Eventer's disappointment as Paris place changes hands

A combination were unable to achieve their last Olympic qualifying result after being eliminated across country

- BECKY MURRAY

A LITHUANIAN eventer has spoken of his at losing his Olympic place after he did not gain his final qualification when he was eliminated at Luhmühlen Horse Trials (13-16 June). disappointment Aistis Vitkauskas was due to ride as an individual at Paris, as one of the two highest-ranked athletes in FEI group C.

Aistis and Commander Vg were contesting the CCI5*, trying to obtain their final minimum eligibility requirement (MER).

But they were eliminated across country under the dangerous riding rule - they were stopped by a fence judge shortly after fence 10abc, an upright to a ditch followed by a skinny flower box.

Aistis told H&H the warmup, in dry conditions, "went well", then it started raining heavily. He said that at 10a Commander Vg lifted well but in mid-air looked at the ditch, "froze" momentarily and did not lift his back legs fully. He touched the fence, but the MIM clip was not activated, and they cleared b and c.