London Olympic eventing hopeful Clarke Johnstone heads to Britain tomorrow a serious contender to make the New Zealand team next year.
The 24-year-old Waikato horseman leaves after a golden run on both sides of the Tasman and atop the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Cup eventing rankings.
A member of New Zealand's bronze medal-winning team at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2010, Johnstone has had two FEI wins and a third placing to his credit.
He heads offshore with five sound horses in Orient Express, KS Secrets, Incognito, Regal Romar and Viper SL.
"It has been an amazing run and to have all of them sound is just awesome. I have a really fantastic team and I finally feel I am ready to go," he said today.
Johnstone has put off basing himself offshore for years, and he looks back comfortably on that decision.
"I am so pleased I did hold off for such a long time."
Part of his golden run is a belief in himself.
"For the last three years I was getting closer and closer to winning in Australia (at the World Cup event) and after Kihikihi when I just headed off Chris Burton, I really thought I could do it."
Johnstone will be base in Gloucestershire and is eying Aachen for Orient Express in mid July, Burghley for Secrets and Incognito in September, and Blenheim for Orient Express.
He will only start at the final leg of the World Cup league in France in late August if his lead is challenged.
"We need to keep performing, doing well and posting good solid results - that consistency."
He also faces the task of setting up almost from scratch at a new barn, with new vets, trainers, farriers and even gallop tracks, but he's happy in the knowledge that Equestrian Sports New Zealand eventing high performance coach Erik Duvander is there to help him, having recently relocated to Britain.
There's now a tussle for New Zealand team positions, with Blyth Tait on the comeback trail, the ageless Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson, both veterans of many Olympic campaigns, as well as WEG team bronze medallist Caroline Powell and Jonathan Paget, all in contention.
