New
Zealand's double Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Todd, at the age of 51, after nearly
eight years of retirement, made a successful return to Eventing competition at
the Manukau City CIC***, at the Puhinui Horse Trials, in New Zealand last weekend. Riding
NZB Gandolf Todd won the CIC*** on a score of 58.9. He led
after Dressage on 48.9, added 8 time faults for the second fastest Cross Country
run of the competition, and had one rail in Show Jumping. (Mark is pictured
at the right on Tom Collins, owned by Natalie Page. This pair won at Hawkes Bay
recently.) John
Twomey, riding Flaunt It, placed second on 64.9 and Jonathan Paget came third
with Clifton Promise on a score of 72.1. Todd,
who has been training race horses, hopes to represent New Zealand at the Hong
Kong Olympics this summer. Towards this end Todd will ship NZB Gandolf to Europe
in the hopes of continuing their Olympic qualification, perhaps at the Saumur
CCI***, in France. |
