Tapner Poised To Take Second Badminton Title (EA report)
Sunday, 11 May 2014

Paul Tapner is poised to win his second title at the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials three-day event after producing a smart cross country round on Saturday which very few of the 83 strong field could replicate.

Image available upon request.

Just 35 riders remain in the competition following the cross country, after rain and strong winds made a challenging course more taxing.

Tapner and his mount Kilronan were sitting in second position following the dressage phase, but the early leader, US rider Clark Montgomery, was one of 48 riders who could not finish the course.

Tapner, who is from New South Wales but now resides in the UK, said his decision to take a conservative route paid dividends.

“It’s Kilronan’s third event at this level and he feels a different horse from last year, he’s far more mature. He does, however, tend to get on his forehand when he’s a bit tired and that’s why I took a long route near the end.”

“I didn’t think the course was unusually tough but you couldn’t make any mistakes.

Tapner has a showjumping rail advantage over New Zealand’s Tim Price leading into Sunday’s decider, which is a position not unfamiliar to the 38 year old. In 2010 Tapner had a similar lead when he won the prestigious event riding the horse Inonothing.

Cross Country day produced mixed results for the large Australian contingent competing at this year’s Badminton Horse Trials, which is a crucial event for riders vying for team selection for the upcoming World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France in August.

London Olympian Sam Griffiths (Paulank Brockagh) was a standout moving from 25th position after the dressage phase into fifth place.

“I had to fight and my horse did too.

“The first half she was jumping beautifully, but we had to work the second half.

“Badminton is one of these places, had the going been perfect then it would have been a challenging course. But this year the course was really sapping on the horses that it makes it a different question. It makes each jump 5-6 inches higher because the mud you’re jumping out of and it becomes a real endurance test.

A brilliant round by Atlanta gold medallist Wendy Schaeffer and her horse Koyuna Sun Dancer catapulted her from 67th position after the dressage to now be in 26th position. Schaeffer is renowned for her show jumping finesse and will be looking to improve her standings even further during tomorrow’s deciding phase.

Olympian Chris Burton on his new mount TS Jamaimo had a run out at Vicarage Vee (fence 15) but made it home and is in 23rd position.

Bill Levett had two entries and will progress to the show jumping phase with Shannondale Titan (28th position), but his second horse Silk Stone was eliminated following multiple refusals.

Emma Dougall (Kelecyn Ice Age) had two refusals (fence 15, 23) but made it home and will progress to Sunday’s Show Jumping phase.

Of the remaining Australians, Olympian Lucinda Fredericks retired early after her horse Flying Finish sustained a minor injury to one of its rear legs. The Australian based riders Natalie Blundell and Seumas Marwood did not finish after Blundell was eliminated for a fall and Marwood retired after having refusals. US based Australian rider Peter Atkins (Henry Jota Hampton) also had multiple refusals and retired on course.

For full results please visit the event website http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/