Equestrian: No word on retirement from Tait

4.00pm - By KEVIN NORQUAY

ATHENS - Blyth Tait shunted Ready Teddy into retirement yesterday after the pair finished 18th at the Olympic Games, yet remained tightlipped about his own eventing plans.

Tait, 43, has indicated he wants to move on to other projects without stating bluntly that meant the end of his sporting career.

Ready Teddy, the only eventing horse to contest three consecutive Olympics, is headed for a south Auckland paddock and a life of leisure.

"He has earned his retirement," Tait said of his old favourite.

One of the great eventers in Olympic history, Tait seemed bemused yesterday when asked whether these Games were his last.

"You people are talking constantly about retirement, and it doesn't even enter my thoughts on a day to day basis," he said.

"I've been going for 15 years and I made the decision to finish at the end this year probably about three years ago, so it's no surprise to me.

"I've got new projects to look forward to which I'm excited about and keen to get into. For me it's just a continuation of a thing.

"I certainly at this stage wouldn't be planning to go to the World Games in two years time, but you know, the Olympics are four years away, who knows what is going to happen in the next four years? I can't predict it any more than you can."

Asked which of his eventing achievements he was most proud of, Tait spoke in the past tense.

"I'm proud of the fact that I was competitive for 15 years on the international stage, which is not easy to do in any sport," he said.

He said winning the individual gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta was his single highlight.

"Winning Burghley a couple of times, two world championships, winning the Kentucky four-star, all of those were very rewarding."

So was winning the world championship twice, as that title stayed with him for four years "so for eight years of my career I was world champion".

His Olympic career began in Barcelona 12 years ago.

There, he won an individual bronze on Messiah, staging a fightback after a poor dressage score, and a team silver.

In Atlanta, he was on top of the world with an individual gold on Ready Teddy and a team bronze on Chesterfield.

Misery followed in Sydney, when Ready Teddy was vetted out, and Tait pulled up a struggling Welton Envoy in the cross country.

- NZPA