Ex-Olympic champion Tait decides to call it quits
Former Olympic Games gold medallist Blyth Tait has retired from international eventing after abandoning a bid to compete at the 2020 Toyko Games.
The 58-year-old Atlanta 1996 Olympic champion confirmed his retirement on 1News’ Breakfast Show yesterday morning, joking: ‘‘I’m getting older, and when I fall off these days I just don’t bounce like I used to, and inevitably something breaks.
‘‘I think I’m going to start to leave it to the younger ones.’’
Tait won four Olympic medals – individual gold and a team bronze at Atlanta and an individual bronze and team silver at Barcelona in 1992 – during his glittering career.
The native Northlander first shot to international fame in 1990 when he won the World Equestrian Games individual eventing gold medal at Stockholm.
He won four world titles – individual and team gold medals in 1990 and 1998 and ranked alongside Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson at the forefront of a golden generation of New Zealand eventing.
Tait now follows Todd, who hung up his reins in 2019, into retirement.
Tait – winner of England’s prestigious Burghley Horse Trial titles in 1998 and 2001 – said he ‘‘would have to say that the Olympic gold at Atlanta’’ was the highlight of his long career.
‘‘We all know what the Olympics are about – they only come around once every four years – and everyone wants to achieve that. To have one that was hugely satisfying.’’
Tait, who competed at four Olympics, said his first world title at Stockholm was also special because ‘‘it enabled me to seriously consider having a professional career as an athlete.
‘‘I always look back at that one very fondly.’’
Tait competed at four consecutive Olympics between 1992 and 2004 before retiring from international competition for the first time.
He came back in 2011 a bid to qualify for the London Olympic Games in 2012, but such was the strength of New Zealand eventing, he did not make the final team, and he was also a reserve for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Tait said he had met ‘‘some fantastic people’’ in the sport and had travelled the world, but he was now ‘‘very happy to hand over the reins to the younger ones coming through and I support them fully.
‘‘There is a bright future and still some serious young talent out there.’’
Tait is doing some coaching and is off to Europe later this year to design cross-country courses at a couple of events.
‘‘I will be setting the course that the riders will be riding instead of riding them myself,’’ he said.