Equestrian: Lexington Jocelyn's last Olympic chance

Wellington rider Daniel Jocelyn has arrived at the Kentucky horse trials in the United States knowing it is his last chance to force his way into New Zealand's eventing team for the Olympics.

But Jocelyn says he is trying not to think too much about Sydney 2000, and will focus instead on just posting a top result at the Lexington four-star event which begins today.

Jocelyn has been joined by two other New Zealanders, world champion Blyth Tait and the world's top-ranked rider, Mark Todd.

The trio will have tough competition in the event, running for just the third time at championship level, with the American riders using Lexington as their Olympics trial.

Tait, second at Lexington last year on Aspyring, and Todd have both taken young horses to their first event at this level. Tait will ride Welton Envoy and Todd will be on Just A Mission. Both horses performed well in buildup events.

Jocelyn will ride his 9-year-old, Silence.

"I'm looking to do a personal best for me and the horse. I'm looking for a top-five finish," Jocelyn said. "We'll be competing against horses that will be at Sydney, but I'm treating it as just another event."

The pair have notched up a fine record in Europe in the past two seasons, highlighted by fifth at Burghley in 1998 and eighth at Badminton last year.

But both those results were in wet, boggy conditions, and Jocelyn said the expected firm going in Kentucky had been a major factor in his decision to ride Silence there, rather than at Badminton next week.

"The horse has proven itself in the mud, and with the Olympics it would be good to have a nice buildup rather than risk having another one in the heavy ground."

The New Zealand selectors also want to see Silence perform on the firm ground. At both Burghley and Badminton, the horse was well down the field after the dressage and came through to high placings when other horses were bogged down.

New Zealand-based riders vying for Sydney have not travelled to Kentucky, for funding reasons and on the advice of the national selectors who did not want the horses undergoing the stress of travel and quarantine.

Those riders, such as Heelan Tompkins and Tinks Pottinger, will press for Olympics selection at the Taupo trials next month.

Tait, Todd and Andrew Nicholson, who have several Olympic horses in contention, and Vaughn Jefferis are expected to dominate the New Zealand eventing team, but there may be room for one other rider and a travelling reserve.

Tait, Todd and Nicholson will all ride at next week's Badminton horse trials. Jefferis has opted not to run the aging Bounce at three-day events before Sydney, after winning the Puhinui horse trials in December.

- NZPA