Eqn:Star couple put Aust on track to eventing glory

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2008
Eqn:Star couple put Aust on track to eventing glory

By Melissa Jenkins

HONG KONG, Aug 9 AAP - Lucinda Fredericks upstaged her husband Clayton with a remarkable
ride in the dressage that put Australia in the early box seat for the Olympic team eventing
gold medal today.

Lucinda Fredericks and her horse Headley Britannia led the field after the first session
with 30.40 penalty points, with Clayton second on 37 and US rider Gina Miles third on
39.60.

After Fredericks' impressive ride, which included a rare perfect 10 on a flying change
cantering across the diagonal, she threw her hands skyward, and hugged her horse.

The Fredericks are making their Olympic debuts together after living together for 15 years.

"I think it's a good thing because we can get mouldy (mouldy) with each other and give
each other a bit of jib," she told reporters at the Sha Tin Racecourse.

"You know, I get in a mood, he gets in a mood and at least we get in a mood with each
other and we don't get in a mood with anybody else.

"We do argue but so does everybody."

The pair were originally assigned separate rooms in the athletes village before moving
in together.

"Lucinda doesn't snore so I think I am doing better than most of the other Aussie riders
who are sharing with other guys," Clayton said.

England-born Lucinda Fredericks, who began representing Australia eight years ago,
said she was not at all nervous during her dressage test today.

"I'd be happy to do five more tests," she said.

"I'm riding a little pony who tries her guts out. I love her, everybody loves her.

"She's not flash, she's not a big, smart mover, but she's very correct."

Fredericks is now also well placed to win an individual Olympic medal, although dressage
is traditionally her strongest eventing discipline.

Despite historic back-to-back victories in Britain's 2006 Burghley Horse Trials and
at Badminton last year, Lucinda Fredericks remains a little-known athlete in Australia.

"It's quite difficult for us being based in the UK because we're very much involved
in the European circuit. Australia is so far away, half the people in Australia wouldn't
know who I am," she said.

A protester, whom is understood to have removed a jacket to reveal a Free Tibet shirt,
yelled out and was surrounded by officials during Clayton's test but he said it did not
affect his horse.

New Zealand's Mark Todd, 52, who won gold at Los Angeles and Seoul, and retired after
claiming individual bronze in at the Sydney Games, returned after an eight-year break
today and was placed finished in the middle of the field.

The French suffered a blow yesterday with the withdrawal of Olympic gold medallist
Jean Teulere, whose horse was injured.

Another Australian, Megan Jones, will do her dressage round aboard Kirby Park Irish
Jester tonight, while compatriots Shane Rose and Sonja Johnson ride tomorrow.

The cross-country is on Monday and the concluding show-jumping is on Tuesday.

AAP mj/jds

KEYWORD: OLY08 EQN AUST NIGHTLEAD

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