2º el gran Mark Todd / KILTUBRID RHAPSODY (ISH de 2007, Cascaletto St Ghyvan- Cassini / Lombardo-Quidam de Revel / Cruising) obteniendo 23.4 (76.61%) con el que ya compitió este año en el cuatro estrellas de Pau (tuvo 20 puntos en un obstáculo del cross). Una doma también francamente buena con dos notas de 9. Ros Canter / ALL STAR que iba ganando tras la primera jornada acaba 3ª.
M. Jung / SAM ahora es 8º. Carlos Díaz / JUNCO CP 47º.
Están a menos de 4 puntos 8 conjuntos. 78 participantes y 31 por debajo de los 30 puntos.
Oliver Townend fist-pumped the air as he exited the arena at the end of two nail-biting days of dressage at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. When his score flashed up on the board a minute later it became clear why.
His mark of 20.8 (79%) not only left him at the top of the leaderboard, but it was the best score posted at Badminton for 18 years. Oliver’s ride, Karyn Shuter’s Ballaghmor Class, produced a punchy, expressive test with no major mistakes. It was a step up from his performance at last year’s Burghley, which he went on to win. “I honestly wasn’t sure what he’d do in the arena. He’s been working very well at home and he worked nicely here yesterday, but this morning it was a different story,” admitted Oliver.
“Luckily, though, from the moment I got on him down at the stables this afternoon he felt fantastic
Although riders are adamant that this will not be a dressage competition given the likely soft ground conditions on tomorrow’s cross-country course, this start gives Oliver every chance of becoming only the third rider in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam.
“At the moment my job is to focus on getting the best out of both my horses that I can,” he said – Oliver is also lying 10th on Cooley SRS. Mark Todd, who first competed here over 30 years ago, briefly took the lead on another flashy grey, Kiltubrid Rhapsody, on a score of 23.4.
He finished the day sitting in the second-placed chair at the press conference, which this year was conducted in front of the public in the Mitsubishi Chatzone. “I’d been watching the dressage on and off and noticed the judges seemed to be giving better and better marks, so I was quietly optimistic,” smiled Mark, who took on the ride on Kiltubrid Rhapsody in 2016. “He’s a lovely horse with great movement and a great temperament.
He’s come on in leaps and bounds this year.” Thursday’s leaders, Ros Canter and Allstar B, stay in the top three. Their score of 23.9 is just over three marks adrift of the leaders. “My plan is to go out tomorrow and mean it,” said Ros. “I’m not renowned for being the fastest rider, but I’m sitting on a quick horse and he’s very fit.
Eric Winter’s 32-fence cross-country course looks set to be a significant challenge. “It’s going to be a slog,” said Oliver in reference to the drying conditions that are likely to produce ground that is good to soft at best, and likely to be heavy and holding in places. Riders highlighted fence 6abc, Huntsman’s Close, and the Lake (fences 9abc) as problem areas. The former comprises three tree stumps with a very tight line between b and c that leaves no room for error, while the Lake requires a bold jump in over a sizeable log drop followed by an angled brush in the water and an even more acutely angled brush on the exit.
“The Lake is the sort of fence that you could get absolutely right, but if luck’s not on your side one little trip up the bank will result in 20 penalties,” said Mark Todd.
Andrew Nicholson (33rd on Nereo) summed up the whole course when he said: “You will leave the start box with one plan, but will need to adapt that according to what you are feeling underneath you.”
“What a wonderful two days of dressage it has been. It has been enthralling to see the horses cope with the excitement and pressure of presenting their dressage tests in the main arena. We now look forward to the cross country phase,” said Lance Bradley, Vice Chairman at Mitsubishi Motors in the UK. “Badminton Park looks beautiful, hopefully the weather will be kind to us and we will be able to enjoy the action on the cross country course tomorrow.” All eyes will be on tomorrow’s pathfinders, New Zealand’s Caroline Powell and Up Up And Away, who will leave the start box at 11.30am.
