MILDENHALL eventer Jonelle Price secured her own piece of history after winning her second consecutive CCI four-star event at the weekend.
Price, who won Badminton Horse Trials last month, secured victory aboard Faerie Dianimo at Luhmuhlen in Germany to become the first female New Zealand rider to achieve back-to-back wins at top level.
“If you had asked me in January, having come off the back of a quiet year, I would never in my wildest dreams have thought I would be sitting here at the end of June with two four star wins under my belt,” said Price, whose husband Tim won the CCI four-star aboard Wesko in 2014.
“It is beyond my wildest expectations.”
Price was second at the end of the cross country course, with leader Boyd Martin (USA) withdrawing his horse Shamwari 4 before the second horse inspection, citing a sore hind leg.
However, with less than a rail between the top six heading into the showjumping, just six of the 29 combinations went clear and inside time.
Price was pushed all the way by a posse of British riders but finished on 28.3 penalty points.
Lambourn-based Laura Collett and Mr Bass were second on 29.9, followed by British compatriot Rosaline Canter on Zenshera in third on 29.9.
Another Wiltshire-based rider, Lower Stanton St Quintin's Kitty King was fourth on Ceylor LAN on 32.2.
Price added: “We love coming here (Luhmuhlen).
“It is the highlight of our calendar. This is a special win for Faerie Dianimo.”
“This mare is spectacular in so many ways. She is tiny – barely 16hh but thinks she is 18hh and bulletproof.
"It is those qualities that make her quite difficult but equally brilliant, and she showed that brilliance today coming out and jumping like that under pressure.”
Faerie Dianimo was Price’s Rio Olympic horse and the duo were second in the CCI four-star at Luhmuhlen in 2015. Only six CCI four-star events are held across the world each year.
Referring to Badminton victor Classic Moet, Price added:“I couldn’t be more happy with my two mares. I believe each are such deserving winners.”
Ramsbury-based New Zealander Jesse Campbell was 19th at Luhmuhlen aboard Amsterdam 21 on 71.1 and had a spill on his other horse Cleveland.
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