Equestrian: One jump at a time

Bryce Newman has been around the horse game long enough to know that being classed an Olympic Games equestrian longshot isn't as hopeless as it sounds.

The 37-year-old Bulls horseman must win this weekend's national one-day trial at Tauherenikau, near Featherston, and the national three-day title at Taupo next month to have any chance of riding in Athens in August.

But he knows anything can happen in the unpredictable and ever-dangerous world of eventing. He has the battle scars to prove it.

"The ground certainly gets harder as you get older," Newman said on the eve of the Tauherenikau trial where he will ride Bates Inishturk.

"There's always a lot of conjecture and speculation about who will make the team, but I think it's wide open.

"All I can do is perform over the next two events and hopefully get a crack in Athens.

"If that's not good enough, then there's not a lot I can do about it."

New Zealand's Olympic team will be shortlisted following the Badminton trial (from April 29 to May 2) and the Taupo and Chatsworth (England) events, which run concurrently for six days, from May 11 to May 16.

Long-serving New Zealand representatives Andrew Nicholson and Blyth Tait, England-based Wainuiomata horseman Daniel Jocelyn and Aucklander Katie Lambie are among the early favourites for Athens.

This weekend's trial, which includes an advanced field of 15 combinations, does not count towards Olympic selection, although Newman knows victory would do him no harm.

The problem for Newman and New Plymouth rider Matthew Grayling, who is saving his Olympic hopeful, Revo, for Taupo, is that convener Mary Darby and her national selection team are likely to consider a top-15 placing at Badminton as highly as a win at Taupo.

But Newman has taken the gamble of trying to qualify from New Zealand and takes comfort in the fact his 12-year-old black gelding is coming into his prime.

Newman was disappointed to slip from first to fourth at December's three-star Auckland International Airport trial at Puhinui, but says Bates Inishturk is only now coming right after stints in Europe and North America.

The combination were 11th at the prestigious Kentucky four-star trial in May 2002.

Tauherenikau also doubles as a final selection trial for the transtasman New Zealand Young Rider team to compete in Australia in June.

The advanced class compete their dressage test tomorrow, with the cross-country on Sunday morning before the showjumping.

- NZPA