Equestrian: Riding in shadow of glory days

Equestrian Andrew Nicholson was buoyant yesterday as New Zealand's three-day event team gathered at his property in England.

Nicholson said the five-strong squad had a good chance of winning individual and team medals in Athens, admitting he did not always think that would be the case.

"At the start of the year the team looked pretty slim and I thought we would be lucky to be competitive. As things have come along this year it's looking very good."

Three-day eventing has been a steady source of New Zealand medals since 1984, when Mark Todd won the individual gold in Los Angeles.

Nicholson and 1996 Olympic individual champion Blyth Tait spearhead a squad rounded out by Dan Jocelyn, Heelan Tompkins and Matthew Grayling.

Grayling and Revo were last month touted as Olympic medal prospects after winning at the Aston Le Walls horse trials.

England-based Jocelyn will ride Silence, who was injured and could not compete in Sydney four years ago, then bounced back to finish third at Burghley in 2001.

Tompkins, from Taranaki, has won the New Zealand advanced three-day event three times, and was reserve for the Sydney Olympics.

Her mount Glengarrick was "getting on" at 18, but he was looking "very good", Nicholson said.

Nicholson has won two world championship gold medals, and a silver and a bronze in an Olympic career spanning 20 years. He would love to claim the Olympic individual gold or team gold.

Tait, a former world champion and the flag-bearer in Sydney, will emulate the legendary Todd should he win a second individual gold medal.

Athens will feature two rounds of showjumping on the final day of the three-day event, instead of one as has been the case in recent Games.

The second round, under floodlights, is restricted to the top 25 who will chase the individual title.

The team competition is decided after the first showjumping round, with the top three riders from each country to count.

Medals tally

Olympic three-day eventing medals won by New Zealand:

1984 Los Angeles: Mark Todd, individual gold (Charisma).

1988 Seoul: Todd, individual gold (Charisma). Andrew Bennie, Margaret Knighton, Tinks Pottinger, Todd, team bronze.

1992 Barcelona: Vicky Latta, Andrew Nicholson, Blyth Tait, team silver. Tait, individual bronze (Messiah).

1996 Atlanta: Tait, individual gold (Ready Teddy), Sally Clark, individual silver (Squirrel Hill). Tait, Vaughn Jefferis, Nicholson, Latta, team bronze.

2000 Sydney: Todd, individual bronze (Eyespy II).


- NZPA