Equestrian: Hat-trick start by Tait

World equestrian champion Blyth Tait has had a superb start to the eventing season, winning three advanced classes at a Badminton warm-up event.

Tait's horses Ready Teddy, Chesterfield and Welton Envoy all won their advanced sections at the Belton Park horse trials, with his other horse, Aspyring, 29th in a fourth section.

All four horses are qualified for the Sydney Olympics, though the selectors are expected to limit Tait to two rides.

Tait's father, Robert Tait, said his son was tickled pink with the performance of the horses so early in the season.

"They were all right on-song, except Aspyring who had a little bruise," Tait sen said.

Tait and his world and 1996 Olympic winner, Ready Teddy, are having a quiet build-up to the Sydney Olympics and the horse will not be taken to Badminton or this month's major three-day event in Kentucky.

Instead, Tait will ride Chesterfield at Badminton and Welton Envoy at Kentucky.

Fellow New Zealand rider Mark Todd had mixed success at Belton. His Badminton runner-up from last year, Word For Word, was 24th in one advanced class. His Olympic-qualified horse, Just A Mission, was fifth behind Welton Envoy, while Eye Spy II was 18th behind Ready Teddy.

Another Todd ride, High Street, which is not an Olympics horse, was third behind Chesterfield.

Daniel Jocelyn also posted solid results across the advanced classes, with his potential Olympic horse Silence fifth in one section.

- NZPA