Prices set their sights on Rio Olympics - Mildenhall's eventing couple name their rides
At a recent photocall for Prospect Hospice: Jonelle on Bango and Tim on Court Jester Tim and Jonelle Price first came to Britain in 2003. Two years later they moved permanently to their base at Mere farm just north of Mildenhall - farm and stables owned by Tim and Melissa Brown.
Now they very much have their sights set on representing New Zealand at next year's Rio Olympics.
Their recent successes have earned them positions at the very summit of world eventing - Jonelle is currently the number one female rider in the world. And Tim is at sixteenth position - out of a total of 3,680 riders in the International Equestrian Federation's rankings.
Horse and Hound have celebrated their successes with a three page feature about the couple - complete with a set of excellent photographs. In the course of the article they have named the horses they hope to take to Rio.
Tim's first choice for Rio is Wesko (owned by Christina Knudesn and the Wesko Syndicate.) Tim and twelve-year-old Wesko won last year's the Luhmuhlen CIC4*. Horse and Hound quote Tim: "He's a dude. He's such a strong character, he's almost human."
Tim's 'back-up' horse will probably be Bango - the nine-year-old gelding who was fifteenth at Luhmuhlen in June - his first four star event.
Jonelle's number one choice for Rio will be Trisha Rickards' and Jacky Green's Faerie Dianimo - fourth at Pau last year and second at Luhmuhlen this year. Horse and Hound quote Tim as calling her - no doubt with a knowing smile - "a right little cow".
She is stubborn but brilliant. In Jonelle's words: "She's the flip side of Wesko. She's a handful every day of the week and you never quite know what is coming next....She's got an enormous heart and attitude - she thinks she is going to take on the world - and she is!"
And their prospects of making New Zealand's team for Rio? Jonelle puts it this way: "For London, I was hanging in by a thread to get the last spot. Hopefully this time we will be going among the front-runners. I guess that's what four years of training and commitment does."
There is, it should be said, quite a crowd of top ranking New Zealand eventers - most of them based in the Marlborough area - with their eyes firmly on Rio.
Rio bound
Who else will be at the Rio Olympics? The United States eventing team made sure of their place at Rio by winning the Pan-American Games 2015 at Toronto. Eleven nations took part in the event.
The Americans took a marginal lead over the hosts in the dressage - and held onto it firmly through the cross-country and show jumping. Winning silver were the Brazilian team who are coached by another local New Zealander - Sir Mark Todd from Badgerstown. Brazilian Ruy Fonesca won the individual bronze medal - with USA's Marilyn Little taking the individual gold.