Equestrian: Price targeting Pau for title

Jonelle Price will be targeting her first four star title in Pau. Photo / Getty

Top eventer Jonelle Price's quest for a maiden four star title continues at the Pau event in France, starting tomorrow night.

World No 5 Price will ride Faerie Dianimo, on whom she finished fourth at Pau last year.

"This is a world class horse who has been going from strength to strength," she said.
"If we can keep building on that, then surely it is a matter of time for that win to come."

She heads a solid New Zealand entry for the event, which although chronologically the last of the six four star events on the calender is the first in the FEI Classic series each year.

That programme also includes the Adelaide event next month, Kentucky in late April, the high profile Badminton trial in May, Luhmuhlen in Germany in June and ending at Burghley next September.

Veteran Blyth Tait is lining up with Bear Necessity V, and keen to build on recent success at Boekelo in the Netherlands, where he was second in the three star on Xanthus III. The former world and Olympic champion, now 54, is eyeing a return to the top flight at the Rio Olympics next year.

Double Olympic individual champion Mark Todd, ranked seventh, will enter his London Games horse NZB Campino, while Price's husband Tim, ranked eighth, and his impressive Wesko are pursuing a second four star victory, after winning at Luhmuhlen last year and finishing second in Kentucky this year. Price is also riding Lord of the Owls.

Jock Paget will ride Clifton Signature with others entered including Lucy Jackson on Bosun and Dan Jocelyn on Phoenix L.

A total of 56 horses have entered the four star class, with two days of dressage starting tomorrow night.

With a team spot now secure for Rio, the New Zealand riders are chasing strong performances to nab one of the five places on that team.