Three local New Zealand eventers picked for Rio Games
L to r: Erik Duvander, Jonelle Price, Sir Mark Todd, Jock Paget & Clarke JohnstoneThree of the four riders selected to represent New Zealand in the eventing competition at the Rio Olympic games are based in the Marlborough area.
The three named for the team on Monday morning (June 27) are: Sir Mark Todd (based at Badgsertown), Jonelle Price (Mildenhall), Jonathan Paget (near Burbage).
The fourth member of the team is Clarke Johnstone who is normally based in New Zealand. And another member of Marlborough's New Zealand equestrian community, Jonelle's husband Tim Price will be going to Rio as the team's 'fifth man' or 'travelling reserve'.
The New Zealand squad's coach and chef d'equipe, Erik Duvander told Marlborough.News: "It's our best team ever."
The team was announced in Hungerford by Lady Alexandra Smith, the wife of the current New Zealand High Commissioner, Sir Lockwood Smith.
She also named New Zealand based Julie Brougham to represent her country in the dressage. It will be her first Olympic Games.
Each rider has two named horses, but only one will travel to Rio. The decision on which horse each rider takes will be made after the Barbury and Aachen competitions.
Sir Mark ToddAged 60, Sir Mark Todd becomes New Zealand's oldest ever Olympian. At the Los Angeles Games in 1984 he won the first of his two individual Olympic gold medals. Rio will be the seventh Olympics at which he has represented New Zealand.
But it will also be the tenth Games he has been involved in: he was selected for the 1980 Moscow Games which were then boycotted, in 1996 he was in the team but his horse went lame, and in 2004, while he was officially 'retired', he travelled as the team trainer. He is currently ranked third in the world.
His named horses are Leonidas II and Campino. Sir Mark rode the twelve year-old gelding Leonidas into fourth place at Badminton last year and again this year.
Jonelle Price As part of the New Zealand team, Jonelle Price won a bronze medal at the London Games - with Sir Mark and Jock Paget. She is currently at ninth place in the international rankings and came third at the recent second round of the new Event Rider Masters (ERM) event at Bramham. Her two named horses for Rio are Faerie Dianimo and Classic Moet.
She rode the eleven year-old dapple grey Faerie Dianimo - known as Maggie May - for the Bramham ERM leg and said afterwards she favoured her for Rio. Jonedlle is looking forward to Rio and does not think the climate will cause them any problems.
Clarke JohnstoneTwenty-nine year-old Clarke Johnstone is normally based in New Zealand. In 2012 he was in contention for the London Olympics but had to bow out when his horse was injured.
He came over to Britain in March for the Badminton CIC4* competition. And has stayed on at the Australian rider Christopher Burton's yard in Surrey so he could train with the New Zealand high performance squad. His horse Balmoral Sensation - a 12-year-old grey gelding - has eleven international wins to his credit.
Jock Paget Jonathon Paget - known to all as Jock - lives in Burbage and has a yard nearby. With Sir mark Todd and Jonelle Price he was part of New Zealand's Bronze Medal winning team at the London Olympics.
He left New Zealand in 2010 and - as the official biography says : "The quietly-spoken former bricklayer came from nowhere to finish seventh individual at the Alltech FEI World `Equestrian Games in 2010." For his horse to take to Rio, he will choosing between the 17-year-old Clifton Lush and 11-year-old Clifton Signature.
Travelling reserve Tim Price - currently ranked tenth in the world - has had bad luck this season with his favoured horse Wesko suffering a 'significant soft tissue injury' in April that took him out of competition for the year, he was unseated at Badminton and eliminated in the Rolex Kentucky.
Tim Price, who won Luhmühlen CCI4* in 2014, dropped a place from third to fourth at this year's 4* comeptition in Germany when he had a rail down on Ringwood Sky Boy. His listed horses for Rio are Ringwood Skyboy and Bango.
Most of the five members of the team will be competing at the St James's Place Barbury International Horse Trial (7-10 July.)