Edwina and 15-year-old mare Isovlas Pialotta were fast and careful around Frank Rothenberger’s technical and sizeable track. They knocked down just the first element of the combination at fence nine, adding four seconds to their time of 78.09 for a total of 82.09 seconds. Winner Beezie Madden from the US, who jumped a clear round, was just 4.47 seconds faster on 77.62. 

NSW-based Rod Brown, returning to the world stage for the first time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, ended up 89^th after having a foot in the water plus rails at three fences, adding 16 seconds to his time of 86.22 for a total of 102.22.

Queensland’s Peter McMahon and KS Genoa made a gutsy start to their competition. They had only the triple-bar down, but a run-out at the second element of the double of ditches proved costly, leaving them in 100^th place on a total time of 108.01 seconds. 

The youngest member of the team, 21-year-old Victorian Jamie Kermond, was eliminated after refusals from Stylish King in the combinations at fences nine and 10. “All the fences he jumped felt fantastic,” Kermond said. “It was just one of those things; we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Showjumping coach Jamie Coman said the course, which troubled some big-name combinations, was tough, posing technical questions all the way.

“It was very unexpected what Burns did today. I thought Peter rode the most difficult horse in the class and he did an amazing job and they’ll only get better from here. Edwina has become such a solid, consistent performer under pressure and in the big arena this combination is now recognised as being unbelievably good. Stylish King is a careful horse with a very talented rider and Jamie will come out a lot stronger rider tomorrow,” Coman said.

“Our main goal here is we have to beat the Japanese so we qualify a team for Beijing.” To this end, Australia was lying 20^th, ahead of Japan in 23^rd, after today’s class. 

Alexander, from Glossodia, NSW, has had a positive build-up to WEG with top-10 placings in major events in Europe in recent months. She began riding in 1982 and moved to the Europe several years ago to further her showjumping career.