BADMINTON Horse Trials 2023 was packed with drama from start to finish, and the bad weather made for testing conditions underfoot, especially on the cross-country course. There were many exceptional displays of horsemanship from those who completed the course, including Ireland’s Austin O’Connor, and also from those who recognised quickly when their horses were beginning to struggle. Eleven riders chose to retire on course, and save their horses for another day. A further six riders withdrew their horses before the start of the cross-country phase, including both Laura Collet and Tim Price, who had been sitting in seventh and ninth place respectively after the dressage phase.

Unfortunately, there were also some incidences of horses becoming very tired in the conditions, and this made for uncomfortable scenes. Current world number four ranked rider Oliver Townend was given an FEI eventing recorded warning for ‘dangerous riding/a series of dangerous jumps’, after his ride aboard a visibly tiring Swallow Springs. The combination was stopped on course, and subsequently eliminated by the ground jury.