Tim Price secured second in the Mars Badminton Horse Trials showjumping today, his faultless round allowing him and Falco to rise from equal fifth overnight. It was a result with echoes of history because Falco’s owner Sue Benson was also the runner-up here, in 1979.
Showjumping clears were not easy to come by today at Badminton, but Tim Price and Falco showed their prowess in this phase to move up and take the runner-up spot behind history-makers Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo.
“I’ve always said it – when he was making mistakes [across country] at two- and three-star level, the thing I was desperate to get to was a Sunday at a long-format event, a significant one,” said Tim of the horse who was a Badminton first-timer this week, but who has significant experience at the top level.
“I’ve had a few of those Sundays now. We take all the horses for their qualities and every horse has their issues, but one of them is not showjumping for him, so it’s good fun.”
This was Tim’s best Badminton result and his second podium finish here after third on Xavier Faer in 2017 – and it came despite the fact he was riding injured, having broken his collarbone falling off a bike three weeks ago.
Tim was at an event in the Netherlands when the accident occurred. He was carrying a stud bag over his shoulder, which got caught on a gate and pulled him off the bike – “just as my horses were landing in the US for Kentucky,” said Tim today.
He went on to ride two horses at Kentucky Three-Day Event successfully, but said he has been more comfortable this week at Badminton, having had a second operation, as well as having the benefit of more time mentally “to compartmentalise it”.
At 17, Falco has already won Pau Horse Trials, been second at Maryland 5 Star, claimed double world bronze and landed sixth at the Paris Olympics.
He is a true servant to the sport and something of a warhorse. The son of Cardenio 2 has returned to top-level competition after having surgery to remove a tumour in October 2023 and disease meant he had his front teeth removed at the start of this year.
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You may also be interested in:
New mother Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo make history with third Badminton win: ‘I’m in awe of how he jumped’
Two top-20 contenders among three horses who leave competition at final trot-up at Badminton
‘It’s a huge relief’: updates from Gemma Stevens and others who didn’t finish Badminton cross-country
Top-10 contender among two horses withdrawn ahead of Sunday’s final trot-up at Badminton
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