Olympics: the ordeal of a rider in tears in the pentathlon on an uncontrollable horse

Never talk to Annika Schleu about the horse Saint Boy again.

The German pentathlete had a real ordeal in the equestrian event which always holds surprises as she aimed for a medal.

In show jumping, each athlete inherits a horse drawn at random just moments before entering the competition on the course.

A game of Russian roulette that can smile on some competitors but also turn into disaster if the horse is in a bad mood.

To discover

• The full Olympic program

• The Olympic medal table

Annika Schleu in difficulty even before the start in show jumping PEDRO PARDO / AFP

This is exactly what happened with Annika Schleu with Saint Boy in Tokyo.

Moments before her entry in the running, like a bad omen, another competitor, the Russian Gulnaz Gubaydullina had been forced to retire due to the repeated whims of her equine on the course.

This is also the fate that was reserved for the German who, as soon as she entered the starting area, had a hard time controlling Saint Boy.

It has not stopped moving, turning in all directions, to the point of becoming totally uncontrollable and rearing up.

German rider IVAN ALVARADO / REUTERS

A situation that quickly put the competitor in panic, not knowing what to do.

Annika Schleu started to cry with rage on her horse, which she was trying to calm down.

In vain.

She was able to start in the show jumping but her passage turned into a disaster with a rain of refusals in front of the bars and a mess of penalties.

Distraught and still in tears on her horse, the rider, realizing that she was going to finish in the depths of the ranking, finally decided to throw in the towel and cut short this ordeal.

A terrible image and abandonment synonymous with elimination.

One of Saint Boy's multiple refusals on the IVAN ALVARADO / REUTERS route