Equestrian: Riding with stars some consolation for Jocelyn

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

His Olympic dream was shattered, but New Zealand rider Dan Jocelyn has been given a consolation prize - a final chance to ride alongside his equestrian heroes before they dismount.

Jocelyn will finally get to compete with Mark Todd and Vaughn Jefferis in the New Zealand team at the Puhinui three-day event in Auckland starting on Friday.

It will not totally mend his broken dream to ride with them at an Olympics. That evaporated when his horse, Silence, was injured in a fall in England a week after they were named in the New Zealand team for Sydney.

"Without a doubt that was the worst moment in my life - it was gut-wrenching," 29-year-old Jocelyn said yesterday, back home in New Zealand for the first time in two years.

"The horse had never missed an event in his whole life. But at least he is okay now and we can get on with things."

Silence, a horse Jocelyn has trained for the last seven years, appears to have made a full recovery after rearing up and falling on his shoulder.

"We won't know exactly until I put a saddle on him again after Christmas," Jocelyn said. "But he's happily galloping around the fields and I think we can aim for Badminton next year, get him right back into the big stuff."

Jocelyn is the new breed of New Zealand eventing rider, aiming to fill the gap with riders such as Todd now retiring.

"It's a dream come true for me to riding with Mark and Vaughn before they finish," he said.

"I'll be making the most of it, that's for sure. I'll keep asking them for advice." Like all the riders, Jocelyn will borrow a local horse for the Auckland Airport Qantas international teams event this weekend.

He is impressed with his borrowed mount, High Spirits II, fresh from winning the one-star Richfields event. Todd yesterday chose Mighty Heights and Jefferis will ride Bakela.

Jefferis will also compete in the individual three-star on his beloved Bounce this weekend, before the 18-year-old horse bows out of the competitive life.

Former Olympic champion Blyth Tait will compete in the two and three-star events on his retiring mount, Aspyring, and Rongotai.