After success in recent grands prix the showjumper hopes to win his first Olympic medal in London
Progress towards 2012
"My horse, Kalico Bay, is there. Last year was his first year of grand prix competition and he won three tournaments. That was a big achievement for him because it was only his first year jumping at that level. To have a good horse is vital in showjumping. You can be the best rider in the world but if you do not have the tools to do the job, you will not get far.
"Horses like Kalico Bay are very rare. I am lucky to get another one so soon because I had a really good horse in Beijing as well. We gave Kalico a break to keep him nice and fresh so come this August we have enough petrol in the tank. He is a fantastic horse and I am really pleased and excited about him. He is Olympic calibre and I am just focused on preparing for the the big one in 2012.
"We have the luxury of being able to compete strategically, building my horse and making sure he is ready for the selection process. Others sometimes have a team of horses and jump regularly throughout the year building ranking points. So although I am only ranked 96 in the world the rankings are rarely indicative of someone's Olympic chances. I think we have a very good chance of getting a gold. In my opinion, Great Britain have not had such a strong Olympic team for 20 years ? as long as all the horses stay fit. I need to make sure my horse stays fit and strong before the selection process."
Biography
Born 12 August 1964, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Discipline Showjumping
Favourite film Rocky II or the original Italian Job
Favourite book Any Tom Clancy book. I also read Steve Redgrave's autobiography recently and I really enjoyed it.
Favourite band Dire Straits
What would you have done if you had not got involved with horses? Tractor driver ? I finished school without many qualifications so I think ploughing up and down a field would be about all I could do!
Key statistics
Major honours Won three grand prix in 2010. Finished fifth in the Beijing Olympics team showjumping event
World rankings
1. Kevin Staut (Fra)
2. Eric Lamaze (Can)
3. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Swe)
4. Marcus Ehning (Ger)
5. McLain Ward (US)
Training
"The next 12 months will be about ensuring my horse is capable of consistently performing at the top level. I need to to ensure I am capable of preparing Kalico for competition on a set day and for the big ones. That is what needs to be proved to the selectors: that I am capable of getting him to perform at the Olympics."
Olympic countdown
12-15 May 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. La Baule, Fance
26-29 May 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Rome, Italy
2-5 June 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. St Gallen, Switzerland
7-10 July 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Falsterbo, Sweden
12-17 July 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Aachen, Germany
28-31 July 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Hickstead, Britain
3-7 August 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Dublin, Ireland
25-28 August 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. Rotterdam, Netherlands
13-18 September 2011 European Show Jumping. Madrid, Spain
1 March 2012 Olympic rankings published, used to allocate qualification places
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/17/tim-stockdale-olympics-2012
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