Biography
British-based New Zealand Olympic rider Jonelle Price (41) was the winner on her last visit here in 2018 with the mare Classic Moet, also entered this year. It will be a fifth visit for Classic Moet who has four completions. Last year the pair was 7th in Lexington and 8th in the USA 5* at Elkton. Last year with Grovine de Reve Jonelle was the highest placed member of the NZ team at the Tokyo Olympic Games (11th) and 3rd in the 5* at Lexington. Both horses spent the early part of the year jumping in Spain.
Jonelle is based near Marlborough in Wiltshire where with Tim– also entered for Badminton – the pair runs a yard together. She was a member of the New Zealand team for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. Jonelle is currently ranked #2 in the FEI world rider ranking and was 6th in the 2021 BE top 100 rider ranking.
Jonelle hails from Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand and is the youngest of four from a non-horsey family – her father was a butcher. Her ‘bizarre passion for horses’ is something of a mystery and was fired when she made a friend who had horses. After school Jonelle went to study law at Canterbury University, and completed the first year before giving up to pursue her dream of eventing at the highest level.
In 2004 Jonelle was a reserve for the Athens Olympics and in 2006 the Aachen World Championships with Mazetto with whom she first completed Badminton in 2004. With Flintstar she was a member of the New Zealand team that won bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games. With Classic Moet she rode as an individual at the 2014 WEG finishing in fourth place while Classic Moet was the highest placed mare with the fastest time of the day. In 2015 the pair was fifth at Burghley and Classic Moet was again the fastest and highest placed mare and in 2016 the pair was 3rd at Burghley and in 2018 members of the team for WEG. That year as well as winning Badminton she won the 4* at Luhmuhlen while husband Tim crowned an exceptional year when winning Burghley.
Jonelle trains with dressage rider and judge Isobel Wessels and Luis Alvarez. Each year the couple spends at least three weeks of the year jumping their horses at the sunshine tour in Spain.
Jonelle enjoys cooking, interior design, mountain biking and travelling. She and husband Tim began dating in 2001 and came to the UK together to prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games. They relocated to the UK in 2005 and married in NZ in 2013. The couple has 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.
Classic Moet (aka Molly) owned by Trisha Rickards and Sophie Rickards, is a 19-year-old British-bred SHB(GB) registered mare. Bred by Elaine Hepworth she is by the thoroughbred Classic out of a mare by Bohemond. She was produced to two-star level by Karen Dixon then acquired by Trisha and ridden by Darrell Scaife and Elizabeth Power before the ride passed to Jonelle in 2013. The pair contested WEG 2014 and in 2016 was 3rd at Burghley and has completed Badminton four times – winning in 2018. Classic Moet has two yearling offspring (by the French champion Upsilon) born in 2018 courtesy of embryo transfer. Jonelle says; ‘Molly is known as the fastest cross country horse in the world and has previously sped round WEG, Badminton and Burghley faster than any other horse in the competion and she wants to do everything as fast as she can whether that be hacking, eating or galloping’. However Molly is no diva she is as happy in a field as at Badminton’. Owner Trisha Rickard bred four-star horses Faerie Dianimo and Xavier Faer.
Entries
Classic Moet
TB,
United Kingdom,
2003
16.1hh , black , mare
Sire Classic
Dam Gamston Bubbles (Bohemond)
Breeder Elaine Hepworth
Owner(s):
Trisha & Sophie Rickards
& Rider