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‘She’s a fighter, and she fought all the way’: Gemma Stevens blitzes into top Badminton placing, plus two dressage top-10s withdrawn

Martha Terry Martha Terry

    • Gemma Stevens had an exhilarating round on Jalapeno, jumping clear over the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country, at the event presented by Mars Equestrian. They finished clear with 32.4 time-faults.

    Gemma attacked the course from the outset and the horse responded beautifully. They took the slightly longer right-hand route into The Lake, but made the awkward line to the large corner in the water look simple. She had to sit tight at the Holland Cooper Owl Hole as Jalapeno launched herself through, but quickly recovered her lost stirrup and galloped on.

    Watch Gemma talk about her ride

    “It’s really tough out there today,” said Gemma, who was third here with Arctic Soul in 2016. “My horse was amazing and kept trying her heart out at every single fence, jumping really well, so I kept quietly, gently pushing her along. They don’t travel through this ground.

    “I had every intention of going all the straight ways, including at The Lake. She jumped the oxers before [Mars M Tables] really well and I thought, ‘Do I don’t I?’, but as I came round the corner, I felt her go, ‘Bloomin’ heck’, and I thought, no, go long. That was my instinct and it was right. She jumped through the Voltaire Design Huntsman’s Close really well and I thought, ‘I just want to get home now.’ She actually galloped up to the finish really well and she is recovering really quickly.”

    “There is nothing like the feeling going through the finish – unbelievable relief and elation.”

    Gemma admitted to feelings of apprehension as she set out, as the course has been very influential. But the meticulous fitness work she has been doing with the mare paid off.

    “I felt a bit scared, I’m not going to lie!” she said. “The jumps are massive and they felt big today, extra big because of the testing ground. I don’t think we could have any more testing conditions. It’s drying, very soggy ground with a warm, sunny breeze, so it is really holding. But my mare is a fighter. She’s a chestnut mare and she fought all the way.”

    The pair were fourth after dressage, and their round moved them into third at this stage behind Austin O’Connor (Colorado Blue) and Tim Price (Vitali).

    Two young riders had frustrating run-outs late on the course at the Jubilee Clump Brush. Felicity Collins’ RSH Contend Or looked to have locked on to the ditch and brush before jumping into the ditch, dislodging Felicity in the process. Alice Casburn marred her otherwise excellent round here with Topspin with 20 penalties, but went on to complete.

    Two more horses who were well placed after dressage have been withdrawn – Tim Price has pulled out Coup De Coeur Dudevin, ninth after dressage, and Harry Meade will not start on Tenareze, 10th in the first phase. Both Tim and Harry jumped clear on their first horses, Vitali and Away Cruising respectively.

    “Away Cruising is very experienced and he was finding it hard work,” said Harry. “Tenareze wouldn’t be the bravest horse, and the chance of him getting to the finish is potentially quite slim. He needs everything to be right for him, and it wouldn’t be fair, it would be greedy.”

    Canada’s Michael Winter has also withdrawn El Mundo, equal 36th after dressage.

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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