EVENTING News


Nicholson the one to watch at Luhmuhlen
Wednesday, 13 June 2012


<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"><strong>The
superstars of New Zealand eventing head to&nbsp;
the prestigious Luhmuhlen Three Day Event in Germany this weekend. The
top-ranking event is the penultimate round of&nbsp;
the prestigious HSBC Classics series, the six grand slams of eventing.</strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Likely
London Olympian Andrew Nicholson has three horses – Shady Grey (owned by 2012
in Mind Syndicate), Calico Joe (owned by 2012 in Mind Syndicate) and Mr Cruise
Control (owned by Robin and Nicola Salmon) entered in the event.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Nicholson
is chasing both a podium finish and valuable points in the classics series
where he currently sits second behind long-time rival William Fox-Pitt. With
$US150,000 for the series winner there is plenty at stake. The final leg of the
series is at Burghley in late August.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Nicholson
is no stranger to Luhmulen and says it's a very tough event to shine
at."It's a proper four star," he says. "The standard of dressage
is always very high. They have a very good arena (for the dressage) which the
horses work well on. It's the same for the showjumping too, but with a good
surface comes big courses."<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">He's
done well there in the past, and is expecting good things from Mr Cruise
Control who did his first four star (the highest level in world eventing) event
there in 2010 and finished fourth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">"I'm
really looking forward to it," said Nicholson.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Mark
Todd will start on Major Milestone (owned by Diane Brundsen and Peter Catell)
as well as Megan Heath and her own St Daniel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Equestrian
Sports high performance coach Erik Duvander is putting his money on Nicholson
to do well. "He's there with three good horses and he's on a mission to
win some prize money in the classics series," said Duvander. "Calico
Joe is in good shape and will arrive there as a better horse than he was in
Kentucky. Mr Cruise Control is possibly on paper one of Andrew's most
successful horses ever and is looking good. He's been there a few times before,
so knows the track and the event suits him well.."<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Duvander
describes Luhmulen as "an old classic venue" which has played host to
the world and European championships numerous times.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">"There
are not the big numbers there of previous years because it is so close to the
Olympics, but it is never an easy one to win," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The
four star horses will compete in the dressage phase on Friday (German time),
followed by the cross country on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">HSBC
FEI Classics Standings:<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">William
Fox-Pitt (GBR) 30 points, Andrew Nicholson (NZL) 16, Stuart Tinney (AUS) 15,
Alison Springer (USA) 12, Sonja Johnson (AUS) 12, Boyd Martin (USA) 10, Emma
Mason (AUS) 10, Mary King (GBR) 8, Karen O'Connor (USA) 8, Natalie Blundell
(AUS) 8.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Report
by Diana Dobson, ESNZ Media Liaison.<o:p></o:p></span></p>