Todd takes title

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 28

Todd takes title

PA London The champion New Zealand horseman, Mark Todd, won the Stockholm three-day equestrian championship in a thrilling finish on Sunday. The double Olympic gold medallist, riding Welton Greylag, completed the event with a combined total of 67.6 points, marginally ahead of the American rider Mike Huber, on Phoenix, who totalled 69.65 points. In addition, the New Zealand team of Todd, Andrew Nicholson riding Spinning Rhombus and Vaughn Jefferis on Sandalwood took second place in the teams event, a mere 1.70 points behind France. However, the real drama of the day came with the final showjumping round, and the individual title was only decided on the very last fence. Todd, in second place behind Sweden’s Michael Petersson going into the showjumping, knocked three rails down in his run, all in the second half of a difficult course.

Petersson could therefore afford to drop three rails and still win the title.

Riding Up To Date, he reached the final fence with

the maximum three rails down, then dramatically toppled a fourth to give Todd first place. Nicholson had two rails down and Jefferis knocked three rails. Only two riders managed clear rounds in the showjumping, the American Ann Hardaway on Tarzan, and the Dutch rider, Andrew van Spaendonck. Todd, Petersson and the Frenchman, Didier Mayoux, were the only competitors with clear rounds in the cross country discipline. The New Zealand chef d’equipe, Howard Hunter said Todd was “rapt” over the win and admitted to being surprised to finish first. "You don’t usually give top riders three rails, and he probably mentally was prepared to accept second,” Hunter said. With Nicholson and Jefferis turning in impressive performances New Zealand finished well clear of the third placed team, the Netherlands.

The New Zealand team was using the championships as a buildup for next year’s world equestrian championships at the same venue.