Lithuanian eventer Aistis Vitkauskas has faced a significant setback after being eliminated at the Luhmühlen Horse Trials, resulting in the loss of his individual place at the Paris Olympics. Vitkauskas, who had secured a spot as one of the top-ranked athletes from FEI Group C, aimed to finalize his qualification at the event held from June 13-16. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when he and his 13-year-old gelding, Commander Vg, were eliminated under controversial circumstances.
Competing in the Luhmühlen CCI5*, Vitkauskas needed to achieve his final Olympic minimum eligibility requirement (MER) before the June 24 deadline. Their performance came to an abrupt halt when a fence judge stopped them at fence 10abc due to the dangerous riding rule. Despite clearing the subsequent elements, they were disqualified, leaving Vitkauskas confused and frustrated.
Vitkauskas explained that their warm-up had gone well in dry conditions, but heavy rain began as they started the course. At fence 10a, Commander Vg hesitated momentarily, leading to minor contact with the fence, although the MIM clip was not activated. Despite successfully negotiating the next elements, they were stopped by officials.
Seeking clarification, Vitkauskas was informed that the decision was based on dangerous riding at fence 10abc, a judgment he strongly contested. The ground jury also cited his jump at fence 5abc under the same criteria, a rationale that further frustrated Vitkauskas.
FEI rules prohibit horse and rider combinations from participating in another event to obtain an Olympic MER within four weeks of starting the cross-country phase of a long-format event or two weeks after a short-format event. Consequently, despite a request from the Lithuanian federation, Vitkauskas and Commander Vg were not permitted to compete in Strzegom, Poland, the following week to attempt another qualification.
Source: Horse and Hound