Although the team fell short, Inessa and the 11-year-old Russian-bred Trakehner gelding are leading the rankings of horses and riders who can qualify to start at Rio de Janeiro as an individual. The Russian team finished just 0.204 behind France’s qualifying score of 212.757. The extravagant-moving Mister X and equally flamboyant rider, Inessa Merkulova, brought Russia close to qualifying a team for the Olympics than any squad that included Russians since the breakup of the Soviet Union a quarter-cntury ago. Inessa Merkulova on Mister X returning the love from the crowd at the World Cup Final.
