Supreme Todd reigns again at Badminton

The legendary New Zealand horseman became Badminton’s oldest champion, aged 55, after an ice-cool final showjumping clear round on NZB Land Vision left British Olympic hopefuls Piggy French and Mary King in second and third place respectively.

Remarkably, it was Land Vision’s debut at the elite four-star level, but Todd guided him home in masterful fashion to clinch his fourth Badminton crown, 31 years after his first.

Todd took an eight-year break from eventing after the 2000 Sydney Olympics – he had already won successive Olympic golds at Los Angeles and Seoul – to concentrate on training racehorses.

But he underlined exactly why equestrian sport’s governing body named him their greatest rider of the 20th century as he triumphed on 43.6 penalties, almost two clear of Leicestershire-based French (Jakata), and 49-year-old King (Imperial Cavalier).

“This, for me, is huge,” said an elated Todd. “To come back after a lay-off and to do it 31 years after my first Badminton win, it’s up there with the back-to-back Olympic golds in 1984 and 1988.

“When I came back to the sport it was to see if I could get back to the top level. I am very fortunate with my sponsors, who have bought me this amazing horse.

“I think I have got one of the best horses in the world, although 31 years’ Badminton experience comes in handy sometimes. I had a really good feeling coming into this competition, and this is just so incredibly special.

“Winning Badminton is amazing at any time. But having come back and tried to get back to top level again, it had always been my aim to win another big one, and to actually do it is incredible.”

Reflecting on quitting eventing 11 years ago, Todd added: “I’d had enough, I had lost the motivation to do all the work, although I still enjoyed competing.

“But after an eight-year break away from the sport, I got back into it and found I was really enjoying it. I never missed the sport at first, but then as the years went by I started to sort of think about it again.

“It all ended up as a bit of a dare as to whether I could get a horse in the spring of 2008 and get to the Olympics of that year in Hong Kong, and I did it with Gandalf.

“Andrew Nicholson (Todd’s fellow New Zealand rider) then said Ollie Townend was selling Land Vision. Andrew told me to be quick, as there was a lot of interest, so I jumped on a plane, came to the UK and we bought the horse. I’ve said all along that this horse has no weak links, and I think he can only get better.

“He is just maturing all the time. When you are sitting on a horse that you know jumps, it gives you a lot of confidence.”

Going into a dramatic showjumping finale, less than four penalties – the equivalent of one fence down – separated the top 12 riders who included Yorkshire’s Nicola Wilson who was in third place with Opposition Buzz.

King, Badminton winner in 1992 and 2000, led briefly, then European individual silver medalist French took pole position, before Todd sealed the deal in mercurial fashion.

Wilson and Opposition Buzz went into the showjumping round with high hopes but unfortunately had a pole down. Opposition Buzz had a personal best in the dressage to score 44.0 and had a faultless cross country round. But this exuberant jumper collected four faults in the showjumping to finish in seventh place.

The pair were placed eighth at Badminton last year and seventh the previous year.

There was also an outstanding eighth-placed finish on her Badminton debut for 21-year-old Wiltshire rider Laura Collett with Rayef, whose progress will be keenly watched by Britain’s Olympic selectors.

Oliver Townend, who won Badminton in 2009 riding Flint Curtis, had his hopes dashed with Ashdale Cruise Master after a fall on the cross country course.