The legendary New Zealand horseman became Badminton's oldest champion, aged 55, after an ice-cool clear round on NZB Land Vision shaded British Olympic hopefuls Piggy French and Mary King.

Remarkably, it was Land Vision's debut at the elite four-star level, but Todd guided him home in masterful fashion to clinch his fourth Badminton crown, 31 years after the first one.

Todd took an eight-year break from eventing after the 2000 Sydney Olympics - he had already won successive Olympic golds at Los Angeles and Seoul - to concentrate on training racehorses.

But he underlined exactly why equestrian sport's governing body named him their greatest rider of the 20th century as he triumphed on 43.6 penalties, almost two clear of Leicestershire-based French on Jakata, with 49-year-old King on Imperial Cavalier third.


"This, for me, is huge," said an elated Todd.

"To come back after a lay-off and to do it 31 years after my first Badminton win, it's up there with the back-to-back Olympic golds in 1984 and 1988."

There was also an outstanding eighth-place finish on her Badminton debut for 21-year-old Wiltshire rider Laura Collett with Rayef, whose progress will be keenly watched by Britain's Olympic selectors.

"It was something to savour - I hope they are all as good as this," said Collett, a former European junior and young rider champion.

"I am really pleased with the horse.

"He got a little bit unnerved by the photographers over fence three today and started to run away a little bit, but I can't fault him.

"I am going to savour the moment. He performed beyond my expectations."


Related stories
September 2008: Federer and Todd eye London 2012