Eventer Tim Price's Wesko will miss Rio - and the rest of the season
Tim Price on Wesko at Luhmuhlen 2014 (photo: K.HOFFMANN)Mildenhall-based eventer Tim Price has suffered a blow to his and New Zealand's hopes for the Rio Olympics: his star horse Wesko is injured and will be out of action for the remainder of the season.
Wesko is one of three horses Tim Price has on the New Zealand High Performance Squad. It is reported that the 13-year-old Dutch-bred horse has suffered a 'significant' soft tissue injury.
This weekend Wesko was going to travel to Kentucky for the prestigious Lexington 4* Rolex competition, in which he took second place last year. Price will ride Bango at the Kentucky event.
Tim Price said he was disappointed and saddened not to be taking Wesko to Kentucky. He told NZ Horse and Pony: "He has gone his whole life so far 100 per cent injury-free. It’s really poor timing, and it is not cool for the team, and not cool for me either, but it is what it is."
This is a second blow for the New Zealand Olympic selectors: rider Jock Paget announced a week ago that his stalwart Clifton Promise - part of the bronze medal winning team in 2012 - was being retired. He will ride Clifton Signature at Kentucky.
Tim Price won the Luhmuhlen 4* event on Wesko in 2014. And in 2015, as Marlborough.News reported, Wesko was named British Eventing's Horse of the Year.