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Sport in brief: King mourns Call Again Cavalier

Tuesday 02 December 2008 01:00 GMT
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The death of Mary King's talented Olympic mount Call Again Cavalier, who was put down with a suspected broken femur after a fall in the inaugural Express Eventing International Cup at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, will be a serious loss for British eventing.

While the much-loved horse was being mourned by King and by his joiut owners – Eddie and Sue Davies and Janette Chinn – everyone else involved with the British team must have been aware of the gap that has been left. Call Again Cavalier was a 16-year-old bay gelding, and with King was one of the most experienced partnerships in the competition. Less than four months ago they won a team bronze medal in Hong Kong, where they finished 11th individually. Last year they won a European Champion-ship individual silver as well as the team gold. On Sunday they went into the jumping phase in second place following a superb dressage performance, but Call Again Cavalier fell at the 12th cross-country fence. Though the course in Cardiff caused plenty of problems, this was the only serious injury reported. The fatality has cast a shadow over the new contest devised by the Australian Stuart Buntine and warmly welcomed by the riders, not least because it carried a record first prize of £100,000. Genevieve Murphy

Rawlinson plans return

Chris Rawlinson, the one-time television Gladiators contender who won the 2002 Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles title for England, is planning to make a comeback to international track competition in the green and gold of Australia. The 36-year-old has been in retirement since competing for England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne but is back in training and targeting a place in the Australian team for next summer's World Championships in Berlin. Now based in Canberra with his Australian wife, Jana, whom he coached to the women's 400m world title in Osaka last year, the Rotherham native is on the verge of gaining Australian citizenship and says he has the blessing of both UK Athletics and Athletics Australia in his plan to switch nationality and relaunch his international career. "I'll start racing probably in January," Rawlinson said yesterday. "I'm just going to ride the wave and see what happens." Simon Turnbull

Seven Olympians on BBC shortlist

Seven of Team GB's Olympic gold medallists are on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The shortlisted Olympians are Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Nicole Cooke, Rebecca Romero (all cycling), Rebecca Adlington (swimming), Ben Ainslie (sailing) and Christine Ohuruogu (athletics). The others are Joe Calzaghe (boxing), Lewis Hamilton (motor racing) and Andy Murray (tennis). The winner will be announced on 14 December.

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