OLYMPIC SPORT PREVIEW: U.S. A CONTENDER FOR BRONZE AT BEST.

Byline: Nevin Barich Staff Writer

Ask any member of the U.S. equestrian dressage team if they can win the team gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and you'll get the same answer.

No.

Guenther Seidel of Del Mar thinks winning the gold is unrealistic. Robert Dover of Flemington, N.J., thinks that assessment is ``right on.'' Christine Traurig of Carlsbad and alternate Kathleen Raine of Laguna Hills both say ``yes'' when asked if it's true the team can't win.

And let's not forget team rider supervisor Jessica Ransehousen. Does she think the team can win the gold?

``Not this time,'' she said.

Well, at least they're not lacking in team unity.

There's two reasons why the U.S. thinks the team gold is an impossibility, and the silver, for that matter: Germany and The Netherlands.

Germany has won every team gold medal in every Olympics and World Championships over the last 30 years. The only team able to keep close during that time has been The Netherlands, which makes all other countries shout, ``Go For The Bronze.''

``The sport of dressage in this country is still in the stages of development,'' Traurig said about the sport, which involves a rider and horse being judged on their levels of precision and harmony via a designated test.

``Also, the buildup of enthusiasm for the sport in this country is not there yet,'' Traurig said. ``The people that do it think it's the greatest thing and it's a big tradition in Europe.''

The bronze medal remains a possibility for the U.S. team, which includes Sue Blinks of Mount Kisco, N.Y., Traurig, Seidel, Dover and Raine. The team's chances for the bronze, which it won in 1992 and 1996, were made stronger when a top horse for Denmark recently fell to injury.

``That's why our chances got better (for the bronze),'' Dover said. ``It changed the landscape of the whole event. Without it, I don't think we had much of a chance.''

The team also thinks there's not much chance for an individual medal. Ransehousen said the team is inexperienced with Blinks and Traurig, both competing in their first Olympic Games. Although Dover (who will be competing in his fifth Olympics) and Guenther (on the 1996 team) both have experience, neither has seriously competed for an individual medal. Guenther finished eighth in '96, and Dover's best finish was 12th in 1988.

Although the dressage team might not medal, the U.S. show-jumping team has a good shot at gold. The U.S. is among eight teams that could take the gold.

Meanwhile, Margie Goldstein-Engle of Wellington, Fla., seems to be the best hope for an individual medal. She finished first at the Olympic Trials in San Juan Capistrano and Del Mar earlier this month.

The other team members, who will compete in a contest where their horse must jump over 15 obstacles ranging from five to six feet, are: Nona Garson of Lebanon, N.J., Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wis. and Lauren Hough of Ocala, Fla.

It marks the first time that all members of the team have been women.

The seven-member team for the three-day event will be selected after the final trials in Sydney on Sept. 3.

Among the favorites for the three-day eventing, which includes dressage, show jumping and a speed and endurance test, are David and Karen O'Connor of The Plains, Va., and Abigail Lufkin of Middleburg, Va. The O'Conners were part of the '96 U.S. silver-medal winning team, and Lufkin won the individual bronze at last year's Pan-American Games.

EQUESTRIAN

One in a continuing series of Olympic previews

Competition dates: Three-day eventing: Sept. 16-22

--Show jumping: Sept. 25, Sept. 28 and Oct. 1

--Dressage: Sept. 26-27, Sept. 29-30

Teams: The dressage has 10 teams competing in both team and individual competitions. Ten other countries will have representatives in individual competition only. Show jumping has 16 countries competing in both team and individual competitions, with 15 other countries having representatives competing in individual competition only. The three-day eventing will have 15 countries in the team competition and 36 participants in the individual competition.

History: Equestrian became an Olympic sport in 1912 in Stockholm after failed attempts to bring it in the 1896 and 1908 Games.

Favorites: In dressage, Germany is typically the team to beat, having won a gold medal at every Olympic and World Championship competition for the last 30 years. It also has the top rider in the event in Dr. Reiner Klimke, who has eight dressage medals in his career. The Germans have also dominated in show jumping, having won 20 medals. Look for Germany's Hans-Guenter Winkler, who has won seven show-jumping medals, to place in the individual competition. The U.S. is the favorite in the three-day eventing, having won a leading 13 medals in the event. The U.S. has medaled in three-day eventing in the last four Olympics.

How U.S. will fare: Expect the U.S. to battle for a medal in the show-jumping competition, where it is one of among six to eight favorites in the balanced field. Forget about a gold or silver in the dressage, which Germany and The Netherlands basically own. The U.S. team is hoping for a bronze medal. It's too early to tell with three-day eventing since the team won't be picked until early September.

Did you know? The U.S. show-jumping team will consist exclusively of women for the first time.

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