ACOG - News - IBM

(26 July 1996; Day 07)

From Equestrian Novice to Olympic Gold in 18 Months

Just over two years ago, Ready Teddy was owned by a young New Zealand Pony Clubber and was competing at the lowest levels of eventing. On Friday at the Georgia International Horse Park, Ready Teddy and Blyth TAIT of New Zealand earned an Olympic gold medal for the individual three day event.

"My dad deserves all the credit for this one," said TAIT. "Teddy was bought by my father back in New Zealand just over two years ago, and (Teddy) was a complete novice. Dad had been helping out at a local pony club one day event, saw the horse on cross country, and asked the girl if she was willing to sell the horse. Since I was 17,000 kilometers away, he bought the horse on his own decision."

Amazingly, the 8-year-old thoroughbred has been in competition for just over a year. "Teddy came up to me (in England) on a ship, and unfortunately, injured his hock on the ship, so he couldn't compete at all that year," explained TAIT. "He started at the beginning of last year (1995) as a novice and has just come all the way through. He has just moved up very quickly because of his enormous talent. It couldn't have gone better, really."

Teddy was certainly ready for this Olympic competition, and has proven that TAIT's father, Robert, was quite a prognosticator when deciding on Teddy's name. "After Dad bought the horse, he rang me while we were getting the papers in order to send him up to England," said TAIT. "We needed a passport for the horse and Dad asked, 'What shall I call him?' I said, 'He's your horse, what do you want to call him?' The horse already had the stable name of Teddy, and dad said since he's a chestnut, I'll call him Ready Teddy, and that way when he gets to the Olympic Games, they can say, 'Are you ready, Teddy, go,' and here he is."

With that piece of information in hand, the cross country start box at Sydney should look out. Ready Teddy is extremely young compared to most horses that are competing in three day eventing at the Olympic level. Teddy and TAIT could follow in the path of fellow Kiwi Mark TODD, whose late withdrawal from the Games (TODD's horse strained a muscle) opened the door for Teddy to be called into action as a reserve. TODD was able to win back-to-back individual Olympic gold medals on Charisma in 1984 and 1988.

"He's wonderful,"said TAIT of his gold medal mount, "but I can't predict the future. He's only eight, so in Sydney he'll be 12. If he stays sound between now and then, it may be in the cards. I don't know where the Games will be after that, but Teddy will be 16 then, so maybe we'll get three gos."

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Amy H. Symons.


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