Jonelle riding Classic Moet (above) and Tim riding Wesko (below)
The emotional highs and lows of top level eventing were exemplified by the experience of married couple Tim and Jonelle Price at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in recent days
We talked to Jonelle at last year’s Le Grand Complet at Le Pin where she was riding Classic Moet in her first 3* start and last week this mare with the ‘amazing attitude and a really big heart’ has showed how far she has come since then. The fastest cross country on Saturday and only four faults in the packed stadium on the final show jumping day meant that Jonelle and Classic Moet were just out of the medals in fourth place.
“We’ve really forged a partnership and I think that showed this week” says Jonelle
The other important partnership in Jonelle’s life is with her husband Tim who was also competing at the Games on his Luhmuhlen 4* winner, Wesko. Tim, who was competing for the New Zealand team, had a less successful WEG having to retire Wesko just before the end of the cross country course as it became obvious that the horse was struggling to finish
“I was deliberating whether to pull him up or not and the officials helped me make my mind up” says Tim when we spoke to the couple after Jonelle’s show jumping round
Tim and Jonelle Price
Before and after - Jonelle walks the course with NZ Eventing show jumping coach Luis Alvarez Cervera (above) while Tim and NZ coach Eric Duvander look very happy with Jonelle's show jumping round
