Mark Todd had a great year in eventing during 2010, but things did not go as smoothly at home. The New Zealand Herald is reporting that Toddy has put his New Zealand farm on the market due to a separation with his wife, Carolyn Todd, after 24 years of marriage. As a result, Mark has moved permanently to England. The Todd family farm, just north of Christchurch, NZL, is listed at Bayleys for $2.25 million. Carolyn Todd told the New Zealand Herald that the decision to separate was made 18 months ago. In my opinion, Mark Todd is the best eventer in history and his comeback, which will likely include yet another Olympics in 2012, has been simply incredible. His career has only been slightly marred with some ‘off the horse’ incidents, but we wish Mark and Carolyn the best moving forward. Now for some quick news and notes…
A lot of eventers are still mourning the news from Friday that Rebecca Broussard passed away. Losing such a wonderful lady is a hard thing to think about, especially during the holidays, and there is no question that US eventing will face a setback from the loss. Ms. Broussard’s daughter, Sarah Kelly, summed up the situation best in a comment she left on our original EN post:
Thank you all for your wonderful support. She will truly be missed but she has left behind a legacy that will live on forever. Not only the Event at Rebecca Farm, but all of the lives that she has touched through the years will keep her and her memory alive. ~Sarah Broussard Kelly
William Fox-Pitt says that London 2012 will be a “huge lift” for eventing. Even though eventing is considerably more popular in England than in North America, the sport still faces similar challenges such as being perceived by fans as a sport of the elite. William is still searching for that major international gold medal and London would be a great place to get it. William seems to like his odds:
“Team GB has a very good chance for London. We will be among the favourites, although I’d prefer us to be among the underdogs. It’s pretty dangerous for me to be targeting a gold medal. I have to get selected first and there’s no guarantee of a strong horse. I have to make sure I have a good group of horses and bring them on.” [The Guardian]
My favorite headline of the day: “Student Protester Who Stroked Police Horse Arrested.” And it’s not even for that kind of stroking. Apparently the 25 year old student distracted a mounted officer by stroking the horse while his friend lit off a firework to spook the horse. When interrogated, the student offered up this gem of logic–“How can you throw a firework when you’re stroking a horse?”
*As a business note, Cavalor has added three new dealers—Midwest Feed and Farm in Ocala, FL, Aiken County Farm Supply in Aiken, SC, and The Hay Rack in Landrum, SC. If you are headed to Aiken or Ocala for the winter be sure to check out those locations and see the Cavalor US directory for more information on their distributors.
Best of the Blogs: Sinead Halpin sometimes rides naughty horses on Bute to see if they are sore
Finally, SmartPak is kicking off a huge post holiday sale beginning today. Click here or on the new SmartPak banner to check out the deals and discounts. We’ll be back later to kick off another great week around Eventing Nation. See you soon…
