<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><strong style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: white; ">New Zealand’s would-be
London Olympians go head to head with some of the best combinations in the
world at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in the United States this weekend.</strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Andrew Nicholson has two
of his younger horses in Qwanza and Calico Joe at the four star event, while
Jonathan Paget has his World Champs star Clifton Promise and Lucy Jackson the
10-year-old Kilcoltram Ambassador.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It’s a star-studded
field though with a record 73 horses entered including former Kentucky
champions, Olympic medal winners and some of the sport’s biggest names from the
United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Americans are using
the Lexington event as selection trials for the London Olympics and the Kiwi
selectors will be looking very closely at the trio lining up for New Zealand.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Equestrian Sports New
Zealand high performance director Sarah Harris is expecting big things from all
of them.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Jonathan (Paget) has
been there before on (Clifton) Promise, so knows the tracks and is in a good
position to win,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity for Lucy (Jackson) to
experience an international course outside of the UK and Europe, and Andrew
(Nicholson) may be starting two young horses in their first four star event,
but never underestimate this world class rider.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The three are part of a
seven-strong crew vying for the five London Olympic spots.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Paget has ridden in
Kentucky twice before, both in 2010 – at the Rolex and the World Equestrian
Games where he finished seventh.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I love this event,” he
says, “and I am very happy to be here. I’ll be trying my best, that’s for sure.
I am lucky enough to have such a special horse who is capable of winning if
everything goes our way, but this is a four star event and the best in the
world are here.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">He says everything will
have to go perfectly for them.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It feels a bit like the
calm before the storm. I’m taking each day as it comes.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Both of Nicholson’s
horses are having their first four star starts.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It is a beautiful place
to come to and from a distance the cross country looks similar to what it was
at the World Champs (in 2010, where he won a bronze individual medal),” he
says. “I would like to win but I may be pushing a bit – there are some very
experienced four star horses here, but these two will hold their own. If we are
near enough in the dressage we could do well.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Meanwhile Jackson is
bubbling with excitement.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">This is my first trip to
Rolex so is hugely exciting! The weather is freezing but that will suit my boy.
I can’t get over the scale of the site – there are hundreds of acres of
hundreds and stables.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Kentucky is the only
four star three day event held in the United States, and is the third leg of
the six part HSBC FEI Classics – in which Nicholson is sitting third – with
riders vying for part of the $250,000 prize purse and a shot at the $350,000
Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which goes to any rider who wins Kentucky,
Badminton and Burghley in succession.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The event is expected to
attract up to 100,000 spectators and is seen by millions more on worldwide
telecasts.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The event gets underway
with the vet inspection early Thursday morning (NZ time), followed by two days
of dressage, the cross country Sunday morning and culminating with the
showjumping on Monday morning.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
