New Zealand's first equestrian representatives for this year's Olympic Games in London have been named on Wednesday.
Dressage rider Louisa Hill and her mount Bates Antonello have met the Olympic selection criteria and been confirmed for London.
NZ Olympic committee secretary-general Kereyn Smith said: "The Olympic selection criteria agreed between Equestrian Sports New Zealand [ESNZ] the NZOC was tough. We're delighted she has met the challenge and we look forward to seeing her in London."
Hill said qualification was both exciting and a big step forward.
"It's still a long road to London, but I now feel it is really going to happen and we can start making final plans," she said.
It will be Hill's second Olympic Games, she competed in Athens in 2004, and the chief executive of ESNZ, Jim Ellis said the selection was both recognition of hard work in qualifying and special for the Hill family who owned the Bates Antonello.
"Her selection endorses the recent decision of High Performance Sport New Zealand to invest in her campaign to London," he said.
More riders can still qualify for dressage at the Games.
Riders who are competing in Europe at the moment in their bid to qualify need to show they are capable of finishing in the top 16 in the world.
Hill will compete in the national dressage championships and the New Zealand Horse of the Year next month before heading to Germany where she will work with her trainer Aandreas Mueller.
ESNZ high performance director Sarah Harris was confident Hill was on track for a 70 percent test at the Olympics which would be a New Zealand record.
"She is a complete professional and a real competitor," she said.
The New Zealand eventing team will be named in early July.