Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo have won their second Badminton Horse Trials, jumping clear on the final day to pip fellow Brit Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent in a thriller.
Canter and 13-year-old Lordships Graffalo finished on their dressage score of 25.3, with Townend and Cooley Rosalent on 26.3 after have one rail down on Sunday to drop out of the top spot they held following the cross country.
Both riders had nervous waits on cross country day after were both awarded 15 penalties for going the wrong side of a fence flag (missed flag penalties). There was a palpable sense of relief when the penalties were rescinded afterwards when the ground jury examined video footage.
It was no doubt a relief for Canter, who with Lordships Graffalo was controversially awarded a missed flag penalty (15 penalties) at the Paris Olympic Games last year – a decision that ultimately saw the pair finish 21st as opposed to =5th place individually.
Canter and Lordships Graffalo are now three-time CCI5*L winners, having won Badminton previously in 2022 and Burghley Horse Trials last year.
Missed flag penalties are often a point of contention at the elite level. In the May edition of Ryan’s Rave, Heath Ryan takes a look at the results from Adelaide CCI5*L and provides his thoughts on some of the missed flag penalties seen there.
Third place at Badminton went to Ireland’s Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue, who jumped clear with just 0.4 of a time fault to finish 31.2.
Great Britain’s Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal were fourth on 33.8 as the only other combination besides the winners to finish on their dressage score. Another British combination, Emily King and Valmy Biats, rounded out the top five on 38.5.
A third Badminton completion for Sammi Birch and Finduss PFB
Australian Sammi Birch and 14-year-old KWPN gelding Finduss PFB (Saffier out of Belle Miranda, by Sarantos), owned by Parkfield Breeding, had just one rail and 0.4 of a time fault to successfully complete their third Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday. Their pair finished on 62.0 for 24th position.
Second horse inspection sees veteran campaigner withdrawn
Prior to the second horse inspection, there were five overnight withdrawals: Google van Alsingen (Senne Vervaecke), Rehy DJ (Yasmin Ingham), B Exclusive (Lizzie Baugh), MHS Bingo Boy (Nicky Hill) and Shanbeg Cooley (Harry Mutch).
Seven horses were sent to the holding box for further veterinary inspection, including the second-placed Cooley Rosalent, but all bar one passed when re-presented to the Ground Jury. The veteran campaigner, Ballaghmor Class (Oliver Townend) was withdrawn from the hold, making it the first time the four-times five-star winner will not complete at this level.
