56 horses came forward to the final horse inspection this morning at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, down from the 59 who completed yesterday’s competition. This comes after the overnight withdrawal of three horse and rider combinations overnight: Ireland’s Jim Newsam and Magennis, Padraig McCarthy and Mr Chunky, and Laura Collett and Mr Bass, who sustained an undisclosed injury across the country yesterday.
Elsewhere, the morning was largely drama-free: each of the 56 horses presented was accepted by the assembled ground jury of Nick Burton (GBR), Jane Hamlin (USA), and Christian Steiner (AUT). One horse was sent to the hold box – Italy’s Pietro Sandei had to re-present his Rubis de Prere, but they were subsequently accepted.
Last week at Kentucky, we saw a totally drama-free Sunday morning, and withdrawals notwithstanding, it’s great to see another one this week – we’ve been blessed, once again, with fantastic ground and going, and a course that didn’t cause any nasty incidents throughout the day.
In Praise of Supergrooms
Each year, a prize is awarded to the groom who is deemed to have provided a superior level of care for their charge throughout the week. This year’s winner was Amy Akehurst, who works as head girl for Tom Crisp. Amy has worked tirelessly throughout the week to look after two horses with wildly different needs and today, Liberty and Glory came forward looking as fresh and feisty as always, despite having faced the biggest test of her life just weeks after contracting a respiratory infection.
“She’s a rare gem,” said Tom of the perennially sunny Amy. “She’s so likeable, she’s always smiling, and she works so, so hard.”
The first session of showjumping will begin at 11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST this morning, while the top twenty will jump from 2.00 p.m. BST/9.00 a.m. Let’s see this thing through, my friends.
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The 2019 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials is brought to you in partnership with the team at Voltaire Design United Kingdom. Going to Badminton? Head to Voltaire Design on Stand 253 on Somerset Way and meet the team of Sports Saddle Specialists, arrange a free, totally no-obligation fitting for you and your horse, or indulge in the Deal of the Day. Put a deposit on a new saddle during the event, and you’ll receive a matching girth, stirrup leathers, and saddlepad – free! Looking for a bargain? Head to Voltaire Design’s sister stand, EquiTack, to check out their premium pre-loved saddles at rock-bottom prices.