An NHS physiotherapist riding a home-produced gelding whom she purchased as a three-year-old rode away with the spoils in the BE90 LeMieux Badminton Grassroots Championships today (7 May).
“It’s always been a dream to come to Badminton so to be here and winning the grassroots is just amazing. Maybe one day I’ll make it to the five star — it’s every little girl’s dream, isn’t it? I’m ever hopeful,” said Emily Proud, who piloted the nine-year-old Irish Sports Horse HSF Lobo Royale (pictured above) to victory.
Emily bought the horse as a three-year-old from Horan Stud Farm in Ireland and has backed and produced him herself.
“I’ve done all the work with him so we’ve got quite a partnership together but it’s a miracle when it all three disciplines comes together on the same day.
“Lucky for me that happened today,” added Emily.
“He’s only done four events before now so I didn’t know what to expect when we went out on the cross-country.
“I think because we’ve done everything together we’ve got that trust and every question that he was asked he responded.”
View a clip from Emily’s winning cross-country round below:
‘I seriously can’t believe it’
The Somerset-based pair, who finished fourth in the Working Hunter Final at the Horse of the Year Show in 2023, added nothing to their dressage score of 28.4 to finish 0.6 of a penalty ahead of Charlotte Cordy-Redden riding Cadilac Jack, an 11-year-old gelding.
“I did this 15 years ago when they first invented it and I’m terribly honoured to be doing it [Badminton Grassroots] again,” said Charlotte.
“It was great fun and I can’t believe the horse went round and I came second. I seriously can’t believe it.”
‘I was on the buckle’
Susan Bill finished third with Unnamed, a nine-year-old Irish mare who she has been riding for three years, on a score of 29.1.
The pair compete at medium level in dressage as well as event.
“She’s the feistiest thing I’ve ever sat on. Coming through the water, I was on the buckle and she just goes. She’s dead straight and brave as a lion. She’s lovely,” said Susan, who works in IT for a software company.
“This result is a fairy tale. It’s been amazing and I think for everybody, no matter how you do, it’s just a fantastic experience.
“It’s a way for people like me to end up at their absolute dream event and ride on the turf at Badminton.”
Harvey Crocker and The Night Traveller, an 18-year-old Irish gelding were fourth, ahead of Joanne Monkman who piloted G Damascus, a 14-year-old Dutch mare, into fifth.
Meanwhile Mae Jackson on the 13-year-old mare Sweet Riot occupied sixth.
Images by Tim Wilkinson
Related content
- ‘Quirky’ mare carries freelance rider to narrow BE100 victory at Badminton
- How to watch Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2025
- A US rider tops the FEI eventing rankings for first time in 21 years
- Badminton app is relaunched with new interactive features
- LeMieux unveils exclusive Badminton collection in cherry pink
