Blyth Tait Explained

Blyth Tait
Fullname:Robert Blyth Tait
Country:New Zealand
Sport:Equestrian
Event:Eventing
Birth Date:10 May 1961
Birth Place:Whangārei, New Zealand
Show-Medals:yes

Robert Blyth Tait (born 10 May 1961) is a New Zealand equestrian. Tait has competed at four Olympics and has won four medals, one of only six New Zealanders to do so.[1]

Tait's first success at international level was at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, when he won Gold in both the individual and team events riding Messiah. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he won Bronze in the individual event after teammate Vicky Latta knocked down a rail in the showjumping, and Silver in the team event with Latta and Andrew Nicholson (Mark Todd was also in the team but was not awarded a medal as he did not finish the event). At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he won Gold in the individual and Bronze in the Team event. Tait repeated his World Championships double Gold effort at Rome in 1998 riding Ready Teddy. He was flag-bearer for the New Zealand team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, but he was eliminated in both the individual and team events. Tait completed his competitive Olympic career with a fifth in the team event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was the eventing manager for the 2008 Summer Olympics.[2]

In the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, Tait was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to equestrian sport.

Olympic record

individual bronze; team silver (both on Messiah)

individual gold (on Ready Teddy); team bronze (on Chesterfield)

individual did not finish (on Welton Envoy); team did not finish (on Ready Teddy)

individual 18th; team 5th (both on Ready Teddy)

Personal life

Tait is homosexual.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blyth Tait . Olympic.org.nz . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100522022132/http://www.olympic.org.nz/nzolympic/athlete/blyth-tait . 2010-05-22.
  2. News: Out Olympians add to medal tally . . 29 August 2008 . 2008-10-29 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20081012084752/http://www.sovo.com/2008/8-29/locallife/sports/9079.cfm . 12 October 2008 .
  3. Web site: Sports: Out Gays Win Olympic medals – Windy City Times News. September 2004.