Sam Griffiths and Happy Times took the lead on a 43.3 before the lunch break.
Sam Griffiths and Happy Times slipped into the lead on a 43.3 before the lunch break with a very fluid, relaxed test. Sam has had very good showings here at Badminton in previous years, and he didn’t disappoint today with this horse. Aside from a few bobbles in the middle of the test, I’d say this is definitely one of the most correct tests we’ve seen so far today. Sam and Happy Times sit just ahead of Andrew Nicholson and Avebury, who also put in a lovely test in the second group to move into second place on a 45. There appeared to be a few miscommunications between Andrew and Avebury during the test, particularly when the horse picked up the correct lead out of the reinback but then stopped. Andrew recovered nicely and sits in a good position with his second ride Nereo still to come tomorrow.
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury are sitting in second place on a 45.
Francis Whittington and Sir Percival led off in the second group and are currently sitting tied for 10th place on a 59.7. The test was a bit tense throughout, although I thought the changes redeemed it. Mark Todd went second after the break and unfortunately really struggled in his test with Major Milestone. The horse never really settled and seemed to want to jump out of his skin in the canter work. Mark and Major Milestone are sitting in 16th place on a 67.8. We saw some lovely work from Ruth Edge — who also rides straight dressage — and Nick of Thyme; she gets a shoutout for giving the horse a comforting pat right before M during the free walk. Aside from a stumble in the last change, this was a very nice test, and Ruth and Nick of Thyme are sitting in seventh place on a 48.7.
Harry Meade and Wild Lone are tied for 13th on a 63.3.
Harry Meade struggled a bit with Wild Lone, who definitely seemed affected by the atmosphere. The horse cruised through the first and second halt, although he had a really lovely final halt. All things considered, I’d say Harry held him together quite well; they are sitting on a 63.3. Sarah Stretton and Skip On, our last riders before the lunch break, put in a solid test to tie for 10th place on a 59.7. To give you an idea of just how good the quality of dressage here is thus far, 44 percent of the rides thus far have cracked the 40s, and I imagine we’ll only see that percentage continue to climb considering the riders still to come. Marco Biasia and Tatchou will lead off after the lunch break at 1:40 p.m. local time, and we’ll be seeing EN blogger Charlotte Agnew conclude the third group of the day with Out of Africa Two.
[Website] [Ride Times] [Dressage Results]
Dressage Videos:
Video: Andrew Nicholson and Avebury
Video: Mary King and Imperial Cavalier
