Equestrian: Tait has two in mind for Sydney

LONDON - Olympic and world eventing champion Blyth Tait is almost 100 per cent sure he wants to take his horses Chesterfield and gold medal-winning Ready Teddy to the Sydney Olympics this year.

Tait said yesterday that he had decided against earlier plans to take one of the horses to Lexington, Kentucky next month so they would be at their peak for Sydney.

He wants to ride Chesterfield at Badminton, the classic title that has eluded him so far, and enter Ready Teddy in one-day events in the countdown to the Olympics.

"Having won in at Atlanta in 1996, the Olympics are my major goal this year. They only come around every four years and they have to be the pinnacle of everyone's sporting ambition. So Sydney is definitely my focus this year.

"I won't take Ready Teddy to Badminton. He can do it another year. I am not quite 100 per cent sure but it's almost certain I'll ride Chesterfield at Badminton. He has not been there the last couple of years and at 14 he's coming near the end of his career."

Tait won the individual and New Zealand team gold at the world championships in Sweden in 1990 and in Rome in 1998. He won the individual gold medal in Atlanta on Ready Teddy and the team bronze on Chesterfield.

Ready Teddy will be sharpened up for the Olympics with several one-day events, including the British Open championships at Gatcombe Park.

Tait, aged 38, will, meanwhile, take two horses, Welton Envoy and Aspyring, to Lexington between April 27 and 30.

It will be up to the New Zealand selectors to pick the horses for Sydney but Tait believes the two frontrunners are Chesterfield and Ready Teddy.

"They have proven themselves. They have the experience and the ability. If for any reason one of them couldn't make it, Aspyring would be a worthy replacement, with two seconds in this last two four star starts - at Burghley in 1998 and Kentucky last year.

"He is older than the others at 15 but if I had to run him at Sydney I would be happy and he would be some people's first choice."

Tait said he had fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered at Burghley last year. He rode five horses to two victories in minor events at the weekend, and is building up for a big season after disappointments last year.

The shortlist for the New Zealand team will be named on March 31 and the team for Sydney will be named on July 3.

- NZPA