<p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 17px;"></span></p><p class="western" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span><strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Kiwi eventer Clarke Johnstone is
sitting pretty going into the final round of this year’s Eventing World Cup in
France this weekend.</span></strong></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">The UK-based rider from the Waikato has a 10-point buffer over
nearest rival – and great mate – Chris Burton (AUS) and looks to be unbeatable.
It is the first time New Zealand has had a rider poised to win the Eventing
World Cup series, which is worth a whopping 30,000 Euros to the victor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">With two wins and a third from the six rounds so far, Johnstone
says he is heading to Le Grand Complete in Normandy a little nervous but very
excited.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">Orient Express, on whom he was part of the bronze medal winning New
Zealand team at the World Championships in Kentucky last year, is looking “a
million dollars”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">“He is looking and feeling amazing,” says Johnstone of his
13-year-old horse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">Johnstone and Burton – who finished first and second in the two
first legs of the World Cup series – have joked it would be good to finish the
series with a similar result.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">“Of course he wants to win this time though,” says Johnstone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">ESNZ high performance director Sarah Harris describes Johnstone as
a real credit to the sport and its support programmes for elite riders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">“He stepped up to top level international competition at the World
Champs last year, picking up the team bronze medal, and has not looked back,”
she says. “His true professionalism and hard work makes him a fantastic athlete
for New Zealand. A win in this series will firmly cement him on the world stage
as we count down to the London Olympics next year.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">Johnstone moved to his Gloucestershire base in the UK earlier this
year to step up his Olympic 2012 campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">The shift hasn't been without its challenges, but he says he is
loving being in the hub of such world class competition. He will start at the
prestigious Burghley Horse Trials aboard Incognito in two weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">Also competing at Le Grand Complete in Normandy this weekend is
Mark Todd aboard NZB Campino, who will be looking to qualify another horse for
the London Olympics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">The event has attracted 266 horses from 14 countries and features
some of the world's best combinations, who will do battle across three
international classes – 47 combinations are set to start in the premier World
Cup class.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">The cross country for Le Grand Complete, which is being held at
the French national horse stud at Haras du Pin, is also the venue for the 2014
World Championships. Johnstone will do his dressage test on Friday evening (NZ
time) followed by the cross country on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black">The World Cup series runs over seven events, with just the best
three scores to count.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">Points going into the final (best three scores): Clarke Johnstone
(NZL) 118pts 1; Chris Burton (AUS) 108 2; Alisaksandr Faminou (BLR) 92 3;
Michael Jung (GER) 79 4; Shane Rose (AUS) 70 5; Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN) 68 6;
Mykhailo Nastenko (RUS) 64 7; Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) 62 8; Peter Thomsen (GER) 56
9; Niklas Lindback (SWE) 41 10.<br>
<br>
<em>- Diana Dobson<br>
ESNZ Media Liaison</em><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""></span></strong></p>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;" 1:p=""></span></strong><p></p>
