Mark Todd

In 1984, Mark Todd became the first Kiwi to win an equestrian medal at the Olympic Games when he won the individual three-day event championship. Todd’s only major win previously had been the 1980 Badminton Horse Trials. He eventually won at Badminton three times and five times at the Burghley Three-Day Trials. In 1988, riding Charisma as he had in 1984, Todd became the first rider to defend the Olympic three-day eventing title. This followed his 1987 win on Charisma at the Burghley Horse Trials.

Todd never won an individual World Championship, but in 1990 and 1998 helped New Zealand to win the team eventing title at the World Championships. At Barcelona in 1992, Todd also rode for the New Zealand 3-day team which won a silver medal. He was individual European Champion in the three-day in 1997. Todd was hardly a wealthy horseman, as he made his living as a dairy farmer and in 1984 was forced to sell most of his herd to finance his trip to Los Angeles. He later became a successful businessman in several horse-related ventures.

Todd was voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. He was New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year in 1998 and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Todd was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1985 New Year Honours, and was elevated to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1995 Queen’s Birthday Honours. He retired from competition several times, but always returned, until 2019, when he made it final as he wished to focus on training and breeding race horses.