Equestrian: Injury makes victory at Badminton tougher

By HELEN TUNNAH

Blyth Tait's hopes of winning his first title at the prestigious Badminton horse trials have been dealt a blow with an injury to his top horse Ready Teddy.

His former Olympic and world champion mount has injured a leg and been forced out of next month's three-day event.

England-based Tait, who has five golds from world and Olympic competitions, has never won at Badminton. He has been second three times.

Tait said Ready Teddy had suffered an "ankle twist" and would now be prepared for the Burghley trials in September.

He will ride another horse, Eze, at Badminton.

This year's contest will be one of his last chances to pick up a Badminton win because he is winding down his eventing commitments in favour of developing a career in the racing industry in New Zealand.

Tait has yet to qualify Ready Teddy for next year's Athens Olympic Games, but said the horse qualified for the 1996 Olympics only three months in advance, and then went on to win gold.

There are just four New New Zealand riders entered for Badminton - Tait, Andrew Nicholson, Daniel Jocelyn and Heelan Tompkins, the smallest contingent for several years.

New Zealand riders have not yet qualified a team for the Athens Games, but will try to secure a berth at a special regional qualifying competition organised for the Blenheim horse trials in England in September, a week after Burghley.