<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><strong>Clarke Johnstone is the new-crowned FEI World Cup Series
champion.</strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>The 24-year-old UK based eventer from the Waikato is the
first to Kiwi to win the prestigious series. This morning (Monday NZ time) he
finished sixth at Le Grand Complete in France, the seventh and final round of
the event, with Mark Todd (NZL) and NZB Campino eighth.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Johnstone, aboard Orient Express, finished four points
clear of great mate Chris Burton (AUS) in the series points. Burton was this
morning second on Newsprint and third on Holstein Park Leilani, but even a win
would not have been enough to give him the title. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Just one of the 34 combinations to make it through to the
showjumping went clear, with Johnstone taking three rails and Todd two. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Johnstone went into the showjumping knowing a clear round
would give him a win in the final, but he says it wasn't Blue's (Orient
Express) day.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br>“<span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">It was a very difficult track,” he said. “The ground was
very hard, it was hot and he just didn't jump well.”</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Johnstone, who was part of the bronze medal-winning team
at the World Champs in Kentucky last year, ranks this as his most important
win.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Going into the event he didn't think he could be beaten,
but it was never a given until prize giving, where he was also presented a
trophy as the youngest competitor.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>The series victory is worth 30,000 Euro.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><br>Meanwhile in Scotland at the Blair Castle International
Horse Trials Andrew Nicholson won the CCI*** on Calico Joe, and finished fourth
aboard Shady Grey.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><em>- Diana Dobson<br>ESNZ High Performance Media
Liaison</em></p>
