EVENTING News


Your Black Cab awaits ...
Friday, 1 July 2011


<p style="margin-bottom:11.9pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>New
Zealand's most capped Olympians will arrive at the first test event for the
2012 London games in a traditional black cab, complete with silver fern.</strong></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Double
gold Olympic medallist Mark Todd and World Equestrian Championships bronze
medallist Andrew Nicholson are competing in the Greenwich Park Eventing
Invitational which starts on Monday (UK time).</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">It's
the first test event of the Olympic sports that New Zealand is involved with
and a chance for organisers, athletes and team officials to get a close look
with what promises to be a magnificent venue for the Games.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">The
black cab Todd and Nicholson will arrive in is one of a fleet of four New
Zealand-style black cabs on the road in London designed to make Kiwis proud
ahead of next year’s Olympic Games. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Chef
de Mission Dave Currie says he’s delighted the athletes are making the most of
the taxis. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“</span><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Arriving in a black cab featuring team
colours will remind Todd and Nicholson what it means to be a proud New
Zealander as they prepare for London 2012.” </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Both
Todd and Nicholson have represented New Zealand at six Olympic Games already
and are looking strong for record seventh caps. Joining the duo in the NZ team
is Clarke Johnstone who was also part of the bronze medal winning team at the
World Championships last year.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">The
three phase event – dressage, cross country and showjumping – starts on Monday
and concludes Wednesday. Todd will ride NZB Campino, Nicholson on Viscount
George and Johnstone, who recently relocated to the UK, aboard Incognito.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Equestrian
Sports New Zealand high performance director Sarah Harris says it's a great
opportunity for athletes and key support staff to test the Olympic Venue, from
a competition and logistics perspective.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">The
Kiwis will be up against some of the best combinations in the world at the test
event including current world champion Michael Jung (Germany), top British
Olympians Pippa Funnell and William Fox-Pitt, and Australian Clayton Frederick.
</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">In
all 41 athletes from 23 countries will compete. The event is part of the London
Prepares series, the official London 2012 sports testing programme which allows
the organising committee the chance to test key event aspects.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Greenwich
Park, the oldest enclosed Royal Park in London, is south-east of the city and,
along with the adjacent World Heritage Site, is home to many historic
buildings, including the Royal Observatory and the Queen's House.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">The
next big competition for the New Zealand eventers will be at the Aachen
International Festival (Germany), the world’s largest annual equestrian event,
in mid-July where selectors are likely to try other team combinations.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">Dave
Currie will head to London on July 27, one year out from the Olympic Games, to
work with New Zealand sports taking part in the test events including sailing
and rowing. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">The
London Olympic Games take place July 27 – August 12, 2012. The New Zealand team
is expected to comprise some 200 athletes taking part in 17 sports.<br><br>- Diana Dobson<br>ESNZ Media Liaison&nbsp;</span></p>