May 10, 2009

Final Results from Badminton 2009

By Badminton Horse Trials - Press Release

Oliver Townend realised a lifelong dream when he won the 60th anniversary Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and, at 26, became the youngest British rider to win since the likes of Ginny Elliot and Lucinda Green in the 1980s and 1970s.

Townend, a hugely successful and hard-working rider on the national circuit in Britain, not only took the £60,000 first prize, the largest single prize in the world, but also sprung to the top of the HSBC FEI Classics™ with one point in hand over Badminton runner-up William Fox-Pitt (GBR).

Townendand Edward Nicholson’s home-bred Flint Curtis, by William Curtis, were 3rd at Badminton, at their first attempt, in 2006, placed at the FEI World Equestrian Games that year and members of the winning British team at the 2007 FEI European Championships. But in a career of highs and lows, Flint Curtis missed Badminton in 2007 and 2008, and was withdrawn from Olympic selection before being pulled up at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials last year.

“When Flint Curtis first came to Badminton he was only 10 and it blew his brains,” explained Townend. “Now he’s 13 and has been to all sorts of competitions and we’ve grown up together. I’ve found different ways of keeping him calm and myself focussed. I came here just hoping to get the best out of the horse and that attitude has achieved a much better result.”

Tension escalated in the Jumping phase over Jon Doney’s subtly testing track, as some of the most costly rounds were incurred by higher placed riders feeling the pressure.

As anticipated, Fox-Pitt, 4th after Cross-Country, added to that pressure with a superbly judged clear on George and Jayne Apter’s French-bred Idalgo.

Sam Griffiths (AUS) rose five places to eventual 3rd with a clear on the 10-year-old Happy Times, the horse he is aiming at next year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Roberto Rotatori, the most successful Italian rider in history at Badminton, appeared to ease the top two riders’ tasks by having three fences down, but he only slipped one place to 4th when the unfortunate Lucy Wiegersma’s winning chance evaporated with a disastrous 4 fences down on Shaabrak, which dropped her to 6th.

Wiegersma’s demise left Townend with a fence in hand, but he needed to summon all his reserves of composure after he hit fence 7, leaving him with an alarming six fences, including a treble, to clear.

Four fences down obviously failed to improve Karin Donckers’ placing, but she did achieve Belgium’s most successful Badminton result , 7th place.

Ruth Edge (GBR) and Caroline Powell (NZL) hit three fences apiece to finish 8th and 9th, but among the horses finishing on their dressage score was 19-year-old Midnight Dazzler, ridden by Harry Meade (GBR), in 10th place. “I adore riding him,” said Meade. “He was very fit across country and has come out today feeling like a 7-year-old.”

Elizabeth Power (IRL), was frustrated to hit the final fence and drop two places to 11th, but she won the HSBC FEI Classics™ Special Prize of a training bursary to the most successful first-time 4* rider.

COMPETITION STATISTICS

- 56 horses completed the competition

- 3 were withdrawn at the final horse inspection

- 13 clear rounds in the Jumping

- 16 horses hit the double at 5ab

- 4 horses finished on their dressage scores: Midnight Dazzler, Twinkle Bee (ridden by Anna Warnecke, GER, 14th), TSF Karascada M (Kai Steffen Meier, GER, 21st) and Armada (Andrew Nicholson, NZL, 23rd)

- Rosie Thomas (Barry’s Best, GBR) won the Glentrool Trophy for the highest rise after Dressage, 68th to 31st

- Elizabeth Power was the highest-placed under-25 rider; Emily Llewellyn, 22nd, was the highest-placed British rider.

QUOTES

Oliver Townend:“It was nerve-racking, as I knew that if we didn’t win, it would be down to my riding. I knew that if I did the right thing it would be OK. I’m 26 and I’ve bought a very expensive farm, so this win is going to help in a big way. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but winning Badminton is much more important than just money.”

William Fox-Pitt:“I’ve always believed in Idalgo from the moment I first got him seven years ago but things haven’t always gone his way. It’s taken a while to get him to Badminton and pull it off. Some horses aren’t lucky, and he’s been one of them. But this has renewed people’s faith in him. He’s very talented and fantastic to ride.”

Sam Griffiths:“Happy Times has always been a good show jumper and his rails down at Saumur (which they won) was uncharacteristic, but I warmed him up differently this time and he came to the party. I’m thrilled. I never expected to do as well as this.”

RESULTS

1 Oliver Townend/Flint Curtis (GBR) 40.5 + 0 + 4 = 44.5
2 William Fox-Pitt/Idalgo (GBR) 42.8 + 2.4 + 0 = 45.2
3 Sam Griffiths/Happy Times (AUS) 52.5 + 0.8 + 0 = 53.3
4 Roberto Rotatori/Della M. Irham de Vaiges (ITA) 43.7 + 0 + 12 = 55.7
5 William Fox-Pitt/Macchiato (GBR) 51.8 + 0 + 4 = 55.8
6 Lucy Wiegersma/Shaabrak (GBR) 39.7 + 0.8 + 16 = 56.5
7 Karin Donckers/Gazelle de la Brasserie (BEL) 38.8 + 6.4 + 12 = 57.2
8 Ruth Edge/Mayhem lll (GBR) 43.8 + 1.6 + 12 = 57.4
9 Caroline Powell/Lenamore (NZL) 56.7 + 0.8 + 0 = 57.5
10 Harry Meade/Midnight Dazzler (GBR) 57.7 + 0 + 0 = 57.7


Press Release from FEI Website

Suspense was maintained right to the end of the day at The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR) with surprises aplenty as the top-placed riders brought Cross-Country day to a stirring close.

British riders Oliver Townend and Lucy Wiegersma, who both picked up HSBC FEI Classics™ points at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event two weeks ago, finished on the same leading score. However, Townend, the last competitor of the day, prevails as he was 7sec inside the optimum time while Wiegersma was agonisingly outside it by what may well prove to be an expensive 2sec.

However, neither Townend nor Wiegersma have a Jumping fence in hand over Badminton first-timer Roberto Rotatori (ITA), 3rd. After a sensational debut, he is poised to lift the most important prize of his career, and is also in line to win the HSBC FEI Classics™ Special Prize for the highest-placed rider at their first 4*.

Rotatori has moved up three places to 3rd with a clean round on Della M. Irham de Viages, ahead of William Fox-Pitt, who picked up minimal time penalties and is breathing down the leaders’ necks in 4th on the good jumper Idalgo, a horse he rates as “the next Tamarillo”.

Fox-Pitt is also lying 7th on Macchiato, who was first out on course and set the tone for the day with a confidence-boosting clear round inside the time.

Dressage leader Karin Donckers (BEL) was deeply disappointed to incur 6.4 time penalties on Gazelle de la Brasserie and drop to 5th, but the scores are so close that a clear Jumping round tomorrow could well propel her back to a leading position.

Ruth Edge (GBR) rode an impressively determined round on the 10-year-old Mayhem lll, for whom this was a big step up in class. She has moved up one place to 6th.

World Champion Zara Phillips (GBR) had a day to forget. She pulled up her first ride, Ardfield Magic Star, and her eagerly awaited Cross-Country round on Toytown ended with a run-out and retirement at fence 15, the HSBC FEI Classics™ Sunken Lane. Toytown jumped awkwardly out of the complex over the rounded “c” element and was unable to take on the final obstacle, just ducking out to the right.

Hugh Thomas’s Cross-Country course, which boasted perfect ground conditions, rode brilliantly, with riders from the experience of Andrew Nicholson (NZL, Armada, up 28 places to 30th) and several of the first-timers all enjoying the thrill of a lifetime.

Competition statistics

59 of the 80 Cross-Country starters completed
54 clear rounds
16 inside the optimum time of 11min 34sec
28 faults were collected at 13 different fences
9 horses retired
12 horses eliminated (3 horse falls, 3 rider falls)

Karin Donckers right into the water - photo courtesy of Jan Milne

First-timers make their mark

Elizabeth Power (IRL), 24, who comes from a distinguished equestrian family – her father, Con, show jumped for Ireland, her mother Margaret Latta rode at Badminton and her brother, Robert, won the 2007 Grand National – was one of the first to finish inside the time, on Kilpatrick River. She is now in 9th place. “It was so fantastic, it was surreal,” she said. “I’m so glad that my first Badminton was on a blood horse, I would never have forgiven myself if I’d had time faults on him.”

Her compatriot Sam Watson (IRL), whose father John won a world silver medal in 1978, had a superb round, the relatively inexperienced Horseware Bushman gaining in confidence all the way round to finish in 36th position with 6 time penalties.

“It was a great experience,” said Sam, 23. “I was a lot more nervous than I thought I’d be. We had a few communication problems at first – he was green, I was green – and we did one unexpected long route. But we got it out of our system and then he was super. I feel as though we’ve broken into the 4-star system.”

Aaron Miller (GBR), 22, kept his head and somehow negotiated the Farmyard complex at 14abc despite a whippet chasing him and running around his horse Stormsay’s front legs. He has moved up from 77th to 42nd. “He is a very honest horse, so straight on his lines, and gave me the best ride of my life.”

Manon Fournier (FRA) was ecstatic after her clear round on Ilot du Grand Val, up from equal 60th to 41st. “My horse was fantastic. I am very happy. I only took one long route, at The Quarry when I couldn’t quite get the turn.”

Tony Warr, 47 and a full-time vet, was held on the course during fence repairs, but he maintained concentration to come home clear on the Irish-bred Coolgrange Merger, one of four horses in the field by Thomas Brennan’s stallion Political Merger. He has moved up to 47th from 65th.

19-year-old Emily Llewellyn (GBR) dropped eight places to 20th with 10.8 time faults on Society Spice, but it was a beautifully ridden round. “I’m so thrilled. I couldn’t ask any more of the horse,” she said breathlessly. “He was never expected to go to 3* let along 4* level. He’s my best buddy and I am so thrilled we’ve done our first one together. He just keeps upping his game, the bigger the jumps, the higher he goes.”

How the scoreboard changed

The first high-profile casualty was Emily Baldwin (GBR), 4th after Dressage, when Drivetime got too close to the second element of the Lake and stopped in the water. Rodney Powell (GBR), 11th on Zin Zan, was out of it with an abrupt stop in front of the first of the HSBC Hexagon Hedges over the Vicarage Ditch (12ab). Matthew Wright, 8th on If You Want, was going well when the horse stopped at the acute corner at Huntsman’s Close (20-21), sending his jockey into orbit.

Jo May (GBR), 10th after Dressage on Faere Vision, retired after a stop at the log on top of the Outlander Bank (10), as did last-placed Laura Shears (GBR) on Wulstan Rock On.

Olympic bronze medallist Sharon Hunt (GBR) didn’t even get to start – Tankers Town refused point blank to go into the start box and was eventually eliminated for expending too much time. Joe Meyer (NZL) lost time on his first ride, Black Andy, when the horse inexplicably stopped and reared between the first and second fences.

Townend eyes the big prize

As well as being in line for The Mitsubishi Motors Trophy, the biggest first prize in Eventing (£60,000), Townend, 26, looks set to take a strong hold on the HSBC FEI Classics™ with a planned ride at Lühmuhlen, presented by E.ON Avacon Vertrieb (GER), next month. “The Classics is the reason why I travelled to America,” he explained, “and it’s a big motivation this season. If all goes according to plan, I will have a horse to ride at all this season’s 4*s.”

QUOTES

Oliver Townend: “As I was approaching Huntsman’s Close, I heard over the commentary that Karin Donckers had had a few time faults so I knew that I just had to get Flint Curtis home. It was one of the most thrilling rides I’ve had on him. He galloped better than he ever has before and that was a fantastic feeling because sometimes I have to work hard on him.

“The course perhaps walked kinder than last year, but Badminton is Badminton and things happen here that wouldn’t happen anywhere else. Galloping between the rows and rows of people, it’s easy to lose concentration. It was plenty tough enough.”

Lucy Wiegersma: “Shaabrak went very well, but he did give me a bit of a rough ride. He was more wired at the start than he’s ever been and he was pulling me into the fences. I was having to sit into him, a technique I normally only employ near the end of the course, but, hell, he got me back between the flags and that’s what counts! “

Roberto Rotatori: “It is very exciting when you ride with a lot of people around you. For me, it is my first 4-star, and so it was an amazing experience. My horse is an easy cross-country horse. Show jumping tomorrow? We’ll see. He’s better at it than me!”

RESULTS

1 Oliver Townend/Flint Curtis (GBR) 40.5
2 Lucy Wiegersma/Shaabrak (GBR) 40.5
3 Roberto Rotatori/Della M. Irham de Viages (ITA) 43.7
4 William Fox-Pitt/Idalgo (GBR) 45.2
5 Karin Donckers/Gazelle de la Brasserie (BEL) 45.2
6 Ruth Edge/Mayhem lll (GBR) 45.4
7 William Fox-Pitt/Macchiato (GBR) 51.8
8 Sam Griffiths/Happy Times (AUS) 53.3
9 Elizabeth Power/Kilpatrick River (IRL) 54.4
10 James Robinson/Comanche (GBR) 54.0

NOTE - USA Rider Bonnie Mosser and Merloch retired at Fence #12 on Cross Country.


Wrap up of Dressage at Badminton 2009 - Graceful Gazelle scores Belgian first at The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials

Press Release courtesy of FEI Website

Karin Donckers lit up a blustery arena with a typically soft and supple Dressage test on Gazelle de la Brasserie at The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), the second leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™, and became the first Belgian rider to lead the field at this event.

The combination, who lay 2nd after Dressage at the Olympics in Hong Kong last year, finishing eventual 9th, were greeted with loud cheers by the appreciative crowd who realised they had seen an exhibition of perfect harmony between horse and rider. In a new top 3 today, they lead last year’s runners-up, Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) and the impressive chestnut Shaabrak, by just 1 penalty Oliver Townend (GBR) and the grey Flint Curtis, 3rd here in 2006, are lying 3rd, and the first-day leader, Emily Baldwin, is 4th.

It is Donckers’ third visit to Badminton, after collecting numerous accolades on the continent and representing Belgium at senior level for nearly 20 years. She completed Badminton on Chumbawumba in 2004 but had a fall from Gormley at the Vicarage Vee.

Donckers pictured left at Badminton Press Conference - photo courtesy of Jan Milne

Gazelle de la Brasserie, a 15-year-old Swiss Warmblood by Karacondo was bred by her joint-owner, Jacques Pellaux. One of 9 mares competing at Badminton, she has had two foals by embryo transfer.

Windy conditions caused a number of horses to play up, including the World Champion Toytown, who tried to spin around in the rein-back. His rider, Zara Phillips (GBR), rode a tactful test under black cloud conditions, but was clearly a little disappointed with their mark of 45.3 which leaves them in 9th. However, the scoring is excitingly close at the top of the field and they are less than 7 penalties behind the leader with a cross-country day ahead which should suit the bold and long-striding Toytown.

“I’ll just have to try and do better tomorrow,” smiled Phillips. “He was good in the trot work, but then he got high in his neck. He doesn’t like the wind. But I’m looking forward to the cross-country very much. I don’t feel under too much pressure from anyone, only from myself wanting to do my best.”

Competition statistics

81 horses completed the Dressage
Marks range from 38.8 to 86
72 riders scored in the 30s
11 riders scored in the 40s
32 horses scored in the 50s
27 horses scored in the 60s
7 horses scored in the 70s
2 horses scored in the 80s
Cross-Country starts at 11am (UK time)
Course-designer is Hugh Thomas (GBR), the Event Director since 1989
Technical Delegate is Guiseppe della Chiesa (ITA)

Bonnie Mosser and Merloch of the USA pictured right post dressage ride - photo courtesy of Jan Milne

Bravo, Roberto

Italian rider Roberto Rotatori, 41, took the Dressage by storm, scoring 43.7 to slot into 6th place on Della M. Irham de Vaiges, a 13-year-old Selle Francais by Kings Road, bought from Nicolas Touzaint (FRA). Interestingly, Rotatori, who runs a training yard near Milan, only returned to the sport of Eventing three years ago, after a nine-year gap. He was a member of Italy’s bronze medal team at the 2007 FEI European Championship at Pratoni del Vivaro and jumped clear across country at last year’s Olympics.

He explained: “I came to visit my friend Susanna Bordone at her base in England and I saw this little black horse, Caspian, and that made me think that I would like to compete again. I have been to Badminton many times as a spectator, but it has been my dream to ride here because it’s the most important competition in the world. I’m lucky because my horse is a superstar. He loves the cross-country and I can’t wait to start.”

Promising debut

Emily Llewellyn (GBR), the reigning European Young Rider Champion, rode a poised dressage test at her first 4-star event to go into 12th place on Society Spice on a score of 48.3. “My goal was to be under 50, so at least I’ve started on the right foot,” she said.

At 19, Llewellyn is the youngest rider at Badminton, but she has the benefit of experience in the shape of her mother Cindy, a former Badminton rider. “I just want to do as well as I can,” she said, “the atmosphere is amazing and it just feels like an honour to be here.”

Llewellyn is a member of UK Sport’s World Class Performance scheme and is at Sussex University reading business management. She has been riding Society Spice, who was broken in by Mark Corbett and ridden in Young Riders by Susannah Barker (GBR) for three years.

Cross-country challenge

Andrew Nicholson (NZL), 58th on 63.3pen after the 10-year-old Spanish-bred Armada became, like so many horses, tense in the windy conditions, has completed Badminton more times (26) than any other rider, but he says that it doesn’t get any easier. “It doesn’t matter how many times you come here, the cross-country is still difficult, and the huge crowds make it even more of a challenge.

“I think it’s a very fair course this time, and horses are given every opportunity to look at the fences and see what they’ve got to do, but riders will need to concentrate right to the end. The Mitsubishi Quarry (fences 22, 23, 24ab) looks straightforward but you’ll have to waste a few seconds of time if you’re going to get the best jumps. The three brushes at the penultimate fence are the same (Rolex Turn, 25, 26, 27), again you’ll have to waste time to give your horse the best chance.”

Lucy Wiegersma said: “I think the Sunken Road is technical and I’ll be glad to get that one over with, and there’s plenty to do at the end of the course. I think it’s a really nice track, big, bold and attacking and I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s perhaps not as technical as last year – I’m not as terrified as I was last time but there’s plenty of places to make a mistake.”

QUOTES:

Karin Donckers: “The English people are crazy about Eventing and that’s what makes Badminton so special. My main plan is to try and go faster than I did in Hong Kong! I’m hoping to learn a lot from my first ride (on SS Jett, lying 17th on 51.2pen) and then I plan to kick on with the mare!”

Lucy Wiegersma: “It’s the most tense Shaabrak has ever been, because he’s usually such a level-headed horse. The whole test felt a bit like a damage-limitation exercise, but it must have looked better than it felt! I was hoping to get into the 30s – and I just have!”

Oliver Townend: “It was quite a noisy atmosphere in the arena and so I just tried to ride him as though it didn’t matter. I was surprised and pleased with the way he coped with it. It’s the first time I’ve been able to sit there and ride Flint Curtis; he hasn’t felt as rideable as that for a long time so I’m really, really thrilled with him.”

RESULTS:

1 Karin Donckers/Gazelle de la Brasserie (BEL) 38.8
2 Lucy Wiegersma/Shaabrak (GBR) 39.7
3 Oliver Townend/Flint Curtis (GBR) 40.5
4 Emily Baldwin/Drivetime (GBR) 42.3
5 William Fox-Pitt/Idalgo (GBR) 42.8
6 Roberto Rotatori/Della M. Irham de Vaiges (ITA) 43.7
7 Ruth Edge/Mayhem lll (GBR) 43.8
8 Matthew Wright/If You Want (GBR) 44.3
9 Zara Phillips/Toytown (GBR) 45.3
10 Joanna May/Faerre Vision (GBR) 46.7


First Day of Dressage at Badminton 2009

Press Release from Badminton H.T. Website

British rider Emily Baldwin and Drivetime have set a new standard in the dressage arena and the pair is currently in the lead at The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

Emily and Drivetime pictured left courtesy of Jan Milne.

Emily, 28, from Lamberhurst in Kent put in a poised and polished test with the 13-year-old, gaining an average mark of 71.78% and a high of 75% from Irish judge Eric Smiley at H. “I was hoping for a good start as Drivetime is normally well-behaved,” said Emily, who trains with grand prix dressage rider Andrew Gould. “Because he is usually reliable in dressage it also means that there is that bit more pressure to do well but I am lucky to be able to enjoy this part of the competition more than a lot of competitors.”

Clayton Fredericks and The Frog who are in 13th place after the first day of dressage, pictured right courtesy of Jan Milne

Drivetime is a Dutch-bred gelding by Rolls Royce, a son of the influential Dutch show jumping sire Concorde. Not surprisingly, Drivetime started his competitive career as a show jumper before being produced for eventing by Terry Boon. Emily acquired Drivetime four-years ago and last year gained her first Badminton completion with him – albeit with a refusal at the lake. “There are plenty of places for mistakes again this year – you’ve really got to concentrate all the way round – and there are not many let up fences,” said Emily who with Drivetime coincidentally graces the front cover of ‘Badminton Revisited’ – the new book by Press officer Julian Seaman that celebrates Badminton’s diamond jubilee.


Wednesday - First Horse Inspection, Badminton 2009

Bonnie Mosser’s Merloch has passed the first horse inspection at Badminton Horse Trials and the pair have drawn a very favorable time slot for their dressage test of 2:24 pm GMT on Friday.

There were some uneasy moments for some competitors and three horses will not be going forward to start the dressage tomorrow. Deltry Salute was withdrawn by Lea Ryder (GBR) and Valdemar (Hannah Bate GBR) and Super Rocky (Marcelo Tosi BRA) were excluded by the panel of Angela Tucker (GBR) President of the Ground Jury, Michael Asseray (FRA) and Eric Smiley (IRL).

Keep tabs on all the Badminton action here including a link to live streaming on Cross-Country Day.

Mar 28, 2024

USEA Events A-Z: Mile High Horse Ranch Horse Trials

Eventing is on an upswing in Area IX with the addition of Mile High Horse Ranch Horse Trials in Parker, Colorado. The inaugural event will run from July 6-7 this summer. Started and organized by Mile High Horse Ranch owner Vanda Werner, the event will feature Starter through Training levels.

Mar 27, 2024 Eventing News

Now On Course: Bondi Beach Brings Tyler Hope During Her Darkest Days

John Lennon famously said that life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. Rebecca Barber Tyler probably would agree.

Mar 26, 2024 ATC

Adult Team Championships Riders Must Submit Letter of Intent for AEC

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to offer the USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) at the upcoming USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. The Adult Team Championships will be offered once again at the Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Modified and Preliminary levels for members of the USEA Adult Rider Program.

Mar 25, 2024 Eventing News

USEA Podcast #357: Early Season #TeamTalk

USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown catches up with USEF Eventing Technical Advisor and Chef d'Equipe Bobby Costello on the start of the 2024 eventing season, athlete performances so far, and all things related to this years' Paris Olympics and the U.S. Eventing Team!

Official Corporate Sponsors of the USEA

Official Joint Therapy Treatment of the USEA

Official Feed of the USEA

Official Saddle of the USEA

Official Real Estate Partner of the USEA

Official Equine Insurance of the USEA

Official Forage of the USEA

Official Supplement Feeding System of the USEA

Official Competition & Training Apparel of the USEA

Official Horse Boot of the USEA