Tokyo Olympics: "It's a blow", the riders of the eventing still weighed down by a forfeit

“The priority is the integrity of the mare.

Voice white with emotion, Thomas Carlile is forced to abdicate.

On Monday, the French equestrian federation announced that the rider and his mare, Burmese, were withdrawing from the tricolor eventing team, which came to the Tokyo Olympics to defend the title acquired in Rio five years ago.

The reason ?

A muscular pathology, called early myositis, diagnosed by the veterinarian of Les Bleus.

“We saw it gradually when we gradually increased the intensity of the mare,” explains Thomas Carlile.

She could not stand the heat very well, felt slack or stiff.

It happened with the transport to Japan and the weather conditions.

To give you an idea, a horse suffers from this pathology as we would feel a cramp.

"

#RideToTokyo @ Tokyo2020 Another

blow for the French

eventing

team with the package of Thomas Carlile and Birmane, owned by the SCEA of Beliard 🥺

Karim Laghouag joins the French team with Triton Fontaine.https: // t. co / y8LiixYdBs pic.twitter.com/VZdOPbqmBJ

- French Equestrian Federation (@FFEquitation) July 26, 2021

To take no risk with Birmane, 10 years old, the federation, the rider and the owner of the horse, Gérard Brescon, have decided not to enter him for the Olympic Games.

A decision which de facto leads to the withdrawal of Thomas Carlile.

Difficult for him, but also for a team of eventing already very weak.

On July 1, it was Astier Nicolas, crowned in Rio with the French collective and in individual silver, who announced the sprain, synonymous with forfeit, of his stallion Babylon de Gamma.

A news fallen the day before the officialization of the tricolor selections for Tokyo.

On the 22nd, it was Thibaut Vallette's turn, also from the golden adventure in Brazil, to deplore a bone contusion in Qing du Briot's foot.

Before, this Monday, the bad news for Burmese.

“It's a big blow,” emphasizes Thomas Carlile. We lose in quick succession the two best performing horses, the pillars of our team. “Packages that allow Karim Laghouag, reservist in the initial list then replacing after the withdrawal of Thibaut Vallette, to join the eventing team, with which he was crowned in Rio in 2016. But under these conditions, go back up at the top of the podium seems very compromised.