New Zealand Equestrian veteran Andrew Nicholson was under no illusions that he would be selected for Rio 2016, and the six-time Olympian also certain his form was far from the deciding factor.
Excluded from the Equestrian NZ high performance team since 2014, a pre-requisite for Olympic selection, a sullen-sounding Nicholson had long since lost any hope of being included in this year's team of riders.
"No I pretty much knew I didn’t really have any hope," the 54-year-old told Radio LIVE's Saturday Sport . "I knew quite a while ago I wasn't going to be selected."
"This time last year I was told I wasn't ready to be integrated back into the team situation for a place called Aachen in Germany. I had just asked if I could go as an individual rider.
"I knew then it wasn't going to be on the cards, then I had my injury after that."
Despite a lengthy recovery from a neck injury, Nicholson was certain there were other factors in play.
"For sure," he stated when asked if he believed his long-standing dispute with Equestrian NZ had any impact on his non-selection.
Even so, Nicholson never considered appealing the decision in a court of arbitration.
"No. That's not my style. Who wants to be part of a team situation if you get in that way?"
While he received plenty of support from other riders within the team in his struggle against the sport's governing body, Nicholson strongly implicated one of the senior members of the team with whom he's had a decades-long relationship.
"To be honest with you, there's only one of them who I've felt disappointed with."
"They were in a position, they could've smoothed things along a little bit.
"I'll leave that up to your listeners to work out who that was."
Newshub.