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Bravery, Accuracy and Boldness Called for on Cross Country


Bravery, Accuracy and Boldness Called for on Cross Country


It was a tough day for New Zealand’s eventers at the Rio Olympic Games.
Neither Jonelle Price and Clarke Johnstone produced the marks they wanted, and both say the team will now have to go fast and clear in tomorrow’schallenging cross country phase.

Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation competed in the heat of the day, producing an accurate test to score 46.5 penalty points and sit in 23rd place. Price and Faerie Dianimo produced an uncharacteristic 49.5 to finish in 43rd spot in the 65-strong field.

Sir Mark Todd and Leonidas II are in 17th place on 44, with Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy =29th on 47. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) still leads the field on 37 penalty points, with Chris Burton (AUS) and Santano II second on 37.6. Just four combinations went under 40.

The team now sits in sixth equal with an extremely tight tussle at the top between Germany on 122 penalty points and France on 122.2. Australia is in third on 126.4, with Great Britain fourth on 127.7 and Ireland fifth on 135.6. New Zealand and the United States are tied on 137.5.

However, tomorrow’s cross country course is being described as the toughest in more than 30 years and is sure to take its toll on the field.

Johnstone was excited for tomorrow’s cross country.

“We have a team of experienced horses. Playing it safe is out of the question at this point. We need to go extremely well tomorrow. We were hoping for a tough course – I guess you have to be careful what you wish for,” he said.

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“The cross country is really good and should hopefully suit our horses quite well. It is very tough and doesn’t let up all the way around.”

He is expecting the time to be tight.

“I think our instructions will be to go fast and clear . . . I expect we will have a bit of catching up to do after today.”

He was understandably disappointed with his 46.5 penalty point mark for a dressage test that had no mistakes but failed to inspire the judges.
“I was hoping for a lot better,” said Johnstone, who is on debut at the Rio Olympic Games.

“When I finished I thought I had done well. There were no mistakes . . . but the judges were obviously not thrilled,” he said.

“Balmoral Sensation was very good in there . . . he didn’t let me down at all.”
Jonelle Price said her problem areas of today – the medium and extended trot – are typically Faerie Dianimo’s “party pieces”.

“We were on the back foot coming in, and hoping for a miracle that didn’t happen,” she said. “She was great in the second-to-last warm-up but when we moved into the last warm-up she just didn’t have it. It just didn’t happen.”
The horse has been working well all week and had a great build-up to the Olympic Games.

She wasn’t alone in not producing the marks she wanted today – a number of other top combinations also failed to fire.

“I wasn’t at all worried coming in last when New Zealand needed something special. I was quite confident.”

But she’s philosophical.

“That’s horses. It’s hard being brilliant all the time!”

Price said the team tactics for tomorrow’s cross country would be straight forward.

“It is going to be hard and fast and typically that is something Kiwis are good at. Thankfully it is called three day eventing for a reason.”

Cross country designer Pierre Michelet (FRA) says he designs to challenge the riders and asks them to find clever solutions for the many options on offer.
“To get on the podium they need to be brave, accurate and bold.”


The horse details –
Balmoral Sensation (owned by the Johnstone Family) and Faerie Dianimo (owned by Trisha Rickards, Jacky Green and Jonelle Price), Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd) and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Tim Price and Selwood.com).

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August 7: Kiwis Sitting Handy After Day One of Dressage

Eventing Team New Zealand sits in fifth spot with riders in seventh and 13thplaces at the end of the first day of dressage at the Olympic Games in Rio.

William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and his stunning stallion Chilli Morning lead the field on 37 penalty points with Chris Burton (AUS) aboard his youngster Santano II right behind him on 37.6 and Michael Jung (GER) and Sam FBW in third on 40.9.

Sir Mark Todd is the best of the Kiwis with his 44 penalty point test aboard Leonidas II. Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy sit in 13th equal on 47.

Todd said his horse was a little excited coming into the dressage arena after seeing the tractors grooming the surface just before him.

“That meant the beginning trot work was a little tense but he gradually relaxed more through the test,” said Todd. “You always want to do better and this is a horse who is capable of doing a 75% test, but under the circumstances it is ok.”

He felt the cross country course was probably the hardest he has seen since Los Angeles in 1984 . . . when he won the individual gold medal with Charisma.

“That could be a good omen,” he agreed.

“Hopefully we will all be clear and inside time . . . that cross country is going to be quite influential.”

While a little disappointed with his score, Tim Price was very pleased with his horse Ringwood Sky Boy.

Three mistakes from the trail-blazer for the New Zealand team proved costly.

“The halt at the beginning and end and the flying change in the middle were the problems,” he said. “You put those three together and you know you will be sitting where we are despite the rest of the test being a good standard. You have to be perfect at this level.

“He can get a bit nervous in the halt, and that is very much a part of the test,” said Price. “I wanted to be in the thirties but I have learnt to be philosophical. It is a good score to carry forward for the team.”

He’s looking forward to the cross country but says it looks tough.

“It will be a strong test but I think that bodes well for the Kiwis – it won’t be a dressage competition that’s for sure. Thankfully the Kiwis have brought four 4* horses.”

And he’s sure his will be “the worst score in our lot”.

However, he was chuffed to be on the start list.

“It’s a big deal to go from sitting on the bench into the running,” he said. “I have a good horse. I believe in him and he will be an asset to the team.”

He was confident too in his wife Jonelle who would be the fourth member of the team to compete.

“She tried to tell us she was nervous but we didn’t believe her,” he said. “It is the natural place for a horse like Faerie Dianimo and a jockey like her.”

There is much talk about the Pierre Michele designed cross country, whichEquestrian Sports New Zealand high performance eventing coach Erik Duvander is describing as the strongest Olympic course he has seen in years.

“We are still analysing the course and will look at plans for each combination. Tomorrow we will walk the course all together again. It will be an exciting few days.”

It’s that team ethos that is so key to Eventing Team New Zealand.

The team’s competition is led by the Germans who sit on 82.5 penalty points, with the Australians on 83.9, the British on 84.2 and New Zealand on 91.

Tomorrow the second half of the field will complete their dressage tests, followed by the cross country the following day.

The horse details –

Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd) and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Selwood.com and Tim Price).

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August 6: Kiwis In The Hunt For Medals At Rio

There has been a late change this morning in Rio to the starting line-up of a strong Kiwi Olympic eventing team.

Tim Price joins his wife Jonelle, Sir Mark Todd and Clarke Johnstone in the team after an unlucky stable accident that saw Jock Paget’s Clifton Lush cut his cheek.

All of the New Zealand horses arrived in Rio healthy, sound and ready to compete but earlier this week Clifton Lush cut his cheek on a pipe outside the stable that had somehow become exposed during the night.

The cut required suturing and the vets have been happy with his progress. Under expert supervision Clifton Lush has been kept in work and has been working well.

However, despite the positive daily progress, it has been decided that the horse should be given further time to heal to make a full recovery.

“Obviously it is very disappointing for me and Clifton Lush’s owners but we’ve decided this is best for the horse,” said Paget. “It’s been a real team effort from the Rio 2016 Veterinary Hospital and our own vet Christiana Ober – they have all given Lush exceptional care and attention.”

Price will start on Ringwood Sky Boy, who has had strong recent 4* form.

Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance director Sarah Dalziell-Clout describes them as an exciting and experienced combination.

He will trail-blaze for the team, followed by Todd aboard Leonidas II, Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation and Jonelle Price aboard Faerie Dianimo.

“This is a very strong team who we are confident will do us all proud,” said Dalziell-Clout.

All five horses passed the first inspection this morning.

For Price, the switch is bitter-sweet.

“I am really proud to make the team, but it’s disappointing that it comes off the back of the misfortune of my team-mate Jock and his connections,” said Price.

The eventing competition gets underway with two days of dressage before a challenging Pierre Michelet (FRA) designed cross country, with the showjumping the final phase.

All of the riders agree the cross country course looks big and technical, with a number of really acute angle combinations.

Thirteen teams will contest the eventing at Rio, and many are picking the very strong German team as the ones to beat. The defending Olympic champions have been in searing form, led by individual gold medallist Michael Jung and ably backed by Ingrid Klimke, Sandra Auffarth and Andreas Ostholt.

But expect them to be pushed along by the likes of New Zealand – a team of riders who have each won championship medals. Also in the mix are the French, Great Britain, Australians and Americans.

Whichever way it goes, the battle for supremacy is sure to be one that goes down in the record books for all the right reasons.

The horse details –

Leonidas II (owned by Di Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd), Clifton Lush (owned by Frances Stead and Lucy Allison), Balmoral Sensation (owned by the Johnstone Family), Faerie Dianimo (owned by Trisha Rickards, Jacky Green and Jonelle Price) and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Tim Price and Selwood.com).

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