MARLBOROUGH based event rider Jesse Campbell will represent his native New Zealand as part of the Nations Cup team competition at Boekelo International Horse Trials in Holland this weekend.

Jesse was asked by the New Zealand Eventing High Performance selectors to re-route his New Zealand-bred, ex-racehorse Kaapachino from the Pau CCI4* event to the Boekelo CCI3*, in order to help his country gain qualification for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio after they failed to do so at last year’s World Championships.

New Zealand will have the chance to qualify through individual riders FEI rankings but by qualifying at Boekelo they would be able to travel a reserve to Rio, an advantage to team that will arrive in Brazil a week before the games begin.

Jesse said: “It is a tremendous honour to be asked to ride on the New Zealand team. Kaapachino is a gorgeous horse, but not the most gifted.

"His conformation makes the jumping phase hard for him and his movement is not in the same league as the horses bred for specifically for eventing, but he is a horse with a tremendous heart who tries incredibly hard for me.

"The fact he consistently achieves 75 per cent in his four star and three star dressage tests - a record for a NZ ex-racehorse, and that he consistently completes cross-country without faults and within the time, is testament to how hard he tries and the special nature of our relationship.

"He's my best friend and there is no other horse I want to be riding for New Zealand at this crucial time."

Jesse’s recent form has stood in him good stead for selection. At Millstreet in Ireland in August, he won both the CIC3* and CIC2* with Kaapachinao and another of his horses, Cleveland.

"Both horses were amazing and if Kaapy (Kaapachino) can reproduce that form it would be great,” Jesse commented. “The forecast for Boekelo is for some rain and the conditions in Holland’s low lying flats will be heavy, which is very tiring for horses competing on these long format international tracks.

"Sue Benson, who designed the 2012 London Olympic Games cross-country course, is the course designer and it will be a true international test of accuracy, courage and endurance."

Great Britain are also fielding a team at the event, as are Germany, Holland, Sweden, Australia, Japan and the US.

The UK-based Australian riders have been in top form in recent times and with the US fully funding a team to fly from the US to Boekelo, the completion is shaping up to be a battle of the best.