Preparations Heat Up to Extend Olympic Record

Phillip Dutton Performs Well at the Kentucky Horse Trials

April 29, 2004 - The Australian Eventing team's preparation for achieving an Olympic record 4th consecutive gold medal heats up this month with key selection events held in USA and England. Atlanta and Sydney gold medallist Phillip Dutton has pressed his claims for selection in the team with outstanding performances at an event in Kentucky (USA) last weekend. Riding in the traditional 4 star three-day event, Dutton placed 2nd out of a high quality field of 44 riders on his 12 year old gelding Nova Top.

The Kentucky 4-star is one of only four events held throughout the world at this level and a second placing in an Olympic year is an excellent result for the seasoned 40 year old Dutton, who hails from Nyngan, NSW but is now based in the USA. Last year Dutton rode Nova Top to victory at the Asia Pacific Championships held in England at the Blenheim three-day event. With both the Blenheim and Kentucky performances achieved in front of the Australian team coach Wayne Roycroft and Chairman of Selectors Jim Dunn, Dutton has enhanced his chances of selection for Athens and equalling Dawn Fraser and Andrew Hoy with three gold medals in the same event at consecutive Olympic Games.

Not content with a second in the 4-star event Dutton capped off a memorable weekend with a 2nd placing in the Kentucky modified 4-star event on his 12-year-old gelding Hannigan. The modified event held at Kentucky was one of only three Athens Olympic format events scheduled in 2004, the other two being in Ireland in early June and Sydney in late June. With the Athens Eventing competition being run for the first time as a modified three-day event, there is significant interest in how the new format will operate and what effect it has on the performances.

In Athens there will be a second round of showjumping in order to determine the individual winner and Dutton, along with the Australian selectors would be encouraged with his two clear showjumping rounds at Kentucky, one of only three riders to achieve this feat across both the 4-star and modified 4-star competitions.

EFA High Performance Manager Gareth McKeen commented that "Phillip is well aware of the importance of the showjumping phase after the 2002 World Games where he was in second place going into the showjumping round only to have two rails down and fall back to 5th place. He is a vastly experienced rider and whilst he won't be getting carried away with the Kentucky results, it proves yet again the old adage in sport that the champion athletes perform when it really matters."