Equestrian: Field reins in dressage nerves

By EUGENE BINGHAM

Super-athletes Gigolo and Bonfire pranced their way through one of the great grudge matches of the Sydney Olympics yesterday.

And Kallista Field, of Pahiatua, was there to match it with them.

To the uninitiated, dressage could seem the most uneventful of Olympic sports.

But as the giant horses Gigolo, of Germany, and Bonfire, of Holland, went through their perfectly executed and precise paces at Horsley Park yesterday, the 15,000 fans were on the edge of their seats. They oooh-ed and aah-ed with each half-pass, extended trot, piaffe and flying change.

Field, a 22-year-old from the Manawatu riding her 14-year-old mare Waikare, was the sole New Zealand representative in a largely European-dominated sport.

While she pulled off a career-best dressage score of 66.44 per cent, all eyes were on the superstars.

Their riders - Gigolo was under the reign of double Olympic champion Isabell Werth, while Bonfire was being ridden by five-time world champion Anky van Grunsven - are mega-stars in their own lands. Van Grunsven is as big in Holland as Inge de Bruijn. Contests between the two 17-year-old horses are so popular a series of videos featuring their head-to-head battles across Europe have sold out.

Before the Olympics, it was considered that they would fight it out for the gold and silver - as happened in Atlanta in 1996 - while the others would have to settle for bronze.

"It is very good to have had two horses who have taken up the level very high," said van Grunsven. "It also helps other horses and riders as well - they are always trying to lift to beat us."

And so it was yesterday, with Werth and van Grunsven sitting in first and second place last night.

Back in 13th slot, Field was delighted with the way her Olympic debut had gone. While New Zealanders have seen Mark Todd and company taking the dressage test as one part of their three-day eventing competitions for years, no Kiwi has ever competed in the specialist dressage contest at this level.

But with a pierced tongue and a wild-girl image at odds with the posh reputation of equestrian, Field came to the Olympic arena yesterday as much for the good of the sport as for herself.

She put her personal best score yesterday down to the great nature of her mare Waikare. "She must have got out of the right side of the stables this morning."

Field said she had not had any nerves. Experience had taught her how to deal with those years ago.

"I had a crazy pony when I was younger and she used to flip over backwards when I got nervous. She gave me two bleeding noses and I learnt to control my nerves."

Field was 13th of 25 riders last night. Another 22 will ride today. She will have to remain in the top 25 to ride in the second round.