Riders claim life-sized sumo statue scared horses during Olympic jumping qualifier

Horses apparently don’t react well to something with a big ass pointing right at them. That’s what some riders claimed as a reason why they and their horses received penalty points during the Olympic equestrian jumping qualifier.

To celebrate the host city of Tokyo, the course is decorated in a Japanese cultural setting. On the 10th jump of the 14 jump course, there is a life-sized sumo wrestler statue that looks ready to attack as it would if it was on the mat. As the horses round the corner to face the jump, one of the first things they see is somebody with a big ass that’s bent over and only wearing their mawashi.

Needless to say, it caused multiple horses to hesitate on the jump and that resulted in penalties which denied them qualification to the final.

Some riders blamed the sumo statue while others said bright spotlights and fallen cherry blossoms were potential reasons the horses struggled there. Not everyone struggled as some of those who wound up advancing to the final took their horses to the jump beforehand to get them used to their surroundings.

When it came to Team USA, they got through the dreaded 10th jump but all three American riders and their horses received penalties on the next to last jump and all three failed to reach the final. That included Jessica Springsteen who is the daughter of rock and roll legend Bruce.

[NBC 4/Photo: AP]