Following the news that former Olympic champion Blyth Tait had called time on his eventing career for a second time, H&H caught up with the eventing legend about his decision as well as speaking to his long-time teammate Mark Todd among others...
Blyth Tait told H&H his decision to call time on his eventing career for a second time , aged 58, was a “natural progression”, after some minor setbacks, such as hitting his head in a fall last spring and a longer than expected recovery.
“I think it’s time,” he said. “I’m very happy about the decision.”
The New Zealander announced his retirement at the Horse of the Year show in his home country, on 11 March. He had initally retired after the 2004 Olympics, serving as a coach and manager of the New Zealand eventing team, but returned to the sport in 2011.
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H&H news editor
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.