Emily King and Brookleigh. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Emily King has come out at the four-star level with guns blazing, and at Badminton her bulls-eye is directed once again at one of the top — if not the best — eventers in the world: Michael Jung.
In a near repeat of her debut at the French four-star Pau last fall, the 20-year-old daughter of British eventing legend Mary King is nipping at Michael’s heels once again, having thrown down the second-best dressage score of Badminton 2016, a 36.8, 2.4 points behind Michael and La Biosthetique Sam FBW.
At Pau she was third after dressage behind Michael’s two horses, fischerRocana and Halunke FBW. She jumped a double-clear cross country and had one rail down to finish fourth at the event.
Emily King’s thoughts on Chinch at Pau, who after his world travels is beginning to look a bit worse for the wear: “He could use a shave, perhaps. And where is his nose?”
Today she shaved 1.5 points off her Pau dressage score, 38.3, to become the closest obstacle between Michael and his Rolex Grand Slam.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” Emily said at today’s press conference. “Brook was very good. I knew he was capable of doing such a good test but he’s never been in such a big arena, a big atmosphere as here at Badminton.”
If Emily is at all nervous about striking out around the huge course tomorrow, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from her cool, positive demeanor while sitting on the hot seat with Michael and 3rd-placed Andreas Ostholt today.
“I came here and I wanted to do very well,” she said. “I’m a very competitive person and since we went to Pau and had a good result I knew he was capable of doing very well here.”
Emily King after her dressage ride. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
She sounds confident about tackling tomorrow’s course. “I like the look of the course,” she said. “It’s a nice, big, bold attacking course but still with lots of accuracy questions.”
“I hope that Brook responds well to the bigger track,” she said. “If I ride it well and attack it I hope we’ll have a good result.”
Emily took over the ride on Brook, a 14-year-old German-bred gelding owned by Jane Del Missie, from Clayton Fredericks, who developed him through the CIC3* level, in 2012.
Their partnership solidified last year, during which the pair came third in the Chatsworth CIC3*, fifth in the Bramham under-25 CCI3* and second in the Ballendenisk CIC3*, culminating in their 4th place finish at Pau. They’ve done one CIC3* this year at Burnham Market, where they placed 10th.
Emily and Brook’s performance bumped Germany’s Andreas Ostholt and So Is Et to third (36.8) and yesterday’s 3rd placed pair Francis Whittington and Hasty Imp to 4th.
A proud mum! Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
On the U.S. front, Buck Davidson and The Apprentice scored a 45.7, good for 21st place.
Boyd Martin and Cracker Jack earned a 50.5 and are tied for 49th place.
Check back for post-test interviews with these riders soon!
Libby Head and Sir Rockstar will head into cross country in 73rd place on a score of 57.8.
Go Eventing.
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