A total of 44 athlete-and-horse combinations were competing in the event, representing 19 countries. Following the preliminaries, eight nations remained in the hunt for team medals.
The U.S. also started the competition with only three riders, as Madden and Cortes ‘C’ withdrew from Wednesday’s competition after sustaining a tendon injury on Tuesday, adding pressure for each of the U.S.’s three remaining riders, as the team would not have the luxury of a drop score as each team’s three best scores counted.
“The course was tremendous, a real Olympic championship course,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “We knew that when we walked it, all the riders did. We were pretty sure that it wasn’t going to be won on zero [faults]. All our scores had to count today, we knew that. It didn’t affect any of them. They were all unbelievable. Unbelievably focused, they knew what their job was and they got it done. It was tremendous.”
Summing things up for the U.S. team, Kent Farrington said, “Just to be on this team, to be in my first Olympics and win a medal is a fantastic feeling. There’s no greater honor than representing your country, and to walk away with a Silver medal is a great finish.”
Olympic Show Jumping will conclude on Friday with the two-round individual final, which brings the top 45 riders from the three qualifying rounds to a fresh start on zero faults. Farrington, Davis, and Ward will represent the U.S. in individual competition.