Tim Price’s ride, the experienced 17-year-old Falco, has several teeth fewer than all the other horses in the Mars Badminton field, after the top ones were removed earlier this year due to disease — and the bottom ones may need to be taken out too.

“He had to have all his top, front teeth removed at the start of the year. It’s just a disease that sometimes strikes in older horses — and he is a little bit older, he’s 17 — and the only solution was to remove his top teeth,” confirmed Tim. “He might have to have the bottom ones taken out sometime in the near future as well.”

Tim added that the horse is “much happier, much more comfortable” without the gnashers.

“He can still eat and do everything like a normal horse,” he said. “His tongue sometimes comes out and it’s quite cute. His tongue lolls out a bit, and he looks even more like a grandpa. He just needs some little round glasses and a pipe and he’d be the full package.”

The German-bred gelding, who is co-owned by Tim and Sue Benson — a former British team rider, Badminton runner-up (in 1979) and course-designer for the London Olympics — is still able to eat hay and grass.

“It needs to be a bit longer now, because he’s got to use his tongue and get it to the back of his mouth, but he’s always been a good eater. He’s a bit of an overgrown pony anyway and food’s never been a problem. He’s still happy.”

Collarbone injury

Tim is recovering from a recent collarbone injury.

“It’s just healing away in the background. It’s bad timing really, just before a couple of five-stars [Tim also competed in Kentucky two weeks ago], when you hurt yourself properly.

“It’s been a little bit mind over matter, but interestingly, the horse has been going well now that I can’t pull as hard on the reins.”

Tim and Falco lie 10th after dressage on 29.9 penalties.

“I wanted a low, proper score — that sounds a stupid, doesn’t it? — but he is capable, and he can really get a great test.

“It just takes a couple of mistakes, especially if there’s a little bit of tension, but overall he was relaxed and had a soft, nice way of going.”

Tim and Falco won team and individual bronze medals at the 2022 world championships in Italy. They are a long-term partnership, having been together 10 years, and were sixth individually at the Paris Olympics.

In 2024, Tim took the horse on the Sunshine Tour in Spain and they won a 1.20m showjumping class.

“He’s a bit of a fake event horse, because he’s an amazing jumper,” confessed Tim.

“He’s learned how to be a good cross-country horse, and I think this [Badminton] course should really suit him. Great ground conditions and very obvious questions will really work in his favour.”

Main image by Tim Price

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