Our Badminton Horse Trials countdown series examines the prize given to the leading horse owned by the rider or his family
The Silver Jubilee Plate at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials is given to the “best-placed rider whose horse is owned by himself and/or his direct family”.
The plate was given by the late Flavia Phillips, who was Mark Phillips’ aunt. She helped him in the early years of his riding career, lived locally to Badminton and gave this trophy because she felt there was nothing for the family rider on the family horse.
Mark Phillips is one of the most successful riders in Badminton’s history, with four wins to his name: 1971 and 1972 on Great Ovation, 1974 on Columbus and 1981 on Lincoln. He is now one of the world’s leading cross-country course-designers and an H&H columnist.
The Silver Jubilee Plate went to Pascal Leroy and Minos De Petra (pictured) of France last year. They finished fifth and the horse belongs to Pascal and his daughter Laurie.
In today’s professional sport owner-riders or family-owned horses can be few and far between and in 2013 the prize went to a pair who finished 26th — Ireland’s Elizabeth Power on September Bliss. She co-owns the horse with her mother Margaret and brother Robert, who won the 2007 Grand National on Silver Birch.
Lauren Shannon lifted this trophy in 2011 on her Badminton debut, when she completed with both her rides and finished 17th with her own Quixotic.
The mare, by Carousel (also sire of Oliver Townend’s Burghley winner Carousel Quest), also won young rider team gold with Lauren in 2006 and she was retired to the breeding sheds after her Badminton success. In June 2013 she produced a filly foal by Cevin Z, who is named Alta. Cevin Z’s current eventing progeny include the flying grey mare Borough Pennyz, owned and bred by Sally Bullen and ridden by Vittoria Panizzon.
