Equestrian Tim Price competing in Paris Photo: AFP / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
The wait for another equestrian medal at the Olympics continues with the New Zealand Eventing team failing to make the podium in Paris.
New Zealand finished eighth in the team's event, while Tim Price was the best in the individual competition in sixth place.
The last Olympic medal New Zealand claimed at a games was a bronze in the teams competition in London in 2012.
The three riders in Paris all have the pedigree with Tim Price having won five five star events while his wife Jonelle Price has won three.
However it's probably a bit harsh to criticize their performance here.
"Our target was to podium, of course gold would have been preferable, but it's about being consistent, Tim Price told RNZ.
Price admits it's tough to rival the top nations in the sport.
"Great Britain are going through a real purple patch at the moment with horses that are flawless in all three phases.
"Unless we have a $10 million budget to buy what those horses are worth we are not in a position to rival them.
"But we are a little mighty team that had the chance to do something worthy of a silver or bronze.
In fact the halcyon days may never be repeated.
New Zealand led the sport in the eighties and nineties with Mark Todd and Blyth Tait winning individual gold medals at the Olympics.
Between 1984 and 2012 New Zealand won ten medals, including three gold.
There has been nothing since.
"We're never ever going to forget what they (Todd and Tait) did, they put us on the map, they're legends of the sport," Jonelle Price told RNZ.
"But the sport has changed, what was New Zealand's natural strength is no longer in the sport and we'll need to try and upskill in the other areas where the European horses are better than us."
Jonelle Price competing at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Libby Law
In the past New Zealand would traditionally start slowly in the opening dressage and then excel in the cross country on the second day and hold on in the showjumping.
"Back then the New Zealand thoroughbred was king of the world and the dressage wasn't so important," Jonelle Price said.
"I think a bronze medal Blyth (Tait) won at a world championship he was almost last after the dressage and then jumped a fast double clear and won the bronze medal… these days that is just never going to happen.
"Now the type of horse has changed, the competition has got so tight and we've just got to get better to match it."
Tim Price summed up their Olympic campaign.
"We were aiming for a serious medal and so it's really disappointing but it is sport at the end of the day and we'll take stock and see what we can do better next time."
Eventing results from Paris
Team: New Zealand 8th
Individual: Tim Price 6th, Clarke Johnstone 18th, Jonelle Price 40th.
