EVENTING News


Gold in Sight but Much to Do
Saturday, 16 July 2011


<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>Kiwi eventers are poised to take gold as they head into
the final phase at the <span style="color:black">Aachen International Festival
in Germany.</span></strong></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>The team was sitting in third spot after the
dressage phase overnight, with Australia leading, and hosts Germany second, but
added just six faults to that score to move up the ranks. </span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>The very strong British team remained on
their dressage score to move from fourth to first while rails tumbled for
Australia sliding them down the board. </span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>Just the best three combinations from each
country count towards the team score, and with a tough cross country course
ahead of riders tonight (SAT NZ time) there is still much to do.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>There is nothing between the top seven teams,
so the race is truly on for the New Zealand riders to go clean and clear
tonight.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>World Games team bronze medallist Clarke
Johnstone and Orient Express were the best of the New Zealanders overnight,
with a brilliant 43.5 dressage score followed by a clear showjumping round,
leaving him in ninth spot overall, just ahead of fellow world games team-mate
Caroline Powell and her Burghley winning-mount Lenamore on 44.6 and in 11<sup>th</sup>
place.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>Andrew Nicholson and Nereo dropped a rail and
picked up two time faults giving them a costly six faults to add to their
dressage score.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>Leading the individual field is world
champion Michael Jung aboard La Biosthetique-Sam FBW. </span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>The cross country will be completed this
evening (Sat NZ time), and will no doubt throw plenty of changes at the
leaderboard.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>Last year, just a handful of horses jumped
clear and inside time over the cross country course, which includes a lot of
the 2008 world champs track. Conditions are said to be good over what teams are
calling a very “well designed” course.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><br>The world's best equestrian riders and horses
are competing at the Aachen championships, which attracts over 360,000
spectators throughout the week. The festival finishes on Sunday.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Results (after the dressage and showjumping phases): </span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"><br>Great Britain 133.1 1; <strong>New Zealand (Clarke Johnstone,
Orient Express 43.5, Andrew Nicholson, Nereo 50.4, Caroline Powell, Lenamore
44.6) 138.5 2, </strong>Germany 139.4 3, Australia 140.8 4, Sweden 150 5, France
155.9 6, Belgium 156.6 7.</span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"><br>Michael Jung (GER) La Biosthetique-Sam FW dressage 32.3,
showjumping 0f, total 32.3 1; Stefano Brecciaroli (ITA) Apollo van de Wendi
Kurt Hoeve 34.8, 5f, 39.8 2; Lucinda Fredericks (AUS) Flying Finish 41, 0f, 41
3; William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Neuf des Coeurs 42.1, 0f, 42.1 4; Ingrid Klimke (GER)
FRH Butts Abraxxas 34.2, 8f, 42.2 5; Mary King (GBR) Imperial Cavalier 42.9,
0f, 42.9 6; Andreas Dibowski (GER) FRH Fantasia 43.1, 0f, 43.1 7; Marina
Kohncke (GER) Calma Schelly 43.1, 0f, 43.1 8; <strong>Clarke Johnstone (NZL) Orient
Express 43.5, 0f, 43.5 9; Caroline Powell (NZL) Lenamore 44.6, 0f, 44.6 11;
Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Nereo 44.4, 6f, 22; Jonathan Paget (NZL) Clifton Promise
52.5, 0f, 52.5 25; Jonelle Richards (NZL) Flintstar 54.2, 15f, 69.2 39.</strong></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><br>Diana Dobson<br></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Equestrian Sports NZ<br></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">High Performance Media Liaison</span></em></p>