Equestrian : Newcomers realise their dream

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Dan Jocelyn is the classic sporting rags-to-riches story - the young man who raised an unbroken horse, flew to Europe with no money, and earned his dream ride at the Olympics.

The 29-year-old Kiwi equestrian is heading to Sydney with Silence, a horse he has trained for the past seven years after his family and friends pooled their money to buy him.

Jocelyn and Paul O'Brien - the two newcomers in New Zealand's Olympic three-day eventing team - have ridden the long, hard road to the Games.

O'Brien, who lives on Olympic champion Blyth Tait's farm in England, has spent 10 years in Europe trying to realise his Olympic aspiration and will finally get to ride his favourite horse, Enzed, in Sydney.

Jocelyn, who also lives in England, was last night "absolutely ecstatic" about breaking into the six-man team, but had no time to celebrate - he was riding two novice horses for another owner at an event in Wiltshire.

Australian-born Jocelyn was given a pony when he moved to the Wellington suburb of Wainuiomata as a nine-year-old.

In 1993, his family on both sides of the Tasman set up a syndicate to buy Silence, an unbroken two-year-old. Jocelyn immediately recognised talent in the slight-framed horse and made the 2000 Olympics his goal.

With hardly a cent to his name, he took Silence to England four years ago.

In the past 12 months, his career gamble has paid off. The pair were eighth at Badminton last year, and 16th in the four-star at Kentucky this year.

O'Brien, who was also riding in a one-day event yesterday, was "stoked" when he heard the news from friends and family in New Zealand, when the team was accidentally leaked.

As of last night, the new riders were still waiting for a phone call confirming their selection from Eventing New Zealand.





O'Brien rode Enzed, a horse he has trained for the past five years, to 10th in his first appearance at Badminton this year. Said Tait: "In most countries that would be an automatic Olympic entry, but New Zealand is pretty strong at the moment."

Double Olympic gold medallist Mark Todd, shrugging off a drugs scandal to be named for his fifth Olympics, rates highly New Zealand's chances of another team gold in Sydney.

"We are a very strong team," he said last night. "A lot depends on what horses we end up taking to Australia, whether they are all fit.

"But we have a very strong chance of winning gold. The Americans are our biggest threat, followed by Britain and Australia."The four-man team will come from Todd, Tait, O'Brien, Jocelyn, Vaughn Jefferis and Andrew Nicholson. Three riders will compete in the individual event.

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