Equestrian: Last farewell for Todd brings a win and third

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Do not be shocked if you see Mark Todd jumping rails at a pony club near you next summer.

New Zealand's legendary equestrian rider doffed his hat to thousands of fans at picturesque Puhinui yesterday, signalling the end of his international career.

But the double Olympic gold medallist admitted at the end of the day that this might not be the end, after all.

"I've been asked to do some showjumping events and I'll never be far away," he said. "So I guess this is not the total end of it. But I promise this will be the last international event I will ride in."

Todd and his wife, Carolyn, have four young eventing horses at their new farm in Cambridge which they plan to raise and sell.

"We're going to get more into the breeding of thoroughbreds. My life will still be horses," he said.

Todd collected another red ribbon to take home yesterday, part of the winning New Zealand team in the international class of the Auckland Airport Qantas three-day event.

He could not quite make it two for Todd, having to settle for third in the individual placings, behind team-mate Vaughn Jefferis and Greece's sole equestrian rider, Heidi Antikatzidis.

It was a turnaround from three months ago, when Antikatzidis led Todd going into the final showjumping phase at the Sydney Olympics, but knocked down a series of rails, allowing Todd into the medals.

Yesterday, Antikatzidis, riding borrowed horse Classic Fox, did not drop a fence and held on to her second placing.

But Todd did not seem too upset. His final appearance at Puhinui was more of a farewell to his faithful Kiwi fans, who did not get the chance to see him when he first retired in Sydney.

"The Olympics was the official goodbye, but this was nice," Todd said.

Before he rode out on borrowed mount Mighty Heights, and jumping clear, Todd sat for an hour signing streams of autographs and posing for photos. Afterwards, the youngest rider at the event, 11-year-old Rachel McGregor, handed her hero a book with thousands of messages written by the crowd.

The New Zealand team, Todd, Jefferis and Dan Jocelyn, finished well clear of the invited opposition yesterday after the Australians faltered at the final hurdles.

David Middleton was the biggest culprit, knocking down four rails on Mitavite Intellect.

Australia were 35 points behind the New Zealanders, with the Rest of the World triumvirate a further eight points back.