Dan Jocelyn notched a couple of personal best efforts at the Games and is already looking to bring Grovine de Reve back to the US to compete in their first 4*.

The 48-year-old, who rode as an individual, was clearly disappointed to have two of the last three showjumping down on the final day but he was quick to add his 10-year-old Irish-bred horse is one to look out for.

“He is a good horse and has age on his side,” said Dan. “He is learning the whole time. I am gutted to have had those two rails down. He is a great jumper and has jumped well all season . . . he very rarely has a rail down so it is a bit of a shame in the last three to have two down. A little bit of maturity in that last line for both of us and it would have finished off a great week but don’t get me wrong – I love the horse. He has tried his heart out and I am looking forward to the future.”

Dan felt it was a lovely course and atmosphere. “I love jumping big tracks and that was a big track. He has done personal bests in the first phases and could have easily done his personal best there and finished overall on a high – which I am, but the last fence always hurts.”

While showjumping had a sting in its tail for the former Olympian, the cross country was a huge highlight. “I couldn’t have asked for more,” he said. “I was just so pleased. I said to him ‘this is going to be tough Reve. You are going to have to dig deep’ and he did. He was tired at the end but he kept his jump for me.”

Dan and Grovine de Reve scored 32.8 in the dressage to sit in 51stplace, added just 13.2 time penalties from the cross country to move up to 43rdand their eight faults in the showjumping saw them finish the championship in 38th.

Dan would love Kentucky to be the horse’s first 4*. “I would love to bring him back to America and do Kentucky. I think that would be a lovely first 4* for him carrying on from this. Then, maybe . . . who knows, but he is definitely one to keep coming on for the Olympics, so that will be my aim for him.”

Grovine de Reve is by Hermea de Reve, out of Erkina Jane (by Rimils) and his owned by Therese Miller, Jo Preston-Hunt, Philip Hunt and Dan.

By Diana Dobson, NZ team liaison

Photo by Libby Law Photography