Biography

The UK-based seven-time Olympian, former Badminton winner and New Zealand equestrian legend Sir Mark Todd (63) is based near Swindon in Wiltshire. Last year Sir Mark was 18^th at Badminton with NZB Campino and was a member of the New Zealand team for the WEG in Tryon (Mclaren). He has previously won Badminton on four occasions and Burghley five times. NZB Campino has completed five of the World’s four-star events – excluding Adelaide – his best place being 4^th at Badminton in 2017.

Prior to Badminton Sir Mark spent six weeks in Australia overseeing the training and running of the racehorse Eminent (Frankel-King Mambo) having been asked by owner Sir Peter Vela of NZB – also the owner of Badminton entry NZB Campino – to train the horse for the Melbourne Cup in November. The horse’s preparation included several races in Australia over the last few weeks.

Sir Mark is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated sportsmen and was voted rider of the 20th century by the FEI; in 2013 he was made a Knights Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for services to the sport of eventing.

‘Toddy’ first competed internationally as a member of the first ever NZ team that contested the World Championships at Lexington in 1978. Soon after he moved to England and won his first Badminton with Southern Comfort (1980). He is particularly remembered for his partnership with the diminutive Charisma with who he won two Olympic gold medals (’84 & 88). In the 1992 Olympic Games, Mark competed in show jumping as well as eventing. He has won Burghley five times.

In 2000 he retired from the sport after winning bronze at the Sydney Olympics. He then made a return to eventing in 2008 aged 52 and three-years later won his fourth Badminton title – the oldest rider ever to win – on his 20th completion. During retirement in New Zealand he turned to training and breeding racehorses and successes included Bramble Rose who won the 2003 New Zealand Oaks and Willy Smith the winner of the Wellington Cup in 2007. After his return to eventing he was selected for the 2008 Olympic Games and in 2010 with Grass Valley was a member of the NZ bronze medal team at the WEG in Lexington and in London 2012 was a member of the Bronze medal winning New Zealand team with NZB Campino. In 2016 Sir Mark was a member of the fourth placed New Zealand team at the Rio Olympic Games – his seventh OG – where he was 7^th individually (Leonidas II).

Mark is the official technical advisor to the Brazilian Eventing team. He trains with Isobel Wessels and Luis Alvarez.He is married to Carolyn and the couple has two children Lauren (28) and James (24). Outside of horses Mark enjoys horse racing, skiing (water and snow) cooking and yoga and training racehorses.

NZB Campino (aka Kinky) owned by New Zealand Bloodstock and rider, is a 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding. He is by the Holstein Contendro (the sire of Isobell Wessell’s dressage champion Chagall) out of a mare by Pinkus. He was found by Mark at Dirk Schrade’s yard. In 2012 NZB Campino was a member of the team at the London OG and in 2016 was 7^th at Lexington CCI4* and 9^th at Burghley. He is described as ‘something of a pet now he is 17’.