Rider Biographies

Mark Todd

Country: New Zealand

Age: 55

Quite simply an equestrian legend, double Olympic champion Mark Todd or ‘Toddy’ as he is known is one of three riders, along with William Fox-Pitt and Ginny Elliot, who have won here on five previous occasions.

He will partner Major Milestone, who he took over from Owen Moore in July 2009. The pair has notched up some promising results; including 11th at Badminton in 2010.

Toddy made his eventing comeback in 2008 following an eight-year ‘retirement’ from the sport when he went home to New Zealand to breed and train racehorses. However, he returned to the UK in 2008 with Gandalf, the horse who was to carry him to his sixth Olympic Games. Gandalf had to be put down in 2009 due to a rare neurological condition, but Mark has set about building up a new string of horses, headed by the very talented 2011 Badminton winner NZB Land Vision, who he hopes will give him a final shot at adding to his Olympic medal tally in 2012.

Notable achievements

• 2011 – Badminton CCI**** 1st NZB Land Vision
• 2010 – Badminton CCI**** 11th Major Milestone
• 2010 – Bramham CIC*** 5th Chuckelberry
• 2010 – Badminton CCI**** 18th Grass Valley
• 2009 – Houghton CCI** 1st Walk The Line
• 2008 – Beijing Olympics 22nd Gandalf
• 2008 –Puhinui CCI*** 1st Gandalf
• 2000 – Sydney Olympics 3rd Diamond Hall Red
• 1999 – Burghley CCI**** 1st Diamond Hall Red
• 1997 – Burghley Open European Championship 1st Broadcast News
• 1996 – Badminton CCI**** 1st Bertie Blunt
• 1994 – Badminton CCI**** 1st Horton Point
• 1991 – Burghley CCI**** 1st Welton Greylag
• 1990 – Burghley CCI**** 1st Face The Music
• 1988 – Seoul Olympics 1st Charisma
• 1987 – Burghley CCI**** 1st Wilton Fair
• 1984 – Los Angeles Olympics 1st Charisma
• 1980 – Badminton CCI**** 1st Southern Comfort III