Victorian rider Mary Hanna can only look to the gods in her quest for a berth at the 2004 Greek Olympics in Athens after being pipped by fellow Olympic aspirant, Queenslander Ricky MacMillan
, in the International Grand Prix on Friday.
Hanna and Danish-bred gelding Limbo (66.91 percent) grabbed the lead in the competition with only MacMillan left to ride, but the Gold Coast-based dentist aboard 15-year-old gelding Crisp produced a collected performance under pressure to take the Grand Prix with a score of 68.25 percent
"I'm still an outside chance for the Olympics, so I'm really praying hard," said Hanna. "He (Limbo) was really listening out there, trying real hard. He was with me all the way to the end," she said. "He has had a good season, and it's really helped competing in three major events in a row. It really seasoned him for this competition."
Final world rankings for the 2003/04 season will be known on Monday, 3 May, which will in turn decide the final three available Athens Olympic spots. The rankings are dependant on results from both the Sydney CDI*** International Grand Prix event and competitions being held concurrently in Europe.
Image copyright Peter Orr/Main Event Photography