Equestrian: Dressage costly for Nicolai at Barbury

Rotorua equestrian Craig Nicolai had a strong finish in the Barbury Castle international horse trials yesterday.

Craig who rode Just Ironic, finished 47th overall behind eventual winner fellow Kiwi rider Andrew Nicholson on his horse Avebury.

There were 126 riders competing in the three-day event at Wiltshire, England.

Competitors compete in three events - dressage, show jumping and cross-country with the points from the three events combining to get an overall winner.

Craig's mother Ann told The Daily Post her son had a "magical" cross-country round and only dropped one rail in the show jumping. However, it was the dressage where Craig's hopes of finishing higher were ended.

"The dressage was next to the cross-country course, his horse loves cross-country and would keep on looking over at the course ... The horse sort of lived up to its name Just Ironic."

Ann who talked to her son on the phone yesterday said Craig was still happy with how his horse performed and was now looking to build towards his main event of the year - the Burghley Horse Trials in September.

Burghley is one of only five equestrian events worldwide rated four star - and although called the Three-Day Event it is, rather confusingly, held over four days. Craig finished 38th out of a field of more than 80 world class riders.

The 46-year-old's goal for 2012, competing at the Badminton horse trials, were dashed when the trials which were supposed to be held in May, were cancelled because of heavy rain.

"He had made it on the waiting list so he wasn't too disappointed when it was cancelled, it would have been harder if he was competing and it was cancelled."

Ann said it was a long term goal of her son's to ride at Burghley. Riders have to qualify for Badminton by competing at various competitions like Burghley, throughout the season.

Results:

Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Quimbo 49.8 2, Lucy Wiegersma (GB) Simon Porloe 50.2 3, Oliver Townend (GB) Pepper Anne 50.8 4, Tiana Coudary (USA) Ringwood Magister 51.2 5, Martin Boyd (USA) Remington XXV 53.4 6, Nicola Wilson (GR) Opposition Buzz 53.6 7, Kitty King (GB) Zidante 54.4 8, Lucy Jackson (NZL) Animator II 55.8 9, Clarke Johnstone (NZL) Orient Express VI 64.6 29, Alice Montgomery (NZL) Gordon IV 70 43, Craig Nicolai (NZL) Just Ironic 72 47, Jesse Campbell (NZL) Kaapachino 77.2 53, Bruce Haskell (NZL) Kiwi Smog 79.8 58, Lucy Jackson (NZL) Kilcoltrim Ambassador retired cross-country, Jonathan Paget (NZL) Clifton Promise eliminated cross-country, Mark Todd (NZL) NZB Campino eliminated cross-country, Debbie Mitchell (NZL) Waimak withdrawn showjumping.