New Zealander Daniel Meech led off the field when the individual showjumping final was held today.
Meech was the 30th and final qualifier and because the final was run in reverse order, he got to do the honours.
Riding Cinca 3, Meech knocked down 3 rails and was 3.49s over the time limit and was eliminated relatively early in the contest.
Six of the 30 riders went clear within the time limit and took part in a jump-off for the gold medal. This was won by Briton Ben Maher, who went clear again in the quickest time.
Meech, 47, is vastly experienced, a veteran of the 1996 and 2004 Olympics. At Athens in 2004 he was 12th in the individual jumping event.
Meech, Bruce Goodin and Uma O’Neill will represent New Zealand in the team showjumping competition on Friday.