Charisma (horse)
Encyclopedia
Charisma was a horse ridden by New Zealander Mark Todd
, and the gelding won many competitions in the sport of eventing
. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest event horses ever to have competed.
and 1/16 Percheron
stallion Kiritea. Her dam was a Thoroughbred
mare named Starbourne. Planet was a very successful Grade A show jumper in New Zealand
, and under rider Sheryl Douglas, became the first mare in New Zealand to jump her own height. However, an injury ended her career, and she went home and was bred to the Thoroughbred
stallion, Tira Mink.
Charisma's first home was on the William's 3000 acres (12.1 km²) farm in Wairarapa. Even at a young age, Charisma was laid-back and easy to train. He was soon bought by David Murdoch, who placed the yearling in a small pasture with a four-foot fence, which Charisma jumped. The colt was gelded as a four-year-old, although he managed to cover four mares before that time.
competitions, and trained him up to intermediate level in eventing. Although the pair was long-listed for the Los Angeles Olympics, Dearden decided to sell the horse. Mrs. Fran Clark bought him and later lent him to Jennifer Stobart. Stobart brought him to Prix St Georges level in dressage
"just for fun".
Charisma won his first two one-day events with Mark Todd, and then won the National One-Day Event Championship and National Three-day Event at Taupo (both of which he led after dressage and finished on his dressage score). The pair was then selected for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Charisma was moved to England in February 1984. During the trip he became sick, and the illness never really left him for the rest of his career. The gelding was taken to the Badminton Horse Trials
later that year, where he finished in 2nd place on his dressage score. Another satisfying finish came a few months later, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Mark and Charisma finished well after dressage, and then put in a clear cross-country and stadium round. A rail down by Karen Stives, who was leading by a few points, allowed the pair to cinch the individual gold.
After the Olympics, Charisma's owner, Fran Clark, decided to sell her horse. However, for some reason she did not seem to want Mark Todd to continue with Charisma as a mount. In 1985, she offered Charisma to the British rider Lizzie Purbrick
. Knowing that Todd wanted the horse badly, Purbrick managed a deal with him to buy Charisma behind Fran Clark's back. Mark Todd's sponsor, Woolrest, transferred 50,000 pounds to Lizzie's account, to which she paid Fran Clark, and Mark Todd now was the official rider of Charisma under Woolrest's sponsorship. Needless, to say, Fran Clark was not pleased.
Mark Todd continued to compete Charisma in England, where he placed second at the 1985 Badminton Horse Trials, and won every one-day event of the season in which they competed, except Dauntsey after a fall on cross-country. In 1986, the pair went to the World Championships in Australia. Unfortunately, they had a fall at the water, and two rails down in stadium, and they finished in 10th place. They redeemed themselves a few weeks later in Luhmuhlen, where they won both individually and as part of a composite team.
At the 1988 Olympics, Charisma put in a stellar dressage test, and jumped clear rounds in both the cross-country and stadium. He won the individual gold yet again, and beat the second-place horse, Sir Wattie, by the incredible margin of 10.20 penalties. The New Zealand team also won the bronze that year. The back-to-back Olympic win in eventing had only been accomplished once before.
On January 7, 2003, Charisma was euthanized at Mark Todd's Rivermonte Farm in Cambridge, after breaking a shoulder in the field. He was 30 years old. He was a much loved New Zealander and will always be missed and remembered
Mark Todd (equestrian)
Mark James Todd, CBE is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of eventing, voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Mark James Todd, CBE (born 1 March 1956) is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the...
, and the gelding won many competitions in the sport of eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest event horses ever to have competed.
- Color: Dark BayBay (color)Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....
- Markings: Star
- Height: 15.3 hhHand (unit)The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
(160 cm) - Sex: GeldingGeldingA gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
- Breed: ThoroughbredThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
, with a little PercheronPercheronThe Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
blood - Breeding: by Tira Mink; out of Planet by Kiritea
- Breeder: Daphne and Peter Williams
- Rider: Mark ToddMark Todd (equestrian)Mark James Todd, CBE is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of eventing, voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Mark James Todd, CBE (born 1 March 1956) is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the...
Breeding and early life
Charisma, also known as "Podge" and "Stroppy," was born October 30, 1972. His 15hh hand dam, Planet, was by the ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
and 1/16 Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
stallion Kiritea. Her dam was a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
mare named Starbourne. Planet was a very successful Grade A show jumper in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and under rider Sheryl Douglas, became the first mare in New Zealand to jump her own height. However, an injury ended her career, and she went home and was bred to the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
stallion, Tira Mink.
Charisma's first home was on the William's 3000 acres (12.1 km²) farm in Wairarapa. Even at a young age, Charisma was laid-back and easy to train. He was soon bought by David Murdoch, who placed the yearling in a small pasture with a four-foot fence, which Charisma jumped. The colt was gelded as a four-year-old, although he managed to cover four mares before that time.
The Beginning: 1977-1982
The young horse was slowly broken in, and later bought by Sharon Dearden in 1977. She competed him in Grade B show jumpingShow jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
competitions, and trained him up to intermediate level in eventing. Although the pair was long-listed for the Los Angeles Olympics, Dearden decided to sell the horse. Mrs. Fran Clark bought him and later lent him to Jennifer Stobart. Stobart brought him to Prix St Georges level in dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
"just for fun".
Under Mark Todd: 1983-1986
Mark Todd was offered Charisma to ride by Virginia Caro, as his experienced horse was sick. In May 1983, he tried the gelding out, and brought him back to his place to get the horse fit. Charisma was a bit fat at that time, and had to be bedded on newspaper strips, as he would try to eat other bedding. Keeping the weight off the horse was always quite a struggle.Charisma won his first two one-day events with Mark Todd, and then won the National One-Day Event Championship and National Three-day Event at Taupo (both of which he led after dressage and finished on his dressage score). The pair was then selected for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Charisma was moved to England in February 1984. During the trip he became sick, and the illness never really left him for the rest of his career. The gelding was taken to the Badminton Horse Trials
Badminton Horse Trials
The Badminton Horse Trials is a three-day event, one of only six annual Concours Complet International Four Star **** events as classified by the Fédération Équestre Internationale , which takes place in April or May each year in the park of Badminton House, the seat of the Dukes of Beaufort in...
later that year, where he finished in 2nd place on his dressage score. Another satisfying finish came a few months later, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Mark and Charisma finished well after dressage, and then put in a clear cross-country and stadium round. A rail down by Karen Stives, who was leading by a few points, allowed the pair to cinch the individual gold.
After the Olympics, Charisma's owner, Fran Clark, decided to sell her horse. However, for some reason she did not seem to want Mark Todd to continue with Charisma as a mount. In 1985, she offered Charisma to the British rider Lizzie Purbrick
Lizzie Purbrick
Elizabeth Mary Josephine Purbrick is a winner of an Armada Dish at the Badminton Horse Trials in 1984 having competed several times with several mounts including Peter the Great and in many different events. In 1978 she went as an individual to the World Championships at Lexington, Kentucky and...
. Knowing that Todd wanted the horse badly, Purbrick managed a deal with him to buy Charisma behind Fran Clark's back. Mark Todd's sponsor, Woolrest, transferred 50,000 pounds to Lizzie's account, to which she paid Fran Clark, and Mark Todd now was the official rider of Charisma under Woolrest's sponsorship. Needless, to say, Fran Clark was not pleased.
Mark Todd continued to compete Charisma in England, where he placed second at the 1985 Badminton Horse Trials, and won every one-day event of the season in which they competed, except Dauntsey after a fall on cross-country. In 1986, the pair went to the World Championships in Australia. Unfortunately, they had a fall at the water, and two rails down in stadium, and they finished in 10th place. They redeemed themselves a few weeks later in Luhmuhlen, where they won both individually and as part of a composite team.
The end of his career: 1987-1988
However, Charisma never got his chance to win Badminton, as it was cancelled in 1987. He won the three-star in Saumur, and the pair almost won Burghley that year, but two rails down in show jumping dropped them to second. They later won the British Open Championships before shipping to Seoul.At the 1988 Olympics, Charisma put in a stellar dressage test, and jumped clear rounds in both the cross-country and stadium. He won the individual gold yet again, and beat the second-place horse, Sir Wattie, by the incredible margin of 10.20 penalties. The New Zealand team also won the bronze that year. The back-to-back Olympic win in eventing had only been accomplished once before.
Retirement
Charisma was retired after his second Olympic victory, and he went home to New Zealand. He then went on a six-month tour before taking a well-earned rest. He was later shipped to Britain in 1995 to continue retirement.On January 7, 2003, Charisma was euthanized at Mark Todd's Rivermonte Farm in Cambridge, after breaking a shoulder in the field. He was 30 years old. He was a much loved New Zealander and will always be missed and remembered
Achievements
- Second Place at the Badminton Horse TrialsBadminton Horse TrialsThe Badminton Horse Trials is a three-day event, one of only six annual Concours Complet International Four Star **** events as classified by the Fédération Équestre Internationale , which takes place in April or May each year in the park of Badminton House, the seat of the Dukes of Beaufort in...
in 1984 and 1985 - Individual Gold at the 1984 Olympics1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... - Won the Luhmuhlen, Germany Three-Day Event in 1986
- Second Place at the Burghley Horse TrialsBurghley Horse TrialsThe Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is an annual three day event held at Burghley House near Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, currently in early September...
, England in 1987 - Won the British Open Championships in 1987
- Individual Gold and Team Bronze at the 1988 Olympics1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...