What a competition we saw unfold at the Badminton Horse Trials, culminating in New Zealand and German domination of the leaderboard. Only 37% of the field were able to jump clear over the huge course.
Ingrid Klimke is the new leader on Horseware Hale Bob OLD, finishing the course with 3.2 time penalties to put her ahead by just 0.4pen from uber-eventer Michael Jung, with New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson another 0.4 behind in third.
Even getting her score posted wasn’t without drama for Ingrid as she was initially awarded 11pen for breaking a frangible pin, but, after a protest, these were removed when it was decided that the pair didn’t cause the break. “I am very happy, as Bobby had a fantastic round and he really deserved it,” she said after hearing of the final decision. “He was bold, it was really tough. It was a difficult course – there certainly wasn’t time to wave to the crowd – but Bobby was so full of himself and was pure pleasure to ride.”
Ingrid is looking forward to the show jumping with Bobby having such a good record in this phase. “He is a very good show jumper and normally he jumps clear, so I will have a good night’s sleep, or a party, it depends,” she joked.
Ingrid teased both Michael and Andrew at the press conference by thanking them for helping her. She said Andrew walked the course with her and gave her some advice, and then she watched Michael’s round before heading to prepare, having decided she would ride it along the same lines!
Michael Jung really did have the most brilliant of performances in what is the most brilliant of careers on his superstar La Biosthetique Sam. He was the first rider to finish the testing course clear and within the time and made it look easy. “He is an amazing horse. He is brilliant in every discipline. The most great feeling is that you are always a bit nervous in the beginning. In the end it is an amazing feeling when you feel the horse has so much trust in you and you can do everything with him. He was a bit tired in the end, maybe after the fence 20, 21 but he is still a fast galloper. In the end, I say to him, “Come on, a little bit faster,’ and just like nothing he goes forward.”
The first of five New Zealand scores in the top 20 leaderboard is Andrew who is sitting in third on Nereo. He went out on course first on Qwanza, riding as brilliantly as ever. No jumping faults on the mare but just 8.8 time to add to her dressage score and the pair now sit in 15th place, 24.3pen behind Ingrid. “You had to sit down and work a lot more to make it happen,” he said after his first ride. “Cross-country riding is about making it work. Qwanza is a much better horse than people realise. She has a heart of gold.”
Andrew was then the very last competitor to go on Nereo, and had the whole crowd cheering him on, as – if he had of gone clear – he could have taken the lead. Once again Andrew gave a masterful display but was just outside the time, not helped by the horse slipping, as did many others, a few times in the latter part of the course. They incurred just 2.4 time faults so are only 0.4pen behind Michael and 0.8 behind Ingrid.
“I don’t know about it being fun, but I enjoyed it,” said Andrew afterwards. “I concentrated very hard on both horses and I thought they were concentrating very hard, which to me is what we wanted. I definitely felt like I wasn’t going for a happy hack! Nereo was unbelievable — it’s just my job to stay focused, and every now and then I pull or kick.”
‘Yeah, right’ springs to mind, Andrew.
Andrew wasn’t too concerned about Nereo’s slipping. “I knew when I’d finished that all his shoes were still on, but my groom has since told me that I lost a stud in the outside of a front shoe and two out of a back shoe. Nereo does slip a bit, he’s a big, powerful horse and when the ground is dry with grass cover, he does tend to slip. It wasn’t a big problem, and probably only cost me a couple of seconds.”
Tim Price finally had the round he’s been looking for and rode beautifully on Xavier Faer, with the commentators heaping praise on him. It may have been Xavier Faer’s first Badminton but Tim relished the opportunity, joining Michael Jung to be within the time and clear jumping – the only two to do it in the field. He therefore moved up from 34th after dressage to fourth place after cross-country on his dressage score of 48.2, 7.8pen behind Andrew.
Tim played it cool after his stunning round. “Everything we saw on the day just confirmed what we thought when we walked it. He showed a lot of class, he has a lot of class and he helped me a lot today. He is a good jumper and he is fit so he should recover nicely. He has pulled up well and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Modest when asked about making the tough time, Tim said initially that it was “no big deal” but he did eventually admit that he had to fight for it from the start. “He’s a great horse for rhythm and he has a big gallop.”
Having just one horse late in the competition, Tim had plenty of time – too much time – to prepare, which he found hard to tolerate. “I don’t like waiting all day, but what do you do? You have to do it.” He said he even spent some time walking the course “like a spectator.”
Sir Mark Todd had a couple of lives here and there, but with his balance and skill, he not only survived but got both his horses home with just a few time faults. Leonidas was second to go and he and Mark gave everyone a fright in the lake when Sir Mark injured his nose slightly on the horse’s neck jumping in. They recovered, and finished the course with 15.2 time penalties to have a total of 58.1pen and be in ninth place. They were initially given jump penalties as they had to take a few twists and turns in the second water to get through, but these were taken away a few minutes later. It was, however, on NZB Campino where Toddy really put his foot down, finishing clear with 6.8 time faults and moving up to fifth place.
When asked how tough he thought the course was, Sir Mark said, “It bought back memories of the very first time I competed here!” He stormed home on Leo, being the first rider home after the trailblazer, American Lauren Kieffer, retired on course. “I found that once I came out of the bullfinch out of the lake, he was still full of running. Perfect going, cool temperatures and the horses are finishing well.” After his second ride, Mark was buzzing. “He was magic, so cool. He is not the fastest thing but he tried so hard,” he said about NZB Campino. “I think having ridden the course this morning really did make a difference this afternoon.”
Blyth had a bit of an oops at the influential Hildon Water Pond (fence 15), and tried to avoid crossing his line when he couldn’t get on to the final element, but was awarded 20pen. He then pulled up two fences later. Blyth made the decision to retire to be able to re-route Bear Necessity to another big event, possibly Luhmühlen in June. He confirmed this on his Facebook page. “Sorry gang. Got in a fuddle at the second water. Crossed my tracks. Retired to fight another day. Thanks for the support. Well done to the other Kiwis. Exciting day.”
Dan Jocelyn had a good round on Dasset Cool Touch, clear jumping but with 28.8 time faults. “Boy, that was a big day in the office, I tell you,” he said afterwards. “That was like [when I was riding] Silence in 1998 when it was about a foot of mud after roads and tracks. That was a proper, proper one! Having to think on your feet – wow! Second four-star and his first time at Badminton and he comes for his first time to a whopper. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My arms went at about seven minutes. He has so much gallop and stride – one day I will be able to use it! It was a good day.”
Jessie Campbell had a run-out and then retired Kaapachino. It just hasn’t been his weekend.
The home crowd had little to cheer about after the dressage, but strong clears by British first-timers Ros Canter (Allstar B) and farrier Alexander Bragg (Zagreb) have moved them up significantly to sixth and eighth places. Oliver Townend shot up from 47th to sixth on ODT Ghareeb and Gemma Tattersall went from 67th to 12th on the ex-racehorse Arctic Soul. Gemma, as predicted, charged around the cross-country on Arctic Soul. “He’s one of the best cross-country horses in the world but that doesn’t make it easy – he takes a lot of piloting! He’s nuts, and that’s what makes him so good.”
Tenth after cross-country is the Japanese Olympic rider Yoshiaki Oiwa. He flew around the track on Duke of Cavan, taking some fliers in the beginning and defying those who thought this approach was going to come to grief. Yoshi, who is based in Germany, last competed at Badminton in 2005 and this horse was his Rio horse.
The youngest competitor, Cathal Daniels, will be giving his mare Rioghan Rua carrots again now, as while she was really unsettled in the dressage, she jumped a clear round with just six time penalties today, moving them from 82nd place to 28th.
Sitting at the other end of the leaderboard from Cathal after dressage, Chris Burton and Graf Liberty lost their chance at glory when they had 20 faults for a stop in the second water, the Hildon Water Pond. Unusually for him, Chris just seemed to run out of impulsion to successfully negotiate the third element. He took his time after that, and gave his horse a nice ride home. “He tried really hard and I was very proud of him – he’s got bigger things ahead of him,” Chris said afterwards.
Australians didn’t have a great day, with Shane Rose, Paul Tapner and Andrew Hoy all having falls. Shane’s Shanghai Joe suffered an injury to a forelimb. The incident occurred when Shane fell off at fence 19 (doing a very well executed forward roll after being tipped out over the horse’s shoulder). Shanghai Joe then galloped loose and slipped on a gravel path at the entrance to the stables. Shane, via Facebook, has advised that the horse has a suspected fracture to his shoulder. A statement from Badminton said: “He has been stabilised at the event’s veterinary centre by an orthopaedic specialist before being transferred to Breadstone Veterinary Hospital for further treatment.” We hope he is okay.
Paul’s accident was particularly nasty, with the horse having a rotational fall over the last element after going through the water, but luckily he was thrown clear, although he may perhaps have a bruised leg.
Sam Griffiths picked up 50 penalties for jumping outside a flag and carrying on. He did a great round besides that fence, with only 11.6 time, and immediately declared he would put in a protest. “It’s a good rule but I didn’t think I got it. I am going to contest it. It rode tough out there.” The 50pen have remained against his name, so his protest must have been turned down.
Jonty Evans on Cooley Rorkes Drift was third after dressage but had an unfortunate run-out at the brush corner at fence 21. “He was brilliant around the course. He was slightly dubious about the staircase. I can’t fault him, I have to hold my hands up, it was my mistake.”
The Americans didn’t have a good day either, as only two out of the seven starters made it to the finish line, with the best of them being Lauren Kieffer and Veronica who are in 17th place after adding 29.2 time penalties. Elisa Wallace fell at the last fence after her exhausted horse just couldn’t make it. He was obviously extremely tired and there were many concerned people venting on social media that Elisa should have been stopped by officials or pulled up herself. A statement from Badminton read: “Rider number 60, Elisa Wallace (USA) riding Simply Priceless was interviewed by the ground jury and sanctioned with a yellow card under article 526.1 — abuse of the horse, following her fall at the last fence. Neither horse nor rider was injured in the fall.” Elisa has apologised on her Facebook page. “I am okay as well, but I’m disappointed in myself for letting down my horse, my country and my sport. I should have pulled him up. And I agree with the ground jury giving me a yellow card. I made a mistake that I will NEVER make again. I am lucky we are both unscathed. Johnny gave me everything today. I love my horse and my sport.”
Likewise the French didn’t have a great day in the office. Their best-placed rider is Astier Nicolas on Piaf de B’Neville in 13th place, adding 19.2 time faults to their dressage score. Veteran Jean Teulere was the only other French rider to jump clear. Thibaut Valette, who had been seventh after dressage, incurred 20pen and 37.2 time faults to leave him in 37th place. The other French riders either retired, withdrew or were eliminated.
There was a huge crowd at the event, taking advantage of the good (for Badminton) weather – estimated to be in excess of 100,000 on the grounds with even more watching the livestream or on FEI TV.
