in the Caribbean, including Mexico which is geographically in North America, but with some of the country in the Caribbean.

EVENTING – Team gold for Mexico

Staged at one-star level, the Eventing discipline attracted riders from eight countries. Course designer José Luis Ortelli (ARG) helped to encourage participation in this discipline, which has had low numbers of starters in previous Games.

Heavy rain before the start of competition forced Technical Delegate Paul Weier (SWI) to make a number of changes to Ortelli’s cross-country track. The 2,520 metre course had at least eight fences inside the Jumping stadium, which allowed the hundreds of spectators to see most of the course from the stands. There was plenty of vocal support for the athletes, particularly when the Puerto Rican riders were out on the course as they were leading after Dressage.

Unfortunately Michelle Romero, who had led after the Dressage was eliminated, and after a second elimination for the host nation, Puerto Rico was out of the team competition. This allowed Guatemala and Mexico to finish in a close rivalry, followed by Colombia and Venezuela after Cross Country.

No rider finished within the time allowed cross country, but 12 jumped with no fence penalties and 23 out of 31 starters recorded a completion score. All of the five teams, however, suffered an elimination of one rider, so none of the teams could afford a drop score for the Jumping phase.

Bibi, the overnight leader for Alvaro del Valle (GUA), was eliminated at the final horse inspection prior to Jumping, putting paid to Guatemala's chance of a team medal. However the two remaining riders from Guatemala were now holding onto first and third position, with Mexican Erik Arambula in second.

Although time penalties abounded, the Jumping made no changes to the team order, so Mexico was awarded the gold, silver went to Colombia and bronze to Venezuela. Guatemala claimed gold and bronze in the individual standings for Tiziana Billy and Sarka Kolackova, with the silver going to Mexico's Erik Arambula. One rider, Mark Watring (PUR) competed in both Eventing and Jumping.

JUMPING – Venezuala’s Pablo Barrios claims double gold

The heavy rain that had featured during both the Dressage and Eventing disciplines, did not let up during the Jumping and competition had to be stopped several times. Venezuelan Pablo Barrios and Quick Star set their seal on things from the outset, taking an early lead over compatriot Andrés Rodríguez riding Da Vinci in the opening class.

There was heavy rain during the Nation's Cup also. Competing in the reverse order of their faults from the first qualifier, the speed competition, the last riders competed during a thunderstorm that caused some faults for the last rider from each country.

At the start of the competition Venezuela was on top as they had two riders in first and second places after the first qualifier, and Mexico was in second as their riders were third and fourth, but México had edged ahead by a small margin after the first round. But when two of the Mexican riders had four faults each and all four from Venezuela were faultless over the fences, although they picked up some time faults, the gold was awarded to Venezuela. México held on to take the silver, with bronze going to the host country, Puerto Rico, who gained their very first medal in equestrian competition. As equestrian was the only sport taking place in San Juan, the people from Puerto Rico, called Boricuas, really enjoyed it.

After a day off, the Grand Prix was held on Friday morning. This was a beautiful day without rain (Puerto Rico had 71 days of rain this season) and once more the riders competed in reverse order of merit.

Andrés Rodríguez from Venezuela was out in front, but when his horse Da Vinci, crashed through the triple bar, the first element of the double in the final line, he lost the lead to Pablo Barrios who was clear. In the second round Mexican rider Juan Carlos Franco was clear, and his teammate Alberto Michán had a fault at the wall depicting Mayaguez. Rodriguez also faulted at the wall, but a second fence down left the door open and dropped him out of the medals, leaving Mexico’s Michan and Franco guaranteed silver and bronze and waiting the result of Barrios, who had one rail in hand. He made one mistake, but his score was still good enough to secure the gold ahead of Mexican riders Alberto Michán and Juan Franco in silver and bronze.

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