Mark James Todd,
CBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(born 1 March 1956) is a
New ZealandNew 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...
horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of
eventingEventing 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...
, voted Rider of the 20th Century by the
International Federation for Equestrian SportsThe Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian sports. It recognizes ten international disciplines...
, (Fédération Equestre Internationale.
He won gold medals at Los Angeles (1984) and Seoul (1988)
OlympicsEquestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It disappeared until 1912, but has appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since. The current Olympic equestrian disciplines are Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping...
, the
Badminton 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...
http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk on four occasions, the
Burghley 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...
five times, and as a member of New Zealand’s
EventingEventing 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...
team he won gold medals at the
World ChampionshipsThe FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale . The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, since 1990...
in 1990 and 1998 (
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
), the
European ChampionshipsThe European Eventing Championship, like most other European Championships, is held every two years. Today it is a three star eventing competition....
in 1997, plus 20 or more other international events, and numerous other international individual and team titles.
In New Zealand he has been honoured with the 1998 Supreme Halberg Award as New Zealand Sportsperson of the year and inducted into The
New Zealand Sports Hall of FameThe New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
.
Todd and fellow equestrian
Andrew NicholsonFor the New Zealand ice speed skater with the same name see Andrew Nicholson Andrew Nicholson is a New Zealand horseman who was selected for six Olympic Games....
, are the first New Zealanders to have competed at six Olympic Games.
On 25 April 2011, Todd completed a fourth Badminton victory riding NZB Land Vision, becoming the oldest winner of the event.
Biography
Born in
CambridgeCambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated 24 kilometres southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions".In the 1840s Cambridge had a Maori population but in the 1850's missionaries and...
,
New ZealandNew 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...
, with a deep and abiding passion for horses He rode at
Pony ClubPony Club is an international youth organization devoted to the educating youths about horses and riding. Pony Club organizations exist in over 30 countries worldwide...
as a youngster and competed at local shows.
Todd considered becoming a
jockeyA jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
but quickly grew to 6 ft 2 in which forced him into
show jumpingShow 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...
instead. In reference to his riding skills, fellow
New ZealandNew 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...
Team member,
Andrew NicholsonFor the New Zealand ice speed skater with the same name see Andrew Nicholson Andrew Nicholson is a New Zealand horseman who was selected for six Olympic Games....
, is quoted as saying “Mark can ride anything – he could go cross-country on a dairy cow!”
On leaving school Mark pursued a career as a farmer, gaining a Diploma of Agriculture at the
Waikato Technical InstituteThe Waikato Institute of Technology, marketed as Wintec, is a technological learning institute based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the fifth largest institute of technology/polytechnic within New Zealand, with around 16,000 full-time and part-time students, 1,200 full-time and part-time staff — and...
, and working on farms while fitting in riding, competing and selling horses.
In 1978 he was part of New Zealand’s first three-day eventing team to contest a world championship, at
LexingtonLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
,
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, U.S.A.. He was 10th after the dressage and second in the steeplechase, but then his horse, Tophunter, broke down during the cross-country stage. Thereafter, Todd moved to England where he mucked out stables and obtained use of horses for event rides. At his first attempt, in 1980, he won the
Badminton 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...
riding Southern Comfort. Todd was a virtual unknown when he arrived, with fellow New Zealander
Andrew NicholsonFor the New Zealand ice speed skater with the same name see Andrew Nicholson Andrew Nicholson is a New Zealand horseman who was selected for six Olympic Games....
as his groom.
Todd is recognized as a pioneer of three-day eventing in New Zealand. Those who followed him included Olympic medallists and world champions like
Tinks PottingerJudy "Tinks" Pottinger is a New Zealand horsewoman who won a Bronze Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Pottinger, riding Volunteer, was in the New Zealand Three Day Event Team which finished third, along with Andrew Bennie, Margaret Knighton and Mark Todd...
,
Blyth TaitBlyth Tait is a New Zealand equestrian. Tait has competed at four Olympics and has won four medals, one of only four New Zealanders to do so....
,
Vaughn JefferisVaughn Jefferis, in Huntly, is a New Zealand horseman who won a Bronze medal at the Olympic Games.Initially competing in showjumping Jefferis switched to Eventing in 1990 and had immediate success, being part of the Gold medal team at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm riding Enterprise...
, Vicky Latta,
Sally ClarkSally Clark was a British solicitor who became the victim of an infamous miscarriage of justice when she was wrongly convicted of the murder of two of her sons in 1999...
and
Andrew NicholsonFor the New Zealand ice speed skater with the same name see Andrew Nicholson Andrew Nicholson is a New Zealand horseman who was selected for six Olympic Games....
. Jefferis once said: “We all owe a huge debt to Mark Todd. He was the first, and he paved the way for us".
Todd married Carolyn Berry in 1986. He has a daughter called Lauren who is currently attending university, and a son, James, who is still at school.
Todd became a popular sportsman in his home country, and some of the horses he rode also became well-known. Most notable was
CharismaCharisma 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.* Color: Dark Bay* Markings: Star...
, the
ThoroughbredThe 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 1/16
PercheronThe 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...
) Todd rode when winning successive Olympic Gold Medals in 1984 and 1988. Charisma was retired to a Waikato farm after the Seoul Olympics but appeared with Todd for later public appearances including flag bearing at the 1990
Commonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
New Zealand. Charisma died aged 30 from a broken shoulder.
Prior to his 'comeback' for the Beijing Olympics, Todd's last international competition was at the Sydney
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
where he won an individual bronze medal. His win was somewhat clouded by a scandal, prior to final team selection, originally reported by the English Sunday Mirror newspaper. The controversy was a matter of national debate and almost cost Mark his team selection.
Todd retired from international competition following the
2000 Sydney OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and returned to live in New Zealand. He, Caroline, and their children moved to Rivermonte Farm near his home town of Cambridge in
WaikatoThe Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
to breed horses and concentrate on several business ventures, including the manufacture/retail of harness and other tack. His Thoroughbreds enjoyed racing success, including wins in the
Wellington CupThe Wellington Cup is a Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club....
and
New Zealand OaksThe New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand....
. He remained closely involved with the administration of the eventing, acting as coach for the NZ Olympic Eventing team at Athens in 2004. He continued to compete in eventing at a local level and to support the sport in general.
Todd's autobiography,
So Far So Good, was published in 1998. He has had several other books published including “Charisma” (1989), “One Day Eventing”, “Mark Todd’s Cross-Country Handbook” (1995) and “Novice Eventing with Mark Todd” (1996). He has also produced a series of training videos.
On 25 January 2008
Horse & HoundHorse & Hound is the oldest equestrian magazine in the United Kingdom. It is a weekly magazine with the first edition published in 1884. It is also known by the nickname 'Nag & Dog'. The magazine contains horse industry news, reports from equestrian events, veterinary advice about caring for...
announced online that Mark Todd was to make a return to Eventing eight years after he retired in Sydney. He purchased a 10-year old grey called Gandalf to campaign for selection to ride at the Beijing Olympics 2008. "He was available to be bought, so I flew up to Auckland, tried him out, had him vetted and it all happened very quickly. There wasn't a lot of planning involved, it all just happened," said 52-year-old Mark, whose comeback was sponsored by New Zealand Bloodstock.
On 19 May 2008, Todd placed sixth at a three-day equestrian event in Saumur, France. Subsequently achieving qualification and selection for the Beijing Olympics he put up one of the best performances of the NZ team, in what was only his eighth competition in eight years. The New Zealand team finished fifth, and Todd managed the second best individual performance for the team, coming in 17th overall.
Following Beijing, Todd and Gandalf joined a strong field of international eventers to compete for the inaugural Express Eventing International Cup. However, three refusals in the show jumping portion resulted in a poor placing.
In February 2009 Todd announced that he was making a full return to elite level eventing, basing himself in England with a team of up to 8 horses including Gandalf, his Beijing Olympics mount. Todd told British magazine
Horse and Hound that he would be based in Swindon with Belgian event rider Bruno Goyens de Heusch. "I plan to be (in the UK) until June, then will go back to New Zealand for a month. I will return to the UK until the end of the season and be in New Zealand for Christmas," he told H&H.
External links