Mark Todd to make a Comeback??

well, i'm a member of eventingworldwide, so as soon as the story's posted, i'll share the deets.
really hope they mean in eventing not sj, as he could easily do both.
it would be absolutely brilliant to see him riding again. he must have been offered a mega horse to be tempted back, i guess!
 
That would be superb if he did. He's one of my heros
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the story is...
comeback prompted by his children, who said "you've been to lots of Olympics, but you haven't taken us". he's bought the good 3* horse Gandalf (2nd at Puhuini and Tauherenikau last year, and won Richfields CIC*** just before christmas with his former rider, Angela Lloyd), and he's finding the horse "very lazy and boring to ride" and is taking to the beach to perk him up. he's got to do 2 A before Puhinui, (and there's only 1 A event, so he'll have to find another horse too), then clear Puhinui to qual for Badminton, then B, to qual for HK. Selectors can add him to their list, but said they'll do so only on merit.
Toddy says he's not pressuring himself, if it happens it happens kind of thing. he's riding fit because he's been riding racehorses daily since he 'retired', but he says he needs to get his eye back in... [hmm, yeah, right, i've never seen a rider with such a good eye for a stride!]
that's about it.
didn't c&p the whole thing in case it gets me into trouble!
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oh, and i'm so excited about seeing him ride again, i'm dancing around!
 
You know the best thing? For the first time in years I bought myself Badminton tickets (for SJ day) yesterday!

So he'd better make it to Badders!

I have his autograph at home from when I was a kid, at somewhere like Aldon I think!
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SpottedCat, so have I, from Castle Ashby event, i think that was before he did Badders for the first time. Considering how i've hero-worshipped him since I was a kid, i'm amazed i've been able to get words out when i've been lucky enough to meet him.
*claim to fame - he put a practise jump up for me once cos my helper was so star-struck he just stood there gawping at Toddy and ignored my requests...!*
TripleS&H, he bought Gandalf himself, according to the article.
 
Lucky for me, my helper is a dressage rider so she has no clue who people are when we are at events. Which has led to some interesting comments!
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S&H - from kerilli's post above:

he's bought the good 3* horse Gandalf (2nd at Puhuini and Tauherenikau last year, and won Richfields CIC*** just before christmas with his former rider, Angela Lloyd)

So yes, the horse has done a bit before!!
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Awesome- he's such an amazing rider, alway sloved watching him. Saw him at Badminton last year, in the shopping bit (as I was finally persuaded out of the joules tent...) nearly fainted!
 
Very exciting - shame we can't persuade him to ride for the UK tho!!

So he'll hopefully be at Badders then...

How cool to be talented enough to be able to think 'you know what, I think I fancy riding at the Olympics next year... Oh go on then!!!'
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[ QUOTE ]
How cool to be talented enough to be able to think 'you know what, I think I fancy riding at the Olympics next year... Oh go on then!!!'
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[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what I thought when I read this! How amazing to have that talent and horsepower to hand on a whim!

Would love to see him riding round Badminton this year and will make the NZ very competitive in August! Team GB will need to pull out all the stops for sure!
 
WOW! So excited as he really is the ultimate. Says that he will come over for Badminton in order to qualify. But will he really be able to pick up where he left off? Retiring after winning bronze was awesome, and it would be a shame if he tarnished it now...

I'm slightly surprised that he has actually decided to and will be allowed by his frederation to compete, following the discoveries of his 'private activities...'
 
Why not? Personalities and true legends are so hard to come by now, and you know he'll do the job if he goes. What would really impress me would be if he wnet in the jumping as well.

Now I want to see Redgrave in that boat just to cap off my Games.
 
What Mark did or didn't get up to in his private life is beside the point. The press sensationalised everything both here and in NZ. A lot was said that was completely untrue and he took a lot of flack that wasn't necessary.
At the end of the day he put NZ eventing on the map. He is an outstanding rider and an excellent ambassador for the sport itself.
From a NZ eventers viewpoint - we don't have the strong team and the quantity of top 4* horses to choose from that we used to have - we've yet to qualify a team for the Olympics. NZ used to dominate world eventing in the days of our 'dream team' but unlike the top UK riders who have a team of 4* horses most of our 3* & 4* riders have one top horse that they flew in from NZ at great expense and are mainly competing younger upcoming horses that aren't at the top of their game yet but will be in time for WEG. In buying Gandalf he has secured a top horse for NZ as no doubt he would have ultimately been sold overseas. To have a rider of Mark's calibre keen to help to get NZ back on top is fantastic and I don't think that any of us will begrudge him a place on the team because as in the past he has to qualify just the same as the rest of us do.
 
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