Will Rawlin and 14-year-old Ballycoog Breaker Boy moved up to sit inside the top five of completed rounds immediately after their Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country performance.
The experienced pair, on track for their third consecutive Badminton completion together, jumped clear and added just 3.2 time-penalties to their 29.3 dressage.
“He pulls it out of the bag for me, he’s such a champ,” said Will, who is within touching distance of his best five-star result to date.
“I’m so lucky to be riding a horse like him. He really just performs on a stage like this, he loves the big tracks. I’ve always said he is not the biggest jumper over the fences, it doesn’t look pretty when it gets to the end and he gets tired, but he will always pick up and put down and carry on galloping.”
Will Rawlin on his Badminton Horse Trials cross-country
Will and Ballycoog Breaker Boy had been making good time, but the clock caught up with them towards the end of the course.
“It was such a shame as until that last 30 seconds we were really on our minute markers and I was quite shocked and surprised as I didn’t look at my time much, but I kept talking to him and plugging away,” said Will.
“The last three fences he really had to make an effort to jump, but I always knew he was going to get over the fences. From a spectator’s view, they got a bit hairy, but I’ve got so much trust in him and he’s got trust in me, that we’ve got such a good partnership and support each other, wherever we are on the course.”
Will said the course rode as he had planned, although he felt he didn’t get the best shot at the EQUIDRY Huntsman’s Close fence 6ab.
“I had to land quickly and react, so I didn’t land on a dead strike and I think we jumped one of the biggest parts. But it just shows his heart and grit to get over the fence,” he said.
“Down at the water (Mars Lake fence 9ab) I decided to go a slightly longer route and I should have got a bit more punchy up that lift to the corner, but I’m very glad I did that route and not the other.”
Inside the time cross-country for New Zealand pair
New Zealand’s Tayla Mason and Centennial are hoping to better their 19th place last year after a great round across country.
The pair came home inside the 11min 30sec optimum time, but their final score is still to be confirmed. Tayla had to give plenty of vocal encouragement on her approach to the Mars Lake fence 9ab and an awkward jump resulted in nine penalties being provisionally awarded for catching a flag.
“He’s always a bit cheeky at the water, but he was good. He’s so honest, he just goes, and you don’t want to be sitting on any other horse,” said Taya.
“I went out today, I wanted to make the time as he’s so established now. I know his little things, he can slither here, slither there, but he’s always going. As long as I’m sitting up and steering, he’s the most genuine boy.”
Tayla had a brief hold on course ahead of the Mayston Equestrian Hollow (fence 26abc) while fence repairs were made after previous combination, Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl, activated a pin.
“It’s funny as until this year I hadn’t been held that much and I’ve been held twice on him this year. The team was really good out there keeping him cool and I kept him waking. He’s so brave, the hold didn’t even matter,” said Tayla.
Harry Meade tops the Badminton leaderboard with second ride
Meanwhile Harry Meade cruised around on his second horse Annaghmore Valoner, owned by Dinah and Stephen Posford and their daughter Juliet Carter. He finished well inside the time to rocket up the leaderboard and take top spot as he finished.
“I love her. I’ve always had a real soft spot for her – I said to somebody the other day, maybe it sounds a bit weird, but she’s the only horse that I am happy to inhale her exhale. I wouldn’t even say that about my wife. That’s how much I love this horse,” said Harry.
“But she’s always been a highly strung, nervous, insecure horse, lacking confidence and slightly erratic. She’s done plenty of rounds lobbing round courses, with relaxed breathing.
“She’s done two five-stars before, being fourth both times at Burghley, and she jumped around that very easily today. It was a shame the time wasn’t 30 seconds tighter.”
There was disappointment for Wills Oakden and Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s 11-year-old Keep It Cooley, who had been lying eighth after the dressage. The pair picked up 20 penalties for a run-out at the final part of fence 20abcd Spillers Sustainability Bay, and 11 penalties for activating the pin at the Holland Cooper Vicarage Vee fence 25ab.
“He’ll have learned a lot today. We knew it was a big ask for him, and he was still relatively inexperienced,” said Wills.
“Last year didn’t really go his way for many different reasons, but we wanted to come here and give him the opportunity. Ok he made a couple of mistakes, one because I was trying to baby him too much and I probably did too much and interfered.
“The other was just a sheer act of greenness, but horses have to learn. They have to come and have a go, and he’s learned that now he can get to the end of something like that. We hope that might just be of them making them.”
How to watch and listen to Badminton Horse Trials
To watch Badminton Horse Trials live or via catch up, including the trot-ups, from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world, you need a 2026 Badminton TV Pass. Badminton TV is once again powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £22.99. Go to badminton-horse.tv to sign up. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. Also check out the Badminton app, which provides free live results and much more this year. Sign up for Badminton Plus membership for £4.99 to access the live Radio Badminton broadcast and receive exclusive offers from on-site exhibitors. Search for Badminton Horse Trials in your app store.
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