Too many uncertainties for Mark Todd?

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 32

Too many uncertainties for Mark Todd?

NZPA London New Zealand’s Badminton horse trials winner, Mark Todd, is keen to compete in the Moscow Olympics but is at present faced with so many uncertanties and problems it is unlikelv he actually will. “I’d love to compete in the games,” he said in London yesterday, “but I really can’t see them goins ahead.” “All the leading nations in the equestrian events have pulled out now — the United States, Britain, West Germany — it would be a bit of a nonevent.”

He said there would now be a- good chance of a gold medal for New Zealand in the three-day event, but agreed .that any victory would be very hollow. Todd, from Auckland, is the only member of the New Zealand equestrian team chosen for the Olympics. “I’m prepared to go along with whatever the New Zealand committee decides,” he said. “I don’t feel strongly enough as an individual though to pull out.”

The uncertainty of whether New Zealand will compete in the Games and

even if the Games will go ahead at all is posing a lot of problems for Toad.

“Actually it’s a real pain in the neck,” he said. “I just can’t plan on doing anything definite at the moment.”

His problems are greater than most sportsmen in that he had not only himself to consider but his horses as well.

“Getting flights from Britain to Moscow will probably be impossible,” he said. “They’ve said they won’t be allowed.” “But that’s, really the only f practical ■way of getting the -horses - there- If/-

would take weeks to drive them.”

Both horses — Jocasta and Southern Comfort — are at present for sale. “They’re both up for sale, but if we do go to the games I’ll hang on to them until then.

“They’re the two horses I entered and I can’t change that now. I’ll only be riding one of them. I’ll have to decide when I get there which one it will be.”

And will he be returning to Badminton next year to defend his threeday event title? Unfortunately it is a matter of

money. “I have to sell the horses now,” he said. “I just can’t afford to keep them here myself until next year. The only way I could keep them would be through sponsorship. One company is already interested, so perhaps something will come of it.” He would like to get sponsorship from New Zealand, but admits it’s probably unlikely. “People in New Zealand don’t really know anything about- the three-day event,” he said. “Here it’s a totally different thing. Over the three days of the

Badminton trials threequarters of a million people came along to watch. It really is a big thing here, and sponsors would get a lot out of it.”

“If I have to sell these horses though, I’d almost certainly not be competing next year. Badminton trials horses just don’t grow on trees. It takes a very long time to get a horse to that sort of standard.

“I took a gamble bringing Southern Comfort. I wasn’t sure whether he was ready or not, but the gamble paid off. I was very lucky,” Todd said.