Tough Badminton Cross Country Causes Carnage
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Tough Badminton Cross Country Causes Carnage
The much-talked about cross country delivered this morning at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton International Horse Trails in the United Kingdom, causing mayhem through the 83 strong field.
Just Tim Price and Lucy Jackson remain in the top 10 – a brilliant effort by both in a day that saw many top riders eliminated.
Price and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor and Selwood.com) added the least of any combination to their dressage score, picking up just 11.6 penalty points. No one made the time allowed, and Price was only 29 seconds over. Their efforts saw them move from 41st equal after the dressage to second place with just the showjumping to come..
Price is 5.2 penalty points behind leader Paul Tapner (Aus) aboard Kilronan.
He was rapt.
“It is really not easy out there,” said Price. “The conditions are a bit testing and it is an out and out decent track. We had the odd hairy moment out there but I knew he would get through it.”
While Price admitted showjumping was the horse’s weakest phase, he is getting better at it.
“He is improving all the time with age and training. I believe in him and I think tomorrow he will come out and jump well.”
This is Price’s third start at Badminton, with his best effort previously being 20th aboard Vortex in 2009.
Jackson and Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson) also flew up the leaderboard, moving from 29th to 10th after going clear and adding 24.8 penalty points to their score to sit 15.6 points adrift of Tapner.
It wasn’t a very good day for New Zealand’s top riders Sir Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson, both of whom fell off. Neither riders or horses were injured, but it meant immediate elimination.
Todd did make it round the course with his less experienced Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brundsden, Peter Cattell and Todd), but sit in 17th place – 24.6 points behind the leader – after picking up time faults.
Just 35 riders made it round the course today, five withdrew after the dressage including Kiwis Annabel Wigley on Frog Rock (owned by Sally, John and Annabel Wigley) and Caroline Powell aboard Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Powell).
Wigley opted to save her horse for the four star at Luhmuhlen in June.
“He is fighting fit and I would love to ride him round that course,” said Wigley. “But unfortunately we are out of contention for a place . . . I think it would be unfair on him to push him round the course.”
Eighteen retired during the cross country, including Nicholson and Quimbo (owned by Deborah Sellar), Jonelle Price (nee Richards) on The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, Tim and Jan Morice and Selwood.com) and Megan Heath on her own St Daniel.
Nicholson and the very experienced Nereo (owned by Deborah Sellar) were one of 25 eliminated on the course, along with Todd and NZB Campino (owned by NZ Bloodstock and Todd), Tim Price and Wesko (owned by the Wesko Syndicate) and Neil Spratt aboard Upleadon (owned by Annitta Engel, Sharon Robbins and Spratt).
Also falling by the wayside was overnight leader Clarke Montgomery (United States) and Loughan Glen, who just ran out of puff, and William Fox-Pitt (GBR) who fell from the Kiwi bred Parklane Hawk.
Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance director Sarah Harris said it was like Badminton of old.
“It was tough out there – very tough,” said Harris. “It was a hard ride right to the end.” The event concludes tomorrow with the showjumping. Horrid day – blowing and showery –
For the full leaderboard, head to http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/index.php/cross-country-results-2014/ .
