Tim Price is leading the New Zealand eventing team’s quest to defend the Nations Cup title won last year at Aachen’s CCIO4* in Germany, holding second place overnight on Wesko.
Tim and his super Dutch-bred gelding scored their best-ever dressage test with 23.8 penalties, to sit fifth, and with a classy clear show jumping round moved up to sit just 0.9 behind the leaders, Great Britain’s Laura Collett on London 52.
Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo are in eighth place, also show jumping clear, on 26.9pen overnight.
Jesse Campbell and Cleveland had a rail show jumping and are now 20th, on 32.4pen, while the fourth New Zealand team member, Daniel Jocelyn and Blackthorn Cruise are 36th of the 42 riders with a score of 44.6.
Daniel Jocelyn and Blackthorn Cruise (Libby Law)
New Zealand’s James Avery, who is riding as an individual, is in 41st place on Mr Sneezy.
The team competition is being run under the traditional rules of four members with the best three scores to count, so with a total of 83.1, New Zealand is currently in second place.
The hosts Germany have a narrow lead, with 80.5, Great Britain is third on 87.2 and Australia fourth on 97.2.
Germany shot to the lead after the dressage phase, with Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob first on 20.7, and Michael Jung on his new ride, fischerChipmunk FRH, second on 25.5, but a show jumping rail apiece saw them drop to third and fourth.
German riders Kai Ruder and Dirk Schrade are in fifth and sixth places, but neither of them are part of the national team. Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida are the third counting score for the hosts, and sit 12th, while Josefa Sommer is on debut, and is 19th riding Hamilton 24.
Laura Collett’s team mates are Piggy French with Quarrycrest Echo (11th) and Gemma Tattersall with Jalapeño (25th). The best two Australias are Chris Burton (Quality Purdey), and Andrew Hoy (Vassily de Lassos), who are currently ninth and 10th.
The cross-country phase is overnight (NZ time).
