Equestrianism: Becker's horse suffers freak accident

The German show jumping team may have to start without Otto Becker and Dobel's Cento, the winning partnership in this year's World Cup final, when their competition gets under way here today at the World Equestrian Games. The grey stallion was involved in a freak accident during the rain-soaked early part of yesterday's warm-up class in which he put in a last-minute stop at a fence with an unusual arch above it.

Becker landed on to sploshy ground, still holding the reins. When Cento pulled back, the bridle came off his head and wrapped itself around his legs as he took off at an alarming gallop around the arena. When eventually caught, the horse appeared to be lame and his further participation must therefore be in doubt.

The warm-up class, in which riders were given 90sec to jump which ever fences they wished, was otherwise without incident. All four of the British horses – Di Lampard's Abbervail Dream, Scott Smith's Cabri d'Elle, Mark Armstrong's Elise and Tim Stockdale's Fresh Direct Parcival – looked fit and well after a week's training in Montimideo. Stockdale, who broke his collarbone on 26 August, was back in the saddle for the first time last Wednesday. "It hardly hurt, so I knew it was on the mend," he said . "Now I don't even think about it."

Britain are not, however, among the favourites. The German team (with or without Dobel's Cento) remains the one they all know they have to beat. The United States, Italy, Switzerland and France may provide the strongest opposition in this contest between 21 teams, which begins with today's speed class and continues with a two-round competition tomorrow.

Skeikh Ahmed al Maktoum, the 16-year-old son of Sheikh Mohammed of the United Arab Emirates, was confirmed as the world endurance champion when he received his gold medal yesterday. But there was also disturbing news that two horses – one Spanish and the other Malaysian – had died in the course of Monday's 100-mile race. Post-mortems showed evidence of fatigue in both horses, but no signs of cardiac or respiratory distress.

The fatalities are bound to jeopardise attempts, led by the Maktoum family, to have the sport included in the Olympic Games from 2008. The International Equestrian Federation will now have to look at all aspects of endurance riding, since former claims that the welfare of horses was ensured by stringent veterinary controls must now be in doubt. It had already been planned that next year's European Championships, to be staged at Punchestown in Ireland, would be held over two days rather than one – which may be a way forward.