The phenomenal Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo are a step closer to another five-star title as they remain at the top of the leaderboard following an action-packed day of cross-country. If you want a quick run down of the key stories, here is a speedy review of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2026 cross-country results.
The reigning champions maintained their leading position, while some others who tackled Eric Winter’s five-star cross-country track came unstuck, prompting a reshuffle of the lower podium places ahead of Sunday’s second horse inspection and all-important final showjumping phase.
Badminton Horse Trials 2026 cross-country results: how the day unfolded
North Yorkshire rider Holly Richardson posted the first clear inside the time with Ballyneety Silver Service – while Caroline Powell walked away from a fall on the first of her two rides.
A problem for Tiana Coudray resulted in her tumbling from her second place overnight, a Brit gained a long-awaited Badminton cross-country finish, and a US rider had a water mishap.
Will Rawlin’s assured performance has him on track for his best five-star finish to date – while Wills Oakden’s Keep It Cooley took away some valuable learnings.
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The crowd was with Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo all the way as they stormed home clear 13 seconds inside the time, after being held before the start.
The Badminton Horse Trials cross-country phase came to a close with a surprise fall for world number one Harry Meade and the retirement of a former winner.
To watch Badminton Horse Trials live or via catch up, including the trot-ups, from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world, you need a 2026 Badminton TV Pass. Badminton TV is once again powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £22.99. Go to badminton-horse.tv to sign up. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. Also check out the Badminton app, which provides free live results and much more this year. Sign up for Badminton Plus membership for £4.99 to access the live Radio Badminton broadcast and receive exclusive offers from on-site exhibitors. Search for Badminton Horse Trials in your app store.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
