Equestrian: Death of top horse setback for Tait

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

If Blyth Tait had a choice between getting back his dead horse, Chesterfield, or winning another Olympic gold, it would be no contest.

Chesterfield, who died suddenly from a heart attack yesterday, would win hands down.

Tait was "absolutely devastated" last night as he came to terms with losing his horse days before the 16-year-old gelding was to have flown out of England for the Sydney Olympics.

Tait and his head groom, Fiona Fraser, were putting Chesterfield through a routine gallop in quarantine early yesterday morning (NZ time) when the horse pulled up abruptly and collapsed.

"He was gone within a minute or so," Tait said from his farm in England. "He was looking fantastic moments before - his ears were pricked up and he had a smile on his face.

"We had no warning, no control over it and we just have to accept it - it's fate."

Tait will carry on preparing for Sydney with his two other horses, Olympic champion Ready Teddy and Welton Envoy, in quarantine ready to leave.

But it will not be the same without the horse nicknamed Chess, who won bronze for the New Zealand team at the 1996 Olympics, and won the Burghley four-star event.

"It's obviously a big blow for the Olympics, but that's only one issue," Tait said. "He's been a mainstay of my team for six years. He was an enormously generous horse and it's a relief that he went totally unaware of it."

Tait was riding Olympic gold medallist Ready Teddy alongside Chesterfield at a makeshift gallop area just outside quarantine when the horse fell.

"Ready Teddy was very upset and I had to lead him away from where Chesterfield lay," Tait said. "During the night, he was calling out wanting to know why the box next to him was empty."

Chesterfield will be buried near the spot where he died, next to famous British steeplechaser Waterloo Boy.

No decision has been made on a replacement in the New Zealand Olympic squad. Three-day eventing selector Jim Wright said he would have to meet with the selection panel to decide whether Heelan Tompkins will be called up for Sydney.

The team have already been hit hard by the withdrawal of Dan Jocelyn's horse Silence, injured in a fall. Vaughn Jefferis also ruled out his second horse, Curious George, through injury.

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