Equestrian: Todd gets unwanted attention

Mark Todd. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Most of his rivals are wary of the threat Mark Todd poses in the Olympic three-day eventing competition. Jumpy security and volunteers, however, are more concerned about what bus he gets on.

The 56-year-old Todd isn't the oldest competitor in London - there's a 71-year-old Japanese dressage rider - but he looks a little out of place among the largely chiselled youngsters. A lot of people know he's attending his seventh Olympics but, equally, a lot of people don't even know who he is.

"I'm feeling good,'' he said ahead of Sunday morning's (NZT) first day of competition.
"The only thing [that hasn't gone so well] since being here is being questioned what team I am an official for ... and getting on the bus and people saying, 'this bus is only for athletes'. I'm constantly having to say I am an athlete.''

Todd still looks like one, albeit with a few more wrinkles and grey hairs and his reflexes are as sharp as his wit.

He does yoga and stretching to keep supple but otherwise little has changed in his training regime since he won the first of his two Olympic titles in 1984.

Todd is a medal chance even though he is on his second horse Campino, but teammate Andrew Nicholson is among the favourites.

The 50-year-old Nicholson is also competing at his seventh Olympics and believes he finally has the package in Nereo to win an elusive individual medal.

"I don't feel like I'm putting any more pressure on myself than I normally would,'' he said. "I have a horse I have an awful lot of faith in and he's been very, very consistent, not just over the last six months but the last few years. He's at the top level.

"It's only right I feel very confident in the horse and we have a very realistic chance of a medal. We're both at 100 per cent and if he gives 100 per cent then, hopefully, we will be there.''

The rest of the New Zealand team is rounded out by Caroline Powell on Lenamore and promising youngster Jonathan Paget on Clifton Promise and Jonelle Richards on Flintstar.
They are being described as the "dark horses'' of the competition, as Todd put it, behind favourites Germany and Great Britain but the course at Greenwich Park in south-east London will present unfamiliar challenges for riders and horses.

It has been purpose built for the event on the site of the prime meridian line and also provides spectacular views over the city. It's quite different to the genteel courses of Badminton and Burghley and also hillier.

It will still require horses and riders to be good at all three disciplines - dressage, cross country and show jumping - and Todd thinks they have the right package to succeed.

"I think we are going into the Olympics with one of the strongest teams we have ever had,'' he said. "We are always slightly cautious. You don't want to get too cocky. We have been in this position before where we have gone into championships thinking we are favourites and things go wrong. You also need a bit of luck on your side.''

Todd and Nicholson still find the Olympics as much of a buzz as the first time - they both went to their first in 1984 _ but they won't be consuming everything the Olympics have to offer.

"The Olympics come round only once every four years and they are amazing,'' Todd said.

"Although it's probably not like when we first went to LA. Andrew and I were new kids on the block and stayed in the village. We ran around the athletics track, jumped the hurdles and did this and that. We are over that a little bit now.''

Which is a sign of Todd's age, and a reason why officials query his presence.