Yoshiaiki Oiwa riding Bart L JRA
Japan’s Yoshiaiki Oiwa riding Bart L JRA leads the Tokyo 2020 Test Event after the dressage phase held at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park in Tokyo on Monday 12th August
The man who shot into focus in 2012 when he unexpectedly led at the London Olympic Games impressed the Ground Jury of Nick Burton (GBR), Christina Klingspor (SWE) and Jane Hamlin (USA) to once again lead the dressage, this time on home soil. He may have been based in Europe for the past 19 years, but Yoshi is delighted to have the chance to show the Japanese public what his sport is all about at the coming Olympic Games in his home country
“This is a very good chance to show what I’m doing and what the sport is all about. Hopefully we can give our best performance and get medals.”
Yoshi began riding as a junior high school student and took up eventing during his time at University before moving to the UK in 2001. At that time, he was based with Andrew Hoy, who is currently in second place at the Test Event riding Bloom Des Hauts Crets for Australia on a score of 27.70, 3.2 penalties behind Yoshi (24.50) and 0.30 ahead of Germany’s Michael Jung riding Fischerwild Wave (28.0).
Andrew Hoy and Bloom Des Hauts Crets
Ryuzo Kitajima riding Vick Du Gisors JRA is currently in fourth place (28.2) and Germany’s Peter Thomsen on Horseware Nobleman is fifth (29.50). Kazuma Tomoto is in sixth place (30.4) on Tacoma d’Horset and the Japanese rider trained by Britain’s William Fox-Pitt is hoping for medals in 2020 “Our team is really tough and has got strong quickly. We’re aiming to get a medal, that’s why we have to improve more and more. We have lots of nice riders so we can do it for sure.”
Britain’s Georgie Spence on Halltown Harley (30.80) is on an equal score with Japan’s eventing Buddhist Monk, Kenki Sato riding Shanaclough Contadora while Kazuma’s mentor, William Fox-Pitt riding Summer At Fernhill wraps up the top ten of 17 combinations starting in the dressage
One horse, GHS Calvaruise ridden by Kazuya Otomo (JPN), has now been withdrawn but the rest of the horses have been transported to the alternative stabling at the cross country venue at Sea Forest in readiness for Tuesday’s cross country phase
Derek Di Grazia’s 3,025m track incorporates 20 fences with 31 jumping efforts, which will be quite different to that of the actual Games cross country course next year. The Test Event is held at CCIO3*-S level but the 20 National Olympic and Paralympic Committees that are onsite for the official observers’ programme are making the most of the opportunity to see the terrain at Sea Forest and test the facilities at both venues.
Check out the cross country course to be tackled tomorrow in our Tokyo Test Event photo gallery here
Michael Jung and Fischerwild Wave
Ready Steady Tokyo equestrian test event (placings after Dressage):
1, Japan’s Bart L JRA (Yoshiaki Oiwa), 24.5;
2, Australia’s Bloom Des Hauts Crets (Andrew Hoy), 27.7;
3, Germany’s Fischerwild Wave (Michael Jung), 28.0;
4, Japan’s Vick Du Gisors JRA (Ryuzo Kitajima), 28.2;
5, Germany’s Horseware Nobleman (Peter Thomsen), 29.50;
6, Japan’s Tacoma d’Horset (Kuzuma Tomoto), 30.4.
