Tiana Coudray has lost her second place after dressage with a problem on the Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country today (Saturday, 9 May).
The US rider was going well with her long-term partner Cancaras Girl until the LeMieux Village (fence 18ab). The mare tripped up the bank and ground to a halt at the house.
Badminton cross-country: Tiana Coudray completes as Magee excels
Tiana Coudray went on to complete the Badminton cross-country, but also broke the frangibles at one of the big oxers at the Savills Keepers Rails (fence 30abc) and had some time-faults. She also has a flag penalty under review at fence 15, the final part of the KBIS Slalom.
British open champions Katie Magee and Treworra, owned by Angela Hislop, punched in the third clear in the time and sit second on the leaderboard for those who had completed the cross-country, behind Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro.
“He was just brilliant every step of the way. He was looking for the flags and I wouldn’t have wanted to be on any other horse. He was just exceptional,” said Katie, who was 11th here last year with Treworra on her Badminton debut.
“We didn’t have any changes of plan. Nicola Wilson walked the course with me twice, and we made a plan and we stuck to it, which is lovely, and I even got to enjoy it, which was a novelty.”
Lucy Latta slots into third after Badminton cross-country
Ireland’s 2024 Badminton runners up Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint, owned by the Crampton family, also had a great round, finishing just five seconds over the time. They are third on the completed leaderboard.
“He’s an incredible cross-country horse. I’m so lucky to be sat on him – he really lives for days like this at the big Bs on on the Saturday,” said Lucy.
“I’m actually a little bit frustrated with myself [for being] five seconds over because he had the legs today. He felt incredible underneath me, just at literally one or two points he needed a fill of his lungs and he was fresh again.
“I just didn’t quite meet a few of the fences as flowing as I wanted and I took a little bit of time that way, but he was full of running right to the end.”
A water fall
The youngest rider, 21-year-old US competitor Cassie Sanger, had a fall in the Spillers Sustainability Bay (fence 20abcd) when Redfield Fyre caught a knee and twisted at the corner in the water and came down, with the frangible devices doing their job and allowing the the back rail to fall. Both horse and rider were quickly up on their feet.
France’s Arthur Marx had to sit tight when the pair had an awkward time at the corner out of the Spillers Sustainability Bay and Church’Ile pecked badly on landing. Surprisingly, the frangible devices did not break and he cantered on penalty free, though they were then penalised for breaking the frangibles at the Holland Cooper Vicarage Vee (fence 25ab).
New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell is appealing 20 penalties at the Vicarage Vee – he said he made a last-minute decision to jump over the ditch to the side of the Vee and take the alternative, rather than jumping the Vee. It will be for the ground jury to decide whether he presented to the straight route – if so, his 20 penalties will stand.
First-timer Sam Ecroyd retired Boleybawn Lecrae at the Spillers Stables (fence 27). Fellow Brits Tom Bird (Cowling Hot Gossip) and Helen Bates (Carpe Diem) and Ireland’s Sarah Ennis (Grantstown Jackson) all came home with jumping clears and some time-faults, as did Jonelle Price, who had to make “a squiggle” and jump the long route out of the HorseQuest Quarry (fence 4ab) with Chilli’s Midnight Star.
Emma Hyslop-Webb and Jeweetwel were pulled up by the ground jury on course; she looked to be having some control problems.
A long-awaited Badminton cross-country finish
Kylie Roddy had a run-out at the first big arrowhead out of the Mayston Equestrian Hollow (fence 25abc) when she and SRS Kan Do ended up there on a half stride after the big drop. Kylie continued for her first Badminton cross-country completion.
“I lost his focus and came home with a 20, but really, we went out there to capitalise on what a good jumper is and make sure I get this finish line at Badminton put to bed,” said Kylie, for whom this was a fourth start here with this horse.
“I felt like the soil owed me before I went out there, after falling last year, and this year, it managed to keep me in the plate. I was like, ‘Do not miss at the last, I do not want to be lying down at the last fence.’ The horse is amazing and he gave me a peach of a ride.”
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You may also be interested in:
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How to watch Badminton Horse Trials live from anywhere in the world
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