It was his first competitive outing since returning from Rio and set his plans back about three months.
He was back in the saddle recently at Woodhill Sands (Helensville) for the Continental Cars Audi World Cup Festival, albeit not in the final itself.
“I am really looking forward to coming to Gisborne,” said 29-year-old Johnstone, who won the international FEI World Cup series in 2011.
“I have been once before but it was years ago and the show was rained off. It’s a good chance for me to get my horses ready for the Horse of the Year.”
Olympic CupThe major showjumping goal on home soil for Johnstone this year is the Olympic Cup, which is awarded to the Showjumper of the Year at the Horse of the Year show in Hastings in March.
“Having missed the first half of the season, I want to cram as much as I can into the second half,” he said. “I am building Quainton Labyrinth up and we will see how we get on. The Olympic Cup would be nice but I think we are probably cutting it a bit fine for time and experience. It’s still the big aim, though.”
Johnstone has heard plenty of good things about the Gisborne show and is looking forward to experiencing it for himself.
And he won’t be the only Olympian in town for this week’s show. Also competing are Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) and John Cottle (Auckland), who are no strangers to the arena at Showgrounds Park.
Laurie has just won her sixth World Cup (NZ series) crown and is enjoying a purple patch.
Cottle and Laurie will also line up in the horse grand prix, along with several other strong combinations, including the in-form Lily Tootill (Karaka), who performed consistently throughout the World Cup series, and the always-dangerous Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo).
The hometown hope in the class is Tess Clark, who recently moved back from Auckland and, on Sinatra II, has been jumping well this season.
Burnett-Grant, Tootill, Nakeysha Lammers (Hikurangi) and Harry Feast (Christchurch) make up the New Zealand young rider team to take on Australia in the transtasman test at the Gisborne show.
Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) is the reserve, John Cottle the coach and Gisborne’s Kaye Williams the chef d’equipe.
BuoyantWilliams is buoyant about the chances of her charges, despite all being newcomers to a New Zealand team at young rider level.
“Lily and Briar have represented New Zealand overseas and they are all good natural young riders who are used to riding a lot of different horses,” says Williams.
The Australian team comprise Jasmine Dennison (Victoria), Madeline Sinderberry (New South Wales), Mitchell Peulic (New South Wales and Stephanie Mackillop (New South Wales), with Becky Jenkins (Queensland) the chef d’equipe.
The teams will compete on borrowed horses over the three-day competition and Kaye Williams said they had “some very good horses” lined up for them.
The transtasman clash used to be between New Zealand and Queensland but last year the competition became an official test, which the Kiwis won.
Hopes are high there will be a reciprocal visit in the not-too-distant future.
There will be plenty of local riders competing over the three days.
Entries for the champs are around the 350 mark, which has pleased organisers.
Sunday is the main day of competition. It will include the final of the young rider test and the horse and pony grand prix classes.
Entry for the public is free. Competition starts at 8.30am tomorrow and Saturday, and 8am on Sunday.
As well as showjumping, there will be show hunter classes.
Both disciplines will include national series classes.
