A fault-free and fast round from Steve Guerdat and Bianca put the 2012 Olympic champion and Team Switzerland into pole position as the Bank of America jumping championship got underway at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. | Photo: FEI/Martin Dokoupil

A fault-free round from Steve Guerdat and the fiery mare Bianca put the 2012 Olympic champion and Team Switzerland into pole position as the Bank of America jumping championship got underway at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018 on Sept. 19.

A colorful testing but honest 14-fence track built by Irishman Alan Wade created spectacular sport for spectators and the 124 horse-and-rider combinations from 49 nations.

The defending world champions from The Netherlands jumped into second ahead of Brazil in third and Team USA in fourth. But the biggest story of the day was the stunning performance of the Australians who slotted into fifth and whose final rider, Rowan Willis, is lying individually third behind Brazil’s Pedro Veniss in silver medal position with Guerdat at the top of the leaderboard