New Zealand won their third medal of the Youth Olympic Games with Cambridge rider Jake Lambert claiming a silver medal in the team show jumping event at Singapore today. Despite wet conditions, Lambert managed to help his Australasia team to a three-way tie after the second round today at the Singapore Turf Club. The 16 year old from Cambridge put three rails down in the jump-off but had the non-counting score with two team-mates going clear and one with four faults. This left them tied with Europe who took the gold with superior combined time with Australasia second and Africa third. The teenager was excited by the team format and the result. Its pretty wicked to stand up on the podium and get a medal in the Youth Olympics, Lambert said. I am really a bit lost for words right now about how it feels. This is a very different format with a team event but it was so enjoyable. We have all worked hard together and mixed together well, Lambert said of his team that included riders from Australia, Hong Kong, China and Oman. We all contributed during the two days of competition and it was really exciting. Lambert was one of only five riders to complete a double clear during the two rounds on his pick-up horse Le Lucky. I was not quite so good bringing down three rails in the jump off but my team-mates pulled through. The riders had to ballot for horses at the event, contracted from Australia and New Zealand and will be sold privately in Singapore following the Youth Olympics. You do the best you can in the few days with the horse. Mine is Australian bred and is quite young at only six. But I am happy with him. Its how you deal with this situation best that is important. He has pulled up well today and so I am looking forward to a really good go in the individual show jumping on Sunday. Theres been light rain overnight and again this morning with continued over-cast conditions. It has allowed for a further round of sailing in the Byte CII class with Elise Beavis enjoying the constant 11 knot breeze to finish 10th in race five of 15 races to move to 10th overall, while Jack Collinson was 14th and is 12th overall. Two further races are scheduled for today. Earlier swimmer Chloe Francis did not qualify for the finals of the 400m freestyle to bring the New Zealand involvement to an end at the Singapore Sports School, a superb facility with two 50m pools. The school programme is being run by former Swimming New Zealand coaching programme director, Clive Rushton. Later tonight, local time, the junior girls hockey team have their penultimate pool match at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium when they take on winless South Africa. They will meet Argentina in what is shaping as the decider after tomorrows rest day with the South Americans meeting fellow unbeaten side The Netherlands tonight.
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