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Canada’s Olympic equestrian team fails in its uphill medal bid

Canada's equestrian team could not match its performance at Beijing.

Medallists at the 2008 Olympics, the shorthanded crew was unable to rally to the podium on Monday, finishing 5th in the team competition.

[Photos: Canadian equestrian team]

The team, led by 65 year old Ian Millar, appearing in his tenth Olympic Games, this time aboard "Star Power," also had riders Eric Lamaze and Jill Henselwood in the competition; Lamaze, riding "Derly Chin de Muze," while Henselwood guided "George."

While the other teams in the competition carried four pairs of horse and rider combinations, the Canadians were without Tiffany Foster, after her horse, "Victor," was disqualified due to an injury, in a controversial decision.

[More: Equestrian beauties]

Technically, the loss of Foster and Victor did not come in to play. Had they appeared and rode a clean round within the alotted time constraints, Canada would not mathematically have been able to get to the podium. That's despite the fact that teams with four entries are able to throw out the worst of the four performances in scoring.

While the math wouldn't have worked out, it's hard to gauge just what kind of an emotional effect Foster and Victor's DQ may have had. The Canadians were livid over the officials' decision to keep them out of the competition, with Lamaze going so far as to say they were "destroying Tiffany's dream." Millar offered some insight into the emotional damage that was possible in the wake of Foster's ouster, telling Postmedia:

"A thing like this is potentially very dangerous to a team. It can undo a team, right now, because the whole focus could shift. Tiffany's in tears, we're all crazed, our results are compromised. The whole thing's a mess."

Foster, who'd broken her back just before the Beijing Games, fought her way back and onto the Canadian Olympic team for London, only to be dismissed after her horse displayed a slight injury to the veterinarians charged with looking after the horses at this event.

The Canadians could not repeat their performance of four years ago when they won a medal in short handed fashion by rallying to win the silver.

A jump off was needed to decide the 2012 Olympic gold medal, with Great Britain winning and pushing The Netherlands to silver. Saudi Arabia, coming into this competition with some buzz after spending some 40 million dollars on top-notch horses, secured the bronze.

The news was not all bad for Canada, Lamaze and Derly Chin de Muze, as well as Millar and Star Power, moved forward in the individual competition. Medals will be decided on Wednesday.

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