It had been in the back of his mind for some time, but it was while enjoying a few social drinks with friends over the Christmas period that former Eventing super-star Mark Todd decided he would give it a go.
He had retired from the sport of Eventing in 2000 after a glittering career, but was missing the excitement and kept thinking about making a come-back. Not just an ordinary come-back, however, that just wouldn’t be his style. He set himself the challenge of qualifying for this summer’s Olympic Games in Hong Kong and, in just a few short months, he has achieved his ambition and attracted massive publicity for both himself and the sport he so enjoys.
It wasn’t without reason that he was hailed as the greatest rider of the 20th Century by the FEI. Mark Todd’s results were astounding. The New Zealander burst onto the scene with victory at Badminton, arguably the toughest three-day-event in the world, riding Southern Comfort in 1980 and what followed was something very special indeed. He was five-time champion at the notoriously tough Burghley fixture, winner of the 1997 Open European title, and team gold medallist at both the 1990 and 1998 World Championships. At Olympic level he secured back-to-back individual gold at Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul four years later with his beloved Charisma, and he took team bronze at Seoul and team silver in Barcelona in 1992. In the year of his retirement he claimed individual bronze at the Sydney Olympic Games, but it wasn’t only his medal collection that earned this man the highest of accolades – it was his exceptional horsemanship.