DREAM RESULT FOR OLI & FLINT

British rider Oliver Townend realised a long-held dream when winning The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials – his first Badminton title. The 26-year-old, riding his long-time partner, Edward and Robert Nicholson’s homebred Flint Curtis, survived a nerve-wracking show jumping round under pressure. The combination used the ‘life’ of a fence in-hand halfway round the course. A second pole down would have handed the trophy to former winner William Fox-Pitt. “That was nerve-wracking,” admitted Oli, “But he is a good horse and I know him inside-out – if he hadn’t won it would have been down to me – but to win here is just a dream.”

As the afternoon’s show jumping progressed it became evident to riders that in order to retain their position on the leader board a clear round over Jon Doney’s 13 fence track was imperative – nine of the final top 20 riders produced clean sheets and – those adding faults found themselves dropping rapidly down the order.

William Fox-Pitt and Idalgo, who jumped clear, were ones to benefit from others’ mistakes and in the end it was so close – the pair was just 0.7 penalties behind the leader and William a fraction away from recording his second win – the British Olympic rider won here in 2004. “Idalgo has been sensational all week,” said William. “He’s been a bit unlucky in the past but we’ve always believed in him and his owners – George and Jane Apter – have been very loyal and as he proved he’s been well-worth waiting for.”

A clear round also brought British-based Australian Sam Griffiths and Happy Times up into the frame to take third place. Happy Times, at 10-years-old, one of the youngest in the field, is a German-bred gelding by the influential eventing Thoroughbred sire, Heraldik. The pair, 20^th after dressage, rose to eighth place after cross-country. “I think the world of him and that was before we came here,” said Sam whose previous highest placing here was 6^th in 2004.

Italian first-timer Roberto Rotatori and Irham de Viages, despite 3 fences down, finished in fourth place to become the highest placed Italian rider in the history of Badminton Horse Trials. “He is such an amazing horse – he has a really big heart – and it is just amazing to be at Badminton,” said Roberto who came back to competitive riding three-years ago after giving up 10 years ago.  

William was surprised to find himself in the top six with both horses and fifth placed Macchiato won the Frank Weldon trophy for the youngest British-owned horse in the top 12.

Sadly for British rider Lucy Wiegersma, Shaabrak took out four poles and the pair, second here last year, dropped to 6^th place. Dressage leaders Karin Donkers and Gazelle de la Brassiere added 12 faults to their sheet after the mare started to run on taking poles with her front feet ending the three-days in seventh.

Midnight Dazzler at 19-years-old and the oldest horse to complete, since 19-year-old Hooray Henry in 1999, posted a double clear for local rider Harry Meade, rising 20 places up the leader board to a final 10^th place and impressively was the highest placed horse to finish on his dressage score.