Horses ‘spooked by sumo statue’ at Olympic equestrian arena

Britain’s Harry Charles, riding Romeo 88, competes during the equestrian jumping individual qualifying at Equestrian Park in Tokyo at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Riders have said a life-sized statue of a sumo wrestler next to the 10th obstacle on the Olympic equestrian course may have distracted several horses in qualifying for the individual jumping final.

A few pairings pulled up short of the barrier on Tuesday evening, accumulating enough penalty points to prevent entry into Wednesday’s finals.