THE EVENT: Tapner moves step closer to London 2012 (From Swindon Advertiser)

THE EVENT: Tapner moves step closer to London 2012

6:30am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Other Sport

PAUL Tapner has joined fellow Wiltshire rider Clayton Fredericks as a possible Australian Olympic candidate.

Dad of two Tapner, who is based with his British wife Georgina at Highworth, is on the Australian Elite Holding Squad with 2010 Badminton winner Inonothing.

The 16-year-old, who Tapner co-owns with Jenny Waaler, has not been seen in competition since suffering an injury at the World Equestrian Games in the USA in October 2010.

Inonothing fractured a bone in his stifle joint which meant a long, slow recovery, but had his first cross country outing in a local schooling run on January 21.

A showjumping schooling session at the Hand arena near Clevedon a few days later also went well.

“Inonothing was jumping the best ever - a year off seems to be working in his favour,” Tapner said.

The horse now has to prove his fitness and current form in competition when the season gets underway in March.

Fredericks, a Beijing Olympic team silver medallist in 2008, was named an Australian team frontrunner with three horses - Bendigo III, Be My Guest and Dunge’s Laurent Rose - included in the elite squad.

Tapner has also been named on the Australian Eventing National A Squad with rising 10-year-old stallion Wickstead Didgeridoo, who went well at three-star level in 2011.

Also on that squad is Marlborough-based Aussie rider Catherine Burrell, with the 11-year-old Urzan, also successful at three-star level.

Lucinda Fredericks, also a Beijing silver medallist, is on A squad with the 11-year-old mare Prada.