Round one of the final showjumping at Athens starts in a couple of hours and the medals could go so manay ways - no longer the foregone conclusion everyone thought it would be - if Germany is to win the Gold medal it will only be after a good fight from the Irish, English and New Zealander - it is still anyone's race and Olaf Petersen has set them a very tough task in round one of this final competiton!

Ireland are the current World Champions after Dermott Lennon's superb showjumping in Spain at the World Equestrian Games in 2002 - and how the Irish celebrated his return home after that wonderful tour of duty - and so far Ireland are still looking for their first Olympic medal in Athens - could it come from the Showjumping?

Three out their four riders came through to the final rounds - Jessica Kurten, Kevin Babington and Cian O'Connor - coming in to this final round Kevin looked to be the medal possibility with his 13 year old Clover Hill gelding Carling King - the only Irish horse on the Irish team! They jumped so brilliantly through the first and second competitions and have by no means done poorly in this final competition finishing with 8 faults in the first round put him into equal 12th with 17 other combinations.

Cian O'Connor was keeping "in with a chance" throughout the early competitions but he has shone in the the first round of the final competition finishing in equal 3rd spot at this stage along with 5 other combinations. Cian, riding his 13 year old, Holsteiner bred gelding by Landgraff, Waterford Crystal, finished with just four faults over a track which caused many issues.

But todays competition belonged to Jessica Kurten - she jumped one of only two clear rounds - equalling Nick Skelton and Arko III. Jessica and the 10 year old KWPN mare, Castle Forbes Maike, have only been a team since late last year and they have already developed a fabulous partnership and now are poised on the brink of making the Olympic role of honour - all of Ireland will be sitting, waiting for their results!

Sitting, breathing down Nick and Jessica's necks is New Zealander Daniel Meech and his Westpahlean stallion, Diagonal - this combination have been quietly ticking away, making few mistakes and today was another example of an underdog coming through - they jumped with no jumping faults but collected a single time fault to be sitting, at this stage in 3rd spot - they too are a medal chance!

Nick Skelton and the incredible Oldenburg stallion, Arko III have wowed everyone all season and they have continued to do so in Athens - this stallion is still just "playing" at this height and makes it all look so easy - and as for Nick - what can you say - the man broke his neck just 3 years ago and it was sid that he would never return to competitive showjumping - how wrong they were! Nick is back - he is half his previous size, and has a very different attitude to his "job" - the past year has seen a man focussed intently on Athens and a medal - not just any medal, but a gold medal - and it is now within his reach!

So where is Ludger Beerbaum and Goldfever - the German combination who have been winning and placing so consistently? Even though the 13 year old Hannovarian stallion by Grosso Z lowered two today in round one - this does not put him out of medal contention, as we all know! Ludger is such an experienced competitor with a swag of gold medals already in his trophy cabinet at home and he will be keeping a clear mind, with nerves not even enetering the picture where this man is concerned - he will make no mistake sin the final round and there are not many with his clarity of mind under pressure so don't write him off!

And what of Rodrigo Pessoa and the cheeky but "oh so talented" Baloubet du Rouet? They came to Sydney Olympics with the Gold medal almost a noose around their neck - the pressure on this rider was immense - he had won just about everything possible and when he failed so publically in Sydney it was possibly one of the saddest moments I have experienced in showjumping - we were sitting at the table next to the Pessoa party and the total distress when Baloubet pulled up and lost all chances of a medal was so sad - Sydney Olympics, to me, saw one of the worst cases of Course Designer versus horse - the track was set to work on this particular horses weaknesses! So for Athens, there was less pressure on this young man, whose thoughts may well have been on his newly born daughter and he has been left well alone and this is a good thing! They finished this first round of the last class with 8 faults and so are also still in the race.

Otto Becker and Cento - part of the Sydney Gold medal team were another combination to finish with 8 faults again proving just how tough this track is - when the cream of the crop are lowering fences, this is no walk in the park!

Robert Smith and the Irish bred gelding, Mr Springfield are another combination, for Great Britain with 8 faults - but again nobody is out of the race at this point in time!

So going into the final round - it could be anyone's medals - the next couple of hours will give us the answer........................stay tuned!