Paris Olympics’ team shake-up as medal-winning horse swapped out

A horse that won a team silver medal at the 2022 World Championships has been swapped out ahead of the Paris Olympic eventing competition.

Today (24 July) US Equestrian announced that Will Coleman’s ride Off The Record has been replaced by his direct reserve horse Diabolo. The federation did not give a reason for the swap.

Will and 15-year-old gelding Off The Record (owned by the Off The Record Syndicate) were part of the silver medal-winning team at the World Championships in Pratoni, during which they produced the only double jumping clear of the US team. The pair have completed the Kentucky Three-Day five-star three times, finishing seventh in 2023, and this year they were third in the CCI4*-S class.

Will will now ride his 2024 Kentucky Three-Day CCI4*-S winner Diabolo (owned by the Diabolo Group) in the Paris Olympic eventing. Will took on the ride of the 12-year-old gelding last year from Gemma Tinney, after flying to Australia to try him. Of the pair’s seven CCI4* starts, they have five top-10 finishes.

Will and Diabolo are joined by teammates Boyd Martin with Fedarman B, and Caroline Pamucku with HSH Blake. Liz Halliday is the alternate with Cooley Nutcracker.

There have been a flurry of changes this week leading up to the Paris Olympic eventing. Germany’s Sandra Auffarth has withdrawn Viamant Du Matz following the last health check yesterday evening (23 July) before moving from the training camp to Versailles. The pair will be replaced by alternate combination Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21.

Yesterday Irish showjumper Bertram Allen withdrew Pacino Amiro from their alternate position owing to a “minor injury”. They have been replaced by Darragh Kenny and VDL Cartello.

On Monday (22 July) Ingrid Klimke announced the withdrawal of Franziskus from their alternate position on the German dressage squad as the stallion had picked up an injury. Eventer Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo De Gasco, who were an alternate combination for Belgium, have withdrawn for “veterinary reasons” and are replaced by Maarten Boon and Gravin Van Cantos, while Canadian showjumping team alternate Tiffany Foster has swapped Battlecry for her reserve horse Figor.

The dressage phase of the Paris Olympic eventing starts on Saturday (27 July).

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