He is considered a real great in equestrian sports and was showered with prizes and awards when he was active. But now there are serious allegations against Sir Mark Todd. Reason: A video that has now been published.
Again and again he takes out and strikes. Hits the horse’s hindquarters with every blow, the animal stands hesitantly in front of a pond, doesn’t want to go in. The stick hits seven times, eight times, nine times, ten times. Only then does the horse jump into the water, the rider is powerless.
These scenes can be seen in a video that is now circulating on social media – and is causing a stir. Because the racquet is none other than Sir Mark Todd, who won Olympic gold for New Zealand in 1984 and 1988, a real star in his sport. The International Equestrian Federation FEI even named the 65-year-old “Rider of the 20th Century”.
The video is from a class in Scotland and is believed to be around two years old. It has now been published on the social media platform Tiktok – and has consequences for Todd: The “British Horseracing Authority” (BHA), the regulator for equestrian sports in Great Britain, has temporarily suspended Todd. That means he can’t compete in the UK or internationally – but he can continue to teach.
“I am very disappointed in myself”
Todd has already accepted the penalty and is “very disappointed” in himself. “The coach has confirmed to be in this video, he has apologized and agreed to the imposition of a temporary suspension,” the BHA said in a statement.
However, Todd probably does not face any further penalties – the “Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” (SSPCA), which deals with cases of animal cruelty, probably no longer has a handle. “Evidence must be no more than six months old when it is submitted,” the Daily Mail quoted a spokesman for the organization as saying. Financially, however, the dropout could have an impact. The company “Equiwarehouse”, which offers equestrian equipment, among other things, has already announced that it will remove the collection of the two-time Olympic champion from the range.
“I always advocate mutual respect between horse and rider and that patience and love is the best way to achieve good results,” Todd said in his statement. “I am very disappointed in myself that I did not comply in this case.”