Prices Top World Rankings
New Zealand’s golden couple of eventing Tim and Jonelle
Price are now officially on top of the world.
The latest
FEI rankings have Tim at no.1 and Jonelle at no.2 and it is
believed they are the first married couple to do so. It’s
been three-and-a-half years since Tim last held the top spot
but he has been in the top 10 the whole time and as a couple
they have consistently featured in those much sought-after
slots.
Tim and Jonelle were just last month members of
New Zealand’s bronze medal-winning team at the FEI World
Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy where Tim also won
the individual bronze.
Tim was absolutely thrilled with
the new rankings. “It’s been a lot of hard work and
blood, sweat and tears that goes into the consistency (to
achieve this), and Jonelle and I are extremely thrilled to
be at the top of the pile,” he said.
Jonelle said it
was certainly a very special acknowledgement.
“It is a
great achievement. I have always hoped we might do the one
two at a 5* and we came so close at Pau last year when I was
second equal and demoted to third. But here we are at the
world rankings which is a great achievement of consistency
at the highest level so to be up there flying that flag for
New Zealand and our wider team is something really
special,” said Jonelle. “It is something you have to
fight for, to keep, so that is the next job but here and now
we can enjoy it!”
Former world no.1 Oliver Townend
(GBR), who held the top spot for the past three years, has
slipped to third, just 10 points behind Jonelle, with
Rosalind Canter (GBR) in fourth.
To round out a pretty
good day for Team Price, their groom Kerryn Edmans, is one
of four to be shortlisted in the Cavalor FEI Best Groom
category of this year's FEI
Awards.