KEY POINTS:
Equestrian competition has been a big part of Emily Butcher's life since her first contest as a sprightly 3-year-old.
So when the Christchurch rider says competing in an Olympic Games is a life-long dream, you don't for a second doubt it.
Butcher is on the long list for
next year's Beijing games and while she faces stiff competition from Athens Olympians Heelan Tompkins and Matthew Grayling, along with Bryce Newman, her determination is fierce.
"It's been a lifelong dream of mine, really, and something I've put a lot of effort into.
"It would be amazing."
The 26-year-old's tilt at securing an Olympic spot begins in March when she heads to England to pit herself against some of the world's best.
There Butcher will take part in her first Badminton Horse Trials and she believes her chances of Olympic selection probably hinge on a strong performance at the four-star event.
"I think to get over to England sooner rather than later and see where I'm sitting in terms of world standards is really important.
"Then I guess I can get a gauge on things and see where I need to go from there.
"I think a lot depends on that. It's really hard for them to compare us competing in New Zealand to the guys competing overseas because obviously there's a lot more competition over there."
It's going to take hard work to get there, but hard work is what she knows best.
Butcher lives and breathes the sport.
When she is not competing in equestrian events, she is teaching and training other people's horses from her Canterbury base.
"I try to keep as many horses here with outside owners so they're paying the bills," she said. "I can keep my head above water most of the time."
Originally from the South Island's West Coast, Butcher began competing in shows with her mother when she was three.
By the age of 14 she was competing in national events, but the burden of travel meant opportunities to compete year-round at an elite level were limited.
But she got enough of a taste of horse training and competition to want to make it her living.
After school Butcher completed a course in horse-business management in Australia and then headed to Virginia for a year to pick up horse-training ways.
She competed in a few events while in the United States, but the most valuable part of her stay was the practical experience she gained.
"It was an incredible experience. Most of the time I was just on the ground riding and keeping horses fit, and the lady I was working for used to give me lessons.
"It was heaps and heaps of learning - not a whole lot of competition - more about getting the basics."
It's only since returning from the States that Butcher has really made an impact in New Zealand.
While she was overseas, her family relocated to the Canterbury region, which is where she has also chosen to set herself up.
Riding is all about trust, and after seven years with her "top horse" Southern Ben, Butcher has cultivated a strong bond with her star eventer.
"We were on the shortlist for the World Games two years ago, and certainly the horse has been performing really well since then.
"Because they're jumping fences where they don't know the landing area, they have to completely trust their riders."
Likewise Butcher has to completely trust her horse. The three disciplines of eventing, dressage, and showjumping and cross-country make it an extremely difficult sport to train for.
The trick is finding the right balance.
She describes Southern Ben as "fantastic" in cross-country, but typical of many New Zealand thoroughbreds, can struggle with dressage.
"The rules of eventing have changed a wee bit over the last few years, but at the end of the day I still believe in the good old New Zealand thoroughbred.
"You can rely on them round the cross-country, and they're not fantastic on the dressage, but if you can get the right horse you can train it well enough."
Southern Ben will be rested from competition for much of the summer before accompanying Butcher to England where they will begin their Olympic bid in earnest.
