The video provides a live commentary of the 2016 Rio Olympic eventing competition focusing on U.S. rider Boyd Martin and his 12‑year‑old gelding Blackfoot Mystery. It outlines Martin’s background—Australian‑born, son of Olympians, U.S. citizen, London 2012 Olympian—and his partnership with Blackfoot Mystery, a former Kentucky thoroughbred racehorse. The commentary situates the U.S. team within its historic dominance in Olympic eventing, noting the presence of fellow Australians Philip Dutton, Lauren Keefer, and Clark Montgomery. Detailed observations cover dressage scores (47.7 points, 35th place), cross‑country performance, penalties, and the horse’s behavior (head‑neck tension, break of rhythm). The segment also describes the Rio course design by Guillermo Jorga, highlighting specific obstacles such as the Sugarloaf and cable‑car fence, and explains judging criteria for straightness and rhythm. Final scores (58.9) qualify Martin for the individual final, and the commentary reflects on the competitive field, team prospects, and the significance of Martin’s Olympic legacy.
Chapters
Next out is Boyd Martin representing the USA aboard Blackfoot Mystery, who is a 12 year old gelding. By out of place. Boyd is 36 years of age, was born and raised in Australia and his parents, Ross and Toy Martin, interestingly were both Winter Olympians. So the Olympics in the blood of the family. And to gain further experience he relocated to the United States in 2007, getting citizenship in that country and in the end represented the United States at the London Olympics in 2012. He was the top placed US rider at the World Equestrian Games in 2014 aboard the 12 year old gelding Blackfoot Mystery. This is Boyd Martin and of the four riders representing the usa, two of them were born and raised in Australia with Philip Dutton being the other one. And in the American team for the the eventing at Rio 2016, they'll be joined by Lauren Keefer and Clark Montgomery. But the bell has sounded. Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery about to do their thing.
We shouldn't forget that the United States of America are the most successful nation on the eventing specific medal table across the Olympic history going back to 1912. And it's no surprise that we have those two Australians. Philip Dutton was based for a long time in the United States of America, riding onto the Australian flag and a number of times world number one. And Boyd very much his protege, following him and encouraged by him to come up and base himself in the U.S. blackfoot mystery. This is an American thoroughbred horse bred in Lexington, Kentucky.
Yes.
Further on from the US being the most successful eventing team in medals of course, Australia, the United States and Germany all top the tally with four eventing gold medals a piece.
Yeah, Boyd had a very good result of course a few years ago at the Kentucky Four Star with Otis Barbotier, his London ride. He rode a horse called Shamwari, a former Ludwig Sven style ride. In fact at the World Games in 2014 and he was at the Toronto Pan Ams last year he was individually fourth and part of the US team that won gold. He's currently ranked number seven in the world. They were just outside the top five this combination. This year at Kentucky, This horse scored a 52. In Kentucky it's only other four stars, so boy will certainly be hoping to improve on that today. For me, the horse looked very tight in its head and neck, particularly on the first center line. And you know that break of contact as the horse is just fiddling the position of its head and neck throughout this walk work will have to count against it.
Little bit fidgety into that upward movement. There now at the center line.
And because of the shortening of this test over the normal four star B, which is itself, you know, quite a compact test, they're straight into work, you know, they're straight into canter. They pick up the half pass off that, then straight into this two loop serpentine and it's the first flying change. You could just see, actually, that's a great shot there. You could see how the horse drifted and jumped away from the change there. And that is the job of the judge at E to assess that straightness. It's more difficult to judge on behalf of the judges at C. M, You can see there just after the extension between H and C in the corner, boy just had to give him a little reminder, pick him back up into the sort of canter he wanted. Again, these are, you know, this is the Olympics. These are very, very small details, but they are, you know, as we've seen in the range of scoring, making all the difference. But the quality of the field is keeping it close together. The judges, you know, can't do a lot to separate these at the moment. This would be interesting to see if he does it again. He has this sort of habit of when Boyd asked, it's like he's seen a shadow on the ground and he's going to jump over it. It has that real hesitation and hop through it, which again, which is a break of rhythm and, and you know, the judges have to take that into consideration. And again, we are, we're throwing away lots and lots of marks on the halts here at the very, very top of the sport. Boyd Martin, though, wrapping it up. Number one for the U.S. matt.
Yeah, it doesn't look as though the little hops affected him too much. Some sevens and 6.5s thrown in. So that was Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery with Clark Montgomery, Lauren Ker and Philip Dutton still to come for the Americans.
Yeah, and that's a great draw for them as well with, you know, the very, very safe and experienced hands of Philip Dutton riding the anchor leg. And, you know, he's, he's as much of any of them as an individual medal perspective. Clark Montgomery in the number three position, you know, he's very, very important to them. He is for sure an individual medal prospect for the US And Boyd, you couldn't ask for a better man to go out there and have a crack at this. You know, he is, you know, an outgoing guy. He's again, like I said about Sam Griffiths earlier on, if you were with us, he's such A nice guy, but in there is an athlete. And as you say, that comes down from parents, the Olympics, those five rings run in this man's blood. And this is so important to him. And if he can't do it for himself and Blackfoot Mystery and his owners, he wants to do it for the US and try and get onto the podium with the US team.
47.7 for Boyd Martin, which keeps him and Blackfoot Mystery well and truly competitive leading into the cross country phase on Monday. Well, the chance have started because the first Brazilian combination is about to enter the arena. Of the 14, 000 seat arena, I'd say that 60% is if you don't
go all the straight routes, you shouldn't be able to get the time.
Yeah, be a little bit quiet. Yeah.
Boyd Martin, Blackfoot Mystery, starting the challenge for the United States of America. And already we're seeing they didn't have the best two days in dressage, but it's now not a dressage competition anymore. Blackfoot Mystery, Boyd's horse, this former racehorse bred in Kentucky, was sixth at Kentucky. The four star this year in top 10 at Plantation Field and well placed at Fairhill as well. Boyd, the world number seven riding in his second Olympics, 47.7. He was 35th after dressage Julian Craevsky. So, 86 point. Sorry, I'll just give you the overnight score for Sandra alfarth. It is 86.4. Putting together yesterday's dressage and today's cross country score. Boyd Martin, Blackfoot Mystery. We've just seen him over the big burley jump. He's coming to the Sugarloaf. Cable cars jumping well at the moment, this cable car fence, Boyd was Australian born. He followed his mentor, Philip Dutton to Pennsylvania and America, declared for the USA and riding for them now in his second Olympics, just.
Tremendous gallop there and it's a long way down here now. He's got to get this line absolutely right. Steady five around the corner. Retreat. Well done. Well ridden because that was from the gallop as well. Wasting no time at all, this man.
Yeah, it is an ex racehorse, Blackfoot Mystery. And Boyd wants to do his very best. And he might be just trying to get a few seconds into the bank to take a long route. David o', Connor, team chef and coach for the United States of America, was the individual Olympic champion in 2000 at Sydney. Just gives that a little rattle. It's on quite an uphill profile there as well, that table. He's having to hunt him here at these for the first in a While to go straight through it. Blackfoot Mystery and Boyd Martin, he's taking no prisoners time wise. He's. He's not, he's out of the Sugar Loaf. First problem of the day there and another one to have a problem at the Pan Am walls combination, Linda Argenson. So she might be ending up eliminated with those three refusals on course. He beat his four star personal best in the dressage to score 51.7. Here's the flying American, Boyd Martin, Blackfoot Mystery. He's just easing up this course.
Typical thoroughbred horses. Yeah, you know, getting towards the end of the course now he's off the bridle but still going at a really good gallop.
Lloyd Martin is with us now. First that we see from the United States of America. Just two riders remaining for them in the competition, so they won't compete as a team. But both riders are very well up in the individual rankings is Boyd Martin in sixth and Philip Dutton still to come is in fifth. Boyd with the thoroughbred Blackfoot Mystery. Boyd, a London Olympian. This horse was sixth at the Kentucky four star this year. Boyd's only been riding the horse since summer of 2015. Had some good results at three star at both Plantation Field in Pennsylvania and Fairhill, the USF National Three Star Championships in America. 3.2 time penalties for Boyd yesterday, putting him on that 50.9.
22 horses gone. Four clears inside the time. One of the clear, Gemma Tattersall. Gently clear, but with time faults. So the ratio is quite good actually about roughly 25%. That's, that's course good course designing. Guillermo Jorga. He's a, he's a very good course designer. Trained for a long time, learned his trade with London Olympic course designer, show jumping course designer Bob Ellis, one of the leading four star course designers in the world. And Jorga really doing a very, very good job in his footsteps and in his own right, of course.
Well, all right on the clock. It's two down on the ground, eight for jumping. So 58.9 for Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. But he is a qualifier on that score for the individual final.
Another front rail there gone on that oxa. And I do think that the man has done an absolutely brilliant job. The course is absolutely perfect for the job in hand, which is not to tax these horses, overtax them, but to certainly test them. And the riders.
