MARLBOROUGH-BASED eventer Tim Price is preparing himself for one of the biggest years of his career.

The 36-year-old is targeting his first Olympic Games appearance with New Zealand and is in prime position having ended last year third in the FEI rankings.

Price was able to blow away the cobwebs with his first event of the year at the Wellington Showcase in Florida at the beginning of the month.

Having been invited to the event, Price was loaned two horses and claimed a top-10 finish – with fellow Kiwi rider Dan Jocelyn taking third spot.

“It was myself and Dan that went out and we were the only ones who had catch rides,” Price said.

“It adds a different element to it but it is good fun and you have just got to go and suss out a horse in a short amount of time and then go and perform at advance level.

“I was happy with 10th and it was brilliant of Dan to come third.

“It definitely takes a couple of runs to get into the mode, especially cross-country because that is something that you do out of intuition and impulse and you need to get out and hone that a little bit to get it the way you want to early on.

“With the show-jumping and the dressage, it is more structured and requires training so that is what I am pretty sharp on.

“I was pleased to get that early run out of the way and now I should be up and running.”

Price is in the thick of preparing his horses for the long season ahead at their Mere Farm home and has been able to take some time out to recharge his batteries before he looks to re-discover the consistency that did him so well last year.

“The off-season has been incredible,” he added.

“I managed to get back to New Zealand and go camping and visit family and have some sunshine and came back to an English winter.

“I went skiing and managed to stay in one piece, which was the main job, and I am feeling very refreshed and ready to go and quite keen on seeing a little less mud as the summer months come.

“We’re just eager to go and I know from years gone by how quickly things come around and Kentucky and Badminton are literally just around the corner.

“I am not sat here champing at the bit because they will be here soon enough.”