KEY POINTS:
New Zealand missed out on qualifying a dressage team for the Beijing Olympics after a disappointing performance in the qualifying event at Palmerston North today.
Needing a combined score greater than the 194.792 recently recorded by Japan, New Zealand could only compile 177.875 after Kallista Field, Bill Noble and Jody Hartstone rode at Tielcey Park.
The two teams to qualify from the Oceania region are Australia (196.167 points) and Japan, leaving Dressage New Zealand sports manager Wendy Hamerton disappointed.
"We didn't get as close as we would have liked," Hamerton told NZPA.
"The Australians and Japanese have well established teams and while we rode well, it's possibly an indication of where we're ranked at the moment."
New Zealand can still qualify an individual dressage rider for Beijing but that will come down to world rankings at the end of April.
New Zealand faced an uphill battle today after Queensland-based team member Nicole Magoffin produced a disappointing score of 57.583 per cent in Sydney earlier this week.
Hartstone on Landioso produced the best score today with 60.292 per cent, followed by Field on Soda (59.708) and Noble on Vincent St James (57.875).
- NZPA
