Showjumping: Game on for London for McVean

Game on for London for McVean

The London Olympics are back in the sights of top Kiwi showjumper Katie McVean with an offer to ride on a top Dutch horse.

The 24-year-old, who sold her Olympic hope Dunstan Delphi for an undisclosed multi-million dollar sum to the Saudi Arabians earlier this month, will now head back to Europe to try and secure a berth for the 2012 Games.

McVean firstly needs to qualify an individual spot for New Zealand at Aachen in July. If successful, she would also gain the necessary minimum eligibility standard as a combination with her new horse for possible selection in the New Zealand team.

“It's game on again,” she says with a chuckle. “My choices keep changing by the day.”

McVean got the call from Holland yesterday to confirm she will ride Wavantos VD Renvillehoeve, an eight-year-old brown horse who has already gained required qualification of the minimum eligibility standard result for the London Olympics with his previous rider.

“That says he's jumping well and at height,” says McVean.

Wavantos, who is by Lux Z, has also been jumping at Nations Cup and World Cup level in the hands of a Polish rider who he has been with for a number of years.

The owner saw McVean compete at s’Hertogenbosch, Holland, and was impressed. The introduction came through her Holland-based business partner who knew the owner.

“The owner thinks the horse is good enough for London and while he has a lot of Dutch riders riding for him, he wanted me to ride him. It's very exciting.”

McVean, who leaves mid June, will be based at the HBC Stud in Holland.

“I'll go for a couple of months, do the qualifier and see what happens. It all hinges on that qualifier.”

If everything is going well with Wavantos, she's not discounting bringing him to New Zealand for some of the Southern Hemisphere season.

“It wouldn't hurt him at all,” she says. “Delphi did it no trouble.”

McVean will have one more exciting thing to celebrate at her 25th birthday this weekend.
 
 
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