Equine flu wiped out his thriving business, but equestrian eventer Stuart Tinney hasn't let that deter him from his dream of Olympic gold.

When Stuart and his trusty steeds go to Hong Kong, where the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be held, he may have to leave behind his beloved wife and business partner Karen.

Over the last 20 years, Stuart and Karen have built a successful business training horses and riders for the Olympic disciplines. But in August last year, all that changed. "The equine flu essentially shut the business down,” Stuart recalls.

“We couldn't teach or compete and we couldn't even transport horses that we had arranged to be sold. Every part of the business was closed down and it's put us in incredible financial difficulty." As a result, Karen may have to watch him compete on TV. She was at her husband’s side when he won Gold in Sydney in 2000 [Three Day Event – Teams Event] and when he competed in Athens in 2004 but this time can’t get to the Games without help.

“Karen’s such an important part of my training and what we do," Stuart says. "We’ve worked so hard together to get this to happen, it’s a real partnership. Whether I win or not, it would feel really quite empty if she’s not there to see it."