Margs Carline

Palmerston North equestrian rider Marges Knighton, aboard Enterprise, enjoyed an outstanding domestic season in 1988, and headed off some strong contenders to win selection for the New Zealand equestrian three-day eventing team for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

In testingly hot conditions at Seoul, the New Zealand team – Tinks Pottinger, Mark Todd, Andrew Bennie and Knighton (or Marges Carline as she is now) finished behind West Germany and Great Britain, but were a comfortable third, nearly 120 points ahead of fourth-placed Poland.

Knighton, born in Sheffield, followed a mediocre performance in the dressage, when she was assessed at 74.6 points, by incurring 90 points in the cross-country on the second day. She did not finish the show-jumping on the final day, but as a member of the New Zealand team was awarded a bronze medal.

Subsequent to the Olympics Knighton reverted to her maiden name of Carline. After a spell away from top-class equestrian competition, she returned as a dressage specialist and enjoyed notable success with one horse in particular, Kiteroa Kingston, besides doing some judging and coaching. She later moved to the Bay of Plenty.