New Zealand equestrian legend Sir Mark Todd is enjoying life away from the competitive stage, saying he has no regrets about his decision to retire.
The 63-year-old announced his retirement from the sport in July after helping New Zealand win the Nations Cup at the Camphire International Horse Trials in Ireland.
Sir Mark had planned to compete until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but admitted the fire in his belly had gone out.
He's back in New Zealand for the second biennial EQUITANA Auckland, where his illustrious career will be celebrated with a 'this is your life' evening.
Many of Sir Mark's former teammates and associates will be competing over the four-day event at ASB Showgrounds.
While Sir Mark is happy not competing anymore, he told The AM Show that may change when the Tokyo Olympics roll around next year.
"Not at the moment," he said, when asked if his misses competing on the big stage.
"About a month ago I had to take a horse to an event, and as I drove in everyone going around in circles preparing for the dressage and I thought, 'Thank god I don't do that anymore.'
"When the Olympics comes around next year, I might have a few more twinges. I had a good horse [McClaren] I rode at the world champs last year, and Jonelle Price has him so I'll be jealous if she wins gold with him.
"I haven't lost the passion, but to stay at the top you have to give 100 percent, and I've lost that."
During his career, which spanned over four decades, Sir Mark won two Olympic gold meals (Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988), the Badminton Horse Trials on four occasions and the Burghley Horse Trials five times.
He won his two golds with Charisma, and despite all the changes in equestrian over the years, Todd feels he'd still be competitive if he was still alive today.
"He was phenomenal. In today's sport, he still would have been competitive and was the ultimate competitor.
"He had one chink in his armour, and he used to like, feel his away around the showjumping, but he always knew how to get the job done.
"He died when he was 30 years old [January 7, 2003]. He was buried on the farm we had in Cambridge, and we went out there two days ago and the people that own it now, look after his gravestone and lots of people still come and take photos of it."
Todd was 28 when competed at his first Olympic games in 1984, and that still stands out as his career highlight.
"Every Olympics is special, and there does become some familiarity when you've been to so many. They're all in different cities, so they're all unique.
"Your first one is pretty special. My first one was in Los Angeles and we were like kids in a chocolate factory, and the fact I managed to win it was special."
Since retiring, Sir Mark has been focused on training his 10 racehorses.
