NZ Dressage Team Selected for Olympic Qualifier

• Nicki Pope - Fabarchie (Whitford)
• Vanessa Way - KH Arvan (Oakura)
• Reserves - Otillie Upshall -Tama Park Bradman (Rotorua) & Kieryn Walton - Saraceni (Owhango)
• Team Manager - Wendy Hamerton

Shiwon Green and Gosh travelled to Australia to compete at the event and Equitana last year and performed admirably on their international debut, scoring in the mid 60% range.

Australian and New Zealand riders will line up at Sydney and then the same ground jury will fly to Ermelo in the Netherlands to assess combinations from Japan, possibly South Africa and remaining members of the Australian team if four are not nominated for Sydney.  The three 5* judges for this Olympic Teams Qualifier are confirmed as President: Stephen Clarke (GB), Gotthilf Riexinger (GER), Susie Hoovenaars (AUS) and 4* judges Mariette Sanders van Gansewinkel (NED) and Raphael Salle (FRA).

From this teams qualifier, two nations will qualify a team for the London Olympic Games, but will still require to be nominated by their national Olympic committee and all meet the both the FEI minimum eligibility requirements and the selection criteria of their own NF and NZOC.

Riders who are part of any team successful in the team qualifying event are not necessarily the riders who may represent the NF at London.

If a NF qualifies a team but for any reason cannot field a team at London, they have the possibility to send a maximum of two individuals subject to conditions in the previous para.

Individual riders may also qualify their NF an individual place from the World Dressage Rider Olympic rankings, but need to attend as many CDI’s as possible during the qualification period to have any chance of qualifying by this means as the best eight scores for the period 1 Mar 2011 - 1 Mar 2012.

Shiwon Green and Gosh's Kur at Equitana 2010