from stuff.co.nz (dated 03mar11)
Equestrian legend Blyth Tait is to get back in the saddle, with the aim of competing at the next year's Olympic Games in London.
The 49-year-old multiple Olympic medallist today announced his days of retirement were over, and his goal was to again represent New Zealand at the highest possible level.
"I am looking for a challenge again," he told NZPA.
"I want a bit of excitement, a bit of fun."
Tait, who retired in 2004 after competing for 15 years in Britain during a stellar career in which he won four Olympic medals, including gold in the individual three-day event in 1996, said the fact London was hosting the Games was a lure he could not ignore.
"The big appeal is the Games being in London. If it was in somewhere difficult like Beijing then it would be so much more of a complicated situation."
Tait still has a strong network of friends, contacts, sponsors and equestrian insiders in Britain which he will use to ease his return to competition.
"I have facilities I can go to and so forth. I think for me the opportunity is now or never so I am going to take the bull by the horns and give it a go."
Despite his glittering past, Tait does not expect any favours from the New Zealand selectors.
"I am setting my sights high, maybe a little too high, but that is the driving force. Clearly I have to take one step at a time and prove myself on form to be included in the team.
"It's my job to get the results on the board that allow me to think about the Olympics in 2012."
Tait leaves for Britain at the end of this month with Santos, a 12-year-old bay gelding he recently purchased a three-quarter share of as he mulled over the prospects of launching the next phase of his competitive career.
"He has competed at four-star level in New Zealand and I feel he has the credentials and also the experience, the mileage, to be fast tracked towards a result next year," Tait said.
He has a smaller national event at the end of April, but his primary aim this year is to compete in and do well at the Burghley horse trials in England in September.
Tait has been on the outside looking in for close to seven years after his initial retirement following the 2004 Olympics.
He doesn't think he has lost his competitive edge "but I will certainly be short of match play".
"But I think I have had enough experience in the past that hopefully that will come back quite quickly.
"I feel I have had a real freshen up and I am quite keen to get back in and get involved again.
"The sport's always evolving and I think it's about placing yourself into the environment as it is. That doesn't concern me at all.
"I appreciate things have changed. The formats have changed and the accent's changed towards the dressage having a little bit more influence. I appreciate that and I understand that but it doesn't concern me."
Tait does not think he will struggle too much to regain the fitness levels required to compete at the top level.
"Physically I am the right sort of build and I have been riding horses since my retirement.
"I am not at my peak of fitness but I am quite certain it will not be a problem."
Tait said he took encouragement from the fact a former teammate, Mark Todd, came out of retirement to compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Tait remained active during his seven-year retirement and stayed involved in the sport, conducting regular coaching clinics while also filling the role of team manager for the New Zealand eventing team at the 2006 world championships and 2008 Olympics.