Classic Eventing Nation

Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin took an early spot in the top ten during dressage at Badminton. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

After suffering a crashing fall on cross country at Badminton Horse Trials on Saturday, British Equestrian has provided an update on the condition of reigning European Champion Nicola Wilson. Both Nicola as well as JL Dublin fell at fence 27, a corner following the MARS M; the fence was subsequently removed from the course.

British Equestrian released the following statement this morning:

Following her fall from JL Dublin at Badminton Horse Trials on Saturday 7th May, Nicola Wilson has had a comfortable night in hospital, and is conscious in a stable condition and awaiting further tests. She is receiving the best possible care from the team at Southmead Hospital.

Her husband, Alistair, and the rest of the family are very grateful for all of the messages of support and these are being shared with Nicola. ‘Dubs’ is in good form and will be making his way back to Yorkshire later today. We will bring you further updates as and when we can.

Laura Collett and London 52 prove their class over a tough Badminton track. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Few were under any illusion that it would be a difficult day: today’s course was, without a doubt, the toughest, most ‘proper’ five-star track we’ve seen since Burghley 2019, and many riders expressed some healthy trepidation about whether they, and their horses, were ready to tackle such a challenge again. And from the word go, it certainly felt like it was going to be a very long day indeed – though pathfinder Kirsty Chabert made tidy work of the first two-thirds of the course, she was ultimately eliminated with Classic VI for accumulated refusals at the second of the open timber corners at 19AB. Second out, Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah, proved it was jumpable with their steady clear, but third starter Joseph Murphy set a surprising trend for run-outs at the seemingly innocuous Quarry with Cesar V and, in arguably the most shocking twist of the day’s competition, fourth competitor and hot favourite Tom McEwen didn’t even complete with his double Olympic medallist Toledo de Kerser after the pair fell at the bounce at 24ABCD after coming in at too high a velocity and missing their distance. Just minutes later, European Champions Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin would also fall on course, necessitating a half-hour hold on course while the rider was stabilised and transferred to nearby Southmead Hospital for trauma scans.

When two high-profile falls happen in such quick succession, it can give the impression of a particularly brutal day of cross-country, but with its 72.5% completion rate and 62.5% clear rate, Badminton’s influence on paper was much the same as it’s always been, and by the end of the day, a rather generous six horse-and-rider combinations had come home clear and inside the time. Many frustrating but ultimately harmless paradigm shifts were made across the leaderboard throughout proceedings: Pippa Funnell retired on course with Billy Walk On, sixteenth after dressage, after refusals at the drop into the MARS Equestrian Sustainability Bay, as did Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden, who had been lying fourth after the first phase. Matt Flynn and Wizzerd of the USA also met a similar fate at this question. Pippa’s second ride, the 2019 Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street, didn’t fare much better — they fell at fence five, a straightforward log while sitting in eleventh place provisionally, and Kylie Roddy, who had been in twentieth place with SRS Kan Do, put her hand up halfway around after the horse lost its front shoes.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

By the time overnight leader Laura Collett and her Tokyo partner London 52 left the start box, though, several riders had proven that although it was inarguably tough — and absolutely heaving with sharp left-handed turns — it was jumpable. By that point, though, she’d given up on trying to glean any inspiration from the screens in the riders’ tent: “I did start watching, but I walked away after a while, I’m not going to lie,” she says. “I was a bit gutted that I didn’t see Piggy’s round, because she just goes out and does her thing, but I’d walked away by that point because I thought, we’re not watching rubbish riders — we’re watching the very best in the world, and it’s not happening. So in a funny way, in my head I took a deep breath and thought, ‘well, if I mess it up, I’m not going to be the only one today that does.'”

It was going to be an enormous and hugely important test for the Pau winner, who hasn’t yet had the opportunity to test his mettle over a course of this magnitude — and when he left a leg jumping into the Quarry at 4A, many onlookers wondered if this, perhaps, was a step beyond his scope.

It was, quite categorically, not.

“I rode very badly into that and then got my arse in gear,” laughs Laura, who sailed home inside the time to hold a 4.7 penalty lead going into the final phase. “I never knew how deep he would dig for me, and he just kept on digging. It was relentless out there in the Vicarage area, and the Vicarage Vee was the only time where he I think questioned my sanity as to what on earth I was asking him to do. But he just said, ‘okay — if you say we go, we go!’ and luckily, he’s super scopy.”

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Laura was held on course just after finishing the intensive back section, of the track, which zig-zags through the Vicarage ditch line and over a number of tight, twisty technical combinations — but though it may have come as some relief to have the bulk of the track behind her, it was a lengthy wait to restart with several influential fences still to come.

“The thing that amazed me as well is that he’s never been held on course before, and to be held at that point — you’re so close, and yet so far,” she says. “There’d been quite a few tumbles later on, and I didn’t know how he’d cope, but he just came back on the bridle and it was like riding a fresh horse. He said ‘right, off we go again — mum’s gone a bit mental and we’re doing two cross-country rounds in one day, but okay!'”

After helping the British team to gold at the Olympics in front of a nearly empty stadium, coming back into the arena to uproarious cheers from the packed stands gave Laura and her horse an enormous buzz.

“Crossing the finish line at Tokyo was just unbelievable but with the crowds here, and it being Badminton — I’m not going to say it tops Tokyo, but it is on a par,” she says. “That horse is a show-off; he’s hated not having crowds. He rises to the occasion, and his best rounds have been at Boekelo with people screaming and crowds, and this tops any crowd anywhere in the world. He just loved it.”

Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Even the rounds marked as clear weren’t without their fair share of drama: Oliver Townend and the former Andrew Nicholson ride Swallow Springs had a contentious jump through the Quarry when a disagreement on the stride pattern saw them twist outside the remit of the flags at the C element. While those of us in the mixed zone frantically tried to refresh the live scoring to work out if he’d simply earned a 15 or if he’d be eliminated for being considered as not having cleared the fence, he continued on at pace and jumped several more fences before being pulled up for the long hold after Nicola’s fall. Half an hour later, they were restarted, continued on, and finished inside the time — and then, shortly after the conclusion of their round, they were eliminated for not having re-presented to the fence they’d skidded over earlier. After lodging an appeal, they were un-eliminated and escaped without flag penalties, either, which sees them sit second going into tomorrow’s competition.

“He’s athletic, isn’t he? I’m still sure it’s four coming up out of the Quarry, but Andrew Nicholson obviously didn’t think so,” says Oliver. “It was four when I jumped over the wall and I thought, ‘perfect, nice and deep to the hedge’, and he really picked up on it early. I thought there was plenty of room for a little stride, but Andrew’s produced the horse to go through the flags and he definitely did that. Thankfully, I stayed on him.”

Oliver’s hold came reasonably early on in the course, just before the eggboxes at 12AB that lead into the tough middle section of the track. After restarting, though, Oliver found it harder to regain the gelding’s previous rhythm.

“The rest of them will think it’s a huge advantage to have had a hold there, because then you have only got seven minutes to go, but I thought he was travelling far better once we got going before the hold,” he says. “After the hold, I [jumped] too big at the egg box because I was restarting my watch, so we stood off a long way there. It takes the breath out of you a little bit, having a big jump like that, and then you’ve got the ski jump after that so you’re in the air for another three seconds, and then I flung him over the big corners — so there’s no real rest. For me, it would have been better to have kept him going, rather than having the break, but the result’s a good one and he’s finished very happy within himself.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class find their rhythm after a tricky start to move into third. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Oliver also sits third on his Burghley and Kentucky winner Ballaghmor Class, who delivered a clear round inside the time to move up from eighth after dressage and stay on his score of 25.9 overnight. But the enormously consistent five-star horse, who has never finished outside the top five at the level, took longer than anticipated to settle — and Oliver had to employ some creative thinking to get his horse back in the right headspace before his round.

“He actually worried me slightly in the warm-up,” he says. “He went to boil over a little bit, and then he found two hunt horses — he’s never been hunting, but they were both grey and I walked him around them and he literally switched off from being off his tree. He’d found his two friends, his comfort blanket, and so I walked a five meter circle around these two hunters for twelve minutes or so and he smiled and breathed. I said to the riders, ‘come and meet me in the start box,’ and they did, so he settled again in the start box and then left it like he’d been shot up the backside. I thought, ‘here we go again!'”

Though the first section of the course was necessarily devoted to getting him back to the task at hand, he settled into his typical rhythm by the key central section.

“He’s a funny, quirky old horse but he’s a phenomenon, and one that I don’t think I’ll ever have again,” says Oliver. “He was quite cocky early on, and a little bit away with me. We ended up adding in a couple of places where I’d planned to go one less, and he was a bit tricky to steer in Huntsman’s, but then he got halfway round and said ‘oh, I remember where I am — this is hard work!’ The minute he settles down he lets me ride him, and he tells me when I need to lean forward and give him a dig, and he responds beautifully. He’s just a very good friend, and I feel that you could set out a six- or seven-star and I’d still come home on him. He’s very, very special.”

Ros Canter pilots the youngest horse in the field to an exceptional finish. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ros Canter also sits in the top ten with both of her rides, though it’s the debutant Lordships Graffalo who tops her two rides after producing a clear inside the time that belied his relative inexperience.

“He really is unbelievable,” says Ros of the rising ten-year-old. “He did his first four-star this time last year, and he just finds the job easy — he finds running easy, he finds balancing easy, and he finds going easy. I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself out there today. I adore Allstar B to bits, but this horse is in a class of his own in terms of the way he goes cross-country. He’s got such a long stride but then has the ability to shorten and add a stride without ever really taking offence to it, which does make my life easier.”

Ros Canter and Allstar B are reinvigorated after a tricky 2021. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ros’s World Champion Allstar B added just 1.2 time penalties to take overnight sixth place, and looked much improved from the European Championships last year, where he made two uncharacteristic mistakes on course while struggling with what looked to be a touch of burnout from a fractured summer season fittening up for, travelling to, and ultimately not competing in Tokyo, where he was the British reserve. A long winter of hacking and unwinding has done wonders, and the seventeen-year-old made the course feel ‘rather like a Pony Club track’, according to Ros.

“He’s an absolute legend, and he’s made for tracks like this,” she says. “It’s tough out there, and the amount of people out there is mind-blowing — the crowds are so thick that you can’t always see where your next jump is. In places, it rides like a short format, which doesn’t always suit him because he’s a big horse and not very easy to manoeuvre, but if I get him to the point of take-off, he gives it a good go.”

Piggy March and Vanir Kamira are back with a bang after their 2019 victory. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Piggy March has been waiting for two achingly long years to give her reigning Badminton champion Vanir Kamira a crack at one of the ‘Big Bs’, which is where the unconventional little mare comes into her own – and her round proved that the wait had been well worth it. Though she didn’t quite catch the time — and we suspect she’ll be ruing her one second over — she sits in fifth place going into the final day after a jolly skip around Eric’s colossal track. Even aboard one of the very best five-star horses in the world, Piggy found the course a real test of her skills.

“It felt like hard work all the way to the end — it was very intense, not that it’s ever not at Badminton,” she says.

Contributing to that feeling of intensity was the mental challenge of an early draw, knowing that her friends and peers had already had so many problems out on course: “You’ve got your great mates out there that have been having problems — really good mates not coming home having fallen and all the rest of it. It does make you think for a second; you’re always on your A-game anyway, but you know what to look out for more, and so it’s like picking yourself up.”

The lengthy hold after Nicola’s fall didn’t just test riders’ mental strength in the warm-up area — it also wreaked havoc on their finely-honed timings.

“She’d been out here a long time. She’s never out here longer than twenty minutes before she starts, and even though I was off her, she did switch off and it’s not what we’re used to,” Piggy explains. “I felt that she just ran a little bit like that to start with. She’s a bit older now, so I do respect that, but she just didn’t travel very well to Huntsman’s. She caught her knee at the first part of Huntsman’s quite badly, and the rail is actually quite low — I know we don’t get very high on a regular basis, but that’s low! She gave it a good twist, and she was never off her line or anything, but I gave her a little reminder, a tap-tap and ‘come on, Tillybean, we’re off to the races today; we’re not just training.’ By the time we got to the lake and all the crowds, she picked up and I felt we got into gear, but I was down on those seconds, and I didn’t feel that there was anywhere in the middle that we could have made it up. So we were hammer and tongs the whole way.”

Still, though, she was delighted to have recorded another excellent round in the hallowed grounds that housed her first five-star victory three years ago, and aboard the gutsy, slightly odd little mare that had partnered her then.

“She’s an amazing little horse and she’s given me the best days of my life competing. She’s one of those horses that if you ever rode her at home, you wouldn’t give her another thought — but she’s one of those horses that’s so special in her heart, and what she does when she knows what the occasion is. Today was one of those days; she looks a picture, she’s finished well, and I’m just so proud of her. It’s such a credit to the little horse’s mind and heart and guts that she’s still there to say ‘come on now, I’m still here’. It gives everyone a bit of sport.”

Jonelle Price and Classic Moet are at their best in the horse’s nineteenth year. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

It certainly wasn’t a bad day to be aboard a tough, game older mare with a boatload of experience, and 2018 Burghley winners Jonelle Price and Classic Moet were at their speedy best, zooming home inside the time to move up from 27th place to seventh.

“She comes in with such a phenomenal track record that it’s sort of my job to defend it. But she certainly did today,” says Jonelle, whose extraordinarily consistent little mare came to this event as one of two nineteen-year-old horses in the field — not that you’d know it to watch her.

I was maybe five seconds down at the ninth minute, and then I really feel the pressure, because if I have a time fault on this horse, I look stupid! So I really put my foot down and said ‘right, we’re going to gallop along here’, and at the next minute I was seven seconds up. There’s not many horses that from the ninth minute to the tenth you can put your foot on the gas and make that change. There are some fences she slithers over a little bit, and I was a little bit backwards to the Vicarage Vee, but she feels spot-on, and I’m very honoured to have a round like that at Badminton.”

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats drop into the lake. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The last time Kitty King came to Badminton with the excellent Selle Français gelding Vendredi Biats, she left the start box in a competitive position after dressage and then fell on course at the Normandy Bank but this time, she says with a laugh, “I fell off my bike last night instead, so I got it out of the way!”

Though the pair lived a little dangerously with a tricky stride at the lake, they came home clear with a respectable eight time penalties. Though that dropped them from third after dressage to eighth, it was rock-solid proof that the gelding, who’s occasionally had some focusing issues in this phase, has truly turned a corner over the last two years.

“When I knew the track was going left rein, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him because from a young horse, he’s always struggled with turning left,” she explains. “All the approaches to the tricky combinations were off a tight left turn — the Quarry, Huntsman’s, the water — and he likes to on the right lead, so he comes around on the right lead falling in, and you don’t get the shot you want, which makes it hard work. So we were a bit slow because I just had to, in the end, just calm down and think about what we’re doing. Although we were getting through them, we were making it heavy weather and harder than it should be, so I had to just kind of take a pull and say ‘let’s just sort this out and get around’. He was fabulous and helped me all the way, and we worked as a partnership, but it definitely wasn’t the smoothest round we’ve ever had.”

William Fox-Pitt enjoys a double-hander in the top ten with Little Fire leading his charge in ninth. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“I’m feeling quite emotional — it was quite exciting,” says William Fox-Pitt after his first round with the thirteen-year-old Oratorio, who added just two time penalties to sit tenth after this phase. “I was dreading it, of course; in my old age I was thinking ‘what the hell am I doing? Do I really want to be here today on Saturday morning? I’d quite like to be at home in bed!’ But then there’s lots of us doing it, and it was okay.”

Oratorio’s excellent round put tricky weeks at Kentucky and Pau last year well behind him, and he climbed an impressive seventeen places from his first-phase position in 27th.

“He’s a lovely, classy horse and he’s experienced now — he’s done Badminton last time it ran and many horses haven’t,” says William. “I’ve had a couple of other runs around five-stars that were good mileage runs; I fell off him at Kentucky and had a run-out at Pau, but they were stupid, avoidable things and he actually took a lot home from that. He came here as a bit more of a man.”

The two time faults the pair added weren’t due to any natural lack of speed on the horse’s part, but rather, his tendency to pull. That requires a significant amount of set-up for each effort which, over a nearly 12 minute track, can prove enormously costly.

“He’s quite busy to ride. I like a much more peaceful ride, but he’s quite opinionated, so it wasn’t very relaxing. It wasn’t stressful, it was just busy. Every time I thought I could gallop, I thought ‘oh, no, I’ll have to slow down again’, because he takes so long to slow down and so I waste a lot of time. He should gallop around inside the time, really — I’ve always said he’s a Burghley horse through and through, and here I am getting time faults at Badminton! I need to learn to pull less and later.”

By the end of the day, he was probably rather wondering what all the initial fuss was about: he’s the third rider to have two rides feature in the top ten, with Little Fire also climbing from 15th to ninth with his six time penalties.

“He’s a seriously nice horse, so I’d hoped he’d go that well,” he says. “He always does get a bit tired at the end — I think breathing-wise, he’s working hard, and he’s not as fit as Oratorio. I think he over jumped a couple of jumps because he was slightly taking a breath.”

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed prove they shouldn’t be under the radar anymore. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Though the top ten is full of heavy-hitting big names, a number of slightly lesser-known riders impressed with gutsy, exciting rounds that moved them well into contention. David Doel climbed from 32nd to eleventh place on 1.2 time penalties with the flashy Galileo Nieuwmoed after digging deep to survive a sticky moment at the LeMieux Leap coffin complex, while France’s Gireg le Coz powered the exquisite Aisprit de la Loge to twelfth place on a tidy 7.2 time penalties.

Germany’s Christoph Wahler delivers a classy round with Carjatan S to put himself on the Pratoni pipeline. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ireland’s Austin O’Connor proved that his thirteenth place at Tokyo with Colorado Blue was no fluke as he moved into the same placing here, adding nothing to his first phase score and confidently climbing from 58th place, and Germany’s Christoph Wahler was a true stylist with the huge-striding Carjatan S to climb from 33rd to fourteenth with just 3.6 time penalties.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are stylists around the colossal track. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The USA’s Tamie Smith produced what was, perhaps, the neatest of rounds in a day of necessarily agricultural riding to sit fifteenth with Mai Baum. They added 11.2 time penalties, which pushed them out of their fifth place position after dressage, but proved that the German gelding truly is an asset to the US team’s ambitions on the world stage.

“He has a stigma about him that he’s not a great cross country horse, but he’s the best horse in the world. He’s un-frickin’-real; he’s like a magic carpet, and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” enthuses Tamie. “He was full of run and super rideable, but what’s really great about him is that he can overjump a bit in the showjumping, but on the cross-country, he just does exactly as much as he needs to. I even heard brush as his legs went through, which was really impressive!”

Tamie opted to prioritise giving her horse a productive, confident run rather than taking risks to catch the time:  “The lake jumped a bit bigger than I expected,” she says. “I almost got there in four, but I just swung out, because I didn’t want to start leaving strides out. I saw that that wasn’t a good plan, and the horse tends to want to leave strides out. But other than that, everything rode exactly to plan.”

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan prove their prowess once again. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan delivered another mature, balanced, exciting clear round in their fourth run at the level, climbing from 54th to 24th after adding just eight time penalties.

“I wanted to go as quickly as I could, but he got quite keyed up down in the warm-up,” she says. “He’s quite an exuberant horse anyway; he doesn’t have a whole lot of patience, and he knows what we’re doing today. So it was a little bit tricky having to wait down below, and he came up here and just gunned it out of the start box. I was like, ‘you know what? The only thing I have to do is find a rhythm with him.’ If he and I are in the same space and we’re connected, he’s great — and he was just like that the whole way around, and if little things weren’t quite perfect, he’s scopy and he’s brave and he’s got a great step, so I can make up for little mistakes.”

Both Ariel and ‘Simon’ found the colossal crowds a unique challenge, and relied on their solid partnership to find their way through the course.

“It’s a challenge [to tackle the crowds] — I’m very new to this; this is my first Badminton and he’s my first four- and five-star horse. We’ve come along together. So it was definitely a challenge to try and see where I was going next. If you look up, all you’re going to see is people, so I was just staring between his ears and trying to read the lines. It’s a little bit hard to gauge — when you’re walking, you feel like, ‘okay, that jump is over there, I’ll be there in thirty seconds’, but today, you can’t see ahead of you at all. There’s so many people, so you can’t see a thing. I just kept looking between his ears and just reminding myself that he and I need to stay connected and stay in the same place — and then he just picked up everything.”

Phillip Dutton and Z dig deep despite a lost shoe. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Phillip Dutton and Z picked up 10.8 time penalties on course, which allowed them to climb from 39th to 25th place, though an early loss of a shoe slowed them down along the way: “It was slippery and so it was hard for me to get back up on the time, because he lost a back shoe and was struggling a bit into the turns. But he’s a brave little horse and even when he slipped on the turn, he still had a crack at it. He’s a very good horse, I’ll tell you. Sometimes they’ve got to really fight for you, and he certainly did that.”

Will Faudree gives Mama’s Magic Way valuable mileage. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Will Faudree also recorded 10.8 time penalties and an impressive climb with Mama’s Magic Way, who stepped up from 74th to 35th place in what was Will’s first Badminton round since 2005.

“If I was 22 again, I probably would have kept hustling him at the last six, seven jumps to get as close to the time as I could, but what’s that saying? ‘With age comes wisdom’, and I was off the pace after the dressage, so I just wanted him to have a really confident round,” says Will. “He’s a horse for the future; he’s just eleven years old, and so I did take a bit of time, but he kept jumping right to the last few fences, and he finished full of running at the end.”

Dom Schramm and Bolytair B stick the landing from the broken bridge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

US-based Aussie Dom Schramm posted a clear round with Bolytair B, moving from 75th to 54th. Their 44.4 time penalties, though, precluded a more significant climb and came as the result of a last-minute change of bit that didn’t quite pay off.

“He’s an incredible, scopy, powerful horse, and he’s always been a strong horse. The bit that I’ve been using in my last five-stars wasn’t really working very well, and I didn’t have another show to run, but I got a new bit and it was great for schooling,” says Dom. “I got through the Quarry, and then I got to the next jump, and every time I tried to make a half-halt he was getting faster, so I just thought ‘you know what, I’m not going to push him past where I can control him’. It’s unfortunate — I wish I could have been a bit more speedy, but it is what it is.”

Dom, who had been looking forward to jumping the iconic Vicarage Vee, certainly saw some airtime there: “I saw an absolute flyer, and I was like, ‘I’m going to be this dickhead guy that’s going to eat shit at the Vicarage Vee’. But he was great — he’s got so much scope that if I give him a little nudge he just goes about sixteen feet longer!”

Mike Winter’s El Mundo shows off his impressive scope around one of the world’s biggest courses. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Canada’s Mike Winter completed with a steady round after picking up 20 penalties in the back water at 17B, when the strong, keen El Mundo landed further out from the drop than anticipated and lost his line.

“He jumped past my line at the water at the top, and I tried to do my best not to cross my path, but in the heat of the moment all I could do was my best to salvage the situation,” Mike says. “Then he was great at the coffin where he added the third stride, which wouldn’t be his easiest thing, and at the open corners he just never locked on — but where he left from, he just reached across it and jumped his guts out, and never lost any confidence.”

Emily Hamel and Corvett pop 17B after picking up penalties on their first attempt. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Emily Hamel, too, came home with a 20 at the same fence and added time with Corvett, who otherwise looked exuberant and confident around the course and will have learned plenty in preparation for a crack at Burghley this autumn.

“It was unfortunate that we had a problem, but I probably didn’t give him a great ride and he still went. I had to pull out [of the line] because I nearly fell off, but I didn’t — I stayed on and I finished,” she says. “He’s kind of a freak, but he makes me feel really confident going to any jump, just because I know he can clear it.”

Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Canada’s Karl Slezak ended his day with Fernhill Wishes early, encountering trouble at both the Huntsmans Close as well as the KBIS Brush Village. “We had a very disappointing day today,” Karl told us. “Choc felt very good leaving the box and was in top form; unfortunately we fell fate to the Badminton atmosphere. The course I walked yesterday felt very different than the course I rode today. It all walked very doable yesterday, but this number of spectators and this atmosphere certainly changed the feel of it today.”

“I think the early horses went out very quickly and then some mistakes were made,” says course designer Eric Winter at the close of the day’s competition. “Then later on in the day, it almost seemed that they just look a little longer — just a second here, and a second there. When you’ve got nearly twelve minutes there’s a lot of gallop, and it’s not necessary to rush to things. As soon as you start to rush, mistakes happen. But it was a good day of sport: there was 100,000 people here, and stuff’s going to happen. You can’t have 100,000 people come and everyone jumps clear and it’s just, you know, a Pony Club track. It was an exciting day and the leaderboard’s been changed significantly.

59 horses and riders remain in the hunt ahead of tomorrow’s competition, which kicks off at 8.30 a.m. BST/3.30 a.m. EST with the final horse inspection. The showjumping will commence at 11.30 a.m./6.30 a.m. EST with the first batch of competitors, followed by the top twenty from 3.30 p.m./10.30 a.m. EST. We’ll be back with all the news you need to know throughout the day’s competition. Until then: Go Eventing!

The top ten after a slightly turbulent day of cross-country at Badminton Horse Trials.

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Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It’s time! One I got done grumbling at my alarm this morning (which was honestly quite a bit later than the 12:30 a.m. alarms for dressage days) it was time to get excited about Badminton cross country. The day looks to have dawned in perfect weather and we are all settled in for what is sure to be an excellent day of action.

I’ll be providing live updates here, but I strongly encourage you to pick up a Badminton TV pass to watch for yourself. No, they aren’t paying me to say that (I wish!), but I just appreciate the efforts made to put the live stream on. I know that not everyone can comfortable pay the $25 for the pass, but if you can manage it, it makes a difference. You can sign up here and you’ll receive access to the live stream plus on demand replays for a full year.

Refresh this page for updates if you can’t follow along live! Our first pair will be out on course at 11:30 a.m. BST / 6:30 a.m. EST / 3:30 a.m. PST. I’m thinking SAFE, clear and fast thoughts for all!

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Badminton Links: Website, Entries, Live Stream, Live Scores, Ride Times, EN’s Ultimate Guide, The Form Guide, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

12:16 p.m. EST: And that is a wrap on a very dramatic cross country day at Badminton. It’s a bit of a blur, so I’m probably going to scroll through my own live updates now! The full replay will be available on Badminton TV if you couldn’t watch live — check it out here. Tamie Smith is the top-placed American, in 15th after a clear cross country with time. The remainder of the top 10 has shuffled, except for Laura Collett and London 52 who will retain their lead. Live scores can be found here. Tilly will be along later with the full report, but in the meantime thank you for following along with our updates and Go Eventing.

12:15 p.m. EST: What a bummer — Kylie Roddy has to end her day early after it seems SRS Kan Do maybe lost a shoe or otherwise had some trouble just before the Vicarage V. He seems fine but a big bummer to end her ride, which was going fantastically to that point — the horse comes first though and she gives him a big pat.

12:12 p.m. EST: Well, if you were concerned at any point about what will happen once some of these top British horses step down, I don’t think there’s any reason for it. CHF Cooliser comes home 42 seconds over time but absolutely full of running after a brilliant run with Tom McEwen. She’s been around some tough tracks and showed her talent, but this confirms it: she’s a true competitor at the toughest event in the world. And just look at her gallop home:

GIF via Badminton TV.

12:09 p.m. EST: Tom channels his inner Kyle Carter and flaps his elbows at CHF Cooliser through the Solar Farm bounce, helping lift her shoulders with quick reaction to avoid the same trouble he ran into with Toledo de Kerser.

12:07 p.m. EST: Tom opts to go around for a long presentation to the final Nyetimber Corner. It didn’t look like the mare was going to see it in time with how bold she jumped in. Meanwhile we’re going to have a very strong finish from Davide Doel, whose horse looks full of run coming home. Just three seconds of time for this pair.

12:06 p.m. EST: CHF Cooliser is just keen as anything, I think she’s mostly said “just hang on up there” to Tom, though she’s survived a couple of overeager moments. Our final starter is Kylie Roddy and she’s on course and clear through the Huntsmans Close.

12:05 p.m. EST: David survives a very hairy moment at the LeMieux Leap and scraps his way through clear. Tom has a great ride with CHF Cooliser through the KBIS Brush Village and is now safely over the Footbridge, in the thick of the more intense portion of the course (as if there is a portion that ISN’T intense, to be fair).

12:03 p.m. EST: A bit of showmanship, which surprises no one with this one, from Oliver as he comes home clear inside the time with Ballaghmor Class:

GIF via Badminton TV.

12:02 p.m. EST: We’ve now got David Doel with Galileo Nieuwmoed as well as Tom McEwen with CHF Cooliser on course now. Bill Levett will not run Lates Quin, so we’ll just have one more: Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do, left to see.

12:00 p.m. EST: Oliver’s pushing Ballaghmor Class home and he’s going to be several seconds inside the time.

12:00 p.m. EST: A look at Ros finishing with Lordships Graffalo.

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:59 a.m. EST: Ah, man not the weekend for Pippa Funnell. She’s fallen from 2019 Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street RDA Fundraiser fence very early on, at fence 5.

11:58 a.m. EST: Oliver and Ballaghmor Class pop through the bounce at Solar Farm, which has ridden considerably better as the day has gone on and riders have talked/watched the stream.

11:56 a.m. EST: Oliver sets up for four in the MARS water with Ballaghmor Class. Ros Canter is going to bring Lordships Graffalo home clear inside the time — on his 5* debut, finishing with ears pricked! Wow what a superstar made today!

11:54 a.m. EST: Man, how great for William with two fantastic clear rounds today. It was just a few years ago William had his bad fall and suffered a severe head injury as a result. For awhile, William wasn’t sure he’d return to riding, nevermind at this level. Even this morning, he wasn’t sure — but we sure are glad he’s back and showing us all how to ride cross country.

11:52 a.m. EST: Lordships Graffalo is looking mature beyond his experience through the KBIS brushes. Oliver Townend is on course and clear through the Huntsmans Close.

11:51 a.m. EST: Little Fire is just getting a bit backed off as he progresses but William’s using his experience to inject some confidence back into the 13-year-old. Meanwhile, Padraig finishes to a roar from the crowd with HHS Noble Call.

11:49 a.m. EST: Little Fire stretches and shows his scope at the out of the KBIS Brush Village:

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:47 a.m. EST: Ros Canter returns now with her second ride, Lordships Graffalo who is in 10th currently after dressage. This is a 5* debut for this 10-year-old. Meanwhile, Harry Meade comes home about 28 seconds slow with Away Cruising.

11:45 a.m. EST: A look at William with his first ride, Oratorio:

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11:44 a.m. EST: A few big heavy hitters to help close out the day here: William Fox-Pitt is away with Little Fire, and we’ll have Ballaghmor Class and three-time Kentucky winner Oliver Townend up soon as well.

A cool statistic on the great Classic Moet:

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11:43 a.m. EST: A happy Selina Milnes finish their second 5* together and just Selina’s second since 2012.

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:40 a.m. EST: Such a gutting decision for Sarah, but I have so much respect for this:

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A post shared by Ben & Sarah Way (@teamwayeventing)

11:39 a.m. EST: An update from Mollie Summerland who ended her day at the MARS water earlier on:

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11:37 a.m. EST: Selina Milnes does a good job to set Iron back on his hind end ahead of the bounce at Solar Farm. Harry Meade schools through the Quarry at 4 with Away Cruising, and we’re also joined by Lauren Innes with Global Fision M.

11:35 a.m. EST: Emily will be absolutely kicking herself for the little blip in the water as she’s just come home clear from that point on and totally full of run still with Corvett. He’s a Badminton horse, girl!

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:32 a.m. EST: One of the better rides through the Nyetimber Corners for Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Emily makes short work of the MARS M question.

11:30 a.m. EST: A nice finish for Jean Lou Bigot and a fresh-looking Utrillo du Halage. Meanwhile Emily and Corvett have a huge jump into MARS Sustainability Bay and can’t quite make it to the B element after Emily loses her stirrups.

11:29 a.m. EST: Emily Hamel has a great shot through the KBIS Brush Village as well as the Footbridge. Tom Jackson with Capels Hollow Drift navigates the Badminton Lake safely.

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:27 a.m. EST: Laura calls this course more like a 6*, which is definitely true! “If anything we thought it would ride tough and intense, and it certainly did do that. You just had nowhere to even think, you just got on to the next fence, on to the next fence. This whole Vicarage line happens so quickly and the horses have to be so trusting and so brave and just take everything on that’s in front of them. There’s no breather. It’s not just physically exhausting, it’s mentally exhausting as well and I definitely felt like London came to the Vicarage Vee and he definitely questioned my sanity!”

11:25 a.m. EST: Emily Hamel are on course and clear through the Huntsmans Close!

11:23 a.m. EST: “It’s a little bit of a blur at the moment,” Laura Collett, overnight leader, says. “But the horse was just absolutely phenomenal and he dug so deep. I have never ridden a cross country like that before and he’d never seen one like that before. It was relentless, there were no let up fences. It was definitely not the most stylish round but he was amazing, he just kept answering every question and was very brave.”

11:21 a.m. EST: Big finish feels for Ugo Provasi!

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:19 a.m. EST: Jean Lou Bigot and Utrillo du Halage are on course now and we’ll next see U.S. rider Emily Hamel and Corvett. Also Phillip Dutton says Z lost a shoe all the way back at fence 4 today, according to Ian Stark on commentary.

11:17 a.m. EST: Sammi Birch will now be restarted ahead of the Footbridge. She’s got to give Finduss PFB a bit of a tap on the back end of the Footbridge to get him switched back on. It’s a very tough mental challenge for a horse to be held, and they’ve got some tough questions to come.

11:14 a.m. EST: Yikes, a bit of a logistical mess at the hold as Sammi Birch moves off the lane to let Ugo Provasi through to the Footbridge. She looks pretty displeased at the turn of events, and now they’ll have to hold her a bit longer so she doesn’t overtake Ugo. Tough call for the stewards who likely didn’t need to hold Ugo but couldn’t restart Sammi in time.

11:11 a.m. EST: Sammi Birch and Finduss PFB are held just before the Footbridge while the crew makes repairs to the frangible pin.

11:08 a.m. EST: King of the Mill has a peek as he’s taking off at the Footbridge and breaks the back pin when he put his hind legs down. Then at the LeMieux Leap the pair comes to grief at the brush element. Luckily they’re on their feet and don’t look like they’ve been injured.

11:07 a.m. EST: An update from Dom Schramm, who went around clear with time earlier:

11:05 a.m. EST: King of the Mill’s got an excellent ground eating gallop, showing off en route to the Badminton Lake:

GIF via Badminton TV.

11:04 a.m. EST: On course now are Arthur Chabert with Goldsmiths Imber, Richard Jones with Alfies Clover, and Alex Bragg with King of the Mill, all clear to this point.

11:03 a.m. EST: Tim Price is going to be into time penalties with Ringwood Sky Boy but is going to finish clear and looking still full of run. The two oldest horses here this weekend are Classic Moet, who went double clear earlier, and Ringwood Sky Boy, who are both 19 and look fitter coming home than many of their counterparts. Props to the program at Team Price!

11:00 a.m. EST: Love this update from Team Tamie Smith, posted by Bec Braitling:

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10:59 a.m. EST: Just going to keep GIF-ing finish line reactions for the rest of the day, k thanks.

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:57 a.m. EST: Brilliant through the MARS Sustainability Bay for Tim and Ringwood Sky Boy.

10:54 a.m. EST: We’re joined now by Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy, who’ve won Burghley and done approximately 750 other 5* events in their storied career. Also on course are Nicky Hill with MGH Bingo Boy.

10:54 a.m. EST: Big feels for Cyrielle Lefevre who finishes clear with just a bit of time aboard Armanjo Serosah, riding for France:

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:51 a.m. EST: Wowwwww Joris Vanspringel just made an epic save after he nearly came to the same end as Cathal Daniels and Emily King did at the Seville Hay Feeder question. Nicely sat!

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:49 a.m. EST: My burning question here is can we have more ice cream trucks on the Kentucky cross country course? Badminton’s doing it right here.

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:46 a.m. EST: Now taking the course is Becky Heappey and DHI Babette K, coming forward on a score of 39.1 after dressage. She’s clear through the Quarry. Joris takes the red flag at the Nyetimber Corners but he’s clear through it and shouldn’t have a scoring issue.

10:45 a.m. EST: And back underway for Belgian rider Joris Vanspringel and Creator GS, who are now clear and clever through the MARS Sustainability Bay.

10:42 a.m. EST: The MIM clip at the Vicarage Vee does its job as Cedric Lyard’s horse just doesn’t quite read the question correctly. Cedric’s going to call it a day and will likely need to ice his knee tonight. They’re now going to hold the course just to reset the clip on the Vee.

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:41 a.m. EST: Tom is going to come home clear with Zanzibar, about 30 seconds over the time to finish his first 5* cross country.

10:38 a.m. EST: Cedric Lyard and Unum de’OR nearly have a pin at the Footbridge but I think they’ve gotten over it without incurring the 11 penalties.

10:36 a.m. EST: My live feed has gotten behind so I apologize if you’re watching live and following along with these updates, I’ll try to get up to speed but I’m a bit at the mercy of what I’m being shown. And we also are joined by Tom Carlile and Zanzibar Villa Rose Z.

10:33 a.m. EST: Another French rider, Arthur Duffort, has a big jump into Badminton Lake and has to scrap through the rest of the question, including a long route, with Toronto D’Aurois. We’re also joined by Clare Abbott and Jewelent, riding for Ireland.

10:32 a.m. EST: Gireg is having a great round as he comes to the final few fences. He’s going to go into time penalties as he heads for the main arena but will make it home clear it appears.

10:29 a.m. EST: Oh my gosh, what a bummer for Bubby Upton who just have a runout at the final fence. I think Cola is a bit tired for sure and lost concentration.

10:26 a.m. EST: A great shot through the Nyetimber Corners for Gireg, who now comes to the Vicarage Vee.

10:22 a.m. EST: French rider Gireg Le Coz had an excellent dressage test with Aisprit de La Loge, scoring a 26.7 a a jumping off point to start cross country. I’d love to see a competitive run here today.

10:20 a.m. EST: Bubby Upton has to ride strong to the Broken Bridge with Cola, and they just are a little unsteady but totally fine through it.

10:17 a.m. EST: Rosie Fry and True Blue Too are having a cracking round, full of run coming home. They’ll be a little over the time but what a ride!

10:15 a.m. EST: An elated Laura punches the air as she finishes with London 52 — she will keep her lead overnight.

GIF via Badminton TV.

10:14 a.m. EST: Next to see are Libby Seed with Heartbreaker Star Quality, who are making their 5* debut here this weekend. They have a lovely straight trip through the tricky Huntsmans Close.

10:12 a.m. EST: Laura looks like she’ll be well up on the clock as she comes home (remember they’ll have to confirm the final time with the hold) and comes home inside the time! I think the break might have done them well, London 52 was a bit backed off ahead of it and looked a little fresher coming home. I’ll be keen to see what she says after her ride!

10:11 a.m. EST: Rosie Fry and True Blue Too become the latest to have trouble at the KBIS Brush Village, which twists you around in an S curve and comes up quick. Laura safely navigates the Seville Hay Feeders and is getting closer to home. The Hay Feeders ride well if you’re able to sit up and balance, if the horse gets rangy and flat and unresponsive here you’re going to have a big problem.

10:10 a.m. EST: Well a blessing indeed as Mike finishes full of run with El Mundo! Just the one bummer of a problem at that MARS water for this pair but he’ll be pleased to have gotten it done. We’ll now see Laura and London 52 as they restart.

10:08 a.m. EST: So we’ll be going onto a restart shortly as we see the riders getting ready to go again. It’s always a question of whether or not a hold benefits a horse or not — I think for Mike it could be a blessing in the sense he got his wind back but also a curse since he was so close to home.

10:05 a.m. EST: Ok, happy to report Maxime’s horse is up and walking. Poor guy.

I have to say, and I know I’m not a designer or a 5* rider, but I’m not a huge fan of the violence we’re seeing on this course. I realize we’re going to have incidents, but I am not okay with the level of intensity with which some of these horses are crashing. I think we can do better than this as a sport, and we need to do better than this because those who do not participate in the sport are watching.

10:02 a.m. EST: So on the hold currently will be Mike Winter and El Mundo, Laura Collett and London 52 as well as Rosie Fry and True Blue Too.

9:59 a.m. EST: We’re now going to go on a hold as we’ve been told Maxime Livio’s horse is still down. We’ll keep you updated as we know more.

9:57 a.m. EST: London 52 is not quite looking as keen as he started, really backing off from the Vicarage Vee. But he’s clear through the Lightsource bp Solar Farm.

9:57 a.m. EST: London 52 nimbly makes the Nyetimber Corner despite not quite locking on to it.

9:55 a.m. EST: We haven’t seen a ton of Maxime, and now Vitorio du Montent just can’t quite make the final jump work on account of his lack of energy. He’s stayed down after falling but I hope he’s just getting a second to get his wind back. Don’t like to see that.

9:53 a.m. EST: Canadian pair Mike Winter and El Mundo are also on course and clear through the Footbridge but run into some trouble after a giant leap into the MARS Sustainability Bay that steers them past the B in the water.

9:52 a.m. EST: Whoaaaaa Laura Collett almost ends her day early with a caught knee at the Quarry. That’ll wake them up!

GIF via Badminton TV.

9:50 a.m. EST: If you’re still looking for the Badminton TV live stream, don’t forget you can pick it up here! It’s about $25 and is good for a whole year with access to replays from 2018 and 2019 as well. Trust me, my little updates don’t replace watching it live — and it is no small feat to put on a live stream, so they could use the support!

9:48 a.m. EST: Maxime’s horse just catches a hoof at the Broken Bridge and causes my heart to stop but they’re safely through. I tell you, that Bridge is riding fairly well but I think it’s also surprised quite a few as this wouldn’t be a question you’d commonly see (though I do hear there was one on the Grassroots Championship course here. Remind me never to do Grassroots in England).

9:45 a.m. EST: Dom is home clear! He’ll add about 44 time penalties but he should be just over the moon to tick off this bucket list, and Boly looks fairly fresh finishing thanks to saving some energy around the course. Susie Berry and John the Bull as well as Maxime Livio with Vitorio du Montet are also on course. Sarah Way withdrew Dassett Cooley Dun prior to cross country.

Way to go, Dom! GIF via Badminton TV.

9:44 a.m. EST: Dom and Bolytair B are nearly home, and honestly Dom is slow but it would’ve been his plan to go out and prioritize confidence and safety first. I think Dom will be thrilled with this round!

9:43 a.m. EST: Well it’s not the day for Karl and Fernhill Wishes, who just sort of quits at the C element of the KBIS Brush Village. Not the feeling you want and Karl does the horseman’s thing and calls it a day. A real bummer for this pair.

9:41 a.m. EST: Dom and Bolytair B get a little close to the second element of the bounce at the Solar Farm, good boy Boly! Here’s a lovely ride for this pair over the Footbridge earlier on:

GIF via Badminton TV.

9:40 a.m. EST: Dom is taking his time with Bolytair B who can be a bit of a dragon on cross country. They’re having a nice round but are not going to get clear of time penalties at this pace — but that’s ok!

9:39 a.m. EST: Ah, man! Karl and Fernhill Wishes run into trouble at the Huntsmans Close, Chocy just didn’t quite get his line to C and didn’t see the question well. They’re clear on second attempt. Dom is clear through the MARS Sustainability Bay.

9:38 a.m. EST: All clear at the Broken Bridge for Dom and Bolytair B.

9:36 a.m. ET: Also joining us is Canadian rider Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes, clear at the Quarry.

9:35 a.m. EST:DSP Cosma loses a shoe on landing from the first Clarence Court Egg Box and can’t make the second one work. They’ll end their day here, and DSP Cosma appears to be a little lame — hopefully just a sting. Dom Schramm is now on course and comes to the Badminton Lake.

9:32 a.m. EST: Yikes, Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford just hesitate too much at the Broken Bridge and land in a heap on the other side. Luckily they seem ok, that could have been a bad one.

9:28 a.m. EST: Even Reve du Rouet has a bit of a look at the drop into the MARS Sustainability Bay. James Rushbrooke is absolutely over the moon to finish his very first Badminton/5* cross country!

That finishing feeling! GIF via Badminton TV.

9:24 a.m. EST: Ah, Wizzerd also halts in front of the water at MARS Sustainability Bay. He says no again on the second attempt and Matt will end his day here.

9:23 a.m. EST: Matt Flynn is showing as clear through fence 12 on the fence report. James Rushbrooke lives very dangerously at the bounce out of the BP Solar Farm. Matt now shows up on the feed clear through the KBIS Brush Village at 14.

9:22 a.m. EST: What a ride for Alice!! She’s only just over the time and she’s home clear! Such a great story for this one. You can read more about Alice and Topspin here.

9:20 a.m. EST: Alice Casburn and Topspin are very nearly home – this is a homebred horse that she’s produced herself. Also on course are James Rushbrooke with Milchem Eclipse, as well as American rider Matt Flynn with Wizzerd.

9:18 a.m. EST: Jonelle Price is coming home clear with Classic Moet and is well within the time, six seconds clear!! What a great partnership.

9:17 a.m. EST: Love a good finish shot — here’s one of Felicity Collins:

GIF via Badminton TV.

9:14 a.m. EST: Not a fan of the Seville Hay Feeders question, which pitches the horses downhill on a very forward, flat stride. When a horse has been galloping for 11 minutes at this point, I imagine it’s nearly impossible to pick them up for this question. Emily King and Valmy Biats also crash in similar fashion to Cathal Daniels and Barrichello. Emily’s foot got caught in the stirrup momentarily but thankfully they both appear to be ok right now.

9:10 a.m. EST: A really bold ride for Emily King so far. It’s crazy to think she’s just 25, she’s riding with so much skill and maturity.

9:09 a.m. EST: Next out will be 2018 Badminton winners Jonelle Price with Classic Moet — keep an eye on this pair to perhaps show us how to make the time. Fiona Cashel has finished with Creevagh Silver de Haar and looks thrilled.

9:07 a.m. EST: Felicity Collins has a really lovely ride through the KBIS Brush Village, never wavering from her line and keeping RSH Contend OR between her for this challenging S turn:

GIF via Badminton TV.

9:05 a.m. EST: Another competitive dressage score, Emily King and Valmy Biats bring forward a score of 28.5 to start with as she heads out to cross country. She’s clear through the HorseQuest Quarry at 4. Will Faudree is going to be home clear with 27 seconds of time!

9:03 a.m. EST: An update on Lillian, she’s listed with a Fall on Flat at fence 26, which leads to the MARS M. A big bummer for Lillian, we hope she’s only got bruised pride!

9:02 a.m. EST: Fiona has a bit of an issue at the final element of fence 14, the KBIS Brush Village and just ducks out to the left. She’s clear on the second attempt, while Will is clear through the MARS M at 27.

9:01 a.m. EST: Also on course are Felicity Collins with RSH Contend OR as well as Fiona Kashel with Creevagh Silver de Haar. Hector Payne is coming to the finish with Dynasty, I believe they’re clear so far just slow.

9:00 a.m. EST: A really nice ride for Will and Mama’s Magic Way over the coffin question, the LeMieux Leap at 18ABC.

8:58 a.m. EST: Kitty King and Vendreti Biats are home with about 20 seconds of time! Also, I’d like to start a petition for Piggy March to be in the commentary booth at all times!

8:56 a.m. EST: Hector Payne and Dynasty are clear through the MARS Sustainability Bay at 17.

8:56 a.m. EST: Now on course is our next American, Will Faudree with Mama’s Magic Way.

GIF via Badminton TV.

8:55 a.m. EST: Kitty King is really having a scrappy round, and Vendredi Biats is a very genuine horse who just keeps galloping and jumping. Meanwhile, Sofia Sjoborg has finished with DHI Mighty Dwight with a good bit of time.

8:53 a.m. EST: Piggy, now in the commentator box, says the course feels old-fashioned and plays on both rider and horse fitness as well as mental strength. “It felt like I was in a tumble dryer for 11 minutes!” she says.

8:51 a.m. EST: Whewwwww..Kitty King comes flying into the Badminton Lake and gets very very close to the B element in the water, but she uses her experience and they’re through it and now over the Ford Broken Bridge.

GIF via Badminton TV.

8:50 a.m. EST: Rats. Mollie and Charly have ground to a halt in front of the in to the MARS Sustainability Bay. After two there she’s put her hand up. A real bummer, but Charly was giving the jumps so much berth it could well have shaken his confidence a little.

8:49 a.m. EST: Christoph was evidently restarted and is now coming to the finish. Well over time but likely to be adjusted. Meanwhile, Charly is still giving these massive jumps plenty of room — hang on tight, Mollie!

8:47 a.m. EST: Big air for Charly Van Ter Heiden at the Badminton Lake but all good! Sofia Sjoborg and DHI Mighty Dwight are also on course and we catch up with them at the MARS Sustainability Bay. We are also joined by Kitty King and Vendreti Biats, who start the day in third place on a score of 24.8.

8:46 a.m. EST: Ok, it was the Nyetimber Corner at 20 for Tom, sorry!

8:44 a.m. EST: I think Christoph’s been held for fence rebuild from when Tom went through I believe the KBIS Brush Village. Apologies that I’m not doing a great job of being more specific, it’s hard to not have the fence report live and things are happening quickly!

8:43 a.m. EST: We’ve just been told on the live stream that Nicola Wilson is stable and has been transferred to the hospital for more evaluation. We’ll keep you further posted as we can.

Now joining us are Luhmühlen 2021 winners Mollie Summerland with Charly Van Ter Heiden.

8:42 a.m. EST: Hm, we appear to maybe be going on a hold…Christoph Wahler has just pulled up but I can’t tell if he did that or if he was held.

8:39 a.m. EST: Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S are now tackling the Badminton Lake. They’re the sole German pair here this weekend, coming forward on a dressage mark of 32.5.

8:38 a.m. EST: Helen Wilson comes in with a bit too much heat to the bounce at the Solar Farm and sadly will end her day here with My Ernie. Bummer!

8:36 a.m. EST: No! Ben Hobday just pops off over the right shoulder of Shadow Man after he just clips a leg on the first element leading to the MARS M. That’s one where you wish the fall rule was still in place, he could just pop back on if it was! Meanwhile, Helen Wilson has another problem at the MARS Sustainability Bay with a drive-by of the B element. Tom Rowland has a big jump into the big Lake but he stuck it and navigates his way through.

GIF via Badminton TV.

8:34 a.m. EST: Tom Rowland and Possible Mission are on course, and Helen Wilson with My Ernie are quickly through the KBIS Brush Village. My GIF maker is taking up a bit much CPU so I’m going to cool it on GIFs for awhile (plus it’s more fun to watch the live stream anyway — pick up your pass here.)

8:32 a.m. EST: A brilliant round for Arianna Schivo, clear with just about 15 or 18 seconds of time! Wonderful.

8:30 a.m. EST: Rats, Helen Wilson and My Ernie have an early drive-by at the final element of the HorseQuest Quarry where Oliver almost came to grief earlier today. Ben Hobday and Shadow Man are also on course and clear through the Badminton Lake.

8:28 a.m. EST: Sarah and Woodcourt Garrison miss the final corner at the Nyetimber Corners and have to pull around for the re-attempt. Italy’s Arianna Schivo and Quefira de L’Ormeau are now on course.

8:26 a.m. EST: Oh man, Cathal and Barrichello just completely chest the downhill Rolltop at fence 29, the Seville Hay Feeders. Quite a nasty fall but they are both immediately up and we’ll hope they’re no worse for the wear.

8:24 a.m. EST: Woodcourt Garrison just slips a bit on the way to the final brush of the KBIS Brush Village at 14, but he keeps his lock and makes the C happen. Whew!

8:23 a.m. EST: Gosh, I’m obsessing over this Just Kidding horse, who is a Thoroughbred sired by Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. Thoroughbreds for the win! He just motored right around and finished very strong.

GIF via Badminton TV.

8:21 a.m. EST: Now on course also is Sarah Ennis with Woodcourt Garrison. Cathal Daniels has made it through the Nyetimber Corners at 19.

8:20 a.m. EST: Amanda Pottinger pulls out to go long at the Nyetimber Corners — they’re separately numbered so this is fine, just time-consuming.

8:19 a.m. EST: Esib Power had a cracking round with Soladoun, coming home 16 seconds over time. So we’ve had just the two clears inside the time, with Oliver and Austin’s rounds.

8:18 a.m. EST:Amanda Pottinger is so quick through the MARS Sustainability Bay that you’d probably miss her if you blinked!

8:16 a.m. EST: Now we’re joined by Cathal Daniels and Barrichello, currently on a score of 32.7. Now we catch up with Ariel as she gets to the last fence about 20 seconds over. Nicely done! 8 time penalties to add for this pair.

8:16 a.m. EST: Amanda having a blast out there on Just Kidding, safely through the Badminton Lake and now the Clarence Court Egg Boxes right out of stride.

8:14 a.m. EST: Amanda Pottinger with the brilliant OTTB Just Kidding are now on course and through the Huntsmans Close. I’m also seeing that Sarah Way has withdrawn Dassett Cooley Way ahead of cross country. Haven’t seen Ariel in a moment, so will update when I do!

8:13 a.m. EST: Rose Nesbitt and EG Michaelangelo are still full of run as they finish their first Badminton — well done! Meanwhile, Oliver is now showing as un-eliminated — we’ll have more on this later, but there must have been some sort of video review.

8:11 a.m. EST: Ariel’s decently down on the clock as she tackles the MARS Sustainability Bay. Here’s a shot of her through the KBIS Brush Village:

GIF via Badminton TV.

8:10 a.m. EST: Esib Power and Soladoun are now on course, and Ariel navigates the Ford Broken Bridge safely.

8:08 a.m. EST: Rose Nesbitt and EG Michaelangelo had an early fly-by at the Huntsmans Close, but what a clever horse you can see learning as he goes. This is a debutant pair — I can’t imagine doing my first 5*, period, let alone doing it at Badminton. Meanwhile, Austin O’Connor brings home Colorado Blue clear inside the time!

8:07 a.m. EST: Now on course and clear through the Voltaire Design Huntsmans Close is our next American pair, Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan.

8:05 a.m. EST: Tamie stops the clock 28 seconds over to add 11.2 time penalties to their dressage mark. This would’ve been the biggest track this horse has seen and what an achievement!

8:04 a.m. EST: Tamie is going to go well over the time, but she’s still clear as she heads for the main arena and the finish.

8:04 a.m. EST: Joining us on course are Austin O’Connor with his Tokyo partner, Colorado Blue, as well as Rose Nesbitt with RG Michaelangelo.

8:02 a.m. EST: Tamie has a strong ride at the Nyetimber Corners and is now safely through the Solar Farm at 24. Come on, Mai Baum!

Clever Tamie and Mai Baum at the Nyetimber Corners. GIF via Badminton TV.

8:00 a.m. EST: 10.8 time for Z, who’s pretty tired coming home but has another clear round under his belt. Tamie comes to the MARS Sustainability Bay.

7:59 a.m. EST: Bundy runs into trouble and retires after two stops at the Nyetimber Corners where Kirsty had her difficulty. Z is into the main arena!

7:58 a.m. EST: We now catch up with Phillip, who’s heading for home with Z. Z is looking a bit tired but he’s still galloping away from everything and hasn’t lost his jump. I apologize I’m not quicker with exact scores — my live fence report is not working at the moment!

7:58 a.m. EST: Tamie has a wonderful ride through the Badminton Lake — Lexus is looking really keen and rideable so far.

7:56 a.m. EST: Bummer! Lillian has fallen from LCC Barnaby….not quite sure which fence but maybe the MARS M? She looked almost able to save it but can’t quite hold on. Tamie is clear through the Huntsmans Close.

7:55 a.m. EST: Now on course and safely through the HorseQuest Quarry at 4 are Tamie Smith and Mai Baum.

7:54 a.m. EST: Phillip Dutton and Z are safely through the LeMieux Leap at 18.

7:53 a.m. EST: Lillian holds her line and gets LCC Barnaby through the Solar Farm at 24, nice ride! Bundy Philpott navigates the Huntsmans Close with Tresca NZPH.

7:51 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend is now listed as Eliminated on live scores. When he climbed over the out of the Quarry there were a lot of questions as to whether or not he’d made it over that fence, so this might be the reason. We now have Phillip Dutton and Z on course and at the Badminton Lake, fence 10. Piggy is home clear with 1 second of time aboard Vanir Kamira.

7:50 a.m. EST: Lillian Heard is safely over the Ford Broken Bridge — LCC Barnaby’s the first one to give that one a bit of a peak but they’re over it!

7:47 a.m. EST: Bill Levett is home clear with just some time aboard Lassban Diamond Lift. Piggy’s clear through the Vicarage Vee question at 23 and she’s now through the bounce at the Lightsource bp Solar Farm, fence 24.

7:46 a.m. EST: The Ford Broken Bridge has, as anticipated, ridden quite well today. Here’s a great shot from Piggy and Vanir Kamira:

GIF via Badminton TV.

7:45 a.m. EST: Our first U.S. rider is on course: Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby will be the American trailblazers.

7:42 a.m. EST: Now on course is Australia’s Bill Levett with his first right, Lassban Diamond Lift. 2019 winners Piggy March and Vanir Kamira are clear through the Huntsmans Close at 6.

7:39 a.m. EST: Bummer, Billy Walk On may have lost a bit of his confidence with this hairy moment at the 14, the KBIS Brush Village. He then grinds to a halt at the drop into the MARS Sustainability Bay at 17 and Pippa puts her hand up.

GIF via Badminton TV.

7:37 a.m. EST: Well, Oliver seems to have made the time coming home about 13 seconds inside the time. The hold may have benefitted this horse a bit, but we also know Oliver’s got a good clock running in his head.

7:36 a.m. EST: Pippa and Billy Walk On are clear through the Badminton Lake. The middle section of this course is fairly intense, with a lot of turning and twists. The time today is going to be really difficult to make with this in mind.

7:34 a.m. EST: A very nice ride through the bounce at the Solar Farm for Oliver and Swallow Springs — the horses will read this fine if they can have a moment to suss out the fact that there’s a bounce there and Tom’s ride will have informed the riders to use some caution here.

7:33 a.m. EST: Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On quietly pop the HorseQuest Quarry, while Oliver navigates the Nyetimber Corners at 20.

7:30 a.m. EST: Allstar B is looking keen after his break to catch wind, and they’re coming back into the main arena to finish. It’ll be a clear round, she definitely early on looked to be close to or on the time. We’ll see what her final time is.

7:29 a.m. EST: We’re back underway and will next see Pippa Funnell with her first ride, Billy Walk On.

7:24 a.m. EST: It looks like they’re taking the fence Nicola fell at off the course, so it’ll be just the MARS M and not the corner at fence 27 going forward. Oliver is back on Swallow Springs so I think we should be getting back underway shortly. I’m doing my best to have ears on the ground to find out a status on Nicola and will provide that as soon as I know more.

7:22 a.m. EST: While we’re on the hold, here are some remarks from William Fox-Pitt, who put in a cracking clear with just about seven seconds of time:

“I’m getting quite emotional. It was quite exciting. I was dreading it, of course, in my old age, thinking what the hell am I doing? Do I really want to be here today on Saturday morning, I’d like to be at home in my bed!”

“I was very lucky, he’s a lovely, classic horse and you’ve experienced now he’s done Badminton the last time around and many horses here haven’t, so he’s got that in his belt.”

7:10 a.m. EST: Regarding Nicola, both she and JL Dublin went down at the corner that comes after the MARS M. They looked to get there on just a slightly off stride and just seemed to slide over the top, causing the horse to fall and roll over. The horse was up right away, Nicola was not. That’s the only thing we know so far.

7:09 a.m. EST: Here’s a look at Ros Canter navigating the bounce at the Solar Farm, where Tom came to grief:

GIF via Badminton TV.

7:06 a.m. EST: Now Oliver will go onto a hold after the Lake. We’re on a hold for Nicola’s fall, which I apologize as I got the fence wrong — it happened at fence 27, the MARS M. We’ll keep you updated on Nicola as we know more. Oliver is off his horse walking it around.

7:05 a.m. EST: Ros Canter growls at Allstar B at the corner out of the Nyetimber Corners at 20 and gets the job done.

7:03 a.m. EST: Oliver survives a crazy save at the HorseQuest Quarry when Swallow Springs didn’t quite read the C element. They climb all over and almost go down but Oliver manages to keep his seat. We’re not on a hold at this point which is a good sign for Nicola..

6:59 a.m. EST: Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin have had a bad fall at the Lake. We’ll try to keep you updated.

6:58 a.m. EST: A brilliant clear round for William Fox-Pitt, who collects a bit of time but not much to go onto a 34.4 overnight. This will not be a bad score at the end of the day!

6:57 a.m. EST: Nicola Wilson is just about bang on the optimum time as she comes to the MARS Sustainability Bay at 17. Reigning World Champions Ros Canter and Allstar B safely navigate the Huntsmans Close.

6:55 a.m. EST: Honestly it looked like William might make the same blip as Tom did at the Solar Farm, but Oratorio manages the bounce stride. This will be informing the riders watching in the tent.

6:55 a.m. EST: Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin, reigning European Champions, are now on course and have made it to the Badminton Lake at 10. Man, the wind just went out of my sails a bit after that crash from Tom and Toledo! I’ll try to keep you updated on them, I’m hoping he’s been caught.

6:50 a.m. EST: *@&$*$#($*! Bless Toledo de Kerser, who just came in way too hot to the bounce at 24, the Lightsource bp Solar Farm. They both take a big tumble and Toledo runs off — hopefully he’s caught. Man what a shame. It was a brilliant round.

6:47 a.m. EST: William Fox-Pitt is now on course and safely navigates the HorseQuest Quarry with Oratorio. Tom McEwen takes a much more efficient line over the World Horse Welfare Lakeside table with running water on top of it.

GIF via Badminton TV.

6:46 a.m. EST: Joseph Murphy coaxes Cesar V into the water at 17, MARS Sustainability Bay. Tom has made it to the Lake at 10.

6:45 a.m. EST: “Wow…that was exceptional,” says Ian Stark as Tom navigates the Voltaire Design Huntsmans Close at 6 — this is another that gave us the weird vibes when looking at the line, but the first few riders have made a straight forward line look very doable.

6:44 a.m. EST: Toledo de Kerser makes the HorseQuest Quarry make like a gymnastic exercise as we’d anticipate with a horse of his experience level. It’s been really cool to watch this horse mature — he’s always been keen and genuine, but he’s gotten even smarter about knowing where he’s going.

6:42 a.m. EST: Now on course, Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser who were your early leaders all the way through yesterday and could still threaten to win with a clear round today.

6:42 a.m. EST: Padraig is then the farthest around the course, now at the same area where Kirsty has his trouble. He just hangs on to make that corner work and is through!

6:39 a.m. EST: Ah! Rats! Kirsty’s day sadly comes to an end at the corner at fence 20, the Nyetimber Corners. It’s a dip that puts you on the line to the corner at 20 — a tough approach that demands accuracy. Meanwhile, Joseph Murphy runs into a bit of trouble early on at the HorseQuest Quarry, as Cesar V just dips out to the left over the C element.

6:37 a.m. EST: Kirsty sees a strong shot over the corner leaving the lake earlier on — quite a turn coming after that if you find a big spot!

GIF via Badminton TV.

6:36 a.m. EST: On course and through the HorseQuest Quarry at 4 is Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah. Kirsty safely navigates the big Ford Broken Bridge easily — I think this will ride quite well today despite its imposing look.

6:33 a.m. EST: Kirsty makes fence 6ABC: Voltaire Design Huntsman’s Close look a lot simpler than the lines looked to be walking on the ground. Classic VI is really letting her ride him forward and turn him when needed. A nice trailblazing round for the riders to see back in the tent so far.

6:28 a.m. EST: Ian Stark, former designer here, comments that this might be Eric Winter’s finest track in his four years of designing Badminton. It’s intense, but the general feeling from the riders is that everything is jumpable and fair to the horses, which is the most important part of a designer’s job.

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Our first to see will be Australia’s Kirsty Chabbert with Classic VI, coming forward in 37th on a score of 32.8. And we are underway!

(We’re counting the guinea pig test.)

After two days of dressage at Badminton, there are certain overarching trends you start to pick up on. The first, and most obvious, is that the calibre of horses in this country has reached a zenith so extraordinary that it takes a performance nearly worthy of pure dressage to put yourself out in front – as first-phase leaders Laura Collett and London 52 proved when they danced their way to a nearly foot-perfect 21 in this morning’s session. The second is that when you’re that good, sometimes the best thing you can do is rejig your entire system to remove all the pressure from the horse. We’ve seen this approach come up a number of times over the two days we’ve been ringside: Laura herself has opted to skip all her usual pre-dressage schooling sessions this week, trusting instead in her system and the years of good training she’s put into her extraordinarily consistent Olympic partner and letting him unwind and enjoy his home for the week without asking any difficult questions of him until his turn in the ring. Notably, we also saw Ros Canter present a newly invigorated Allstar B yesterday, who looks mentally and physically fresher after cutting out ringwork at home and instead working through the basics out hacking. It’s not just Olympic gold medallists and World Champions who are taking this approach, either: France’s Gireg le Coz, 14th after dressage with Aisprit de le Loge, warmed his horse up with a low-key spin on the lunge, and plenty of other riders besides favoured pared-back approaches to getting the goods in this pivotal first phase.

Laura recounts her ride to the media. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

In some ways, it feels inevitable that the trend would shift this way. After two long years of pandemic eventing, horses and riders alike are all trained out: without the enormity of Badminton and Burghley on the horizon, most have had to aim for a cobbled-together couple of seasons of short-format competitions, the odd long-format opportunity, and a number of pop-up replacement fixtures, and that’s left plenty of time on the schedule to try to nail the infinitesimal details while riding at home. In many ways, this has served to raise the standards of flatwork significantly across the board; just as pertinently, though, it’s left plenty of athletes, both two- and four-legged, feeling just a bit burnt out. This paradigm shift towards horse-first production, towards prioritising a bit of a mental break and relying on long-established foundations, feels indicative of not just where the sport is at, but where the world is at. We’ve had our lockdown days of self-improvement — now it’s time to take a deep breath and go with the flow, for everyone’s sake.

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class dip slightly below expectations but still remain competitive on 25.9. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

This afternoon’s final session featured a number of major players, many of whom delivered tests that could arguably have been well in the hunt in previous, slightly less top-heavy fields of entry. Burghley winners Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy, for example, sit just inside the top twenty despite a pleasant test and a score of 29.1; closer to the business end, Olympic team gold medallists Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, who were second here in 2019 and have won Burghley and Kentucky, find themselves uncharacteristically far down the board in equal eighth after dressage on their 25.9.

For Oliver, who’s used to finding himself at the top with the son of Courage II, with whom he briefly held the Badminton dressage record three years ago, it was a fierce disappointment: “For me he’s twice the horse dressage-wise as yesterday’s, and he ended up with the same mark in the dressage,” he says, referring back to yesterday’s ride with Swallow Springs, who sits equal sixth on 25.7. “But tomorrow isn’t about the opinions of three people sitting in garden sheds.”

In fact, there were just three tests in total that managed to squeak into the top ten as it was established yesterday: Laura’s leading ride this morning, of course, was the most significant, bumping first-day leaders Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser into second, Kitty King and Vendredi Biats into third, and Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden into fourth. US representative Tamie Smith takes fifth place with Mai Baum, while Oliver’s first ride, Swallow Springs, sits equal sixth with 2019 victors Piggy March and Vanir Kamira. You have to get to that Ballaghmor Class test, which is equal eighth with New Zealand’s Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding, before you find another of today’s performances in the mix — and after that, there’s just one more in the top ten.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo impress among the top end of a field populated with much more experienced animals. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“We really weren’t sure what to expect with him coming in today,” says Ros Canter, who enjoyed an excellent 2021 season with her debutant Lordships Graffalo, winning hot CCI4*-S classes at Aston-le-Walls and Blair. “He’s only a rising ten-year-old, so he’s a very green horse and really, he’s come up through the levels during Covid, so he’s seen very little of this sort of atmosphere.”

This is the first time the rider has piloted any horse other than yesterday’s mount, Allstar B, at Badminton, and so she approached her test today with some caution – caution that, in the end, proved to be unfounded. They earned a 26 that puts them in tenth place out of 83 at the culmination of this phase after delivering a solid clear-round test.

“I was busy trying to quieten everyone down after William [Fox-Pitt]’s test, and I don’t think he actually batted an eyelid, so I thought, ‘why did I bother?!’,” laughs Ros. “He was such a professional.”

‘Walter’ is yet another horse that, on first glance, doesn’t look like he should be 5’1 Ros’s type: like Allstar B before him, he stands over 17hh and is a long horse from nose to tail. But through his nine-year-old year, in which he performed consistently enough to be named as Ros’s direct reserve for the European Championships, he proved that his size is no impediment to his athleticism — nor his ability to make it happen when it counts.

“He’s a bit of a funny character: sometimes he can be very lazy, and sometimes he can be a bit hot, but actually, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with where he is [in the draw] — it’s just Walter’s way on the day. But I have to say, on the whole, that he pulls it out the bag on a big occasion, so that’s quite exciting.”

Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street reigns in a few days of tricky behaviour to produce a competitive first-phase result. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“Ten or fifteen years ago, that would have been the leading test,” says Pippa Funnell, whose 26.2 with her 2019 Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street put her in eleventh place at the end of the day. Excellent tests are nothing new for the gelding: it rather feels as though every British eventing season has a mainstay horse that’ll reliably top the first-phase leaderboard in CCI4*-S after CCI4*-S, and just a few short years ago, this horse occupied that spot. But for all his undeniable natural talent, he’s never been a straightforward horse – not even this week, as a seasoned fourteen year old and five-star winner.

“He was quite naughty this morning! But he was good [in the test] — I just feel, as with [yesterday’s ride Billy Walk On, equal 16th), that maybe I need a few more lessons. Carl [Hester] won’t be very impressed with me,” says Pippa ruefully. “I just didn’t have that jump after the first canter half-pass into that flying change, so he was a bit slow off the aids then and I had to ask him two or three times. Hopefully he’ll respond a bit quicker tomorrow!”

Part of the difficulty in preparing  ‘Squirrel’ for these very good performances is overcoming his conformation – but this is just another facet of the job in this discipline, as Pippa explains.

“At the end of the day, the thing about this sport is that [horses] come in all shapes and sizes, and you can’t turn him into a London 52 or something. He’s got a short little neck, and so it’s always about trying to get the neck longer, but I thought he was very good in his frame.”

The Burghley winner is perhaps best known for his unpredictability across the country: while that victory, over one of the toughest Burghley courses we’ve seen, proved he’s got all the ability, he’s also very prone to naughty run-outs and wobbles. We saw this in action at his final prep run at Burnham Market, at which he deposited his rider on course. Still, pragmatic Pippa knows that when it comes to this horse, it’s often better to just keep moving on and not fret too much about the niggles.

“It’s quite a known fact that Squirrel can throw all sorts of things at me, but I’ll go out and get stuck in. He was great at Burghley, and yet crap at Burnham Market – you just don’t know with the horse, and he isn’t that easy in his ride again because of his build and shape and the fact that he goes a little bit downhill, so it’s difficult to control the shoulders. But I’ll get stuck in and ride him with my head, and I’m going to try to be competitive on both horses – Iif I’m not having a nice time, I don’t need to get the experience!”

William Fox-Pitt and Little Fire’s 27.3 puts them into 15th place after the first phase. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

William Fox-Pitt managed to slip into the top fifteen at the tail end of the day with Little Fire, who was ninth here in 2019. They bested their score of that year by nearly two penalties, putting a 27.3 on the board despite a tricky warm-up and a wobble in the second halt that earned them 2s from the judges at H and B.

“He’s quite edgy today, so he did well to settle down, though he didn’t walk quite as well as he can,” says William. “His halt and reinback were rubbish, but the rest was good. He’s technically the better dressage horse [of my two rides] so Friday afternoon is better, but he wasn’t settling down, and so I was wishing I’d been on yesterday!”

Part of ‘Aidan’s’ heightened mood has been due to his long-awaited return to a proper, atmospheric three-day – and like many horses here, he’s wholly aware of what’s to come over the weekend.

“He’s just been very electric, because he knows where he is — he knows it’s not Thoresby or Tweseldown, so he’s on his toes. I’ve just had him out plenty, hoping that he was going to settle down — and I think hope is the main thing, because he is thirteen and you think ‘for God’s sake, surely he’ll settle down eventually!’ Luckily, when you put him to work, he does try — he’s not stressed by his work.”

And so the dressage at Badminton draws to a close — but the competition, and EN’s coverage, is far from over. We’ll be bringing you some in-depth insights on tomorrow’s course from the riders who are preparing to tackle it, and in the meantime, you can check it out in its entirety in our comprehensive preview here. Cross-country will begin tomorrow at 11.30 a.m. BST/6.30 a.m. EST, and ride times can be found here. Until next time: Go Eventing!

The top ten at the culmination of dressage at Badminton.

Badminton Links: Website, Entries, Live Stream, Live Scores, Ride Times, EN’s Ultimate Guide, The Form Guide, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Mike Winter and El Mundo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Mike Winter / El Mundo – 34.6 – 51st

On his dressage test today: “That would be my worst score at the level so I don’t know. I thought it was an alright test. He was a bit shy at the end by the judges in the end of those shoulder-ins. I’m happy with him. I’m happy with myself, maybe not totally happy with the score.”

His thoughts on the cross country course: “I’ve walked it twice. It’s probably what I was hoping for, but that doesn’t make it any less calming on the nerves. It probably suits him. It’s quite big and bold and maybe I can take advantage of his big stride and his scope and use that to my advantage. That’s plan A and if that goes to plan and I have good ability to maneuver him at pace and stuff, I think it could be a lot of fun.”

“If I can keep him looking down the down the rein looking for his fences. He’s honest when he gets there, and he’s scopey across the widths of the fences. I think what [course designer Eric Winter] is doing a bit is where he has you come off a short turn and he then tempts you to take away, but then it’s always a scopey thing to get into the line on a scopey stride when you land. So I think he’s just daring us to be brave off the turn, isn’t he?…I mean, he’s a lot of fun to ride, and he loves his job. So just let him do his job, and hopefully give him the best guidance I can.”

Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Karl Slezak / Fernhill Wishes – 37.8 – 68th

On his dressage test: “I was very happy with him. He felt energetic which is a hard thing for him — he’s usually a little on the lazy side, so I was thrilled. If anything, he got a little bit exuberant especially to the first change. Even in the half passes I thought ‘oh boy, he wants to change, he’s anticipating it’ which he doesn’t normally do. He’s usually relaxed and waiting for me, but no, I’m pleased. I was very happy.”

On the cross country course: “Looks great. I’m very excited about it. It looks all doable right now — we’ll see what it looks like when there’s a million people watching.”

On the decision to run Badminton as his spring 5*: “He is not a good galloper — he’s all about flatter ground. He loves the cold temperatures, so coming from Florida to here is perfect. I wanted that temperature change. And I trust him. How often would you have a horse that you can trust around jumps like this?”

Dom Schramm and Bolytair B. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Dom Schramm / Bolytair B – 39.0 – 75th

On his dressage test: “He’s such a big, powerful horse, Bolytair B. I’ve actually been thrilled with him. I thought we were about to go and smoke it, but soon as I went around the short side, he started getting a hand taller. When he gets like that, I was just trying to keep riding him not just abandon him and so I’m actually not that disappointed in that — of course I wanted a lower score and I know he’s capable of it, but at the same time you’ve got to ride the same horse you’re sitting on in the ring…Of course, I was hoping to beat my personal best but honestly, it’s an electric ring, and I’m just thrilled to be here to you know — it’s such a special experience.”

On the cross country: “That’s what we come here for, right? And it’s a big, powerful strong horse and he’s a good cross country horse. I’m honestly actually really happy with the course for a couple of reasons. Main reason is that all the hard jumps I wanted to be on the course are there — I didn’t want to come to Badminton and not jump the Vicarage Vee! So I’m kind of pleased about that. And the other thing I like about it is I think Eric has made it really straightforward what he wants. It’s hard lines, they’re big jumps, but there’s no tricky business. There’s no wondering what number of strides you’re going to get, you know, or know half distances. So I think if you’ve got a big brave horse and you execute well, it’s there to be jumped. And we’re going to have great conditions, so I think it’s going to be awesome.”

On his fundraising efforts to get to Badminton: “So you know, unfortunately, this can’t happen — I can’t foot the bill myself. So there’s the option to do a GoFundMe, which I never really was about, because it’s kind of felt like I was asking for a handout. I wanted to find a way to be able to recognize the people that that supported me, so I came up with this big cooler and people were able to buy a patch or an embroidery spot on the cooler. I have this big, beautiful cooler he wears that’s got a lot of people’s names on it that supported us to get us here.”

Emily Hamel and Corvett. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Emily Hamel / Corvett – 39.5 – 77th

On her dressage test: “I was just excited to be in the ring and I tried to take it all in and also ride well. He was feeling pretty fresh, but overall I’m pretty happy and excited for tomorrow.”

On her trip to Badminton and how it compares to the other 5* events she’s done: “It’s a whole different thing — this is a completely different atmosphere and it’s so many spectators and it just feels like such a big deal. The American events too feel pretty big, but it’s just different. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just different.

On tomorrow’s cross country: “He’s pretty bold and brave and everything seems jumpable, I just need to ride it well, and I think we’re going to have a good time.”

On her knee after having surgery four weeks ago: “It’s pretty good. I have tape on it right now. And I try to wear a brace and I’m not on.”

On fundraising to get here to Badminton: “I kind of made this plan like in the fall and I just decided that I had to figure out how to save money and make money to make this trip possible. So renting out my house, that was a big help — no mortgage for a year. And then I have a really good group of supporters and owners and friends, family that have done their little bits and every little bit adds up and that’s why I’m here.”

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