A broken collarbone couldn't stop Kiwi equestrian Tim Price from delivering one of his best-ever results, as he surged to silver at the Badminton Horse Trials.
In a remarkable finish on Monday (NZ time), Price climbed from 10th after the dressage on the opening day, to sixth in the cross country phase, before jumping clear to secure silver.
The experienced multiple Olympian credits his upbringing with his parents and two brothers on a Canterbury farm for sparking his interest in the global equestrian stage.
"We had a small horse stud, 50 acres odd in Oxford, and there were horses coming out our ears," the 46-year-old, Price said.
"I was working with horses young and old, and it was very normal to be dealing with horses every day."
At the family-run block, stallions were bred to mares, before the pony club, show jumping and eventing competitions shaped the direction of Price's life.
The three-time Olympian calls England home where he's found a special rural corner of countryside with his wife Jonelle, who also competes at the highest level in three-day eventing for New Zealand.
"Down here in Dorset we're in the middle of nowhere. It's a beautiful farm with an excellent equestrian facility, owned by a great man who puts a lot into this estate," Price said.
Of the husband and wife duo, Jonelle was the first to wear the silver fern at the 2012 Olympics Games in London.
The eventing power couple have represented New Zealand together now at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Before the event, he tried his best to keep his broken collarbone from a biking injury under wraps.
"It wasn't something I really wanted to make public in the last few big events, so I just said I had a busted shoulder," he said.
"Badminton has eluded me. It's a very difficult event to win. It's tricky to get the best out of your horse so early in the northern hemisphere season."
"I was really happy with the result with Falco, he was just class all the way through."
The 17-year-old gelding is a superb jumper, however only time will if he can compete at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
"He's now been second at one of the biggest five star events at Badminton, he was sixth at the Paris Olympics, he's been a great horse, not just for me, but for New Zealand in teams."
"He's getting a little on the older side, in two years time is the Los Angeles Olympics - that might just be a little late in his career for him."
Nonetheless, Price has his sights firmly set on the World Championships with Falco later this year in Aachen in Germany.
"Possibly Burghley in the autumn - just to show everyone how cool he is."
