Mark Todd rides well

Press, 16 April 1984, Page 40

Mark Todd rides well

NZPA staff correspondent Badminton New Zealander Mark Todd rode a brilliant crosscountry in the international horse trials at Badminton at the week-end to be the strongest challenge to British Olympic rider and present world champion, Lucinda Green. On the newly-arrived New Zealand horse, Charisma, he went clear in all the speed and endurance tests on Saturday. This put him in second place, with his total score before the show-jumping at 51.4, just six points behind Green, who is leading the competition on Beagle Bay. He had been running sixth after the dressage behind Michael Tucker, Richard Walker, Mrs Emma De Haan and Liz Purbrick, but places changed dramatically when many horses experienced difficulties with the toughest eventing test of the cross-country. However, the five New Zealand entries tackling the course, which caused the elimination or withdrawal of a number of top horses, all kept a good record. In spite of being seen as a relatively straightforward cross-country, only eight horses, including two New

Zealand ones, out of the 75 starters, went clear. It was the first one in ten years where a horse had to be destroyed after falling at a fence. This was the tragic outcome for the mount of the European champion, Rachel Bayliss, Cuthbert The Celt. The horse, which whs one of the favourites and had competed at Badminton before, stumbled slightly before jumping the Normandy Bank. His breaking a fore-leg became apparent when he simply crumpled on, a bank landing. Walker, Tucker and Purbrick all had falls to lose their lead, while De Haan withdrew her mount after an earlier endurance test. Green and Todd, after going clear in the 23km of speed and endurance tests, still have to have their mounts passed as fit by final veterinary inspections, and go clear in the show jumping to hold their positions. But to many observers the consistency of their performances had already proved them as leaders. For Green this year is her chance to win Badminton for the sixth time.