MILDENHALL-BASED rider Jonelle Price helped New Zealand to book their place at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio at the FEI Nations Cup event at Boekelo in the Netherlands last weekend.

Price, ranked at number five in the world, was the best placed of four Kiwi riders as New Zealand, team bronze medallists at London 2012, finished ahead of Japan in the Nations Cup team standings to secure their berth for Brazil.

The Wiltshire-based rider dropped to 22nd place on Cloud Dancer having led the 84-rider field after the dressage phase.

But her result, plus that of husband Tim, on Xavier Faer, Marlborough-based Jesse Campbell, on Kaapachino, and Dan Jocelyn on Dassett Cool Touch, helped the Kiwis into third spot behind winners Ireland and the United States in second.

Campbell and Kaapachino were placed second going into the showjumping phase, but picked up 21 faults to drop to 26th.