Sir Mark Todd has this morning announced the retirement of his London Olympic Games team bronze medal-winning mount NZB Campino.

“Having made the wise call to ‘pull himself up’ at Badminton early on and not being sound back at the stables we have done some further investigation,” said Sir Mark. “Whilst he is now sound and happily out in the paddock, we have made the decision to retire him from international eventing. He has been and remains a wonderful friend and he will now be Carolyn’s hack and look after the youngsters on the farm.”

Over the 10 years he has been with Sir Mark, the 17-year-old Hanoverian has competed at all five of the world’s Northern Hemisphere based top events, placing fourth at Badminton and fifth at Luhmuhlen in 2017.

Kinky, as he is known affectionately at home, joined Sir Mark’s string in 2009 and quickly showed his class winning the Hartpury CCI3*-L (new format) after the bare minimum of a few novices and an intermediate to qualify. Alongside Leonidas, who arrived at the same time, he stepped up the grades quickly and the following year placed second in the CCI3*-S followed by a third at Boekelo in the CCI4*-L.

Their efforts as part of the bronze medal-winning team was all the more extraordinary as Kinky was just 10, had barely two seasons under his belt and it was just his third international run. The Kiwi combo were third after the dressage and second after the cross country, only dropping out of the medals when his mental exhaustion showed, and a couple of rails fell to see them place 12th individually.

Fresh back from a break in 2014, he won the CCI4*-L at Houghton. ESNZ high performance UK administrator Jacky Green says the horse was always very clear about his favourite events.

“He would happily jump Centaurs Leap (Burghley) and the Vicarage V (Badminton) but show him a small ditch in the middle of a coffin and he would inevitably balk at it,” she said. “He never liked Bramham for this reason and could still apply the brakes at a one day if he considered the ditch to be hiding dragons.”

In 2015 Sir Mark and Kinky won Tattersalls CCI4*-S, followed by a fifth at Luhmuhlen, a top 10 at Aachen CCIO, a win in the CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk and top 10 at Pau. Their seventh-place finish at Kentucky saw them shortlisted for the Rio Olympics but in the end Sir Mark took Leonidas. Kinky bounced back with a top 10 finish at Burghley.

His best CCI5*-L result came in 2017 with his fourth at Badminton. “Kinky has been so much more than just a top international,” says Jacky. He has jumped in the popular Blenheim High Jump Competition, competed in the eventers class at Hickstead and ridden at nearly all of the Badgerstown Christmas Chase Me Charlie Competitions by varying family and staff.
He holds a special place in the heart of Sir Mark’s yard manager Jess Wilson who will no doubt pamper him in his retirement.

“At 17 he is still as spooky as ever, despite travelling all over the Northern Hemisphere, and he’s still as sweet-natured as ever,” says Jacky. “So many good horses don’t get to enjoy their retirement . . . well this one sure is going to!”

The German-bred NZB Campino is by Contendro I out of Pink Dame (who is by Pinkus). He is owned by New Zealand Bloodstock and Sir Mark Todd.

 

Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ