Greg Broderick and Going Global had a less than ideal start to their medal quest in Rio but stay in contention after the pairing qualified for Tuesday’s second round. Broderick survives, but there were a number of high profile exits from the individual competition.

With one of the favourites Simon Delestre having withdrawn his horse days ago, another leading fancy Marcus Ehning didn’t get to start either as his horse Cornado NRW was pulled from the German team just hours before the start. Reserve Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum stepped in and went clear with Fibonacci.

Another high profile casualty was France’s Penelope Leprovost. who was distraught after a fall from Flora de Mariposa, while Swede Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, the winner of last week’s Global Champions Tour Grand Prix on Casall ASK, missed the individual cut with 16 faults on board Unita.

Italy’s show jumping interest in Rio ended with the retirement of their only representative Emanuele Gaudiano and Caspar 232, and Dutch rider Jur Vrieling (Zirocco Blue) and Belgian Nicola Philippaerts (Zilverstar T) both had disqualifications.

Leprovost, Bengtsson and Vrieling will jump on Tuesday but only for their teams, though Leprovost faces an anxious wait to see if her horse gets the all clear.  Although Flora de Mariposa appeared fine after the stumble that caused the fall, there had been a slight scare over the horse’s condition a day before the event. Vrieling’s horse will come under veterinary scrutiny after his disqualification for excessive use of the whip. “It is stupid, this happened in the heat of the moment, and it will not happen again,” the Dutch rider said.

Greg Broderick faces into Tuesday’s round carrying eight faults and needing to finish in the top 45 of the 60 who progressed. With thirty-four of the qualifiers carrying 4 faults or more, the door is still open for Broderick to keep rolling towards the Final, but he will need to give little or nothing away next time out. Mike Dunne