Olympics: NZ sixth after weakest eventing discipline

3:15PM Sunday August 10, 2008

• Olympics: Day Two Action

New Zealand's three-day eventing team are positioned sixth heading into tomorrow's cross-country after the dressage tests were completed at Sha Tin here today.

First-time Olympian Joe Meyer upstaged his more illustrious teammates Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson to record New Zealand's best score after producing one of the most precise tests of his career with Snip.

Meyer, first off when the third and final dressage bracket started at 6.30am (local time), incurred just 43.90 penalties to eclipse last night's effort by Nicholson and Lord Killinghurst (44.60).

Todd's 49.40 on Gandalf yesterday was one of two discarded scores. Heelan Tompkins, who had 55.60 penalties with Sugoi was the other New Zealand rider to not count, though both can come back into contention in the cross country.

Caroline Powell (Lenamore), thought to be New Zealand's best dressage exponent, received a disappointing 48.00 penalties.

New Zealand carry 136.50 penalties into the cross-country, a phase traditionally considered their strength.

Australia, with three riders in the top six, lead with 102.80 from Germany (110.50) and the United States (115.60).

Great Britain (121.80) and Italy (127.40) make up the top five of the 11 competing nations.

English-based Meyer's polished performance also enabled him to provisionally place 19th in the field of 69 riders.

Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Britannia lead with 30.40 penalties from Belgium's Karin Donckers (Gazelle de la Brasserie, 31.70) and Ingrid Klimke (Abraxxas, 33.50) from Germany.

Nicholson was 21st, Powell 26th, Todd 30th and Tompkins 49th.