What Mark Todd needs to do to qualify for the Olympics

To qualify for the Olympics, riders and horses, as a combination, have to have achieved a “qualifying result” at a CCI****, or at a CCI*** plus a CIC***, with these results achieved between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2008.

An FEI qualifying result is:

• No more than 75 penalties in the dressage
• No more than 16 jumping penalties in the show jumping
• No more than 20 jumping penalties across country
• No more than 36 time-penalties (48 at CCI****) across country

New Zealand is not qualified as a team for the Olympics, but it is very likely they will qualify five riders for Hong Kong by virtue of their position on the rider rankings — this will be confirmed on 1 May.

New Zealand team manager Blyth Tait confirmed to H&H that these riders secure a nation spot, but are not necessarily the riders who will represent that nation — the five who actually compete at the Olympics will be chosen by the New Zealand Eventing selectors.

Click here for more information on Olympic qualification procedures.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.