Germany took double gold Tuesday night at the Shatin Equestrian Venue in Hong Kong in the team and individual eventing equestrian competitions.

After a tight fight with Australia and Great Britain, Germany' s three-day eventing team won the first gold medal of the Olympic equestrian events. Australia took the silver while Britain got the bronze.

Germany finished on 166.10 penalty points, ahead of Australia's 171.20, and Britain's 185.70.

The victory holds special meaning for the German team because their show jumping gold medal in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was stripped after the International Equestrian Federation announced it had disqualified rider Ludger Beerbaum and horse Goldever for a doping offense and awarded the gold medal to the United States.

After German eventing team took the first gold, Germany's top rider Hinrich Romeike, riding Marius, won the Olympic Games equestrian individual eventing gold medal Tuesday night.

Romeike finished on 54.20 penalty points ahead of U.S. rider Gina Miles on 56.10 points. Kristina Cook of Great Britain secured third place on 57.40 points.

Three-day eventing combines the dressage, cross-country and jumps.

At Olympic Games (1912-2004), German dressage, show jumping and eventing riders won 76 medals; 35 gold, 19 silver and 23 bronze medals.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)