Equestrian: Time for Todd to look back

Mark Todd has recalled winning his first Badminton horse trial with a hangover and minus his eyebrows after a gas explosion.

The New Zealand rider, who will compete at Badminton in England for the last time next week, recalls the highs and lows of the sport's premier event on a website established by his new sponsor.

Todd won Badminton at his first attempt in 1980, riding Southern Comfort, with long-time New Zealand team member Andrew Nicholson as his groom.

He won the title twice more, in 1994 and 1996, and has been second four times, including the last two years.

British Horse Trials Association chairwoman Jane Holderness-Roddam said Todd would be sorely missed at Badminton and on the British eventing scene when he retired after the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.

In Auckland to judge at the Royal Easter Show, Holderness-Roddam said Todd had been a hero for the sport.

"He's a big part of the sport internationally because to watch him compete is to watch a genius at work," she said. "There are a lot of good riders coming up, but people have hero-worshipped Mark and, of course, little Charisma."

Todd never won at Badminton with Charisma, his double Olympic gold medal-winning partner.

The horse was second in 1984, the year the pair won their first gold medal at Los Angeles, and in 1985, but Charisma never competed at Badminton again.

Todd recalls riding his first Badminton cross-country course without a stopwatch, and deciding to take Southern Comfort around as quickly as he could.

The tactic paid off as the pair moved from 40th after the dressage to third.

"All the more remarkable given the hangover I was nursing from too much whisky the night before," Todd writes.

"It could have come to an end that evening when I lit the gas boiler to make up Monty's [Southern Comfort's] hot bran mash, as it exploded in my face.

"Fortunately I was OK and went on to ride a clear showjumping round and win my first ever Badminton - albeit minus eyelashes, eyebrows and quite a bit of my fringe."

Todd, who will compete at Badminton for the 18th time next week, said he had mixed emotions about finishing, "including relief that I won't have to do it again."

"The other side is that every year it is the event that we all look forward to and next year, without it, will be very strange."

Todd will ride just one horse next week, Eyespy II, after his other horse, 1999 runner-up Word For Word, went lame last week.

He leaves England today for the United States and the Lexington horse trials in Kentucky, where he will compete with compatriots Blyth Tait and Daniel Jocelyn.

- NZPA