<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><strong>Andrew Nicholson has come from
behind to finish strongly and claim a stake in final leg of the grand slam of
eventing.</strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Nicholson and Mr Cruise Control
finished second in the four star international three day event at Les Etoiles
de Pau in France this morning (Monday), moving him from sixth to third in the
very lucrative<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">HSBC FEI Classics™.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">It was quite a payday for
Nicholson, who also won the CIC** aboard Viscount George.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">Nicholson said he came to Pau
with no expectations, so was delighted with the efforts of his whole team.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">“Mr Cruise Control is probably my
third choice for the Olympics,” he said. “He is a big horse, but he gets better
every year.”<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">Pau threw everything at
competitors, and the four star cross country course, build by Pierre Michelet
called for plenty of bravery. Of the 69 strong field, 19 combinations were
eliminated, withdrawn or retired including Nicholson on his other mount Henry
Tankerville, and teammate Lucy Jackson on Kilcoltrim Ambassador.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">But Nicholson and Mr Cruise
Control, who were in sixth spot and the best of the Kiwis going into the cross
country, jumped cleanly around the course to finish. He had earlier walked
Henry Tankerville home after a run out, and picked up just a single time fault
on Armarda.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">Caroline Powell and Boston Two
Tip jumped superbly to go clear but added nine to their scorecard due to time,
while Jackson and Animator went clear on the cross country but picked up 20
time faults, however, they withdrew before the showjumping phase.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">In the two star, Nicholson picked
up time faults in both the cross country and showjumping but still finished
just ahead of Australian Paul Tapner on Kilronan. Again there were plenty who
fell by the wayside, with 19 eliminated, withdrawn or retired, including Kiwi
team mates Powell on The Earl of Belvederre and Jonelle Richards on Short
Black, and just 24 finishing the event.<strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">The HSBC FEI Classics™ was won by
Mary King (GBR) who picked up $US150,000 for her efforts, the biggest single
award in eventing. She has placed no lower than eighth at all five of the
classic events this season, and is the first woman to win the title. Nicholson
bags $US50,000 for third.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"1:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;
mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><strong> </strong></span></u1:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><strong>Results -</strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"1:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></u1:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">CCI4*:
William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Oslo 44.2 dressage + 0 cross country + 0 jumping = 44.2
total, 1;<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span>Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Mr Cruise Control 46.2 + 0 + 4 = 50.2, 2;</span>William
Fox-Pitt (GBR) Lionheart 46.7 + 0 + 4 = 50.7, 3; Mary King (GBR) Imperial
Cavalier 51 +0 + 0 = 51, 4;<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span>Caroline Powell (NZL) Boston Two Tip 60 + 9.2
+ 10 = 79.2, 22; Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Armada 57.2 + 0.4 + 22 = 79.5, 23;</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"1:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></u1:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><strong>CIC**:</strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;
mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Viscount George 46.3 + 0.4 +
3 = 49.7, 1;<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Paul
Tapner (AUS) Kilronan 41.9 + 0 + 8 = 49.9, 2; Eric Vigeanel (FRA) Quinoa de
Samsons 49.7 + 0.8 + 4 = 54.5, 3.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0cm;mso-add-space:auto"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Diana Dobson<br>
ESNZ Media Liaison<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
