Equestrian: Olympic dressage hopefuls to go head-to-head

New Zealand's main Olympic dressage hopefuls will go head to head for the first time in the North Island championships at Clevedon this weekend.

Aucklanders Louisa Hill, riding Gabana, and Bill Noble (Vincent St James), and Raglan rider Jody Hartstone (Landioso) will come under the eye of the national selectors tomorrow. The three riders have emerged as the most likely to meet the selection criteria, after Hill's success in October in securing New Zealand a place in Athens with a score of 66.25 per cent.

Hill and Gabana have not been in competition since then.

The horse has been sidelined with a mouth infection.