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, 20th 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 6th 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 6th 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 10th place and
impressively was the highest placed horse to finish on his dressage
score.