Biography

It will be a first Badminton for Japanese rider Toshiyuki Tanaka (34) who is based near Tetbury. Last year with Badminton entry Kelecyn Pirate Toshi completed his first four-star in Pau (9^th); he was also a member of the Japanese team for the WEG in Tryon and led them to 4^th place being 15^th individually with Talma D’Allou.

In 2012 he competed at the London Olympic Games (Marquis de Plescop) and competed in the Asian Games. Toshi has been based with Angela Tucker since 2012.  When in Japan Toshi enjoys teaching and cooking.

Kelecyn Pirate is a 13-year-old Australian-bred gelding. He is a warmblood/thoroughbred cross of unrecorded breeding. He was acquired in Australia from Kevin McNab and spent two years in Japan competing at one-star level by fellow Japanese rider Keiichirou Nagamatsu before being brought to the UK in 2015 when Toshi took over the ride. Toshi describes Pirate as; ‘a galloping machine and a horse that thinks time doing dressage is good time wasted. He is very easy to look after and is ridden by all’.