Equestrianism: Top-ranked Tait

(First Edition)

BLYTH TAIT received pounds 14,000 at Knightsbridge Barracks, London, yesterday as winner of the global and European zones of the Land Rover FEI world three-day event rider rankings.

The awards covered the 1992 eventing season and were the first given under the three-year sponsorship deal that costs Land Rover more than pounds 250,000 a year.

The world champion from New Zealand is at his British base near Hungerford where he is preparing for the coming season. Tait's main targets will be the Badminton and Burghley three-day events.

This year the rider rankings have been extended to include two Western European zones and a team award, which will be based on points scored by the top three riders from each country.

Captain Mark Phillips, the technical director of the series, said the rankings had 'given an enormous boost to events outside Britain. Many of the overseas events now have a much bigger profile simply because they are part of the series.'

LAND ROVER FEI WORLD THREE-DAY EVENT RIDER RANKINGS 1992 season: Global: 1 B Tait (NZ) 345pts; 2 M Thomson (GB) 268; 3 B Davidson (US) 230; 4 P Nolan (GB) 199; 5= K Dixon (GB), A Nicholson (NZ) 183; 7 L Murray (GB) 165; 8 J Bodenmuller (Swit) 159; 9 G Pons (Fr) 158; 10 V Latta (NZ) 157. Zone winners: Western Europe: B Tait (NZ). Eastern Europe: B Owczarek (Pol). North America: B Davidson (US). South America: A J de Almedia (Bra). Oceania: P Cribb (Aus).