Olympic shortlisted show jumper Daniel Meech arrived home in Hastings for the Horse of the Year Show this week with a solid result from the a major European show in Dortmund, Germany.
Riding his No 1 horse Diagonal, Meech was seventh in the first major class of the show, a 1.50m
championship.
With a first clear round and one rail down in the jump-off, Meech was just behind such top competitors as Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who won the event, Dutch Olympic team gold medallist Piet Raymakers (second) and another German gold medallist Soren von Ronne (fourth).
Meech, now based in Germany, was lying 89th on the world showjumping rider rankings at the end of last month. It was the highest position achieved by a New Zealander.
In Palm Springs, California, three other New Zealand riders on the Olympic shortlist also had good results.
Guy Thomas was sixth equal with one rail down on NZ Madison and Simply Sydney in the US$150,000 ($235,330) Indio Grand Prix.
Hawke's Bay-born Peter Breakwell and former Aucklander Duncan McFarlane were also in the running with eight and 12 penalties respectively on their top horses, All Star and Ezy.
The Horse of the Year Show starts tomorrow.
United States riders Maurine Frey and Megan McIsaac and Germany's Astrid Buer and Verena Theymann will compete against New Zealand riders.
Champion European vaulter Gero Meyer will demonstrate equestrian acrobatics.
British Olympic team member Geoff Billington and leading Irish international Marion Hughe are also among a number of overseas riders who will compete in both team and individual competitions in showjumping.
Other overseas-based New Zealand riders competing in Hastings are Duncan McFarlane, Guy Thomas and Peter Breakwell, all based in the US and Grant Wilson who lives in Belgium.
These riders helped qualify New Zealand for team showjumping at the Athens Olympics.
- NZPA
