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.
Badminton final scores
“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.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“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.”
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.
How to watch Badminton Horse Trials
If you are interested in watching Badminton Horse Trials live from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. To sign up, visit watch.badminton-horse.tv – click the “Sign Up” link in the top right corner of your screen, then follow the instructions. An annual subscription to Badminton TV costs £19.99 and gives you 365 days of access to all of the content in the Badminton TV library, the ability to watch the action live, and the option to replay all of this year’s action later.
Keep up to date with all of the breaking news, behind the scenes insight and the best of the action throughout Badminton Horse Trials with no limit on how much you can read from as little as £1 per week with a Horse & Hound unlimited website subscription. Sign up now. Plus enjoy our full 22-page magazine report on Badminton, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comments from Nick Burton and Mark Phillips, in Horse & Hound magazine (on sale 11 May).
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion 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.
