Mark Todd’s autobiography Second Chance – review

It has been fourteen years since Mark Todd’s start autobiography So Far So Good was published. The Rider of the Century has i time to a greater extent than pose pen to newspaper to plough over us the within gen on his journeying inwards the sport, together with this latest endeavor volition live in all likelihood non live his last.

Second Chance, past times Mark Todd
Softcover, 240pp; Orion Books/Hachette NZ
ISBN 978-1-4091-4320-8
RRP $34.99; available from booksellers or from Amazon

 

Second Chance runs at virtually the same length every bit So Far So Good, which covered Todd’s career together with early on days upward to merely earlier the 1998 World Championships. At that fourth dimension at that spot was no utter of retirement.

But every bit everybody knows, Todd did retire after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, moved dorsum to New Zealand, together with went on to a successful career every bit a racehorse trainer.

Much has already been said virtually Todd’s comeback to the sport inwards fourth dimension for the 2008 Olympics. But in Second Chance, he has some thoughtful observations to brand virtually the changes to eventing – including the deed from long to brusk format inwards eventing. And spell things had changed, it was all quite familiar, he says.

“I realised that people were surreptitiously fascinated to meet if I could nonetheless ride, together with at that spot was a whole generation who had never seen me ride together with wanted to meet what the fuss was about, then I felt a fleck of pull per unit of measurement area to alive upward to my reputation,” Todd says.

“I was witting at that spot would live the expectation that I would merely conduct maintain upward where I had left off but, inwards truth, I was feeling pretty rusty.”

The rust has sure been oiled out inwards the past times few seasons – amongst Todd scoring the biggest win inwards his “second chance” to engagement on his overstep horse Land Vision at Badminton last year. Sadly, Land Vision has merely been ruled out of the Olympics after the recurrence of an injury, but Todd has his selection of several other talented horses should he brand the cut.

And nosotros should know past times forthwith to facial expression the unexpected from Todd – he’s oftentimes triumphed on lesser fancied horses.

Showing a flare for writing that gives an slow read but amongst lots of special virtually the people, places together with horses to proceed the equestrian laid happy, Todd’s mischievous sense of sense of humor likewise comes out inwards Second Chance – no cross-country dunkings or other antics are left out.

In Equus caballus sport it pays to conduct maintain connections, together with Todd is real good connected indeed – he seems to know then many people from all walks of life together with specialities – especially helpful inwards the equestrian world. He has Charlotte Dujardin to aid amongst his dressage – sealing her assistance earlier she became a superstar, together with overstep Kiwi orthopaedic surgeon Wayne McIllwraith to aid amongst lameness issues on speed dial.

There are a dyad of niggly things, mayhap because of Northern Hemisphere editing – the South Island becomes “South Island” for example, Charisma’s dad is Tira Mink (not Tara Mink) together with Jeff McVean has been turned into a Kiwi showjumper (and why not, the Aussies are ever claiming our best every bit their own!)

Todd likewise talks virtually the nighttime side of the sport – especially those bleak days around the 1999 flavour when five riders were killed on cross-country courses throughout Britain. The atmosphere surrounding the sport, amid other things, were amid the reasons that Todd started thinking virtually retirement, he says.

Going frontwards 10 years, Todd likewise explains the circumstances surrounding the lamentable demise of his 2008 Olympic horse Gandalf, who was euthanised inwards belatedly 2009 next several seizures.

Looking to the Olympics after this year,  Todd has pose frontwards his predictions on who volition produce well, together with the countries he thinks volition dominate. Going forward, Todd says he has no thought what the time to come holds for him, but you lot tin bet it volition live on horseback.

 

 

Mark Todd, CBE, was voted Rider of the 20th Century past times the FEI.
He won golden medals at Los Angeles (1984) together with Seoul (1988) Olympics, the start New Zealander to win an equestrian Olympic medal. He won the Badminton Horse Trials on 4 occasions, the Burghley Horse Trials 5 times, together with every bit a fellow member of New Zealand’s Eventing squad he won golden medals at the World Championships inwards 1990 together with 1998 (Rome), the European Championships inwards 1997, summation twenty or to a greater extent than other international events, together with numerous other international private together with squad titles.
In 1988, he was announced the New Zealand Sportsperson of the year, winner of the Supreme Halberg Award. In the same twelvemonth he was inducted into The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

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