Oliver Townend as he rides to Badminton as Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Contender

Fresh from success at Kentucky, World no.1 event rider Oliver Townend will arrive at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by MARS, next week (May 9-12th) as a live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing title.

Shropshire-based Townend, 41, won Defender Burghley last autumn on Karyn Shuter, Val Ryan, and Angela Hislop’s Ballaghmor Class. Last weekend, he took Defender Kentucky on Paul and Diana Ridgeon’s Cooley Rosalent. Ballaghmor Class is Townend’s ride at MARS Badminton, and the 17-year-old grey, who was part of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finished second at the Gloucestershire event in 2023.

Townend said: “Over the years, I’ve kept thinking to myself, I’m never going to mind losing Grand Slams because to be in the position of trying to win one means you’ve already won the most important competitions in the world. It’s a huge privilege to be the only rider to have got into that position three times; on the first occasion [in 2010] I left the event in an ambulance, and the second time [in 2018] I finished second, so I’m hoping it’s third time lucky. “I think the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing is the most difficult thing to win in any sport, not just ours, because as riders, we are so reliant on our partners, the horses, and they, of course, are characters and athletes in themselves.

“Ballaghmor Class is very special to me. I have had him since he was four years old, so we know each other inside out, and he’s already won me an Olympic team gold medal and three of my eight CCI5* victories, most recently Defender Burghley last September. I think the conditions at Badminton next week should suit such a tough, brilliant horse very well, and we will give it our best possible shot.”

Irish statistics company EquiRatings makes Townend and Ballaghmor Class second-favorite on ratings to win Badminton, and therefore the Rolex Grand Slam, just behind former World Champion, current European Champion and reigning Badminton Champion Ros Canter (this time riding Izilot DHI). 

EquiRatings’ Diarmuid Byrne said: “Ballaghmor Class has already pulled off two of the best four dressage tests recorded at Badminton over the past 15 years and given his proven ability both at Badminton and at the highest level of the sport in general. By the end of cross-country day next Saturday, it is very likely that Oliver and Ballaghmor Class are the favourites to win.”

Britain’s Pippa Funnell was the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, completing her hat-trick at Burghley in 2003. The great German rider, double Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung, is the only other person so far to have pulled off this immense challenge, winning his Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing at Badminton in 2016.