Last year’s runners-up, Lordships Graffalo and Rosalind finally got their revenge in Badminton, in the most impressive way. Leading the competition from start to finish, the invincible British duo finally won with nearly 15 points ahead of their rivals.
In the entire history of the mythical CCI5*-L of Badminton, only two couples had finally won the victory by having dominated the competition from the dressage. They are now three. Authors of a superb recovery scored in 22.1 points (one of the best scores obtained on the British track since 2010), Lordships Graffalo, SHBGB (Grafenstolz, Trak and Cornish Queen, SHBGB par Rock King, SHBGB) and Rosalind Canter had announced the color from the dressage. Still in the lead after the cross (where they received 11.6 penalty points for overtime), they finally remained at the top after the horse race, concluding this CCI5*-L with 35.3 points. Second last year, the duo thus took their revenge and the least we can say is that they did it with style: nearly fifteen points separate the British duo from their first competitor in the final ranking! Never had a couple won so far ahead of a CCI5*-L. This is what is called a triumphal victory.
One of the best of his generation
This is how Lordships Graffalo signed one of the greatest victories of his career. He who, at only eleven years old and in eighteen international competitions, has ranked no less than fourteen times in the top 10, including eight on the podium. Moreover, it is impossible not to qualify him as one of the best horses of his generation, as he proved very early on by placing eighth in the Young Horses World Championships at seven years old and second, the following year, in a CCI4* reserved for eight and nine-year-old horses. Last year, at only ten years old, he represented Great Britain at the Worlds of Pratoni del Vivaro and was ranked fourth there individually as well as by team. In short, at eleven years old, Lordships Graffalo has a track record that is impressive.
Brothers and sister in the top 14
Like many eventing horses, the bay is a son of the famous Trakehner Grafenstolz, a stallion who had two other offspring competing in the legendary British CCI5*-L: Church’Ile, unfortunately eliminated on the cross with the French Arthur Marx, and Count’s Nightwho signed a fine fourteenth with William Fox-Pitt.
Lordships Graffalo’s mother, Cornish Queen, SHBGB, has also produced several starters in CCI5*-L: Lordships Graffalo, therefore, but also Pencos Crown Jewel (Jumbo, SHBGB)… Who finished ninth in Badminton last weekend, also with Rosalind Canter! The brother and sister, ridden by the same rider, in the top 10 of one of the most difficult competitions in the world, making their mother one of the best too… And the qualities of a good mother seem to have been transmitted because Pencos Crown Jewel also already has a descendant, Jamakin Faer Trial (Mill Law), eleven years old, who excels in CCI3*-S.
Ireland back on the badminton podium thanks to Colorado Blue
While second place in the final standings is occupied by Ballaghmor Class (Courage II, Holst and Kilderry Place, ISH) and Oliver Townend, let us also underline the fine performance of Colorado Blue (Jaguar Mail, SF et Rock Me Baby, AES par Rock King, SHBGB) and Austin O’Connor, third. Because it’s been forty years since an Irish couple finished on the podium of the CCI5*-L in Badminton! As a bonus, the one who has the same maternal grandfather as the winner signs there one of the most beautiful results of his career, he who ranked eighth last year and notably represented Ireland at the last Worlds and of the Tokyo Olympics.
It should also be noted that, this year, the Badminton podium was dominated by representatives of the studbook SHBGB thanks to Lordships Graffalo and Colorado Blue. In total, they were four in the top 10 with Jalapeño (Chilli Morning), sixth under the saddle of Gemma Stevens, and Pencos Crown Jewel. Among the top ten, there are also three horses registered in the ISH studbook: Ballaghmor Class, Capels Hollow Drift (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan, Bwp), fifth with Tom Jackson, and In the House of Hope (Porter Rhodes), tenth with Pippa Funnell. Finally, two of the top ten in Badminton are Holsteiners: Vitali (Contender, Holst), seventh with world number one Tim Price, and Cola (Catoki, Holst), right behind with Bubby Upton.
Three Selle Français in the top 13
As usual, the tricolor breeding still stood out on the most beautiful eventing grounds. And this, in particular thanks to the world champion of Tryon and double Olympic medalist of Tokyo, Toledo de Kerser. Still under the saddle of Tom McEwen, the son of Diamant de Semilly, SF and grandson of Papillon Rouge, SF, born at Kerstin Drevet, finished this CCI5*-L at the foot of the podium.
Ninth in Pau a few months ago, Come from the Mount (Norway de la Lande, SF and Kaline du Mont, SF by King’s Road), fourteen years old and born in Maurice Much, again proved all his qualities in the difficult CCI5*-L of Badminton, which he finished with a very good eleventh place, thus signing the best French result alongside Luc Château. Just behind, in the thirteenth row, Spirit of the Lodge (born at Didier Debonnet of the cross between Quppydam des Horts, SF and Image de la Loge, SF by Dollar du Murier, SF) and Gireg le Coz achieved their best ranking in CCI5*-L, after their eighteenth place in Badminton last year.
As for the tricolor breeding, even if everything did not go as planned in the end, we should nevertheless emphasize the presence of two horses from the same breeding in this difficult CCI5*-L that is Badminton: Friday Biats (Winningmood, Bwp) et Valmy-Biats (Orlando, Bwp). Born at Philippe Brivois, the fourteen-year-old gray and bay, who spent the first years of their lives together, met again last weekend on the legendary English ground for the second year in a row. And very few breeders can boast of having two of their proteges entered for two years in a row in such a competition…
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Pictured: Lordships Graffalo and Rosalind Canter. Credit: Coll. Badminton Horse Trials.
2023-05-09 06:46:24
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