Australia announced four eventing rider-and horse-combinations for the Olympic Games in Rio on July 12. The team is as follows:

Chris Burton on Santano II 

Sam Griffiths on Paulank Brockagh 

Shane Rose on CP Qualified 

Stuart Tinney on Pluto Mio

Rose, a team silver medalist from the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, knows what it takes to succeed and about Olympic heartbreak. This is his fourth time named to an Olympic team, but injuries to horses twice meant 2008 was the only time he was able to compete.

“Setbacks happen, you need to learn from the mistakes. I feel like I’ve done that,” said Rose. “I want to win a gold medal. I want to be the best in the world. You don’t need a lot of extra motivation. Every stone has been turned, but horses are unique creatures; it’s not as though I’m just preparing myself. Things happen, we just have to deal with them as best as we can.”

Tinney was part of the last team gold at Sydney in 2000. His horse Pluto Mio was also the best performing Australian horse at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (France).

“He’s a top class international horse, and it will be good to get out there on the stage and compete against the rest of the world with him,” Tinney said. “He’s a very nice horse and as good as I’ve had that’s for sure.”  

Griffiths was selected as reserve for the 2012 Olympics in London and got his first Olympic opportunity with the withdrawal of Rose and Megan Jones. He fell from his horse in the cross-country and with Rio selection gets another chance.

“I am obviously thrilled to be able to represent Australia at the Olympics for a second games,” Griffiths said. “It is a huge honor—it is, without doubt, the pinnacle of our sport, and I am over the moon to be in the team. 

“I have very high expectations. I will need to perform at my best, as the competition is always fierce at a championship like this,” he continued. “But I do know that, having won Badminton [CCI****] 2014 with my Rio horse, Paulank Brockagh, I am sitting on one of the best horses in the world, and I know that we can be very competitive and really ‘cut it’ with the best. I think the team itself is incredibly competitive, and I can’t wait to get out there and get the job done.”  

Burton is ranked No. 2 on the individual rider world rankings and ready for his second Olympic Team after placing 16th as an individual in London 2012 when the team was sixth.

“It is a very special thing to be selected to represent your country at the Olympic Games,” Burton said. “A huge amount goes into preparing and qualifying a horse for selection so it is a nice reward to have all the hard work pay off. London was my first Olympics, so that was special, but I can’t say there is any less excitement this time around.

“Santano is actually bred for dressage, but he has somehow defied all breeding logic and turned into a fabulous eventing horse,” Burton added. “He is one of the fastest horses across the ground that I have ridden and has amazing stamina for a horse with so little blood in his breeding. He is a very special horse who wakes you every morning and is excited to be an event horse.”