Farrier sleeps with Todd's horse

Farrier Allan Lambert stayed with Mark Todd's horse Eyespy II day and night this week as the New Zealanders used every moment to ensure the horse stayed fit for the Olympic Games three day event.

With New Zealand horses succumbing to injury at an unbelievable rate, Lambert even slept at the stables with the horse to make sure he was okay.

Eyespy suffered a stone bruise 10 days ago. He recovered to be fit enough to help win Mark Todd a bronze medal, but the New Zealand team were taking no risks.

Todd won the medal only after struggling through the final veterinary inspection.

At one stage it appeared the rotten run for the New Zealanders was set to continue, but after a lengthy discussion, the event's ground jury and veterinarian said Todd's horse was fit.

An exhausted equestrian team manager Ross Coles said the trot up had been part of a traumatic week for the eventers.

``No one knows really just how hard we were backed up against the wall. We were down, everyone was struggling.''

Of the eight horses at Sydney's Games, six have injuries or niggles. Two pulled up sore after running the 25km endurance test, understandable, but injuries to the other four stunned the team.

Andrew Nicholson even went home without even riding at Sydney, after both his horses went lame.

Coles, who has battled severe 'flu all week, said it was amazing to get a medal after just one horse from a possible four individual starters finished the three-day event.

``There's elation, everyone owns that medal.

``Mark's got it, but without everybody else -- the farrier, the vet, all the other grooms. Every discipline in our team has suffered tremendously in the last 10 days.

``We've got through and to get a medal at the end of it, I won't say its all worthwhile, its hard work.''

He said that hard work included Lambert sleeping with the horse, more than once this week, ``just to make sure we had no dramas''.

He said it was good for Todd to win a medal.

``I think it's fair. It's a wonderful way for him to go out. It's been a tremendous 20-year career for him.

``We're thrilled.''

Asked how Todd would be replaced in the team, Coles said: ``With very great difficulty and I think that's something that New Zealand eventing's going to struggle with for a while.''

- NZPA