Todd investigated for hitting horse
SIR MARK TODD is facing questions from the British Horseracing Association (BHA) after a video emerged of him striking a horse with a tree branch.
New Zealander Todd is one of the most decorated Three-Day Eventers in history having won two Olympic Gold medals as well as being a two-time world champion.
He currently trains a small team of racehorses in Wiltshire and had 13 winners from 80 runners in 2021 with best horse Tasman Bay a Royal Ascot runner-up.
Video footage, believed to be two years old, shows Todd striking a horse as it hesitates ahead of entering a pool of water. A BHA spokesman said: ‘The footage seen this weekend of Sir Mark Todd hitting a horse with a branch has rightly caused anger and upset within the equestrian community and beyond.
‘His behaviour, for which he has apologised, fell a long way short of the standards of care we expect of licensed individuals and that we know is provided to the overwhelming majority of horses in training in Britain every day. The BHA is looking into the incident.’
Todd, 65, had earlier said: ‘One of the main things I preach is about establishing a mutual respect between horse and rider and that patience and kindness is the best way to get results. I am very disappointed in myself that I did not adhere to that in this case.’
It is almost a year since footage emerged of Irish trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse on his gallops. The BHA banned Elliott from having any runners in Britain while an investigation was still ongoing in Ireland. Elliott was eventually suspended for six months and failure to act on Todd could leave the BHA open to accusations of double standards.
Meanwhile, Snow Leopardess, trained by Charlie Longsdon, underlined her status as one of the top Grand National contenders with a comfortable win in the Mares’ Chase at Exeter.
It followed her win in the Becher Chase over the Aintree fences in December.
Weights for the Grand National, run on April 9, will be unveiled at a ceremony in Liverpool tomorrow.