Mark Todd (equestrian) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sir Mark ToddKNZM CBE |
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Todd on Gandalf at the 2008 Barbury International Horse Trials
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| Full name | Mark James Todd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Eventing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 March 1956 Cambridge, New Zealand |
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Medal record
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Sir Mark James Todd (born 1 March 1956) is a famous horseman from New Zealand. He is known for his amazing skills in eventing, a sport where a horse and rider compete in three different areas: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. He was even voted the "Rider of the 20th Century" by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
Mark Todd won gold medals at the Olympics in Los Angeles (1984) and Seoul (1988). He also won the Badminton Horse Trials four times and the Burghley Horse Trials five times. As part of New Zealand's eventing team, he earned gold medals at the World Championships in 1990 and 1998. He has won many other international titles too.
In 1988, he was named the New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year. He also received the Supreme Halberg Award and was added to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, at 55 years old, he became the oldest winner of the Badminton Horse Trials. He achieved this riding his horse, NZB Land Vision.
By the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mark Todd had won five Olympic medals. This tied a record for the longest time between a first and last Olympic medal, at 28 years. He also shares the record for the second-most Olympic medals won by a New Zealander. The 2016 Games were his seventh Olympics, making him the first New Zealander to compete in so many Games.
In 2022, a video from two years earlier showed Mark Todd hitting a horse during a training session. He later apologized for his actions. The British Horseracing Authority investigated the incident. Mark Todd received a temporary suspension of his license, which was later returned to him. He also stepped down from his role with the charity World Horse Welfare.
Contents
Early Life and Horse Passion
Mark Todd was born in Cambridge, New Zealand. From a young age, he loved horses very much. He rode at a pony club when he was a child and competed in local shows.
He thought about becoming a jockey, but he grew too tall, reaching 6 feet 2 inches. This led him to focus on show jumping instead. Another rider, Andrew Nicholson, once said about Mark Todd: "Mark can ride anything – he could go cross-country on a dairy cow!" This shows how skilled he is with horses.
After finishing school, Mark Todd worked as a farmer. He earned a diploma in agriculture. He worked on farms while also making time for riding, competing, and selling horses.
Amazing Equestrian Career
In 1978, Mark Todd was part of New Zealand's first team to compete in a world championship for three-day eventing. This event took place in Lexington, United States. He did well in the early stages, but his horse got injured during the cross-country part. After this, Todd moved to England. There, he worked in stables and found horses to ride in events.
In 1980, on his very first try, he won the Badminton Horse Trials riding a horse named Southern Comfort. At the time, Mark Todd was not well-known. His success helped open the way for other New Zealand riders to become Olympic medalists and world champions.
Famous Horses and Achievements
Mark Todd became a very popular sportsman in New Zealand. Some of the horses he rode also became famous. The most well-known was Charisma. This horse was a Thoroughbred and was 15.2 hands tall. Mark Todd rode Charisma when they won two Olympic gold medals in a row, in 1984 and 1988. After the Seoul Olympics, Charisma retired to a farm in New Zealand. Charisma lived to be 30 years old.
In 1984, Mark Todd started living in England to be closer to the competitions. He was recognized for his achievements by the Queen. In 1985, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. In 1995, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
At the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, Mark Todd won an individual bronze medal. After these Olympics, he retired from international competition.
Retirement and Comeback
After retiring, Mark Todd moved back to New Zealand with his family. They lived on Rivermonte Farm, where he bred horses. He also started businesses related to horse equipment. His Thoroughbred horses even had success in racing. He stayed involved with eventing by coaching the New Zealand Olympic team in 2004. He also continued to compete in local events.
On 25 January 2008, Mark Todd announced he was returning to eventing. This was eight years after he first retired. He bought a 10-year-old grey horse named Gandalf. He wanted to train Gandalf to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In May 2008, he placed sixth at an event in France. He then qualified for the Olympics. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the New Zealand team finished fifth, and Mark Todd placed 17th individually. This was impressive, as it was only his eighth competition in eight years.
After the Beijing Olympics, Mark Todd decided to fully return to top-level eventing. He moved back to England and worked with a team of up to eight horses. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he became the second oldest New Zealand Olympian ever.
In 2013, Mark Todd was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to equestrian sport. This means he is now called "Sir Mark Todd." He was chosen to represent New Zealand again at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was once again the second oldest New Zealand Olympian. At these Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his team finished fourth, and he placed seventh individually.
In 2019, Mark Todd was one of the first people to be added to the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Mark Todd married Carolyn Berry in 1986. They have two children, Lauren and James. They separated in 2009 but remarried in 2014.
Mark Todd has written several books about his life and horse riding. These include So Far, So Good, Charisma, and Mark Todd’s Cross-Country Handbook. He has also made training videos to help other riders.
Images for kids
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Todd and Major Milestone at the Dairy Farm during the cross-country phase of Burghley Horse Trials 2010
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Todd and NZB Land Vision during the cross-country phase of the 2011 Badminton Horse Trials
See also
In Spanish: Mark Todd para niños
