Regardless of this morning's Badminton horse trials result, where Andrew Nicholson led into the showjumping in pursuit of his maiden title, the veteran eventer's Olympic availability remains under threat.
The 53-year-old is at the peak of his powers. Before this competition he had won six of his eight four-star titlesin the past three years - and a team bronze at the London Games.
That makes his self-imposed ban and stand-off with Equestrian Sports New Zealand painful.
Nicholson's case for re-inclusion is strengthening. He is estranged from the body after a disagreement with a team vet at last year's World Games in Normandy.
If no resolution is found, and Nicholson is omitted from selection for his eighth Olympics at Rio, it will be a severe indictment on the way New Zealand sporting disputes are handled. The drums will beat for a "please explain" from ESNZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand.
ESNZ received $2.05 million of taxpayer high-performance funding last year and is scheduled to receive $7.45 million across the 2013-16 cycle, the fifth-highest of any New Zealand sport. Part of that investment is based on Nicholson's presence.
