Melissa Galloway on Windermere J’Obei W bowed out of the Olympics with a record and a smile on her face.
The combination scored 68.914% to claim a New Zealand Olympic record for the highest Grand Prix dressage score and finish seventh of 10 in Group G.
With the dressage run over two days and split into ranking groups, the New Zealander faced a tough task.
The highest score of the six groups came from the Group G winner Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Germany) aboard TSF Dalera BB on 82.065%. The top two from each group and the six next best scores qualify for the individual final – the grand prix freestyle.
Despite missing out on the final, Galloway was ecstatic, especially as she did it on a horse she bought as a two-year-old and has produced herself.
“It’s such a different story from the majority of people here. I don’t think many realise where we come from, what the facilities are like and the access is to training, compared to what everyone has here.
“It’s such a different world, so to actually have done it and made it to the Olympics and not done a bad job, I am so, so proud and so grateful.”
Galloway said the feeling in the test was just pure joy and harmony. “I loved how he lifted as the crowd cheered when we entered and from then on, I just enjoyed it all, as did he. Overall, he felt strong and powerful. It was a moment we will treasure forever.”
The previous New Zealand Olympic Grand Prix record was set by Julie Brougham aboard Vom Feinsten at Rio in 2016, when they scored 68.543%.