Tim Price heads to Belgium for the Event Rider Masters 2018 third leg at the top of the leaderboard.

The world number four will start his nine-year-old Kincooley Cruising in the cash-rich ERM class, but he is going to be pushed hard by his very in-form wife Jonelle who just won her second CCI4* in six weeks. She will line up aboard Cloud Dancer, with Clarke Johnstone aboard Balmoral Sensation, and Sir Mark Todd on NZB Campino.

It will be the first time Kincooley Cruising has lined up in an ERM CIC3* class but her rider is well versed in them. He placed fourth in the 2017 series and this year has a fourth and an eighth to his credit to lead the series by six points from Piggy French (GBR).

Jonelle and 11-year-old Cloud Dancer are just getting back into the swing of ERM competition but have done very well in the past and her searing form cannot be ignored. Organisers are very excited to have the in-form Prices at the event.

Todd starts NZB Campino, who was fourth last year at Badminton. Twelve nations will be represented across the 29 riders at Arville. That includes nine of the top 20 FEI ranked eventers, with world number one Oliver Townend (GBR) on the card alongside world number two Gemma Tattersall (GBR), and world number six Michael Jung (GER).

The competition marks the first 2018 European start for Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation, who made the long trek from New Zealand earlier this month. The combination, who at sixth were the best-placed of the Kiwis at the Rio Olympic Games, are chasing a WEG berth.

There are also four New Zealand combinations competing in the CIC3* – Megan Heath is in aboard Camelot, Tim Price on both Ascona M and Pats Jester, and Caroline Powell aboard Sinatra Frank Baby.

In the CIC2*, Powell had Lady Donnerhall, Tim Price has Spartaco and Jonelle Price will be busy with Cooley Showtime, Hester and Grappa Nera.

Competition gets underway with the CIC2* dressage on Thursday and Friday, followed by the showjumping on Saturday and cross country on Sunday; the CIC3* starts its dressage on Friday, with both the showjumping and cross country on Sunday; while the ERM CIC3* runs Saturday and Sunday with Euro 67,000 in the prize purse.

 

The horse details:
Balmoral Sensation – owned by The Johnstone Family
Leonidas II – owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattel and Sir Mark Todd
Kincooley Cruising – owned by Susan Lamb
Cloud Dancer – owned by the Marley and Me Syndicate
Sinatra Frank Baby – owned by Chris Mann and Caroline Powell
Pats Jester – owned by Kate Maitland, Therese Miller, Philip Hunt, Jo Preston-Hunt and Tim Price
Ascona M – owned by Suzanne Houchin, Lucy and Ben Sangster and Sir Peter Vela
Camelot – owned by Megan Heath
NZB Campino – owned by New Zealand Bloodstock and Sir Mark Todd
Lady Donnerhall – owned by Dr Ruth and Judith Armstrong
Spartaco – owned by Tim Price
Cooley Showtime – owned by Suzanne Houchin, Lucy and Ben Sangster and Sir Peter Vela
Hester – owned by Lucy Nelson
Grappa Nera – owned by the Grape Syndicate

 

WHAT: Concours Complet D’Arville
WHERE: Namur, Belgium
WHEN: June 21-24, 2018
MORE INFO GO TO: https://www.eventing-arville.com/
ERM LIVESTREAMING GO TO: https://eventridermasters.tv/events/2018/arville

 

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison