Australia’s Lineup of Team Prospects for Tokyo Deeper, Stronger than Any Previous Olympics

Australia is heading to the Olympics less than 11 weeks away with eight rider and horse combinations already fulfilling requirements for selection, a lineup that is deeper and stronger than any of the previous Games in which the nation has competed a team beginning with Sydney in 2000.

Three riders based in Germany, one in the United States and two in Australia–along with eight horses between them–have fulfilled qualifying requirements of two Grand Prix scores of at least 69% from Jan. 1, 2019 to June 21, 2021, one of the two to have been earned in 2020 or 2021 to be considered for a team of three and a possible reserve. Four of the riders have experience of multiple Olympics in the five Games that have been held this century.

Leading the group is Simone Pearce with two horses already meeting requirements–Destano that set new Australian Grand Prix and Special scoring records within the past year; Amandori that last week in Italy added the second of two required Grand Prix results and Double Joy that turned in a qualifying score on the horse’s first outing at the same event. With only six weeks for the deadline to achieve results for consideration, the 29-year-old Simone based in Germany has as many as four more competitions that she could realistically pursue another score for Double Joy to give her three prospects for what would be her first senior Olympics or championships.

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Article written by: KENNETH J. BRADDICK