Equestrian: Aucklander going it alone in Olympic dressage

Aucklander Louisa Hill and her horse Gabana will be New Zealand's sole representatives in the dressage competition at this year's Athens Olympics.

Hill, 42, whose selection was confirmed yesterday by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, will be competing in her first Games.

She and Gabana have won the major New Zealand dressage titles, including Dressage Horse of the Year.

In Sydney last month, they were fourth in the Grand Prix event and won the FEI Grand Prix Special.

Hill, from Clevedon, south of Auckland, said she was excited at the announcement.

"My campaign has been a long one. It is difficult to have a dressage horse at the right stage of training and soundness to coincide with the timing of the Olympics.

"It seems like a long time ago when a group of friends arranged a fundraising evening because they believed I would go.

"Back then it was just a dream, but now it is happening."

Hill and Gabana, a 10-year-old mare, will soon go to Germany where they will train for the Games.

The dressage competition is from August 20 to 25.

Equestrian Federation chief executive Larry Graham said Hill's selection underlined the progress and development dressage had been undergoing in New Zealand.

"While New Zealand equestrian sports have had an excellent record of Olympic achievement in the eventing discipline, this is only the second Olympics where we have had a rider at the Olympic standard for the specialist dressage event," he said.

"Louisa is a very worthy representative for us at Athens."

Kallista Field, on Waikare, represented New Zealand in dressage at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Hill is a fulltime dressage trainer and coach.

Olympic Committee secretary-general Barry Maister said it was pleasing that New Zealand would be represented in a range of equestrian disciplines at Athens.

"We all know about the quality of our three-day eventers and I am sure we will again select a team to challenge for honours in that event in Athens," he said.

"But the selection of Louisa in dressage is an indication of the growth of the sport across all disciplines."

Riders and horses for the five-member eventing team and four-member showjumping team are yet to be announced.

- NZPA