Power couple and a special Olympic selection – plus Badminton star’s surprise reserve slot

Eventing power couple Tim Price and Jonelle Price, plus Clarke Johnstone – who has spoken about this being a special selection following the loss of his partner last year – have been named for the New Zealand Olympic eventing team for the Paris Games.

Badminton Horse Trials winners Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier will take the alternate spot. It will come as a surprise to many that the Badminton victors have not been selected for the team, but is perhaps symptomatic of the split between five-stars and championships in the modern sport of eventing. In fact, no horses from this year’s Badminton results have yet been named to an Olympic team, although several are listed as reserves, including Greenacres Special Cavalier and Grappa Nera, who was sixth at Badminton and is a reserve horse for Jonelle.

New Zealand Olympic eventing team

Jonelle Price with 12-year-old mare Hiarado
Owners: David and Karie Thomson
Breeding: by Diarado out of a mare by Ekstein

Direct reserve horse: 13-year-old mare Grappa Nera
Owners: The Grape Syndicate and rider
Breeder: HJ Booy
Breeding: by Karandasj out of a mare by Babalouba

Tim Price with 15-year-old gelding Falco
Owners: Sue Benson and rider
Breeder: Norbert Nowak
Breeding: by Cardenio 2 out of a mare by Weinberg

Direct reserve horse: 12-year-old gelding Coup De Coeur Dudevin
Owners: Jean-Louis Stauffer and rider
Breeder: Jean-Louis Stauffer
Breeding: by Top Gun Semilly out of a mare by Leprince Des Bois

Clarke Johnstone with 14-year-old gelding Menlo Park
Owners: rider and his parents Jean and Rob
Breeder: S Vitalini
Breeding: by Berlin out of a mare by Rock King

Alternate

Caroline Powell with 11-year-old Greenacres Special Cavalier
Owners: Chris and Michelle Mann and rider
Breeder: Michael Callery
Breeding: by Cavalier Royale out of a mare by Touchdown

Four-time Olympian and London 2012 team bronze medallist Jonelle said of Hiarado: “She has been nothing but magic since we bought her and has gone from strength to strength. We are very well suited – she is gutsy, determined, feisty and strong-willed. We are a match made in heaven!”

Tim comes forward for his third Olympic Games and his ride Falco, the double world bronze medallist, has come back from having a tumour removed last year.

Tim said: “I am very happy and excited to be involved in the Kiwi team again. Both horses are in good form and healthy. Now it is about us binding together as a team and having that team result we are all so desperate for. We are all in a good place and a great bunch of people who are all bringing forward really exciting horses.”

Clarke, who will be riding at his second Olympics following Rio, said his selection is extra special after a challenging year.

“It has been an incredibly difficult year for me personally after the sudden death of my partner Codey at the end of 2023,” he said. “Having the goal of the Olympic Games which we were both so invested in has kept me going the past six months and I have poured my heart and soul into training and competing my lovely horses this year to make our goal a reality. I know he would be so proud.”

Alternate rider Caroline, another team bronze medallist from London who also rode at the 2008 Games, said: “What an honour to represent my country again. I can’t wait for the Games. It’s always a very special time.”

US-based Monica Spencer revealed on social media that she is the first reserve and she and Artist will fly to France to be part of the training camp.

Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance general manager Jock Paget, another team bronze medal winner in London, said the New Zealand Olympic eventing team selection had been particularly hard.

“We had lots of strong combinations to choose from. It was the biggest selection headache I have witnessed in my time but we now have a really strong team who I think will be suitable for what we expect to go into in Paris,” he said. “Our reserve combinations are strong and committed to being in the best shape possible if called on for the games, and we are looking forward to getting into our final camp to finish our prep.”

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