The tussle is on between five Kiwi showjumpers for the four slots in the Nations’ Cup team to compete at the CSIO3* in the Czech Republic.
Tom Tarver, Bruce Goodin, Richard Gardner, Daniel Meech and Lily Tootill are all in the running, with the team to be named after the opening day of competition on Thursday.
Daniel, Richard, Tom and Bruce were all members of the victorious Kiwi team to win the Nations’ Cup event in Abu Dhabi in February and will no doubt be keen to back that up.
Tom and Lily head to the Czech event with solid results from Germany last weekend. Tom is not long reunited with Popeye but placed third in their last outing. The 10-year-old New Zealand-bred grey is by Cardento, out of Cufflink (who is by Lio Caylon).
Multi Olympian Bruce Goodin will be chasing his spot aboard his 12-year-old Dutch-bred bay Backatorps Danny V who in February won the CSI5* World Cup in Sharjah were also part of the Kiwi team at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon.
Richard and 12-year-old German-bred Calisto 5 are also in the possible line-up along with Lily on her 13-year-old New Zealand sporthorse Ulysses NZPH, and Daniel Meech aboard his 11-year-old grey mare Cinca 3. Helena Stormanns is chef d’equipe. “We are certainly looking forward to Prague,” she said.
NZ Team on the Podium Abu Dhabi Nations Cup 2020 Credit FEI Helen Cruden
Tom, Bruce, Richard and Daniel are also a clutch of lower grade horses too.
It is the first time in 12 years the Czech Republic has hosted an FEI Nations’ Cup and this year has attracted entries from 20 countries with 240 combinations competing in the CSIO3*.
With the world COVID situation, plenty of planning has gone into ensuring those attending the event will be as safe as possible. The event is being organised by the Czech Equestrian Team with courses designed by Uliano Vezzani (ITA).
WHAT: CSIO3* Prague Cup, including FEI Nations’ Cup
WHERE: Chuchle Arena Praha, Prague, the Czech Republic
WHEN: August 20-23, 2020
THE HORSE DETAILS:
Popeye – owned by Tom Tarver and Lucia Voss
Ulysses NZPH – owned by Theresa Gattung and Lily Tootill – Lily Tootill Equestrian
Cinca 3 – owned by Johnson Horses GmbH and Daniel Meech
Calisto 5 – owned by Gestut Jennissen, Gut Nechen Agrar GmbH and Richard Gardner
Backatorps Danny V – owned by Backatorp Ryder AB, and Bruce and Ulrika Goodin
Ngahiwi Para – owed by Lucia Voss
Collin M – owned by Olga Martinczak
Cromwell – owned by Gestut Jennissen, Gut Nechen Agrar GmbH and Richard Gardner
Roulette 134 – owned by Gestut Jennissen, Gut Nechen Agrar
Lego 26 – owned by Sportpferde Carsten Esdser and Johnson Horses GmbH
Dominick – owned by Johnson Horses GmbH
By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison