YOU know that picture of the iceberg illustrating success? The visible tip of the iceberg – the rosette, the gold medal, the lap of honour – is underpinned by a huge invisible volume of work, training and tenacity.
For Dan Jocelyn, the visible tip is two top-25 finishes at Badminton this year. The invisible graft to get to that point is exemplified by an image of the rider hobbling round a bark track on a chilly winter day, leading a horse who might or might not be sound.
The New Zealand rider has lived in Britain for nearly 30 years and is a longstanding fixture on the eventing scene – he was eighth at Badminton in 1999 and rode at two championships on his great partner Silence. But bar an appearance at the 2018 worlds as an individual, he hasn’t ridden at a championship since the 2004 Olympics.
“It’s definitely been a journey – from horses being taken away from me to the fact I’ve had some major injuries over the past nine or 10 years,” he reflects.
“I stopped smoking after an accident at Gatcombe in 2013 when I
