Latest from Horse & Hound in Gandalf

Mark Todd looks forward to New York marathon

Horse & Hound — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:19:02 +0000

Catriona Williams must have done some serious persuading to get friend and fellow New Zealander Mark Todd to run the New York Marathon on 7 November 2010.

“I’m a patron of Catriona’s charity Catwalk and as she’s doing the race in a wheelchair I thought I could do it on my legs,” Mark said.

Twenty Kiwis are taking part in the race to raise funds for the CatWalk Trust, a charity that funds research into spinal cord injuries. Founder and former showjumper Catriona was paralysed in a jumping accident in 2002.

“As people like Rodney [Powell], Ginny [Elliot], and I think even Ian [Stark] have run marathons I thought it was another thing I should tick off,” said Toddy.

“I’m not sure it’s going to be another career though.”

Having bounced back from retirement to contest the Beijing Olympics and now part of the New Zealand performance squad for London 2012, for this eventing legend, anything is possible.

Mark is yet to start training for the race but says he will be looking to hire a trainer and plan his preparation carefully to avoid injuries.

“I’m actually not a great fan of running but I’m going to get started…soon,” he said.

Fitting running around his riding will be a juggling act for the 53-year-old.

“I suppose when the horses go out I’ll have to go on foot and run and lead,” he quipped.

“I haven’t run since I was at school and right now I don’t think I could run to the end of the road!”

Nevertheless, Mark Todd is nothing if not ambitious. He has set his sights on a target time of under three hours for the 26mile race, but has been told that could be a bit hopeful.

“Everything I do I like to do well so I’ll give it my best shot,” he said.

Following the loss of his Beijing ride Gandalf in January, Toddy is relying on the rest of his string to win a place in the New Zealand team for his seventh Olympics.

“Land Vision is a very talented horse and is my best hope at this stage. He’s potentially as good as any horse I’ve had in the past,” he said.

“Hopefully it’ll be a horse I’ve trained myself, though I wouldn’t rule out getting another like Gandalf late in the day.”

Gandalf was produced to three-star level by Angela Lloyd and Toddy took him on just months before the 2008 Olympics.

“He did his job very well in Beijing – he was never going to be amazing at dressage but he jumped clear across country and double clear in the showjumping so you can’t ask for much more than that.”

For more details on the CatWalk Trust see www.catwalk.org.nz.

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Mark Todd’s comeback horse NZB Gandalf put down

Pippa Roome — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:24:22 +0000

Mark Todd’s comeback horse NZB Gandalf has been put down due to a serious neurological disorder.

The 11-year-old suffered seizures which made him blind in his right eye and “a danger to himself and his handlers”, reported Mark’s sponsor New Zealand Bloodstock.

Mark said: “It was a very hard decision to make but the wellbeing of the horse is what we have to consider foremost.

“It’s also sad for New Zealand eventing to lose a horse of his calibre. ‘Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the best of him.”

Mark is aiming NZB Grass Valley at Badminton (30 April-3 May) and NZB Land Vision at Saumur (20-23 May) and says either could be his horse for this year’s World Equestrian Games.

‘Not many horses could do what he did’

Mary Darby, chairman of the New Zealand selectors, alerted Mark about Gandalf when the double Olympic champion announced a comeback to eventing in January 2008, eight years after his retirement at the Sydney Games.

The grey, by Pintado Desperado and out of the thoroughbred Princess Of Power, had been produced from a yearling to three-star level by Angela Lloyd.

Mark paid tribute to Gandalf when Lucinda Green rode the horse for a feature for H&H in last year’s eventing special (26 March 2008):

“Gandalf was the only horse in New Zealand who fitted the bill, in that he was qualified — I wasn’t — and for sale. It was him or nothing and fortunately, I liked him…

“The point about Gandalf is that not many horses could do what he did. He had to travel backwards and forwards between North and South Islands in New Zealand, from Puhinui to home, over to England, then to France for Saumur and to Hong Kong and back, all in six months.

“What started as a fun project became, at times, an alarming reality, as Gandalf kept stepping up to the plate… there were times when I didn’t know if I could seriously return to the big time, but he gave me the confidence to go from nought to 17th at the Olympics.”

Pictures of Mark Todd and Gandalf at home in 2008

Pictures of Mark Todd’s competition comeback

Lucinda Green rides Mark Todd’s Gandalf

Horse & Hound — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:04:17 +0000

Don’t miss Horse & Hound eventing special — on sale now — for Lucinda Green rides Gandalf, H&H asks “do riders expect too much of the ground?”, the latest body protectors are put to the test, plus what’s hot and what’s not in the sport this season and the chance to win a lesson with Lucinda Green. And if you pick up your copy at Tesco you can save 50p off the standard cover price.

Watch Lucinda Green ride Gandalf

See pictures of Lucinda Green riding other famous horses including eventers Toytown and Galan De Sauvagère, 2008 grand national runner Simon, successful point-to-pointer Rimpton Boy and Mark King’s retired Olympic eventer King Solomon III.

Find out more about Lucinda Green:

Born in Hampshire, Lucinda Green (née Prior Palmer) began riding when she was just four years old but didn’t own her own horse until the age of 15, when she was given Be Fair for her birthday.

Lucinda and Be Fair worked their way up through the eventing grades, before going to the 1973 Olympics and winning Badminton some seven years later. This was only the beginning of Lucinda‘s success, as she went on to claim a number of gold and silver medals and two European Championships.

In 1977 Lucinda scored a hat trick, coming first at Badminton, Burghley and the European Championships. She is the only rider to have won Badminton six times, on six different horses: Be Fair (1973), Wideawake (1976), George (1977), Killaire (1979), Regal Realm (1983) and Beagle Bay (1984). Lucinda has won the Tony Collins Trophy, awarded to the rider with the most British Eventing points in an eventing season, a record seven times and in 2008 won the outstanding contribution to equestrianism award.

While she still competes, Lucinda is now also well known as an equestrian journalist, team selector, commentator and trainer. She is passionate about cross-country safety and runs a series of cross-country clinics each spring, called ‘Cross-country, the safe way’ in association with Petplan Equine. Lucinda also has an infrequent series in Horse & Hound, ‘Lucinda rides’, in which she assesses top horses from across the disciplines. The fact that riders and owners allow her to ride these elite equine athletes demonstrates the high regard in which she is held by her peers.

Lucinda has two children: Fred, born May 1985, and Lissa, born February 1989. She was married to David Green from 1981 to 1992. Lissa Green is following in her mother’s footsteps as a professional event rider.

Mark Todd buys intermediate champion ODT Land Vision

Charlotte White — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:58:54 +0000

Mark Todd has marked his return to the eventing world with the purchase of promising young horse ODT Land Vision from Andrew Cawthray.

Seven-year-old Land Vision won the British Intermediate Championships at Gatcome in August, ridden by Oliver Townend.

Alongside Todd’s Olympic mount Gandalf, Land Vision forms the foundation of the 52-year-old New Zealander’s return to four-star three-day eventing, with a view to basing himself here in Britain during 2009.

New Zealand Bloodstock Ltd backed Todd’s Beijing campaign financially and has agreed to continue sponsorship.

Next year Todd has pencilled in Badminton CCI**** and possibly Burghley CCI**** for Gandalf, whom he believes could be top-class.

Mark Todd selected for New Zealand Olympic eventing team

Horse & Hound — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:20:28 +0000

Mark Todd will head New Zealand’s eventing team at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The eventing legend, who won individual gold at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, was delighted by the news. He told Horse & Hound: “I’m really looking forward to it, and we’ve got a solid team that’s strong in all phases.”

Mark has been working hard on Gandalf’s dressage, which he describes at the horse’s weakest phase. “He’s changing shape all the time and I’m pleased with how he’s progressing,” he said.

He is joined in the team by Andrew Nicholson (Lord Killinghurst), Caroline Powell (Lenamore), Joe Meyer (Snip) and Heelan Tompkins (Sugoi).

Andrew and Mark are the first New Zealanders in any sport to compete at six Olympic Games.

New Zealand Olympic selector and secretary general, Barry Maister, said: “Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson are among our finest Olympians and to have athletes attending their sixth Games is testament to the depth of talent we have in New Zealand sport.”

Andrew Nicholson commented: “It’s a pretty good team. It’s better than what it could have been a couple of years ago and it’s getting stronger all the time. We have a good chance of winning a team medal.”

British-based Joe Meyer and Caroline Powell are both making their Olympic debuts, while Heelan Tompkins — who showed good form in New Zealand before coming to England a couple of months ago — was the best-placed of the New Zealand team at the Athens Olympics, where she finished seventh with her brilliant old campaigner Glengarrick.

“This is the most excited I have been about any of the teams I have been in,” she said. “The riders are individually strong and hopefully together it will produce a medal result.”

Mark Todd gallery

Mark Todd puts Gandalf to the test at local dressage competition

Charlotte White — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:47:15 +0000

Competitors at a Lincolnshire local dressage show had a surprise at the weekend when Mark Todd turned up with his Olympic prospect Gandalf.

Trudy Clark, who runs twice-monthly affiliated competitions at Elms Farm Equestrian Centre in Lincolnshire received a call on Saturday from someone wanting to put in a late entry for Sunday’s competition.

And she could barely believe it when she realised it was the New Zealand eventing Gold medallist, who has come out of eight years retirement to contend the Olympic Games in Hong Kong.

“He came and did the medium hors concours and an advanced medium, although we were not running a class at that level as we do not have a high enough listed judge,” said Trudy.

“We were all a bit open-mouthed and very excited to see how he would get on.”

Judge Cherry Elvin scored Mark with 66.36 in the medium test and 66.47 in the advanced medium.

Then Toddy posed for pictures and signed autographs for the fans lucky enough to see their hero at such a low-key event.

H&H photographer Julia Shearwood was there to snap the local riders’ tests and said it was a fabulous surprise to capture the great man on film.

“He seemed very relaxed and laid back even though it was throwing it down with rain,” she said.

Video: Mark Todd interview at Saumur Horse Trials

Horse & Hound — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:45:55 +0000

FFE TV interviews Mark Todd after the cross-country phase at Saumur three-star, where he completed his qualification for the Olympic Games in Hong Kong 2008. Mark shares his thoughts on his performance at Saumur, his hopes for the Olympics, the changes that have happened in the sport since he retired and his life in New Zealand.

Click on the image below to view the video.

Video provided by kind permission of FFE TV.

Don’t miss H&H magazine’s exclusive interview with Mark Todd, on sale 29 May, ’08

Mark Todd qualifies for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong

Horse & Hound — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:08:36 +0000

Eventing legend Mark Todd is now eligible to represent New Zealand at the 2008 Olympic Games after completing his qualification with a double clear on Gandalf in the CCI*** at Saumur this weekend.

The partnership finished in sixth place, ahead of the highest placed British rider Mary King, who was eighth on Kings Gem.

Sam Griffiths riding Happy Times claimed the win for Australia, ahead of the home nation’s Aurelian Khan riding Lord de Ligniere. The show jumping phase proved particularly troublesome with all of the top five picking up jumping penalties, but Sam retained his pole position after cross-country despite having four down.

The event was marred by the death of Clayton Frederick’s Nullabor, who fell on the flat between fences two and three on the cross-country course.

Read H&H’s full report from Saumur, on sale 22 May, ’08

Latest from Horse & Hound in Gandalf

Mark Todd looks forward to New York marathon

Mark Todd’s comeback horse NZB Gandalf put down

Lucinda Green rides Mark Todd’s Gandalf

Read more stories from H&H about Lucinda:

Lucinda Green rides Big Buck’s [VIDEO]

Lucinda Green: a proper Badminton course — now let’s train for it! [H&H VIP]