"It's my first time going to Ocala," noted Williams, who has also represented Australia in previous Nations Cup events at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). "We have enough riders this year, a few that are trying to prepare for the Olympics, so it's a good test for them. I am excited to get to go there and see how the horses are going."
In addition to being named to the Australian Nations Cup Team, Williams has been named to the Australian High Performance Generation Next (Rio) Squad. This group includes riders and/or combinations identified as potential team members for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Williams has been working closely with Wyndmont's Ronnie Beard and Michael Dorman to prepare Valinski S for the year ahead. "It's getting better and better, and the partnership is growing," he said. "I am really happy with the way it is all going."
The Olympic Games will be held in August, and while there are still a few months to go, that is the main goal on William's radar. "If it keeps progressing the way it's going that's the way we'd like to go," he explained. "The horse is on good form, so hopefully we have a good chance."
Williams and Valinski S are currently working out of Wyndmont Inc's base in Wellington, Florida and competing at WEF. They will also be participating the World Cup Qualifier being held during the Wellington Masters at Deeridge Farm later this week.