SUNDAY morning at MARS Badminton Horse Trials was not without drama, as Will Rawlin, lying seventh overnight with Ballycoog Breaker Boy, chose not to present his horse at the trot-up on Sunday morning. Kylie Roddy the same call for SRS Kan Do (in 40th), and during the course of the final horse inspection, several others were sent to the holding box. Among them were Tom Rowland’s Dreamliner, who was subsequently withdrawn, Alex Hua Tian’s Chicko and Sarah Ennis’s ride Grantstown Jackson. Both were represented, and ultimately spun.

Of the 40 combinations remaining in the competition, 20 jumped in the morning session, and only one produced a clear round inside the time. This came from Germany’s Arne Bergendahl and Luthien NRW, who also competes at national show jumping competitions at 1.40m level. Jonelle Price left all the poles intact after her round on Chilli’s Midnight Star, incurring only 0.8 of a time fault to top the leader board at lunchtime, while four faults were good enough to leave Bubby Upton and Cola lying second ahead of the afternoon session.

Austin O’Connor was the only Irish rider to jump in the first group, and he had three down and 2.4 time faults with Nicky Bennell’s Sixmilewater. “The pleasing aspect is that the further he went the better he jumped,” said O’Connor after his round. He continued: “It’s as big a Badminton show jumping track as I’ve seen, and quite technical. The distances vary; you go from a little bit open to a little bit closed. It’s a true five-star jumping track.”

Sam Watson was the first Irish rider to enter the arena in the final show jumping session, and he was initially disappointed with his two down, which left him on a finishing score of 48.4. “He jumped super to start with, he was really jumping well, and then I just chased the clock a little bit around the back,” Watson said of Ballyneety Rocketman. “I’m really annoyed with myself. He tried really hard and the ring execution wasn’t happening,” he concluded, although he finished the competition in 20th place.

Padraig McCarthy was the next Irish rider to enter the arena with Lady Ophelia, and he also incurred eight jumping faults as well as 0.8 for finishing two seconds over the time allowed. “It wasn’t the best ride I think I ever gave her,” McCarthy said, saying that her eye was drawn to the water tray where she had her first pole down, and that she was “a bit unlucky at the last, but she jumped great.” McCarthy echoed Austin O’Connor’s summation of the course, saying: “When I walked it this morning, I knew it would be influential.” He finished 18th, on the same score as Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, but one place above her due to being closer to the optimum time cross-country.

There was a short wait for Irish fans, during which time nobody was able to emulate Arne Bergendahl’s feat of a clear round within the time, until Lucy Latta entered the arena, jumping sixth last with RCA Patron Saint. The combination unfortunately incurred 13.2 faults to finish 17th on a total score of 47.1, but Latta was philosophical about her weekend. “I’ll always be a bit disappointed with three down, but this is his weakest phase. He gave me a great spin yesterday and I’m happy with him overall this week.”

World number two Tim Price, entering the arena directly after Latta having shared equal fifth place with her overnight, became the only other rider to produce a clear round inside the time allowed, a feat which left him in second place with Falco, after poles on the floor pushed Harry Meade and Sarah Bullimore further down the order. A single rail and 0.8 for time left Meade in third with Annaghmore Valoner, while 9.6 show jumping penalties left Bullimore in 10th with Corimiro.

The weekend was all about Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo though, and they looked assured on their way to making history by becoming the first combination to win the MARS Badminton Horse Trials three times. Canter incurred two time faults in her precisely ridden round, to finish on 25.7, over eight penalties ahead of Price.

Saturday Round-up

ROS Canter is still on track to make history after she has maintained her lead on conclusion of the cross-country at MARS Badminton Horse Trials, putting in a flawless clear round on Lordships Graffalo. “A privilege” is show described the experience of riding the reigning champion across country, and she now has more than a fence in hand over Harry Meade and the only one of his three rides to jump clear inside the time, Annaghmore Valoner. Sarah Bullimore and the ten-year-old homebred Corimiro, 19th after dressage, now lie third, while Katie Magee and Treworra sit in fourth, both of whom finished with nothing to add to their first phase scores.

Ireland’s Lucy Latta now shares fifth place on the leader board with New Zealand’s Tim Price, after a super smooth cross-country round with RCA Patron Saint. “I’m actually a bit frustrated with myself,” said the 2024 runner-up about her time faults, when RCA Patron Saint finished full of running. Will Rawlin holds on to the seventh position he occupied after dressage with Ballycoog Breaker Boy, while former Lumuhlen victor Lara de Liedekerke-Meier dropped from third to eighth with the addition of 6.4 time faults. Tom Jackson with his first ride, United 36, and Felix Vogg with last year’s Maryland winner Cartania round out the top ten.

Padraig McCarthy and Sam Watson each posted clear rounds only two seconds over the time, to rise to 19th and 20th with Lady Ophelia and Ballyneety Rocketman, while Sarah Ennis lies ahead of them in 18th after incurring just 3.6 time faults on Grantstown Jackson. “He’s so agile, nimble and fast,” said Ennis afterwards. “In took strides out where I needed to, and added one in where I didn’t; it’s easy for him. He could have gone on a bit longer.” Austin O’Connor was the first rider out for Ireland on Saturday morning, and he now lies in 35th with Sixmilewater after a steadier clear round.

After sitting in second place after dressage, Tiana Coudray dropped out of contention with Cancaras Girl after they incurred 20 penalties on top of the bank, and later added 11 penalties for a frangible pin activation. The 2024 champions Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier retired, while best of the Irish after dressage, Georgie Goss and Feloupe, elected not to run due to the ground being harder than expected.

Friday Round-up

REIGNING MARS Badminton champions Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo laid down a commanding lead in their bid to become the first combination to win the five-star event three times. Their score of 23.7 leaves them over four penalties ahead of Thursday’s leaders Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl, who scored a personal best of 28.1 to lie second ahead of the cross-country phase. Previous five-star winners Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Felix Vogg like in third and fourth positions, with Hooney D’Arville and Cartania respectively, while the 2024 champions Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier lie sixth on 28.9.

Best of the Irish riders is Georgie Goss, who lies in equal 15th position with America’s Grace Taylor. She scored 30.8 with the sixteen-year-old mare Feloupe, after a mistake in one flying change. “If I’m honest, I’m a little bit disappointed,” said Goss after her test, “but they’ve not been giving the marks away and I did miss that change. Swings and roundabouts! Overall, she’s very consistent on the flat. Everything you put into her, you get out of her. I always try to get into the arena early so I can get the applause from the horse before to just lift her a little bit more, but she’s so consistent and a joy to ride.”

Only three places behind Goss lies Lucy Latta, who scored a five-star personal best with RCA Patron Saint of 31.9, also with a mistake in one flying change. She said: “He really held it together today. This is his third five-star, and he’s getting used to these stadium arenas. He’s really capable and he has lovely changes. It’s about the quality of the canter for him, and towards the end of the test I lost him slightly and that change was behind the aid.” Latta explained that she has a taken a career break from her role in marketing, saying “This guy is 15 now and he won’t last forever, but I hope we can do a few more five-stars together.”

Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson equalled their previous five-star personal best score of 34.5 to lie 32nd. “At least he only had one Jackie Chan moment in a flying change, so yeah, I’m very proud of him” Ennis said afterwards. Only world number one Harry Meade and the third of his three rides, Cavalier Crystal, lie between Ennis and Austin O’Connor, who scored 34.8 with Sixmilewater.

Some mistakes kept Padraig McCarthy and Lady Ophelia on 38.2 in 47th, but the rider commented: “I am pleased, she doesn’t find it easy. She was very settled in her trotwork, she did good flying changes and she was with me for most of the test.” Sam Watson scored 39.6 with Ballyneety Rocketman to lie 53rd ahead of tomorrow’s cross-country phase, of which McCarthy said “It’s a bold track and it looks like the fences are really there in front of you. I’m looking forward to getting out there.”