An edge-of-your-seat conclusion to the Mars Badminton Horse Trials unfolded this afternoon (11 May), with crowd favourite Ros Canter pipping Oliver Townend to the title in the final moments.
Oliver and his overnight leader, Cooley Rosalent, were the final combination to canter into the main arena and they couldn’t afford even one fence to fall if they were to hang on to the win, after Ros and ‘Walter’s’ copybook clear minutes earlier.
Alas, the grey mare just tapped the front rail on a green Spillers oxer at fence 10 and it fell to the ground, victory slipping out of the pair’s grasp in the process.
Ros — who dedicated this win to her much-loved late friend and mentor Caroline Moore — had chosen not to watch Oliver’s round, instead remaining in the collecting ring.
“I don’t want to wish bad on anyone,” she said afterwards.
However, she knew she’d bagged a second Badminton title when she was swarmed by family and friends saying congratulations.
“I’m not sure it was my best round as I’ve been so nervous this morning,” confessed Ros. “As long as I do my horse justice then winning is the icing on the cake. Oliver is fantastic and [his] horse will have her day.”
Highs and lows
- A total of 54 horses came forward to today’s final showjumping phase and only five jumped clear inside the time.
- A further three went clear but picked up time-faults.
- One of these rounds came from Katie Magee and Treworra. The 43-year-old rider was left celebrating a dream Badminton debut when finishing best of the first timers in 11th.
- Oliver Townend didn’t jump Ballaghmor Class. The 18-year-old grey was withdrawn after being sent to the holding box during this morning’s final horse inspection.
- Cooley Rosalent also found herself in the holding pen, but she was passed on reinspection.
The biggest disappointment of the day befell Gemma Stevens when Chilli Knight didn’t quite get high enough during his round and knocked down five showjumps to drop from third overnight to finish 15th.
Top 10 in pictures
Below are photos of the top 10 placed horses and riders in action today.
1, Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo
Ros and Walter’s first win here came in 2023. Since then they have won Burghley, claimed team and individual European gold, and helped Britain to team Olympic gold in Paris.
Walter is the sixth horse in the history of Badminton to win here twice, but the first to regain the title — the other horses won their titles in consecutive years.
“I’m just the lucky girl who gets to pilot Walter,” said Ros of the 13-year-old horse who is owned by Archie and Michele Saul.
2, Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent
That green rail cost Oliver Townend more than £50,000 in prize money — £117,600 is awarded to the winner, while the runner-up receives £63,840.
“I can’t be disappointed, she’s only 11 and she’s unreal,” said Oliver of the mare who won Kentucky CCI5* last year.
“She’s been first, second and third at five-star level now. We’ve had a good experience and she will come on for it.”
3, Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue
Flying the flag for Ireland, Austin and ‘Salty’ — winners of the 2023 Maryland CCI5*, which was the first five-star title for an Irish rider in 58 years — were one of only six combinations to pull off a clear cross-country round inside the optimum time yesterday.
They showed their class when showjumping clear today too, finishing one second over the time giving them 0.4 of a penalty to add to their 30.8 dressage score.
“It’s amazing the way he jumped and came out today. He’s better now than ever,” said Austin.
“The pressure is massive and I’ve had some disappointing rounds in the past [here] which has been frustrating. To be on the podium is amazing.”
4, Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal
Harry Meade came to Badminton double handed and he piloted both horses into the top 10.
His best-placed horse, Cavalier Crystal in fourth, is one of only two horses to finish on their first-phase score, the other being Lordships Graffalo.
“A three-day event is a marathon and it’s a big journey to get here so I’m really pleased with both horses,” said Harry.
“Cavalier Crystal jumped her socks off. I can’t remember her jumping a better round,” he added after the final phase.
5, Emily King and Valmy Biats
Emily, who is the daughter of Mary — a two-time winner here in 1992 and 2000 on the great King William and Star Appeal respectively — lay fifth after dressage with this horse.
They slipped to 11th after cross-country, enjoying a super clear round but picking up 7.2 time-faults, and climbed back up the order to fifth when they kicked out just one coloured fence this afternoon.
6, Harry Meade and Superstition
Harry rode his horses out of order, Cavalier Crystal jumping first in the afternoon session, leaving his better placed horse, Superstition, to jump later.
However they switched around and Superstition was out-performed by her stablemate when she knocked down two showjumps.
“I had quite a dramatic round, but I’m really pleased with how both horses performed this week,” said Harry.
7, Christoph Wahler and D’Accord FRH
This German rider finished best-placed of the international visitors to Badminton. They knocked down two showjumps but only slipped one place down the order, from sixth after cross-country to seventh.
8, Bubby Upton and Cola
Bubby and her “horse of a lifetime”, Cola, improved two places on last year’s 10th.
They hit two coloured fences this afternoon but held on to eighth place.
9, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin
Tom and ‘Dubs’ lay second after dressage but crashed out of contention when picking up 11 penalties for breaking a frangible pin in Equidry Huntsman’s Close on cross-country day.
This dropped them to 16th overnight, but they put themselves back into the top 10 by pulling off a beautiful penalty-free showjumping round — one of only five combinations to do so.
10, Tim Price and Vitali
The popular New Zealand rider rounds off the top 10 aboard Vitali, who had three showjumps down but was his customary brilliant self on cross-country day to come home clear inside the time.
“Vitali is not God’s gifts to showjumping and he’s a bit airy fairy,” said Tim. “But he is a seriously incredible cross-country horse and I’m proud of him.”
Final top 10
The final leaderboard* is:
- Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo: 22.4, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 25.3
- Britain’s Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent: 21.1, 0, 1.2, 4, 0 = 26.3
- Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue: 30.8, 0, 0, 0, 0.4 = 31.2
- Britain’s Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal: 33.8, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 33.8
- Britain’s Emily King and Valmy Biats: 27.3, 0, 7.2, 4, 0 = 38.5
- Britain’s Harry Meade and Superstition: 31.8, 0, 0, 8, 0 = 31.8
- Germany’s Christoph Wahler and D’Accord FRH: 32.2, 0, 0, 8, 0 = 40.2
- Britain’s Bubby Upton and Cola: 30.2, 0, 6, 8, 0 = 44.2
- Britain’s Tom McEwen and JL Dublin: 22.4, 11, 10.8, 0, 0 = 44.2
- New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali: 30.6, 0, 3.6, 12, 0 = 46.2
*Format: nationality’s rider name and horse name, dressage penalties, cross-country jumping, cross-country time, showjumping, showjumping time = total penalty score
View the final scoreboard in full
Images by Tim Wilkinson
