January 22, 2002

At the end of December, the New Zealand Olympic Committee awarded the Lonsdale Cup to multi Olympic equestrian medallist Blyth Tait.

The NZOC presents the Lonsdale Cup annually to the athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth Games sport for the year. Tait is the first equestrian to win the Lonsdale Cup.

Blyth Tait received the award for his win at one of the sports major competitions, the Burghley three day event this year. The Badminton horse trials were cancelled due to the outbreak of foot and mouth in the United Kingdom.

Blyth Tait won the world Eventing title on two occasions in 1990 and 1998. He also won four Olympic medals including the individual three-day event title in Atlanta in 1996. Between 1992 and 1998 Tait was ranked the number one rider in the world.