Three horses ruled out of Badminton Horse Trials at final trot-up

Three riders withdrew their horses from the holding box at the final horse inspection this morning at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The three horses were Louise Skelton’s Bit Of A Barney (44th after cross-country), Australian Emily Anker’s ride Balmoral Cavalier (40th) and Sweden’s Anna Hilton’s ride Mr Dalby (38th).

Louisa Lockwood’s ride Desert Island (49th) was also sent to the holding box, but the ground jury (Angela Tucker, Eric Smiley and Michel Asseray) passed her on re-inspection.

Matt Ryan caused the biggest laugh at the trot-up, by wearing his customary Australian hat, but teaming it up with a Union flag shirt, because he is in the process of changing his nationality to ride for Britain.

The first session of show jumping has just started. The top 20 jump this afternoon in reverse order, starting at 2pm with Emily Llewellyn and Society Spice.

Log back on to www.horseandhound.co.uk later for the final installment of rider Dee Kennedy’s diary and a report at the end of the competition.

Don’t forget to buy H&H next week (14 May) — our 15-page Badminton report will include comments from Carl Hester, Mark Todd and Tina Cook, plus full cross-country course analysis and plenty of colour photographs.

H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome’s Sunday blog

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.