U. S. rider Boyd Martin passed his first Olympic hurdle Friday as his horse Otis Barbotiere was accepted in the veterinary inspection that signaled the start of the equestrian eventing competition at Greenwich Park.

He faced a much more perilous trial in the spring of 2011 when his training barn west of Philadelphia caught fire in the middle of the night. Martin ran into the flaming barn and saved several horses, including Otis Barbotiere — but seven other horses perished.

—Margaret Freeman — Twitter http://twitter.com/MFequestrian

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