Between joys, sorrows, fears and ecstasies, the myth of Badminton is more alive than ever

Images, noises, scents, flavors and especially memories in spades. This is what the 200,000 or so people who came to witness the great return of badminton cross have left with. An institution in the equestrian world and in the world of sport as a whole, where very few events can boast of attracting so many paying spectators, which is moreover thirty kilometers from the first major city, Bristol. More so, Badminton is a myth: “the big party of the riders”, as summarized this evening Thierry Touzaint, the coach of the France team, but also of all people who love horses and country parties. This morning, the gigantic trade fair, which stretches from the entrance to the Dukes of Beaufort estate to the start of the cross-country course, was already teeming with people before 8am! At 10 a.m., cars jammed for miles and miles on the few roads connecting the estate to the rest of the world, and humans jammed in the aisles in the hope of finding a position to their liking, standing, sitting or lying on the ground. ‘grass. Badminton is Woodstock, minus the narcotics… and the dogs plus! You have to see it, hear it, smell it, taste it and touch it to even try to take the measure of it. In short, after two years without, due to the health crisis, this 2022 vintage, disputed under a mild sky and on heavenly ground, is historic and in every way moving.

Let’s talk sport, and big sport. Leader designated after the dressage, Laura Collett retained the lead of this CCI 5*-L by signing one of the six clear rounds in the optimal time of 11’44”, in the saddle on London 52. An exceptional performance for Olympic team champions from Tokyo. “My feeling when entering the arena at the end was indescribable. We missed badminton and the public. It’s great to be back here. This horse owes me nothing. He offered me my first victory in CCI 5*-L (in 2020 in Pau, editor’s note) and an Olympic gold medal. Today was the most demanding and intense course he had ever seen”, declared Laura, returning eleven seconds faster than the allotted time! With 21 points, the Briton is just over a fault ahead of her compatriot Oliver Townend, two and third with Swallow Springs (25.7) and Ballaghmor Class (25.9).

Great Britain is almost as hegemonic as after dressage, occupying ten of the top eleven places. Rosalind Canter, fourth on Lordships Graffalo (26) and sixth with Allstar B (27.6), his 2018 world champion, contributes greatly to this, as does William Fox-Pitt, author of two “maxi” on Little Fire, ninth (33.3), and Oratorio, tenth (33.4). We should also mention Piggy March, who offered a welcome masterclass in cross country at the start of the day with Vanir Kamira (26.1), winner of 2019 and therefore defending champion, who occupies fifth place, and Kitty King, eighth with the Selle French Friday Biats (32.8), team gold medalist at the European Championships in Avenches, who dropped 11.8 time penalty points.

Masterful Jonelle Price and Classic Moet!

New Zealander Jonelle Price has signed a mind-boggling “maxi” with the 2018 Badminton winner, Classic Moet, now aged nineteen. In doing so, the couple moved up twenty places to rank seventh. We counted fifty clear rounds out of eighty competitors, many of whom were beginners, but it was not really won at the start of the day. Thus, Tom McEwen and the SF Toledo de Kerser, second in dressage and silver medalists in Tokyo, switched to the second element of obstacle 24, in the shape of a solar panel. As for Nicola Wilson, she was taken to hospital in Bristol for precautionary scans after falling with JL Dublin over the basket-shaped obstacle 27, which was removed from the course afterwards. The Britons Pippa Funnell (Billy Walk On) and Mollie Summerland, fourth after training on Charly Van Der Heiden, gave up after stops on combination 17, placed in a new ford. Still at noon, Oliver Townend made a heroic rescue worthy of New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, the former rider of Swallow Springs, when the gray took off prematurely to cross the last element of the Stone Quarry, placed in 4. first knocked out at the end of his round, the world number one was reinstated after reviewing the footage. “I asked him for one more stride, but he took it back, which I didn’t expect!”admitted the rider, before revealing that Ballaghmor Class was particularly tense before his turn and that two marshals hoisted on hunting horses kindly escorted him to the start. “He felt a little cocky and enthusiastic at first, but once he settled in it was a pleasure to ride him. This course was ideal for a competition of this level. The high class horses made it look easy and I felt the balance was good.”

Aisprit is there, Zanzibar is a dream… and Vitorio escapes the worst

On the French side, the best placed couple remains that formed by Gireg Le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge, impeccable in control. Having added 7.2 points to their dressage penalty, for having exceeded the optimal time of 18”, this oh so harmonious couple is in twelfth place, just over three bars from the lead. This is followed by Thomas Carlile, who gave the young and very promising Zanzibar Villa Rose, ten years old, the time to discover this cross and its inimitable atmosphere, which cost him 15.2 points, for a provisional total of 47.9. Further down the rankings, we find Jean-Lou Bigot, Arthur Duffort, Cyrielle Lefèvre, Ugo Provasi and Arthur Chabert, all returned safely and happy but out of time with Utrillo du Halage (51.8), Toronto d’Aurois (53 ), Armanjo Serosah (57.8), Shadd’Oc (60.7) and Goldsmiths Imber (80.4). Unfortunately, Cédric Lyard had to stop after an evasion of Unum de’Or on one of the Nyetimber Corners, placed in 20, because of a strong pain felt at the level of a knee, which struck this frangible obstacle.

And above all, we were breathless, we trembled with fear and crossed our fingers of helplessness and hope after the big fall of Maxime Livio and Vitorio du Montet on the last obstacle. As the gelding lay on the ground, stunned and exhausted, everyone feared the worst as the minutes ticked away. When the tarpaulins surrounding the Selle Français finally opened, the public massed in the stands of the main track began to shout and applaud wildly, as much for the courageous animal on his feet as the teams who had come to help him. As the horror gripped, the miracle happened and the tears changed color on the faces of the spectators. This is also Badminton, a concentrate of intense feelings, from which we do not come out completely unscathed but to which we become addicted from the first shot.

Tomorrow, the second veterinary inspection of the horses will take place at 8:30 a.m. and the first part of the show jumping phase at 11:30 a.m.

The provisional classification
Obstacle fault analysis