SUMO STATUE SPOOKS HORSES

The rear end of a life-size sumo wrestler statue could be determining the field for the Olympic equestrian individual jumping final. Riders say the tribute to the Japanese icon positioned just to the left of the 10th obstacle on the 14-jump course may have forced several horses in qualifying to pull up short, resulting in penalty points that eliminate them from competition. The figure is facing away from approaching riders, which means the first thing the horse sees is the posterior of the wrestler’s ultra-tight mawashi loincloth. “As you come around, you see a big guy’s (butt),” British rider Harry Charles told The Associated Press. “I did notice four or five horses really taking a spook to that.” Most of the course’s hurdles are decorated with well-known Japanese imagery — geisha kimonos, a miniature Japanese palace and taiko drums. The riders come to expect such stunning course designs at the Olympics, but you never can tell how the horses will react.