EQUESTRIAN OLYMPICS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28169, 7 January 1957, Page 3

EQUESTRIAN OLYMPICS

Possibility Of N.Z. Entry

(New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, Jan. 6. If New Zealand horsemen can make further improvement such as has been possible in the last five years, there is no reason why this country should not be able to produce an equestrian team that would perform creditably at the next Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, said Mr W. R. Duncan, of Taihape, president of the New Zealand Horse Society, yesterday..

Mr .Duncan recently returned from Stockholm and the equestrian events for the 1956 Olympics, at which he was the official delegate and observer for the Dominion appointed by the British Empire and Olympic Games Association.

The standard of equestrian events at Stockholm was much higher than here, said Mr Duncan. Show jumping particularly was one of the most difficult courses ever erected for competition. This was necessary to get the ultimate winner when there were combinations of horses and riders which were the best in the world competing against one another. Attending many shows in other European countries he formed the opinion that the performances of New Zealand’s top riders and horses would be worthy of entry in competition in any of these lands.

Seeing the top riders of Europe and their methods of training horses made it obvious that New Zealand must pay more attention to training and preparation, which included what was called suppling here, said Mr Duncan. One of the main faults ot most show jumpers in this country was that they did not come back to the bit smoothly enough, thereby enabling them to shorten their stride and gain more impulsion from the hocks, so essential in jumping both upright and spread fences.