Equestrian: It's up close and personal

By DAVID LEGGAT in Athens

When New Zealand begin their bid to maintain their remarkable record in Olympic eventing this weekend, one rider's final words will be with his wife.

But Taranaki dairy farmer Matthew Grayling won't be pulling out his mobile phone at the Markopoulo complex, about 30km from downtown Athens, to call wife Susan.

She is groom for her husband's horse, 12-year-old chestnut gelding Revo, and has been since they married.

There is a line in an Equestrian New Zealand profile of Grayling which states that "it has taken a while to train her".

Grayling admitted sheepishly that he "slipped that one in".

But he's not joking when he explains her importance to his Olympic hopes. Susan rode at advanced level, representing New Zealand in transtasman competition. In short, she knows what she's talking about.

"It is a partnership. She knows the horse, he's been on our property about eight years.

"She's my eyes on the ground when I'm riding and can give me good feedback."

Their four children have been split up while the parents are away. The elder two, Charlotte and Victoria, 10 and 8, are at Grayling's parents down the road from the farm; 6-year-old Philippa and Callum, 4, are with his brother Jim on his property just outside Hamilton.

So while it's tough being away from the kids - in Grayling's case it will have been 50 days when he gets home on August 24 - knowing they are in safe hands makes it easier to concentrate on the business at hand.

Grayling, 40, is the odd rider out among the five-strong eventing team. He is the only one to have done his Olympic campaigning in New Zealand.

He targeted two events, winning the Kihikihi three-star World Cup qualifier, and finishing second in the Taupo three-dayer. That was enough to secure a first trip to the Olympics.

"I was quite happy preparing at home. We worked in an environment we knew. We have a system in place that works pretty well."

That said, he's also grateful for the time away when he and Revo have had to cope with variables such as different training surfaces, different weather, different settings.

Variables which he says "keep you on your toes, keep you thinking about what will work for you".

It's possible the cheerful and affable Grayling might have arrived in Athens quietly, slipping beneath the radar of the eventing set.

But if that was the plan it went pear-shaped when Revo won the Aston Le Walls three-day event in Northamptonshire last month, beating the cream of the British team who are tipped as gold medal favourites in the teams event here.

Grayling concedes the British may have been foxing, not pushing their horses and risking a late injury.

He, by contrast, took the opposite tack. "I took a punt. My horse was sound and going well, so I just let it run. There's nothing like a match-hardening run. And I couldn't have been happier."

Grayling uses a rugby analogy: you can do as much prep in the gym, but it's no substitute for a full-blown match situation to test your readiness for a big occasion.

He reckons Revo is capable of a solid dressage test, and that will put him in the frame. Finish the first leg of the equation within about six marks of the leader and he's in business.

The cross-country course is shorter than in previous Olympics, but still at 5700m "a good cross-country run. It's the same number of jumping efforts in a smaller time frame".

If Revo is "a bit sparky" for the event that will suit Grayling fine, too.

"To be honest he needs to be a bit on fire."

For Grayling and fellow new Olympians Dan Jocelyn and Heelan Tompkins, this is a new game. For their team-mates, Andrew Nicholson and Blyth Tait, it's old ground.

Both are Olympic medal winners, and both provide a willing ear for the new trio.

Throw in double Olympic champion Mark Todd as coach and the makings are there for a strong performance.

It would make a ripping tale if the husband-and-wife farmers win the individual event, or help carry New Zealand to team gold.

This is no impossible dream and Grayling isn't going to die wondering in Athens.

"We didn't come this far to make up the numbers," he said.

"Being a first-time Olympian, well, it doesn't make much difference to me.

"I'll go and give it a crack."