Open Thread: North American Badminton XC Rides

Check back here throughout Sunday morning for quick, provisional, and typo-riddled recaps after each ride of the four North American riders competing at Badminton.  Click here for Horse and Hound’s Badminton live blog and click here to watch the action on FEI TV for a subscription.  Good luck to everyone and keep refreshing this page for updates!

[XC Live ScoresXC Ride TimesBadminton Audio InterviewsFence Analysis, Live Tweets, Course Info, Jenni’s XC Preview]

10:17am ET Clark Montgomery and Universe (USA) — Clark and the fireplug Universe were getting lots of love from Oli Townend on the FEI TV as well as the commentators on Radio Badminton and H&H’s live blog in this horse’s first time around a four-star.  Clark saved the round at fence #22, Savills’ Staircase. According to Radio Badminton, they jumped up the first step really big, got under the second step, stumbled up the second step, and then they turned hard to the optional route before presenting to the fast route. Fortunately the jump judges scored them clear. They finished 16 seconds over the optimum and provisionally clear in what appears to be a fabulous first four-star performance.  Go Clark!

Note: If you don’t have FEI TV, Radio Badminton is a good option to follow live in addition to Horse and Hound’s live blog.  Go to the Badminton website and then find the Radio Badminton link in the right sidebar.

10:30am Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz (USA) — The incredible team of Colleen and Luke successfully finished their fifth different four-star cross-country at Badminton, crossing the finish line clear and just 10 seconds over the optimum.  They will go into the cross-country on their score of 67.2.  What more can you say about this pair, absolutely brilliant — go Colleen and Luke!!

10:55am Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master (CAN) — The only Canadian pair in the Badminton field skipped around the Badminton cross-country course, making it look easy and finishing just two seconds over the optimum.  Rupert never looked hurried and he looked better and better throughout the course.  This pair was already a front-runner for Canada at the WEGs in Normandy, but this round puts them right at the top of the list.  Go Rupert!

11:45am Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister (USA) — Tiana and “Finian” were looking for a comeback weekend after a prematurely short XC ride stop on cross-country in London last year.  They got that and more today with a brilliant ride around their first Badminton.  Finian jumped neatly around the course, making much of it look like a show jumping round.  In a scary moment, Finian’s right front wrap came unraveled in the Badminton Lake, possibly after he scraped it on the brush jump into the water.  It was hard to see on the video, but it looked like it was a porter boot.  Tiana made it obvious that she elected to take the optional route at the Staircase that nearly gave Clark and Universe a problem.   Tiana and Finian finished with 5 seconds over the optimum.  Whatever happens with the rest of the rides today, they will be in great position going into the show jumping.  In her post-ride interview, Tiana was beaming and said her ride got “better and better” as they got going on course.  Go Tiana and Finian!

A Great Day for North America: In a nice change of pace from past years, North America rocked Badminton today.  All four North American pairs who started Badminton finished the course clear, finishing a collective total of 33 seconds over the optimum.

12:15pm Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam – Michael survived a hairy moment at the Lake, wiggling his way out over the brushes, and made it through another awkward moment at the Mirage Pond, which has seemed to ride that way most of the day.  Michael and Sam quickly put those bobbles behind them and finished the rest of the course strong and easily within the time.  “He’s such a machine,” according to Badminton radio.  Machine, indeed.  Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam will go into show jumping with the overnight lead, still on their dressage score of 36.0.

12:27pm William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk – The hope of Great Britain finished clear and just inside the optimum time, leaving him 4 penalty points – exactly one rail- behind Michael Jung and Sam.  If that rail were to fall, WFP would win the tiebreak by being closer to optimum on cross-country.  However, Jock Padgett and Clifton Promise sit between them in second, with 39.7.  The drama continues!

** William reports in the Badminton Radio interview that the course is riding “more interesting than it walked.”  He also said that his broken finger, sustained in the show jumping at Rolex, likely caused the problems with Oslo.  He was unable to gather his reins properly, and thus had a runby the corner.  William said he went out and bought really thin reins to use for Parklane Hawk… clearly a good decision!

12:40pm  Andrew Nicholson and Nereo – Nereo used his big stride to bounce through the one-stride in the Lake, and continued around the course in bold fashion, finishing double-clear.  Andrew Nicholson and Nereo sit just behind William Fox-Pitt in fourth, 40.2.

It was a lovely, successful day today at Badminton.  There was trouble here and there throughout the course:  Pippa Funnel had a runout at the brush at the top of the Staircase, Bettina Hoy suffered a scary fall at the Huntsman’s Close, Mary King missed a flag with Kings Temptress and was eliminated, Dirk Schrade and Zara Phillips both retired.  However, there were 58 clear rounds, and most inside the time or close to it.  The show jumping will definitely be interesting tomorrow!

[Live Scores]

North American Results:

  • Tiana Coudray & Ringwood Magister  – 45.3    10th place
  • Rebecca Howard & Riddle Master – 52.1   22nd place
  • Clark Montgomery & Universe – 60.7   40th place
  • Colleen Rutledge & Shiraz – 67.2  tied for 49th place (but will lose OT tiebreak)

Go eventing.

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