LAURA Collett’s defending champion London 52 has been ruled out of the upcoming five-star Badminton Horse Trials. The 14-year-old gelding, who also won a team gold medal the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 and would have started Badminton as the favourite, overreached last week which meant he missed his final prep run at Burnham Market last weekend.

Collett was still hopeful of getting to the big five-star on May 4th but announced on Wednesday that they would not be defending their title. “[I am] absolutely gutted to say I’ve withdrawn London 52 from this year’s Badminton,” she wrote on social media. “He struck into himself last week and was very sore… Thankfully with some special shoes from Greig Elliott, he is now sound and back in work but he has missed all his prep runs. After many sleepless nights, I’ve decided that it’s just not meant to be this year.

Right decision

“London 52 owes me absolutely nothing and I owe it to him to make the right decision and I know deep down that this is the right decision even though it’s heart-breaking. The main thing is he’s ok and we will now reroute to Luhmuhlen 5*.”

Collett will still have an entry at Badminton in Decapo, who won the CCI4*-S at Burnham Market on his final prep-run, and says she hope he can repeat London 52’s 2022 achievement.

Berry injury

Another to miss a chunk of preparation was Ireland’s Susie Berry – one of just three Irish entries this year – due to a hand injury she picked up at Lincoln in mid-March. She rides Helen Caton and Gwen Purce’s 14-year-old ISH gelding Ringwood LB (Iroko x Master Imp).

She completed her first Badminton last year in 17th place with John The Bull. The other Irish entries are last year’s eighth-placed finishers Austin O’Connor with The Salty Syndicate’s Irish-bred Colorado Blue (Jaguar Mail x Rock Ring) who finished ninth in a competitive CCI4*-S at Burnham Market last weekend, and Cork-based Michael Ryan with Tom and Carol Henry’s 12-year-old gelding TR Kaygraff who has had two runs at Tyrella this season.

This year Badminton is clashing with King Charles’ Coronation and so the event has changed the dates to run dressage on Friday and Saturday, cross-country on Sunday and jumping on Monday. Saturday’s schedule will include a break to watch the Coronation.