Show jumping team upbeat to win medals

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Host nations for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have the right to select the events in competition for the biennial sports gathering -- and often pad the roster with sports in which their athletes excel.

The Philippines, which will host this year's Games on Nov. 27- Dec. 5, chose to limit equestrian events to show jumping individual and team competitions, with no place for dressage, endurance and eventing.

"It is because the Philippines only has athletes in show jumping but no athletes in other divisions," said SEA Games equestrian manager Otto Satyawan R on Tuesday.

Ruled out of the medal hunt is top dressager Larasati Gading, but the Equestrian Commission of Indonesia (ECI) believes that its show jumpers have a strong chance against competitors from Malaysia and the host.

"I am sure that we will get medals," Otto said. "But we will be surer about the types of the medals after we finish our participation in the World Cup series in Manila from Nov. 18 and Nov. 20, with other ASEAN countries also taking part."

The ECI, which is a division under the auspices of the Indonesian Equestrian Association (Pordasi), has selected five athletes for the World Cup series, followed by the 2005 SEA Games.

On the team are Kurniadi Mustopo, 25, Budi Tulodo, 38, Andri Prasetyo, 21, Dadan Suhendar, 28, and Fesol Said Mubarok, 20.

Kurniadi will ride Sidoal de Genetro, Budi has Dark Mellow, Andri is with Gonzo, Dadan rides Dominggo and Fesol with Canial.

"Kurniadi and his horse have the biggest chance to win medals for Indonesia," he said.

Kurniadi won gold in the 2004 National Games in Palembang in individual show jumping and bronze in the team competition.

Andri won gold in team show jumping, while Budi grabbed silver in team show jumping.

The team is training at the national equestrian training center in Cinere, West Java, south of Jakarta.

"We practice every day to sharpen our focus, increase horse strength, except on Monday," Otto, who is also an endurance rider, said.