The drawn order for this year’s Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (30 April-3 May) has been published on the event’s website (pictured).
New Zealand’s Dan Jocelyn is the pathfinder with Special Attorney, while William Fox-Pitt will be last to go with either Seacookie or Macchiato — William still has three horses (these two and last year’s runner-up Idalgo) on the list, but can only start with two.
H&H’s online diarist Alex Hua Tian is number 7 with Jeans and 105 with Magenta. H&H columnist Tina Cook, one of the favourites for the event with her European champion Miners Frolic, starts at number 95.
Yesterday, Badminton director Hugh Thomas said: “I know I am sometimes accused of saying this every year, but we really do have a very high class field this year.”
Hugh also pointed out that, so far, fewer horses have come off the waiting list than in previous years.
“We have had fewer withdrawals in the two or three weeks since entries closed,” he said.
Horses down to 13th on the waiting list have been accepted so far, with 12 days to go until the starting list closes — horses are accepted to replace those withdrawn until 6pm on Tuesday, 27 April.
Last year, 43 horses were accepted from the waiting list and in 2008, 38, but unless there is a rush of late withdrawals, it looks unlikely to many will get the chance of a run this time.
Horses down to 46th on the original waiting list have been included in the draw.
Other four-star news: British Kentucky horses land
William Fox-Pitt and Oliver Townend’s rides for the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** are currently in quarantine in New York, having flown out to America from Stansted on Tuesday. They will arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday, ready for the event next week (22-25 April).
William rides four-star first-timer Cool Mountain (number 63) — last year’s Blair CCI*** winner — while Oliver hopes to clinch the Rolex Grand Slam on either Ashdale Cruise Master (69) or ODT Master Rose (4).
The other British entry at Kentucky is 2004 Olympic champion Leslie Law, who is now based in America. He rides Fleeceworks Mystère Du Val (50) in his first four-star start since Kentucky in 2006.
Don’t miss H&H’s Badminton preview issue, out next Thursday (22 April).
