Olympic years can always throw up unexpected results at Badminton, and 2024 is absolutely no exception with a total shakeup of the leader board. New Zealand’s Caroline Powell came from 6th place overnight to take her first Badminton Horse Trials title with the feisty mare Greenacres Special Cavalier, having finished here in last place in 2023. Ireland’s Lucy Latta climbed up one to eventual second place – an incredible result for her first five star event, let alone her first Badminton with the incredibly promising RCS Patron Saint, followed by…
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All Change on the Leader Board After Cross Country Day at Mars Badminton Horse Trials
After a thrilling day of cross country at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials, the leader board after dressage took quite the shakeup to see New Zealand’s Tim Price climb up from third into the top spot, followed by a legend of the British team, William Fox-Pitt rising to second from overnight 8th and Ireland’s Lucy Latter storming into third in her first ever 5 star competition from 46th position after dressage. The story of the day certainly goes to 27-year-old Badminton and 5 star first timer, Lucy Latta, who put…
Skodborg Merrald and Zepter reign supreme in Neumünster
FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League, Written by Louise Parkes The knowledgeable crowd in the Holstenhalle in Neumünster, Germany showed their appreciation today when Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and the fabulous Blue Hors Zepter reigned supreme at the ninth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League. The 15-year-old gelding, previously competed by both Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen, has quickly established a strong relationship with Skodborg Merrald since she took up the reins just a few short months ago. “He’s simply wonderful!”,…
London International: Brash Brings it Home for Britain
Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson win Longines FEI Jumping World Cup class at London international Horse Show The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup saw 38 starters from 14 different nations go head-to-head as they vied for FEI World Cup points to qualify for the Final in Omaha in April 2023. Renowned Portuguese course designer, Bernardo Costa Cabral, described the highly challenging 13 fence track as the “perfect recipe”, complete with twists, tight turns, and a testing but achievable first round time allowed of 68 seconds. With faults accumulated throughout the course, just seven…
London International: World Champions Excel on Day 1
And just like that, Day 1 of the London International Horse Show was complete, and what a day it was! The famous LeMieux Puissance wall took centre stage at ExCeL London on the opening day of the 2022 event, with Guy Williams and Joseph Trunkfield jumping 2.15m to win. Earlier in the day, Harry Charles started off the 2022 edition of the London International Horse Show in style, with a victory in the Voltaire Design Under 25 British Championship with his mount Chavira. The Afternoon Performance saw world individual double gold medallists Lottie…
Bram Chardon blasts to victory in Geneva
FEI Driving World Cup 2022/2023, written by Sarah Dance Crown prince and reigning FEI Driving World Cup™ champion Bram Chardon (NED) set out on his crusade to retain his title in undisputed style in Geneva. Scorching past his rivals, he defiantly seized both rounds and his brilliant performance has injected another shot of excitement into an already electrifying 2022-23 series. In this 5th leg, the next chapter in a gripping adventure so far, the ‘Hollywood for Horses’ setting of the 61st CHI Geneva was a fitting and festive backdrop for Bram’s first…
Ingrid Klimke clinches spectacular victory
FEI Dressage World Cup 2022/2023 Western European League, By Louise Parkes German riders simply swamped the opposition on home ground at the third leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup 2022/2023 Western European League in Stuttgart on Saturday, led by horsewoman extraordinaire, Ingrid Klimke. The daughter of Dressage legend Reiner Klimke is best known as a five-time Olympian and multiple championship medallist in the sport of Eventing. But the 54-year-old athlete who competes in all three equestrian Olympic disciplines demonstrated her exceptional talent when pinning her compatriot and five-time FEI Dressage…
Danish Dressage Riders Overwhelm Opposition
Cassøe Krüth leads Danish Dressage whitewash in Aarhus FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023, Western European League – written by Louise Parkes Picking up where they left off when taking Team gold at the ECCO FEI World Championships this summer, Danish riders completely overwhelmed the opposition at the first leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League series on home ground in Vilhelmsborg, Aarhus (DEN) on Sunday. On Saturday, Carina Cassøe Krüth and the 11-year-old mare Heiline’s Danciera led the rout in the Short Grand Prix in which Denmark…
Swedish Rider Snatches Helsinki Honors
Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League, written by Louise Parkes Making the very best of her last-to-go draw, Sweden’s Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli galloped to victory in the second leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League series in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday. Riding the feisty 12-year-old mare Kalinka van de Nachtegaele the 35-year-old rider was tenth to go in the jump-off but only saw pathfinder, Belgium’s Gilles Thomas, take his turn before her. I didn’t watch the others, but Marlon (her husband and fellow…
A Grandstand Challenge Cup to Remember at HOYS
The Grandstand Challenge Cup opened Saturday evening’s proceedings in the Andrews Bowen International Arena at the 2022 Horse of the Year Show. A total of 29 horse and rider combinations came forward in a bid to beat the clock in the first round to make it through to the jump-off, where a prize fund totalling £20,000 was on offer. Out of the seven Whitakers’ in attendance for this class, it was Jack who was the first to post a clear round on Q Paravatti N, with Harriet Biddick ne Nuttall…
Chester Weber leads the way after day one of dressage
FEI World Championships 2022, Driving – Written by Sarah Dance Having watched the early drivers navigate their tests on the first of two days of Dressage at Pratoni, Chester Weber (USA), who anchored his team to win gold as well as securing individual silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games TM in Tryon four years ago, entered the glorious grass arena during the mid-afternoon slot with intent. Clocking the day’s lowest score of 41.52 to top the leaderboard, he set out his stall to be in the medals at a…
World record score for Team GB but Germany’s Jung snatches individual lead
Dressage concludes at the FEI Eventing World Championship 2022 – written by Louise Parkes As the Dressage phase of the FEI Eventing World Championship 2022 at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) drew to a close today Great Britain lost the advantage on the Individual leaderboard, but their spectacular team total of 69.2 set a new World Championship record and they go into tomorrow’s cross-country phase still well in command of the team rankings. When Tom McEwen scored 25.6 with his Tokyo Olympic team gold and individual silver medal-winning ride Toledo…
Competition gets underway in Canada
The focus of the international show jumping world is on Calgary, Canada, from 7–11 September for the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament. Regarded as the leading equestrian event in North America, it culminates on Sunday week when the world’s leading horse and rider combinations contest the five-star Grand Prix, the CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex, one of the four Majors that comprise the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. Rolex has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ since 1989 as part of its 65-year association with equestrianism. The alliance…
Piggy March and Vanir Kamira tell their own story for a win at Burghley
After a nail biting finish to a truly epic event, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials culminated in an historic first win for Great Britain’s Piggy March on board the indefatigable Vanir Kamira, Amy Powell reports. Entering the arena on the final day of competition with two fences in hand over their nearest rivals, March and “Tilly” (as she is known at home) had a job on their hands to navigate a show jumping track which had only produced seven clear rounds throughout the day. The combination are capable of…
Success for France and Great Britain at Blair
FEI Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials Four-star (S) The four-star short-format concluded on Sunday with the influential cross-country phase. France’s Astier Nicolas and Babylon de Gamma retained their overnight lead to win the Scottish Open Champion title, one they also won here in 2019, finishing as runners-up last year. The pair sped around the cross-country track which proved challenging for many in the fastest time of the day, seven seconds inside the optimum time, to complete on 27.2. “He’s just too good,” Astier said of the 11-year-old. “With…
Tom’s McEwen and Luna Mist Lead the FEI Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials 4*
Tom’s Table Toppers at FEI Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials Four-star long-format An activated mim clip at fence 15 (a safety device on some cross-country fences to help prevent falls which result in 11 penalties if activated by horses) by dressage leaders Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent handed the lead in the four-star long format to Oliver’s Tokyo Olympics team-mate Tom McEwen and Martin Belsham’s Luna Mist after today’s cross-country phase. Tom and Luna Mist completed with two time penalties giving them a total score of 31.9 and…
British Equestrian’s para dressage riders collect a double of silvers
Content provided by British Equestrian The sun shone bright and hot over the FEI World Championships site in Herning on Thursday and the competition burned just as fiercely. It was day two of action in the BB Horse Arena for the Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Individual Championship presented by Elsass Fonden, and it proved profitable to the tune of a brace of individual silvers for our Grade 3 and 5 riders. Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus Despite having her preparations besieged by setbacks, Grade 3 Natasha Baker…
Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale steal the show in Herning to take individual gold medal
Charlotte Fry is no stranger to the podium – in her short senior championship career, she’s added team Olympic, European and, as of yesterday, World medals in her growing collection. She has, however, never stood on the senior podium without her team mates around her. Tonight, that changed. Riding Van Olst Horses’ phenomenal Glamourdale in the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Grand Prix Special Individual Championship, she pulled out the test that we’ve all been waiting for ever she stepped onto the world stage – the one that would crown…
Houghton Hall proves a happy hunting ground for home talent
Houghton Hall proves a happy hunting ground for home talent written by Eleanore Kelly A team consisting of multi-medalled riders and young talent, scored a home win at Houghton Hall, in the second leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup. Team GB finished on a three-phase score of 114.0 penalties, a narrow margin over an all-female US team in second on 117.9. Sweden, another all-female quartet, were not far behind on 122.0 penalties, and are now Series leaders on 160 points after a third placing in the first leg, Pratoni…
Swiss team prove age is no barrier in Eventing with Nations Cup win
Swiss team prove age is no barrier in Eventing with Nations Cup win by Eleanore Kelly It was a double victory for the Swiss, when Robin Godel’s Jumping clear round clinched the individual prize and a win for Team Switzerland. This was the first leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup and took place in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA). France, who were overnight leaders going into the final day, finished a close second and Sweden, who were overall winners of the Series in 2021, finished third. The home side Italy…
A dream come true for Laura Collett at Badminton Horse Trials
A dream come true for Laura Collett at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian British event rider Laura Collett realised a childhood dream on Sunday 8th May as she won the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian. Following a superb performance Collett’s finishing score of 21.4, where she added a mere 0.4 of a showjumping time penalty to her dressage mark, is a record completion for the Gloucestershire based event. It was the first British one-two-three since Pippa Funnell led William Fox-Pitt and Leslie Law 20 years…
Laura Collett leads after the dressage at Badminton
Laura Collett leads after the dressage at Badminton Friday evening concluded the dressage phase at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by MARS Equestrian, with British rider, Laura Collett, securing top spot on the leader board with London 52, on a mere 21 penalties. Collett’s winning test was posted during the morning’s session, which meant the Olympic Gold Medallist had to be patient and watch some of the best combinations come forward to try and best her score. After what must have been a very long wait, none came close leaving Collett…
Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser pull it out the bag on day one of Badminton
Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser pull it out the bag on day one of Badminton Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, took an early lead at the beginning of today’s dressage phase at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, and remained unchallenged after a superb performance for the excellent score of 23.4. It’s a shame he didn’t do that test in Tokyo,” quipped Tom, who also won the Olympic individual silver medal there. He was phenomenal, the half passes were lovely, he was smooth in…
Michael Jung proves on top form after start to finish win at Kentucky Three-Day Event
Michael Jung proves on top form after start to finish win at Kentucky Three-Day Event It was a start-to-finish win for Germany’s Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH, who set a new record for a winning score in the CCI5*-L at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN. The pair had been flawless all weekend, a trend that continued into the final phase when they went double clear in the show jumping to finish on an astounding score of 20.1 — the lowest winning score ever achieved in…
Michael Jung on top at Land Rover Kentucky Horse Trials following the dressage phase
Michael Jung on top at Land Rover Kentucky Horse Trials following the dressage phase In a surprise to absolutely no one, a familiar name, Germany’s Michael Jung, sits atop the leaderboard in the CCI5*-L at the conclusion of the dressage phase at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN. Jung has already won this competition three times (in addition to collecting a plethora of Olympic and world championship medals along the way), so it felt familiar when he and fischerChipmunk FRH put in a characteristically near-perfect test…