Charisma (30 October 1972 – 7 January 2003) was a horse ridden by New Zealander Mark Todd. Charisma won many competitions in the sport of eventing. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest event horses ever to have competed. Charisma, also known as "Podge" and "Stroppy," was born 30 October 1972. Best known for winning two individual Olympic Gold Dressage medals with his rider Mark Todd, the first at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the second at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where Charisma put in a stellar dressage test, and jumped clear rounds in both the cross-country and stadium. The New Zealand team also won the bronze that year. The back-to-back Olympic win in eventing had only been accomplished once before.
Charisma was retired after his second Olympic victory and he went home to New Zealand. He then went on a six-month tour before taking a well-earned rest. He was later shipped to Britain in 1995 to continue retirement. On 7 January 2003, Charisma was euthanized at Mark Todd's Rivermonte Farm in Cambridge, after breaking a shoulder in the field. He was 30 years old.
