KEY POINTS:
HONG KONG - New Zealand's legendary equestrian rider Mark Todd plans to prolong his second coming, perhaps as far as the London Olympics in 2012.
Todd's recent return to the Olympic arena did not result in another accolade at Sha Tin last night, but if nothing else the two-time individual gold medallist proved class is indeed permanent despite eight years of self-imposed exile.
Attending his sixth Olympics, Todd was very much the calming influence among a New Zealand team that finished a demoralising fifth - their campaign effectively ended with Andrew Nicholson's fall from Lord Killinghurst in Monday's cross country.
Todd was also its unequivocal focal point despite first-time Olympian Caroline Powell and Lenamore eventually finishing four places higher in 14th after the showjumping phase confirmed Germany as overall winner and their ice cool spearhead Hinrich Romeike as the new individual champion.
Todd's contribution to a night of high drama was two flawless circuits on Gandalf, the grey gelding he acquired almost reluctantly in January and the horse he now sees as his companion for the World Games at Lexington, Kentucky in 2010.
Although Todd admitted his status was not quite confirmed but he spoke enthusiastically about a return to the United States - where his international career began 30 years ago.
"I'd love to go to the World Games in 2010," he said.
"It's where I started off in 1978, it would be quite fun to go back there again and then maybe look ahead to London."
Todd and wife Caroline are settled in rural Canterbury, they have a teenager in school - all factors to be pondered before the 52-year-old commits to another crack at the sport's four-star level.
"There's lot of things to consider," he said.
"I have another life breeding and training race horses in New Zealand. We live there, the family are there .... all these things have got to come into consideration.
"The original plan was to buy this horse, bring him to the Games, hopefully go well and then sell him. Plan's are always there to change aren't they?"
Gandalf will travel to England and be based at a friend's property but Todd would have to join him there to continue nurturing their relationship.
"I have to go home and have a good think about it," he said.
"I've enjoyed this, I like riding this horse. I think there's a lot of improvement in him. We just have to work out a programme."
While Gandalf's performance, especially over the jumps, pleased Todd the entire experience in Hong Kong had made him realise what he had been missing since retiring with a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics.
"I love being in the whole atmosphere again. It's been great being amongst a lot of friends and people that I've spent a lot of time with over the last 25-30 years.
"Now that I've had this break, I've sort of freshened up again."
Todd may have placed 18th and New Zealand out the medals but the champions at Los Angeles and Seoul would always reflect fondly on the occasion.
"I think it's been very successful on a lot of levels. I've finished the competition and finished it well," he said.
"Did I exceed expectations? I think I've probably matched them."
Unfortunately the same could not be said for a New Zealand team that had hoped to push for the podium after emerging relatively unscathed from their weakest dressage component last weekend.
But Nicholson's topple and Joe Meyer's poorly timed showjumping round on Snip condemned them to fifth - the same placing as at Athens four years ago.
Meyer, the best-placed Kiwi rider after the dressage and cross-country, had an opportunity to propel New Zealand to fourth but dropped five rails and incurred time faults for a combined concession of 25 penalties.
New Zealand ended on 240.90, 10 adrift of Sweden and six clear of the sixth-placed Italians.
"He just wasn't himself. I don't know whether he was tired or sore, he's usually a careful jumper," Meyer rued after finishing 24th.
Germany, with Romeike and his mount Marius to the fore, clung to their slender overnight lead to deny Australia the gold by a little more than a rail.
They won with a score of 166.10 while Australia tallied 171.20. Great Britain (185.70) were third. Romeike (54.20) shaded American Gina Miles (56.10) for the individual gold while Britain's Kristina Cook took the bronze.
New Zealand's eventing coach Erik Duvander watched the medal ceremonies with a mixture of envy and disappointment.
"We have to look at how we're going to create better possibilities with our riders and how we're going to work with them in the future," he said.
"It's time for assessment, we need to do better than this."
- NZPA
