Kirsty Chabert was first into the main arena for day one of dressage at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials this morning (8 May) riding Classic VI.
“I don’t think there’s an advantage of being first in on a Thursday morning, no,” said Kirsty. “The problem with the sound [in the stands] being quiet is that they tune into any type of noise.
“So actually, the hustle and bustle of a busy crowd dulls the noise. I don’t think there is a great advantage of being on a Thursday morning anymore because you have people opening their breakfast and it’s those noises that you hear rather than actually just the general hustle of a busy crowd.”
A clear round test
Kirsty and Classic VI are seeking their first Badminton completion. They completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI5* in 2023 and 2024, and have also contested the French five-star, Pau, on three occasions, finishing sixth in 2023.
“My aim for this week is to have her here on Sunday [for the] showjumping and that’s my plan,” said Kirsty about the 16-year-old British-bred mare Classic VI.
Bred by Peter Charles, she is by the leading jumping sire Calvaro and was acquired by Kirsty as a five-year-old.
“She’s a beautiful horse to ride with on the flat; she knows everything. She’s won multiple of advanced mediums with very good scores — it’s purely the spook [that’s the issue],” said Kirsty.
“Having a clear round test — most people associate it with a clear round of changes and I don’t need to worry about those so much — it’s actually a clear round because she’s not spooked somewhere in the test.”
The great Fleetwater Opposition
Kirsty hails from an equestrian family. Her father John Johnston completed Badminton in 1984 and her mother, the late Debbie Johnston, competed in Grand Prix dressage.
Kirsty’s brother, Ben, has represented Britain in tetrathlon.
Debbie founded the Opposition Stud, where the great Fleetwater Opposition stood for many years.
The stallion is one of the most successful sires of event horses, including Nicola Wilson’s former British team horse Opposition Buzz.
Kirsty’s second Badminton ride, Opposition Heraldik Girl, is a daughter of Fleetwater Opposition.
The same stallion also sired Yarlands Summer Song for Debbie, and he went on to compete at Badminton in 1995 with Marie Christine Duroy.
Main image by Tim Wilkinson
