Another fledgling combination aim to impress

There is more than one blossoming partnership between horse and rider underpinning New Zealand's Olympic equestrian team.

While the relatively short liaison – eight months isn't long in eventing terms – between Mark Todd and Gandalf has added to the intrigue of the double Olympic champion's impressive comeback, the showjumping fraternity had a similar tale to tell ahead of their competition starting in Hong Kong late today (11.15pm NZ time).

Katie McVean, the solitary woman among New Zealand's showjumping quartet in Hong Kong, has only had her mount Forest since November.

But like experienced horseman Todd, the 22-year-old has swiftly built up a rapport with the 17-year-old grey gelding.

"She's had Forest a very short time, but they've been successful very quickly," McVean's mother Vicki said.

"He found her, he was wanting a home. The owners rang Kate and it was all over really. In he came and they just clicked immediately.

"It's a partnership thing with horses," she said.

"It's different to any other athlete. You don't have to worry if your boat's in a bad mood.

"Horses have to be just as well as any top athlete and in the same mind set as the rider on the day."

Forest was brought to New Zealand as a seven-year-old by Natasha Slavich of Paeroa. She had ridden him in Europe for three years and when previous rider Lisa Coup's lease expired Slavich sought out the promising McVean as a replacement.

McVean, who boasts strong showjumping bloodlines through Vicki and her two-time Olympian father Jeff, did not take much convincing.

And the family's inherent horse sense soon paid dividends.

McVean and Forest promptly won the Olympic Cup at the prestigious Horse of The Year at Hastings in March – and became contenders for a place on the Olympic team.

Apart from the kudos associated with winning the Olympic Cup, the $120,000 prizemoney helped finance a European campaign – an important phase of McVean's build-up.

Based in Belgium for a series of European grand prix events, McVean completed her preparations in Aachen, Germany, where Forest was in quarantine before arriving in Hong Kong on August 4.

New Zealand met the criteria for Hong Kong by winning the Asia Pacific qualifier in June 2007 but the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) only ratified their participation in April.

Experienced Olympians Bruce Goodin, Daniel Meech, McVean and fellow debutant Sharn Wordley were chosen with the aim of improving on New Zealand's 11th placing in Athens four years ago.

Those intentions suffered a setback yesterday when Meech's horse Sorbas was withdrawn on medical advice after being unable to overcome a leg infection. He has been replaced by travelling reserve Kirk Webby and Sitah.

McVean was actually in the frame to make her Olympics debut in Greece but her then mount Dolly faltered when the shortlist of eight was being whittled down.

Still, there was always a sense of when, not if, McVean would follow in her father's footsteps.

Jeff McVean rode for Australia at the Los Angeles and Seoul Olympics and would have completed a treble had the Moscow Games in 1980 not been boycotted.

He was a professional showjumper for 14 years in England before moving to wife Vicki's domain in the Waikato in 1990 when Katie was three.

Their other daughter Emma-Lee trains racehorses with Dad, but for Katie, showjumping has always been the priority.

"Every little girl that rides a showjumping pony has dreams of doing this, it's been an absolute dream," Vicki McVean said.

Katie went to her first show soon after arriving in New Zealand, won her first grand prix at nine but was never into the pony club scene.

"She didn't actually go (to pony club) because she was one of those kids that wanted to be jumping three feet when they were all only jumping six inches," her mother said.

"She got a bit bored but she did loads on the hunt field. She was jumping full wires when she was seven with the Waikato hunt."

McVean racked up multiple age group titles domestically and was representing New Zealand as a senior when aged just 15, two years after she won the children's world championship.

Given she has spent the last five years on the circuit in Europe, Jeff McVean doubted his daughter would be daunted as a first-time Olympian when she rides into the ring at Sha Tin.

"She's pretty clued up now. She's not an unknown, she's over there (in Europe) for the jumping seasons – she hasn't just plonked straight into the Olympics."

-NZPA