Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo put in a super showjumping round to win Mars Badminton Horse Trials this afternoon (10 May), making history as the first combination to win the event three times.
By the time they entered the arena, the pair had two showjumps and some time-faults in hand, but their round was incredibly assured and “Walter” never looked like touching a rail. Ros piloted Michele and Archie Saul’s 14-year-old gelding round to finish with two time-faults to win by 8.2 penalties.
“I’m kind of stunned – I try not to let myself get involved in all the things people have been saying about him being the first one to do it three times, so I think that will sink in a bit later,” said Ros Canter, who added that Nick Turner and Chris Bartle warmed her up and filled her with confidence before her Badminton showjumping round.
“But gosh, I’m just absolutely in awe of how he jumped today. I thought it was probably one of the best rounds he’s ever jumped, and probably one of the best rounds I’ve ridden as well, so I’m delighted that we were able to pull it off at the right time.”
Ros added: “I can’t put into words what it means to ride a horse like that. He loves it, he lives for it, he’ll be so content tonight. He looks and feels a million dollars.”
Ros Canter had her second daughter Seneh less than four months ago and did her final Badminton interviews after showjumping with Seneh in her arms.
“I feel lucky to be able to juggle both jobs – family and sport. I’m privileged to be able to do both at the same time,” said Ros.
Asked about celebration plans, she added: “Seneh is normally a very good sleeper, but last night she was up between 1am and 4am and so I’m pretty exhausted actually. So Chris [McAleese, Ros’s husband] will drive us home, so hopefully I’ll sleep on the way home and so will she. We’ll celebrate at some point, but it definitely won’t be tonight.”
Tim Price finishes second to Ros Canter
Behind Ros, it wasn’t quite so easy. Harry Meade was second overnight on Annaghmore Valoner, owned by Dinah and Stephen Posford and their daughter Juliet Carter, but they toppled the red and white upright over a water tray at fence six and had 0.8 of a time-fault, which ultimately dropped them from second to third.
This was Harry’s second time finishing third at Badminton, as he also collected this placing in 2014 with Wild Lone.
Tim Price moved up from fifth after cross-country to take second with a clear inside the time on Falco – the same spot the horse’s owner Sue Benson took herself in 1979.
The 17-year-old Falco has been first at Pau Horse Trials and second at Maryland 5 Star; his result here, despite Tim riding with a broken collarbone, truly franks his five-star form.
A single second over the time and a faultless round of showjumping secured fourth for Tom Jackson and the 10-year-old United 36, owned by Michael Stenning, who has come of age this week and looks like a serious horse for the future. They rose from eighth at the start of the phase.
Reigning British open champions Katie Magee and Angela Hislop’s Treworra just took out the first part of the orange butterfly double at fence 12 to move down one rank from fourth to fifth, their second good result here after 11th last year.
New Zealand’s Tayla Mason made a remarkable rise from 13th to sixth by just adding 1.6 time-faults on Centennial, while 12a also caught our France’s Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza, but they still rose from 12th to seventh.
It was an expensive day for Sarah Bullimore, who had the red postbox upright at four and the Mars Equestrian oxer at 10 down on the 10-year-old home-bred Corimiro. Their eight jumping faults and 1.6 time-penalties dropped them seven ranks from third to 10th.
Twelve jumping faults and seconds over the target cost both Ireland’s Lucy Latta (RCA Patron Saint) – riding with a dose of food poisoning – and Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (Hooney D’Arville). Lucy dropped from fifth to 17th and Lara from seventh to 19th.
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You may also be interested in:
‘Badminton is one week of the year, children are forever’: overnight leader Ros Canter on combining motherhood and elite sport
‘It’s a huge relief’: updates from Gemma Stevens and others who didn’t finish Badminton cross-country
Two top-20 contenders among three horses who leave competition at final trot-up at Badminton
‘We bought Caroline Powell an ice cream as she walked off course after retiring at Badminton!’ But what flavour was it?
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