The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials’ cross country was as “big and bold” as ever but three Kiwis sit in the top six this morning.
Sir Mark Todd and Leonidas II had a couple of lives during their round but came home clear and inside the time to sit on 44.8 penalty points. He was pitched out of the saddle at one jump but showed all of his experience in regaining his seat and carrying on without missing a beat.
Right behind him are Jock Paget and Clifton Lush who looked secure and in synch, and remain on their dressage score of 45.2. Badminton débutantes Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation lie in sixth on 45.6 having going clear, in what looked to be a relaxed comfortable round despite picking up 4.8 time penalties.
Jonelle Price and Classic Moet are just outside the top 10 after a quick clear round which was 12 seconds inside the time enabling them to move up from 30th after the dressage to 11th.
Blyth Tait and Bear Necessity were also clear with 4.8 time after taking a lengthy option to sit on 53.3 in 22nd spot, while Jesse Campbell and Kaapachino will forever remember their first Badminton and sit on 76.3 – the combination jumped outside the flags at the Vicarage Vee but went on to easily jump the option.
Michael Jung (GER) looks on track to claim his first Badminton crown and also the Rolex Grand Slam, following victories at Burghley last year and more recently, Kentucky. He and La Bisothetique Sam FBW head to tomorrow’s showjumping with a nine point buffer over fellow countryman Andreas Ostholt and So Is Et.
It was a tough course out there, with 17 combinations eliminated, including Tim Price on Ringwood Sky Boy and Lucy Jackson on Bosun. Both came unstuck at the Vicarage Vee (fence 21), which took its toll on 13 combinations – nine of whom finished their Badminton campaigns there. Megan Heath and St Daniel were eliminated mid-field. Ten retired on course, including Dan Jocelyn aboard Beaucatcher.
With an optimum time of 11 minutes 58 seconds, it was a long and challenging course by Giuseppe Della Chiesa with 45 jumping efforts over 6,500 metres.
Four-time Badminton winner Todd said it was certainly an exciting course.
“He was brilliant all the way around,” he said of Leonidas. “I had a couple of lucky moments, especially at the double brush through the hollow where he got in very deep to the second part and screwed, and sent me out the side door but I somehow managed to struggle back in.
“It was big and bold as ever. Some people said it looked a bit softer this year but I think it probably flowed better . . . all the questions were there and particularly through the middle part of the course you had to be right on the ball.”
Paget couldn’t be happier with the efforts of his small chestnut.
“It is his third time round there. I love riding that horse, he just tries his butt off for me every time. Just thrilled with the result,” he said. “You have to take your hat off to Giuseppe and the fences he has built are brave fences. He did a great job.”
Johnstone was also thrilled.
“It was a really big course and causing quite a lot of trouble,” he said. “I am thrilled to have jumped round clear. It is a big tough course and relentless through the middle section. We all know that is how it is going to be when we walk the course but when you get out there and ride it you think ‘oh my gosh, when am I going to get a breather’.
“It just keeps coming at you thick and fast and that is hard for the horses as well. It is a really big difficult course.”
Campbell said the course called for a lot of trust between horse and rider, with some jumps out into space and others where the horse is unable to see the landing.
“It was really hard work out there. It was really tough . . . and tough on the horse mentally too.”
But tomorrow is another day, with the showjumping. All of the horses still in contention will face a final vet inspection before continuing.
The horse details -
Balmoral Sensation (owned by the Johnstone family), Bear Necessity V (owned by Ronnie Bartlett and Blyth Tait), Kaapachino (owned by Jesse and Dr Craig Campbell), Beaucatcher (owned by Tanya Cleverly and Dan Jocelyn), St Daniel (owned by Megan Heath), Clifton Lush (owned by Frances Stead and Lucy Allison), Leonidas II (owned by Di Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd), Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards and Jonelle Price), Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Tim Price and Selwood.com), Bosun (owned by BGV Syndicate).
What: Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials
Where: UK
When: May 4-May 8, 2016
For more info: www.badminton-horse.co.uk
For full results, head to https://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/index.php/cross-country-results-2016/
