TODD FACES DRUGS CLAIM

Double equestrian gold medallist Mark Todd is at the centre of a sex
and drugs scandal in Britain following allegations in a tabloid newspaper.

The claims, if true, would cast doubt on Todd's participation at the
Sydney Olympics.

The allegations were contained in a detailed feature article published
in the Sunday Mirror newspaper yesterday.

Todd has released a statement saying he was consulting lawyers about
the article described as "an unjustifiable and disgraceful intrusion
into his private life".

The statement said Todd was "the victim of a squalid tabloid newspaper
setup.

"For these reasons he has been advised not to make any comment on the
many distortions and untruths in the story which has caused great
distress to his family and to him."

Mike Hooper, general secretary of the New Zealand Olympic Committee,
said action would be taken against any athlete found to be taking drugs.

"Our policy on drugs in sport is clear - the two don't go together.
We're totally opposed to any inference there," he said.

New Zealand Olympic equestrian silver medallist Sally Clark said she
was shocked to hear the allegations.

"There are all sorts of weird things happening in the English horse
world with all those deaths last year. I'm glad I'm not there," she
said.

Clark described Todd as "a wonderful team person".

"His wife and kids always come along and he is great with the kids,"
she said.

A Badminton horse trials official said yesterday he was appalled about
the allegations against Todd.

Jim Gilmour, who has been in charge of international media at
Badminton for many years, said the Sunday Mirror never attended
Badminton and "all they seem to do is set people up".

"Mark Todd is a great ambassador not only for New Zealand but for the
sport. What this tabloid paper has written is absolutely disgraceful
for Mark and his family.

"The story was obviously written by someone who doesn't know the
man."

Chairman of selectors for the Kiwi equestrian team Jim Wright was
dismayed to read the article.

"It's a very sad situation whichever way it goes," he
said.

"It's a total and complete bolt out of the blue. Anything of this sort
is very unfortunate."

Wright said: "I'll be contacting Mark in the next few days. I'll be
waiting for advice tomorrow - I haven't got a plan of attack at the
moment."

New Zealand equestrian federation president Cam McRae said last night
he would not be surprised if the story was part of a smear campaign
aimed at hurting New Zealand's chances at Sydney.

"The New Zealand eventing team are going into the Olympics as
favourites and I just wonder if other nations are putting this stuff
out. In international sport today these things happen.

"I've known Mark for 20 years through the sport and I can't believe
it."

Mr McRae said he would contact the NZOC today to see if Todd had
undergone a drug test recently.

Todd is one of New Zealand's most successful athletes and is
recognised as the foremost horseman in modern three-day eventing.

The equestrian hero, made an MBE by the Queen in 1984 and a CBE in
1995 and a friend of the Royal Family, has been hailed as one of the
world's 100 greatest sportsmen of all time.

He has been described by Princess Anne's former husband, Mark
Phillips, as "the most gifted three-day event rider the world has ever
seen".

He grew up near Cambridge in New Zealand and rode his first world
championship as a 22-year-old in 1978.