Todd plots pathway to future Olympics

But the 20-year-old has every right to dream with time, talent and initiative clearly on his side.

Ogden-based Todd is currently undertaking his Level 3 British Dressage Apprenticeship whilst based with sisters Becky and Hannah Moody at their thriving Gunthwaite Dressage yard in Penistone near Barnsley.

Todd will sit his final exams later this year but the ultimate challenge will present itself in 2014 and beyond when the former Hipperholme & Lightcliffe High School pupil plans to set up his own yard alongside mum Julie at their home in Ogden.

Everything points to the venture being successful with Todd having enjoyed a fine 2012, featuring high-placings in young horse classes at both Hickstead and Hartpury on Denise Mitchell’s Rembrandt II. Todd’s 2012 ended on an appropriate high with news he had been handed a place on the British Equestrian Federation’s 2013-2015 World Class Development Programme.

That programme is aimed at producing future Olympians to emulate golden girl Charlotte Dujardin and company, and Todd might just be one of them.

“I find it hard saying it because I don’t want to sound silly or like I’m going over the top,” said a modest Todd.

“But my long-term goal would be to ride in the Olympics and that’s how you’ve got to think really, isn’t it? It might take a couple of Olympics to go by first but that’s my aim.

“From where I stand at the minute, it looks quite impossible in four years’ time but, hopefully, I will get help from the World Class Development Programme pathway and they will make it more possible for me.

“Watching the Olympics last summer was amazing and especially Charlotte as she is only young really.

“It’s quite amazing that she is number one in the world.

“People thought we would never do it in the Olympics but we have won it and now we need to keep producing good young people to keep it up there.”

Step forward people like Todd, who was introduced to horses at an early age by his equine enthusiast mother.

Todd says he first sat on a horse as a two-year-old and now, 18 years on, he is about to set up his own yard.

The Yorkshireman is naturally both excited and nervous about his upcoming business venture.

“It’s really exciting but it’s a bit scary in a way because you have to do everything yourself and sort everything out,” said Todd, who turned 20 on February 1. “Probably in the next two years we will be up and running as a yard and I’m looking forward to doing it.

“We’ve got eight horses at home and we’ve got a quite a lot of youngsters on the go.

“When they are of the right age to ride them, I’m going to ride them and, hopefully, they are going to be good.”

For now, Todd is determined to gain as much experience and know-how as possible – the Halifax dressage ace having enjoyed a highly encouraging 2012 competition-wise and being also full of praise for his chief mentors Becky and Hannah.

In Todd, they have a star pupil eager to listen and learn.

“I’ll have been with the Moodys three years in the summer and they have been really good,” said Todd, rider of both Rembrandt II and the promising Charlex in this last year. “I’ll probably be with them until the winter but maybe a bit longer as I want to get as much training and knowledge as I can really.

“That’s what you need – it’s all right setting up at home but you need to know what to do first!”