Chris Burton and Graf Liberty in 3rd position at Badminton
Chris Burton and Graf Liberty.
© Elli Birch
A cold but sunny day at Badminton today that saw Chris Burton end up in 3rd and 5th place with Graf Liberty and Cooley Lands respectively.
Chris Burton and Cooley Lands.
© Elli Birch
Chris notched up the fastest time of the day with Cooley Lands at 11 minutes 41 seconds, the Optimum Time was 11 minutes 45 seconds. Chris and Graf Liberty’s time was exactly the optimum time and were two of only 5 rounds that incurred no time penalties.
Bill Levett and Lassban Diamond Lift.
© Elli Birch
Bill Levett is in 9th Place going into the showjumping tomorrow, incurring 8 time penalties. Isabel English jumped a steady clear round, clocking up 42.8 penalties, leaving her in 47th place going into tomorrow’s showjumping.
Sadly Sam Griffiths and Billy Liffy retired at fence 21after their second run out; their earlier run out was at fence 10.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class are in the lead with 21.5 penalties. Piggy French and Vamnir Kamira are on a score of 26.8; followed closely by Chris and Graf Liberty on 27.7 penalties.
Oliver Townend is poised to win his second five-star in two weeks
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class.
© Elli Birch
Oliver Townend is poised to win his second five-star in two weeks having maintained pole position after the cross-country phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.
When Oliver’s first ride, dressage leader Cillnabradden Evo, clocked up time penalties in double figures, it was left to his stablemate, Ballaghmor Class, to deliver the goods. The aptly-named grey gelding did so in exemplary style, adding just 0.4 of a time penalty to his dressage score of 21.5.
“This was his best round to date for me. I wanted to give him a clear run and show the world what he’s capable of. We were 14 seconds down coming out of the Lake, and I just had to press go and off he went. He’s a special athlete,” said Oliver, who won Kentucky last week and will have a handy one-fence cushion going into tomorrow’s final showjumping phase. “When I was sitting in the lorry between my two rides I was listening to Ian Stark and Harry Meade talking on the livestream and Ian said that anyone who doesn’t get nervous before they go cross-country at Badminton either has no brain or is no good and I thought, ‘oh sh*t’!”
Piggy French and Vanir Kamira rose one place to second despite finishing a shade over the optimum time.
“She’s so game and gutsy,” said an elated Piggy. “She’s not flashy like some, but give her a Badminton or a Burghley and she comes into her own. I’m a bit annoyed about being two seconds over as I thought I’d got the time, but I’m not gong to let that take away from what she’s done.”
There were five rounds inside the time and two of these came from Australian Chris Burton, who steered Graf Liberty and Cooley Lands effortlessly home and clear at opposite ends of the day.
“My rides were very different, but I was thrilled with them both,” said Chris. “Graf Liberty doesn’t pull, is snaffle-mouthed and we know each other very well, whereas Cooley Lands can get keen and strong but is incredibly fast – I was slowing down on my way home.”
Chris lies in third and fifth going into tomorrow’s final showjumping phase.
Sandwiched in between Chris’ two rides is the 2017 winner Andrew Nicholson, who enjoyed a storming – and completely penalty-free – round with the super-classy Swallow Springs.
Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy – another pair to make the optimum – occupy sixth place.
Forty-seven of the 78 combination who left the start box came home with clear jumping rounds under their belts. There were 15 retirements, four eliminations and only one horse fall – for Becky Woolven and Charlton Down Riverdance, who tipped up over fence 6, the Worcester Avenue Table.
Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser, who were lying in second place at the beginning of the day, dropped to 16th after they triggered the frangible pin at the huge triple bar coming out of the Wadworth Lower Lake (fence 26) and incurred 11 penalties.
Neither Pippa Funnell (fifth after dressage on Billy Walk On) nor Kitty King (Vendredi Biats, sixth) completed, although Pippa enjoyed a brilliant pathfinding round on her first horse, Majas Hope, who lies in 24th.”
Course-designer Eric Winter, commented: “It’s not often I say at the end of the day that I’d not change anything about the course, but it was the case today. It showed off the best to be the best and showed everyone else what they had to work on.”
Tomorrow’s final horse inspection will take place in front of Badminton House at 8.30am. The final showjumping phase will begin at 11am for the lower placed riders, while the top 20 will jump at 2pm.
“What a truly awe-inspiring day of cross-country action. We have seen some brave partnerships taking on the course with some wonderful displays of athleticism and skill. It will be a totally deserving winner who takes home the prestigious Mitsubishi Motors trophy at the end of the final showjumping phase tomorrow afternoon,” said Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, Rob Lindley.
Source: Badminton Horse Trials
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