Badminton Horse Trials dressage leaders plan to run

The top of the dressage leaderboard remains unchanged at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials as speculation centres around the going and how many riders will run cross-country.

Lucinda Fredericks tops the standings after the dressage with her Burghley winner Headley Britannia. She hopes to run “Brit” tomorrow.

“There’s a higher percentage chance I’ll go than not go,” she said this afternoon. “It would take a lot to make me not run.

“I’ll talk to [my husband] Clayton after he’s been on his first horse and if he says it’s riding hard — and if the first 10 horses finish jarred up — I’ll re-think. But I have every intention of running, and running competitively — I’m too old to come here for a completion.”

Ruth Edge and Polly Stockton made the biggest impact in the dressage arena this afternoon. Final rider Polly scored 41 after a rhythmic test with Tom Quigley. She lies fifth. Ruth’s flowing test with Two Thyme earned 39.6, putting her fourth.

“He got spooked with the people moving about, but it didn’t affect him in the arena,” she said.

Ruth Edge rides Two Thyme into fourth place. Photo by Kit Houghton.

Several riders were disappointed this afternoon, among them Lucy Wiegersma (20th on 47), who felt Shaabrak could have done with 10min more warm-up. Daisy Dick (56th equal on 56.8) was left frustrated after Spring Along spun round in the halt and rein-back mid-test and bounced forward in the final halt.

The riders called a meeting at lunchtime and asked event director Hugh Thomas and technical delegate Mike Etherington-Smith to treat all the course inside the string.

“There are questionable parts which are untouched,” said Lucinda Fredericks. “It’s got to be the whole lot [which is treated], not just a 3m strip.”

Some riders have suggested taking out elements of the quarry at fences 25-28, to avoid another big drop.

Second-placed Kim Severson plans to run Winsome Adante, while third-placed Hinrich Romeike will decide tomorrow.

“I came to ride — it’s a long journey, I drove for 23hr — but my horse is 13 and I want to have him for the London Olympics,” he joked.

Daisy will probably withdraw Spring Along, but says there is a “good possibility” she will run Hope Street, the pathfinder.

“I think they listened [at the meeting],” she said. “There will be runners, but maybe not as many as they wanted. I hope for their sake and for the sport they get it sorted.”

View the top 10 riders >>

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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.