According to the COTH article, it looks like Will Simpson is the odd man out for the individual competition (each country can only send 3 rider, even if all 4 qualify). Poor guy is standing 18th, but I guess them’s the rules.
It is a bummer for Will but he rode beautifully and won it for Team USA. He should be beyond proud!
Do the current scores continue on for the riders? It’s not a clean slate format for the individual rounds is it??
Go USA and Canada!
yes, even a bigger bummer since I believe the US was the ONLY team to qualify all 4 riders. There should be some sort of exception for that, don’t you think? 
[QUOTE=EMWalker;3453181]
It is a bummer for Will but he rode beautifully and won it for Team USA. He should be beyond proud!
Do the current scores continue on for the riders? It’s not a clean slate format for the individual rounds is it??
Go USA and Canada![/QUOTE]
I believe it is clean slate for the 35 riders that move on.
Yes, it’s a clean slate for the individual competition.
And I agree with DMK, seems like if all four of our riders rode well enough to qualify for the individual medal rounds, they should be able to compete in them. I would say the same for any other country where all four riders qualified on the merits of their performances.
OK, aside from the US riders, I wouldn’t be terribly upset if Hickstead & Lamaze did exceptionally well, and I also really like Ben Maher from GB. I saw him ride in FL this winter and he is just a lovely, wonderful rider. Very smooth, very calm, exceptionally accurate and handles pressure well (obviously given he had ot ride a 3 man team today and is going in to the ind finals on a 5 fault cumulative score. Amazing for a 25 year old!
That sucks, but that’s the rules. :no:
Same with gymnastics (no more than 2 in All Around or each event final). The US qualified 3 women to the all around, but only two were allowed to compete (and they got gold and silver muahaha). Maybe our equestrians will do the same. :winkgrin:
Hickstead and Lamaze certainly looked like they’re among the best in the world right now.
And, in addition to what DMK said, Ben Maher is very easy on the eyes…
Most of the Olympic sports put a limit on the number per team to qualify for the individual finals to give chances for “smaller” countries to have more of a chance to medal. Eventing was the same way, there were riders who qualified, but weren’t in the top 3 on their team so they didn’t move on.
actually it’s an IOC rule (one of the few).
it wasn’t being enforced for equestrian until someone made a stink in Athens in the dressage and the IOC made the FEI change it (even though the IOC approved the Athens rules as they were :rolleyes:.)
then we knew it would also be enforced for the other disciplines in Beijing.
I recall that the rule was in play for jumping in Athens as well, that only three got to go on. I think it was Peter Wylde with the wonderful Fein Cera who did not get to do the individual.
I’m bummed for Will, too… But, a Team Gold medal is nothing to sneeze at for your first Olympics. His situation is what I call a “quality” problem. :winkgrin:
Besides, now I don’t have to feel as guilty when I secretly root for Jos & Cumano… :yes:
Seb 
What I think is really cool is that every member of our Team will go home knowing they jumped a clear round at the Olympic Games. That is really unusual, and what a great feeling that has got to be.
