The horse-and-rider combinations named as members or alternates for the U.S. Eventing Team headed to the Paris Olympic Games went for style and confidence rather than speed at their mandatory outing over the weekend, and with the exception of one fall cross-country, all went to plan. 

The advanced division at the June Stable View Horse Trials, held June 22-23 in Aiken, South Carolina, served as the final Olympic preparation event for the pairs, which included the named team—Will Coleman with Off The Record and his direct reserve Diabolo, Boyd Martin with Fedarman B and his direct reserve Commando 3, and Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake—as well as traveling alternate Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker and six more non-traveling reserve pairs.

With giving the horses confidence-inspiring runs more important than making time cross-country, the final placings did not play a critical role. However, there was still a bit of drama in the day when Halliday came off Cooley Nutcracker—a horse who has never had more than a flag penalty jumping cross-country in his international career—at Fence 5.

“We had an awkward jump coming out of the first water, followed by an unbalanced landing and turn, ultimately putting me on the ground,” she posted to social media. “ ‘Bali’ is one of the best cross-country horses in the world, and I have no concerns at all going forward. We are both totally fine and it’s just one of those things!”

Next for the team horses will be a meeting July 13-14 for a final gallop and vet check in Pennsylvania before flying out of John F. Kennedy Airport (New York) on July 16, the U.S. Eventing Association reported. The team will train in Vittel, France, until relocating to the Olympic venue in Paris on July 24. The eventing portion of the Paris Olympic Games begins with dressage on July 27 and concludes with show jumping for team and individual medals on July 29.

See complete results from Stable View here, and check out this gallery of images captured by Liz Crawley Photography: