Olympics: Smallbone and Burfoot appeal rejection

By SUZANNE McFADDEN and NZPA

Two disgruntled athletes - dressage rider Catherine Smallbone and sailor Nik Burfoot - have appealed against their exclusions from the New Zealand Olympic team.

Smallbone has threatened to go as far as the High Court to fight for a place in the New Zealand dressage team after missing out on being named as a reserve.

Her first appeal, heard by an arbitration panel, failed to change the selectors' stance, but she does not intend to let the matter lie.

Burfoot, a former world Laser champion, took his grievance to Yachting New Zealand after losing the Olympic Laser trials by a countback.

He has yet to hear the decision.

Their appeals follow in the wake of veteran cyclist Graeme Miller, who failed to convince selectors to revoke their original decision and include him in the road team.

There may be a rash of disconsolate Kiwi athletes, but it is not quite the disease that has spread through Australian sport. At least 23 athletes in eight sports have appealed against their omission from the Olympic team.

Peter Fox has been named New Zealand's Laser dinghy representative for Sydney, but Burfoot was entitled to appeal against his omission under yachting's selection policy.

Yachting selectors have made their decision after hearing Burfoot's case, but have yet to advise the sailor, who is overseas.

Smallbone was yesterday angry that the dressage selectors have stuck with their decision not to take a reserve to the Olympics.

The English-born rider says she will appeal again - and if unsuccessful, will take her case to the High Court.

Kallista Field and her horse Waikare will be New Zealand's first Olympic dressage competitors. While not contesting Field's selection, Smallbone argues she and her horse Alzac deserve to be the reserves.

She believes there is still a slim chance New Zealand could be granted a second dressage spot in Sydney.

Smallbone, who won the national dressage and horse of the year show titles, said yesterday that she had three lawyers working on her appeal.

She must appeal against the New Zealand Equestrian Federation's decision twice before she can go to the courts.

"They have left me no choice," she said. "My appeal is not against Kallista's selection.

"My appeal is for my non-selection as a reserve.

"We still have a chance for a second place at the Olympics. It's not high - it's a small one - but why throw it away?"

An arbitration panel heard Smallbone's case last week and instructed the federation to review the decision.

But federation executive director Larry Graham said the selectors still believed they should send only one competitor to Sydney.

"We would love to send another rider.

"We're delighted that our sport has been recognised at this level for the first time," Graham said.

"But we're not prepared to send someone who, in our view, would not make it.

"And there is no one else at Kallista's level at this stage."

Smallbone contends that she met the qualifying standard and did everything asked of her - achieving the stipulated 63 per cent score at the national championships in March, and at several other events.

However, she has also dipped well below that score in other high-profile competitions. Field qualified New Zealand for the Olympics with a record 65.6 per cent score last October.