Equestrians honoured
New Zealand’s first equestrian Olympic team and one of the nation’s most beloved horses were honoured at the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame cocktail party.
Sir Mark Todd’s Charisma along with the 1964 Tokyo Olympic jumping team, comprising the late Bruce and Graeme Hansen (Gisborne), along with Adrian White (Hawke’s Bay) and Charlie Matthews (Gisborne) were inducted before 200 people at the event which was held as part of the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show in Hawke’s Bay.
Adrian was the only rider at the celebration while families of the Hansens and Charlie attended. Charlie, who now lives in Australia, was unable to attend.
The team sailed to Tokyo, with the horses stabled on deck beside a rather pungent pallet of garlic.
Bruce captained the team, which finished in 10th place. Just Bruce, Graeme and Adrian competed at the Games with Charlie the reserve.
Graeme and Saba Sam were the best of the Kiwis in the opening round with Adrian and Eldorado leading the way in the second. At the end of the Games, Syndicate and Eldorado were sold while Tide and Saba Sam returned to New Zealand. When they competed at the Wairoa Show on their return, the whole district was said to have turned out to watch them.
Graeme was the driver behind the Teams’ Competition which is held annually at the Horse of the Year Show with the coveted Saba Sam Shield up for grabs.
Charisma and Sir Mark won back-to-back individual gold medals at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988, and endeared themselves to the nation. Charisma didn’t start his eventing career until he was 10, and he was known as Podge thanks to a keen eye for food. While it was eventing that led him to the world stage, he also competed to B Grade showjumping level and Prix St George dressage.
Podge was described as a brilliant cross country horse by Sir Mark, saying he was very bold, scopey, fast and nippy — all in all, the perfect combination.
Despite his diminutive height of just 15.3hh the horse was second at Badminton, won Luhmuhlen and twice claimed the British Open Championship as well as a second at Burghley. He retired in New Zealand at 16 and died in 2002 at Sir Mark’s Cambridge property.
UK-based Olympic eventer Tim Price was a big winner, picking up Rider of the Year, and as part of the Team of the Year with Sir Mark Todd and Jonelle Price as victors in the Nations’ Cup class at the Camphire International Horse Trials in Ireland in July.
It was Sir Mark’s last international eventing competition and he made the shock announcement of his retirement.
Tim’s horse Ascona M was crowned Horse of the Year alongside Windermere Cappuccino ridden by West Melton’s Tegan Fitzsimon.
The rising 10-year-old this year successfully defended his FEI World Cup NZ League Series title alongside his National Show jumping crown, continuing a stellar career where he won all the age group series through his career as well as the Horse Grand Prix and Premier Grand Prix series. He is owned by Tegan and the Parkes family.
Jumping stalwart Audrey Cameron won the Pilmer Plate for her lifetime of involvement. The FEI Level 3 judge and FEI Level 2 steward hails from Tauranga.