Olympics-Equestrian-Four show jumpers disqualified by 'blood rule'-juror

By Caroline Stauffer RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Four out of 70 riders have been disqualified from the show jumping competition since Sunday due to a long-standing rule designed to prevent the over-use of whips or spurs, a number the head of the Rio 2016 Ground Jury would like to see lower. The so-called blood rule says riders are automatically eliminated if blood is found on a horse's flank after a competition. Riders from the Netherlands and Belgium were eliminated after the first jumping round on Sunday, while Tuesday saw Brazilian and Ukranian riders pulled from competition. "I would have loved to have less than that," Stephan Ellenbruch, president of the Rio 2016 Olympic Ground Jury, said of the four disqualifications. "We see that riders are under very much pressure here... Maybe they are over-using their spurs a little bit, or even their whip." Ellenbruch said he did not think any of the riders had intended to hurt their horses and the rule was not being applied more harshly in Rio than it is has been elsewhere. Horses which have had their coats clipped very short to stay cool in the hot weather in Rio, combined with sharp spurs, was a "dangerous combination", Ellenbruch said. However, no riders were eliminated after the final round of team competition on Wednesday and Ellenbruch said many were opting for blunter or shorter spurs. "More and more riders are changing their spurs and protecting their horses," he said. One of the riders eliminated on Tuesday, Brazil's Stephan De Freitas Barcha unsuccessfully appealed his elimination. "Stephan used the spurs during the competition to encourage the horse but unfortunately broke the skin, resulting in mandatory disqualification," Brazilian team veterinarian Rogério Saito said in a statement. The Netherlands' Jur Vrieling was eliminated from individual competition on Sunday but would would have been eligible to compete in team competition on Wednesday. However, Vrieling later opted to pull his horse Zirocco Blue after the horse refused to jump several obstacles. "I've been a professional rider for 27 years and I know the feeling when everything goes wrong. But this should not happen and will not happen again," Dutch coach Rob Ehrens said of the blood rule elimination. France won gold in the team show jumping competition on Wednesday for the first time since 1976, followed by the United States and Germany. Individual medals will be awarded after a final round on Friday. (Editing by Nina Chestney)