Otago riders were among the frustrated participants as the New Zealand endurance championships were abandoned at the weekend.
Organisers had no choice but to pull the pin at Mayfield, inland from Ashburton, due to atrocious conditions.
Like swathes of the country, the area where the event was to take place sustained flooding, and it presented the horses with treacherous underfoot conditions.
The three-day event was to have started at 1pm on Friday, with senior riders heading off in the centrepiece event, the 160km ride.
Organisers delayed the start to 4pm in the hopes the weather would improve, but the decision was then made to call off all competition for the day, and everyone sat tight for a Saturday morning start.
However, as it became clear underfoot conditions would not improve and flooding on the track was not about to subside, the organising committee announced the decision to abandon the event.
A spokesman said the decision was made in the interests of horse welfare and rider safety. Rain had persisted through the morning and the ride base was a sea of mud.
Entry fees will be refunded, and organisers will be left ruing the missed opportunity for riders to qualify for the World Equestrian Games.
Members of Equestrian Sports New Zealand's high performance programme were in discussions with squad riders and selectors, the spokesman said.
