MARLBOROUGH-based eventer Tim Price has been dealt a devastating blow in his build up to the Olympics with his star horse Wesko ruled out for the season.

The New Zealand rider was set to ride the 13-year-old horse at Kentucky next weekend, an event the duo finished second at last year, in preparation for Rio later this year but a soft tissue injury has ended his hopes for the year.

“What a year for him to pick to get an injury,” Price told NZ Horse & Pony.

“He has gone his whole life so far 100 per cent injury-free. It’s really poor timing, and it is not cool for the team, and not cool for me either, but it is what it is.

“Last week I was in a terrible state; it felt life-changing.

“But now I’m at that stage of accepting it. I can’t do anything else. It happens with horses and I’ve had a really good run.”

Price will still travel to Kentucky this Sunday with his number-two horse, Bango, as he looks to put the set-back behind him and re-focus on the upcoming event, which is followed by Badminton the week after.

Kentucky will be Bango’s second four-star event, having finished 15th at Luhmülen last year and is a horse that Price has high hopes for.

“Bango has really come of age and I am really excited about him,” he told the Gazette and Herald.

“He has always been a super talented horse but he hasn’t been one to string together a lot of victories.

“He has been coming up through the ranks and is 10 years old now and it is his second four star and it is a case of maturity for him and he feels a lot more mature and physically a lot stronger.

“The focus is very much on the two four star events (Kentucky and Badminton) at this end of the year and once they are behind me I can have a little think about things beyond.”