Team Price interviewed in New Zealand after a year of tremendous eventing successes: what next for Jonelle and Tim?

Written by Tony Millett.

Jonelle Price & The Deputy at Luhmuhlen (photo courtesy Kerstin Hoffmann)2014 has been a golden year for Tim and Jonelle Price. The New Zealand eventing couple who are based just outside Marlborough at Mildenhall, have won secure places for themselves at the very top level of international eventing.

Jonelle finished the 2014 eventing season being awarded second place in the International Equestrian Federation’s eventing world rankings. She is the first woman to make the top three in the rankings since Mary King topped them in 2011.
She is four places ahead of Andrew Nicholson, 37 ahead of Sir Mark Todd and nine places ahead of her husband, Tim Price.

Tim has also had a great and consistent year making headlines – and a front cover – after winning his first four star international competition at Luhmuhlen.

And while the New Zealand team came unstuck at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, Jonelle who was competing for New Zealand as an individual, raced round the muddy cross country course to come fourth.

And in between the high spots, they had many more successes.

Earlier this month, Jonelle and Tim Price left their Mildenhall yard for some R&R in the sunnier weather of their native New Zealand and to spend Christmas with their families.

It’s not all R&R: they have been on the look out for new young horses and been kept busy with a visit to the Puhinui International Three Day Event, a clinic for aspiring young eventers - and lots of interviews – including an interview on New Zealand television’s main evening news (photo left) and a long-distance interview with Marlborough News Online.

We opened by asking : It’s been quite a twelve months for you both – hard work really pays off?

“Not in all cases but certainly in ours! It took several years to establish the business and our means to survive in the UK, but for the past couple of years we've been able to focus more on our own careers, training and maintaining the horse power - which has been key to what we’ve done.”

Tim Price and Wesko on the way to victory at Luhmuhlen (photo courtesy Kerstin Hoffmann)And what, Jonelle, was the most important achievement for each of you during 2014? “For Tim it was having his first four star win at Luhmuhlen. For me it is a toss up between coming fourth at the World Equestrian Games in France or our current number two place in the world rankings.”

After the British eventing season ended, Jonelle and Tim and their New Zealand team mates travelled to two of the relatively new indoor eventing competitions – at Stuttgart and Stockholm. At the Stuttgart German Masters Jonelle (with Classic Moet) and Tim (with Hugo) were third and fourth. And at the Swedish International Show with its Indoor Eventing Derby Tim (with Xavier Taer) was second and Jonelle (with Classic Moet) was fifth. And in the team competition team NZ came first at both events.

Tim at the Stuttgart Indoor Eventing Derby (photo courtesy Kerstin Hoffmann)We asked about these competitions - the European indoor events off the end of the traditional eventing season were good for you both – how do you find the razzmatazz of events like the Swedish Indoor Eventing competition?

“It's great fun! It's so different, so far removed from our normal competition life. Usually were in the middle of a muddy field, so to be in the middle of a city, put up in hotels, riding at night in front of tens of thousands rowdy spectators that really get involved, is very different. While we take it seriously (the prize money is a definite factor), it is a bit of fun and doesn't come with the usual pressure, so really it’s a fun and social challenge.

And should these post-season events turn into an Indoor Eventing World Cup, Jonelle is on record as saying the New Zealand team would sign up and go for it.

Jonelle, you mentioned the need for professional eventers to maintain ‘horse power’, can you talk briefly about one of the young horses you each have up your sleeves for next season’s eventing?

“With some super owners, we have just bought a six year-old grey mare called Ascona from Germany. She arrived before we came away, so I had a few weeks to get to know her. She competed at the Young Horse Finals in Germany and looks to be a lovely prospect for the job. While I've got some strength now at the top end, I am lacking a bit at the lower levels - it's equally important to keep these ones coming through, hopefully she will help to fill that gap.’

“Tim’s new horse is Bango - he is a classy old fashioned type who I see as having the potential to go to top level. Broken in by myself as a three year-old, I have produced him to advanced level, having finished 12th in his first CCI*** at the recent Boekelo event in Holland. I see next year as being a break through season for this rising nine year-old, he should give his syndicate of local owners, lots to look forward to.”

With the New Zealand eventing season underway while you are there, are you tempted to take part – or even to be spectators?

Sir Mark Todd & Jonelle enoy the informality of the Stuttgart event (photo Kerstin Hoffmann)“We landed at Auckland and within 15 minutes were at New Zealand's premier three day event the Puhinui International 3-Day Event! We were guests there for three days, hosting sponsors and volunteers, doing course walks and we rode in a novelty high jump competition - amongst other tasks! It was tempting to ride, but coming off the back of a busy season, we decided to sit it out and be more available for the tasks at hand.”

Finally, we asked Jonelle will you and Tim both be going to the United States’ prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event at Lexington in early spring?

“No, I won't be going. I have three four star horses, two will start at Badminton and the third at Luhmuhlen. Faerie Dianimo was the horse I was considering taking. At only nine years-old she finished fourth in her first four star at Pau in October. As Pau comes so late in the season, we've decided to give her a bit more time in the spring and go with her to Luhmuhlen instead.

Having been to Kentucky once, I would love to go back again, but this time I'll have to sit it out and keep my fingers crossed for Tim who will have a very good chance with Wesko.”

[Click on photos to enlarge them]

Jonelle & Classic Moet at Luhmuhlen (photo courtesy Kerstin Hoffmann)

Kerstin Hoffmann is a German equestrian artist who specialises in drawing sport horses. And she is particularly keen on drawing eventing horses. In November, at the German Masters Indoor Derby in Stuttgart, she presented (photo below) Jonelle and Tim with her drawing of them riding Classic Moet and Wesko – and they autographed two prints of the drawing for her.

Marlborough News Online is very grateful to Kerstin for her permission to use some of her outstanding eventing photographs. Her website is currently being reconstructed, but you can catch-up on her drawings via her twitter account.