Saturday, 06 May 2023
When Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo finished second at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, last year on the then 10-year-old gelding’s CCI5* debut, it hinted at big things to come. Few, however, could have predicted that those big things would come quite so soon. Just 12 months later, they've come back to Gloucestershire to claim one of eventing’s most coveted trophies. Not only did they win, but they did so incredibly convincingly. The pair produced one of their best ever dressage scores to take the first-phase lead, held it across the country in some of the most demanding ground conditions seen at Badminton in recent history, then jumped clear on the final day to finish 15 penalties ahead of the rest of the field – the greatest margin at a five-star event in recent history. They also become only the third combination since 2008 to lead across all three phases, while Ros becomes the fifth rider in history – and third British woman – to win both Badminton and the FEI Eventing World Championships.
British-bred ‘Walter’, who’s owned by Michele Saul, has been with Ros since the beginning of his ridden career and she has brought him up through the ranks, barring the time he spent at Tom McEwen’s yard in 2019 while Ros was on maternity leave. The pair are well known for their consistency in the jumping phases – at both their previous Badminton visit and their trip to the World Championships in Pratoni last summer, they finished on their dressage score. In fact, since Walter returned to Ros’ Lincolnshire base for the – albeit brief – 2020 season, they’ve only finished outside the top six at two of their international starts.
“It’s a privilege to ride him and have him in our lives,” explained Ros. “Not only is he a great horse to ride, he has the most wonderful character – he has character in absolute abundance, he makes us laugh every day. He is the out-and-out event horse, he loves every phase, he loves himself – which is important – and he loves the attention from everyone else.”
Coming into the final phase with two fences in hand, there seemed little doubt that the pair could finish the job. The only real question was how the exertions of yesterday’s deep going might have affected the Grafenstolz gelding, who’s never faced such conditions in his relatively short career. As it turns out, we needn’t have worried – Walter was raring to go as he and Ros passed under the arch into the main arena. With their lead extended to four fences and a handful of time penalties, thanks to poles down for those who came before them, the pair began to make their way around Kelvin Bywater’s track. Drawing from the experience gained by her earlier ride on Pencos Crown Jewel, Ros was able to pick the best lines and give Walter every opportunity to leave the fences up – and stay up, they did. As they came down the final line, with the trophy in their sights, it was just the clock that would decide how decisive their victory would be. They crossed the line to add just 1.6 penalties to their score, leaving them on a final total of 35.3.
It seemed to take a few seconds for the enormity of their achievement to sink in, before Ros punched the air with delight and the crowd erupted in cheers. As the pair excited the arena, there was just time for a quick kiss for her beloved horse before her friends, family and connections descended in a flurry of congratulations.
“It feels incredible – it’s a bit of a relief,” said a still slightly stunned Ros afterwards. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? He hasn’t got a classic technique – he jumps with his head in the air – but, boy, does he want to jump those fences when he’s in there. He didn’t care about the mud, he didn’t really notice, it wasn’t about that for him this week. This day couldn’t have gone any better for him, I think.
“It’s really exciting, not just for me but for everyone who’s helped me along the way. It takes an army! It’s incredible – the biggest thing about becoming a mother [to three-year-old Ziggy] is realising the team I’ve got around me, and I just couldn’t do it without them. My mum’s here and she doesn’t really like to come unless she has a big job to do, but I’m delighted she could come because she’s the main person that’s behind the scenes, keeping the wheels turning. I have the most amazing team around me – his owners, the grooms, the team at home – they let me do it. It’s going to take a bit of time to sink in.”
Such is Ros’ way, she made sure to thank the crowd during the prize-giving for staying to support the event all week in not very nice conditions.
The runner-up place went to a pair who are very familiar with such a result – they also finished second at Badminton in 2019, behind Piggy March and Vanir Kamira. Oliver Townend and 16-year-old Ballaghmor Class have an exceptional record at CCI5* level, rarely finishing outside the top five and taking the win twice (Burghley 2017 and Kentucky 2021). A dressage score of 24.7 had left them slightly further than the order than we often see them, but they made up three placings across the country to start the day in third on a score of 45.9. A fence down isn’t uncommon for this pair, but they could afford that and still keep their placing. They started well, but the lifeline proved necessary when the third fence came down. Oliver rallied the grey gelding, owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan, and they carried on. There was a rub on the first part of the double at fence eight, but it stayed in the cups and they were able to come home just one second over for a final total of 50.3.
“He’s my hero,” said Oliver of his grey gelding. “When times get bad or rough, he comes to the front for me, as good mates do. He’s been second so many times – probably down to the jockey, bless him! I can’t tell you how proud I am of him and the team behind him. We all know him so well and he literally is part of the family. It’s a huge relief for me that I haven’t mucked it up too much and he’s had another amazing result.”
The final podium placing went to Ireland’s Austin O’Connor with the Salty Syndicate and his own Colorado Blue. The gorgeous grey gave his everything across the country yesterday to post the fastest round of the day. Two fences down and 1.2 time penalties in the showjumping just relegated them to third, having been in runners up position overnight. It was the first time an Irish name adorned the podium since Jessica Harrington in 1983 and Austin was pleased with his result: “I’m here, I’m on the podium and I’m satisfied. It wasn’t his ground today, but yesterday’s performance was extraordinary.”
Brimming with confidence after a successful week across the pond in Kentucky with JL Dublin, Tom McEwen arrived with a point to prove with Alison McEwen, Jane Inns and Fred & Penny Barker’s Toledo De Kerser, after an uncharacteristic fall across the country last year despite being favourites for the title. The Olympic individual silver medal-winning duo has been in the hunt all week, pushing the leaders and lying fifth after two phases.
Toledo is renowned for his jumping prowess – he’s only had two fences down since 2018 – but what toll would the tacky ground conditions of yesterday have taken on the 15-year-old? The answer? Not much! The bright bay simply skipped round, giving maximum height with minimum effort to finish two and a half seconds inside the time allowed. At the time, he was guaranteed fifth, but climbed a further spot to end the day in fourth.
Tom ecstatically said, “He was phenomenal, we finished off so well – he was airborne, light and the ground was surprisingly good. He just loves everyone watching when it’s about him. He’s a showman and this is what he’s made for – what a way to finish, what a horse!
He added: “To be honest, it’s probably about the best round he’s jumped since he was fourth at Burghley a billion years ago. It’s so lovely that he’s had a great time and hopefully on to better things later in the year. He’s been phenomenal all week and felt really well – I love him. It was the most connected round, he’s been a bit picky in others, but there wasn’t one thing I’d have changed about that round. He was unreal, he was absolutely loving it! He was awesome!”
This marks ten years since Tom first attempted Badminton and when asked what that means to him, he added: “Ten years on – the only one I’ve ever done any good at! Finally. Badminton hasn’t really been my place – it may be local, but I just seem to do stupid things. To come out and just have a fun weekend with my best buddy is quite nice, really. Maybe I was a little slow cross-country, but when they get a little older, you have to look after them a bit more and think of other days. Maybe Burghley in the dry will be perfect for him.”
The saying ‘clear rounds win prizes’ again rang true for Tom Jackson with crowd-favourite Capels Hollow Drift, owned by Sarah Webb, Patricia Davenport and Milly Simmie. At Burghley last autumn, the duo rose from fourth to second with a clear and today, a faultless performance promoted them tenth to fifth. It was a beautiful, mature round in perfect balance, with not a pole touched and perfectly judged – the first inside the time at that stage of the competition.
It was touching to see what the round meant to the rider as he lavished praise on the grey while cantering around the arena after he finished, clearly thrilled with their second Badminton performance.
“What a horse!” declared Tom. “I expected him to be tired, but he was full of beans and jumped like a stag. It felt foot perfect, just one of those rounds when everything goes to plan. I took tight turns without being risky and today, it paid off.
“To give what he did yesterday, and then to come out today and give even more, he just goes above and beyond. It’s just a privilege to ride him. He gives you everything all the time and what more can you ask for. Just so happy with him!”
It’s been a whirlwind weekend for Gemma Stevens on her Badminton return and the Sussex-based rider has been honest in her feelings on the conditions not being the best for the Chilli Morning-sired mare, Jalapeno, owned by Christopher Stone. However, the chestnut has risen to every challenge and today’s spin around the main arena was no different. A slightly hairy moment of a the first double settled them and Gemma was riding a considered round, working hard to place the mare perfectly at each fence.
Gemma competes regularly on the pure jumping circuit and experience told her she was down on the clock, so in a bid to push for time, they frustratingly lowered the final rail to add four, plus were a second over for a further 0.4 of a penalty. Their three-day total was 60.1, which gave them sixth spot overall and, as the highest placed mare, the two breeding prizes including an embryo transfer from Tomlinson Equine and £500 to use towards a stud fee of their choice.
A slightly disappointed, but pleased Gemma said: “Jala isn’t the most amazing jumper, but she tried really hard. I did my best to carry her all the way, but we were off the last – it’s disappointing really, but she’s finished so well. It’s been a journey and a marathon this week, but I’m happy to be at the end with a happy, sound horse.
“We have to work hard at it to keep her shape and I have to give her space at every fence to keep her front end out of the way, and then give her a bit of the leg off the floor to get her over those back rails. Unfortunately, my luck ran out at the last, but I was a bit off it and she just caught the back rail. But, it’s been a fantastic event for us – we’re pleased and she’s in one piece. If you’d said that at the beginning of the week, I’d have given you a fist bump.”
With at top-10 finish in her sights, Suffolk-based rider Bubby Upton entered the arena in full focus with her mother Rachael’s Cola, knowing that a clear would improve their place on the leaderboard. The buzzy bay looked full of running as his rider steered him around some tight lines to make sure time penalties wouldn’t spoil the fun. At the first double, he just rolled a pole going in, then he had to stretch at the second double and just couldn’t miss the back rail, but they were clear from there. Eight faults for a final eighth position – her best ever five-star placing in four starts.
“I thought he tried really, really hard and, to be fair, jumped a really nice round,” Bubby said. “One [fence] was just one of those things and the second was my fault. He was slightly backing off and I just wasn’t quick enough to give him that bit of extra support out of that ground he needed. He tried his absolute heart out as he has all week, I just can’t fault him!”
Bubby also claimed the Worshipful Company of Saddlers prize for the best rider under 25.
Younger brother Walter may have taken the top spoils, but Pencos Crown Jewel, or ‘Jasmine’, made sure it was a truly remarkable Badminton for Ros Canter by giving her a second top-ten placing, surpassing all expectations of owners Kate James and Annie Makin, and indeed Ros herself. Ros has been honest all week that Walter is the precocious talent, while 13-year-old Jasmine, by prolific sire Jumbo, is more of a shrinking violet, but she excelled in the dressage and even more so across the country yesterday.
Jumping front of an excited, full crowd in a tense atmosphere wasn’t going to be an easy task, but Ros knows her mare well and economically piloted her round, saving time with some good lines, but the mare appeared to hold her breath the whole way and by fences 11 and 12 towards the end, she just couldn’t keep it together and the poles fell – plus 0.4 for time. Their end total was 64.4 to finish in ninth, much to the delight of her proud rider: “She was fantastic today – showjumping in front of a lot of people wouldn’t be her favourite thing. It was a couple of fences at the end when she was a bit weary. However, she’s a gutsy little mare who takes it in her stride.”
Three-time Badminton winner Pippa Funnell could write the manual on tackling the world’s most renowned eventing test and, at 54, she now cherishes every opportunity to ride at the iconic venue. Cantering into the arena with Marek Sebestak and her own Majas Hope in ninth, she was in with a shout for her best finish since 2015, when she was 12th with Redesigned.
Of all event riders, Pippa has the most experience jumping coloured poles, but this wouldn’t be ‘Hope’s’ most confident phase and all that experience was called on this afternoon. The round got under way well but, by fence eight, the gelding’s shape was beginning to flatten and the first part of the double fell, as did the flimsy white plank at nine. They regained their rhythm to leave the remainder up but were two seconds over the time allowed, to finish on 66.2 to leave them an eventual 10th.
A reflective Pippa said: “He started jumping well, but then just inverted, which is what he can do at a three-day. I think with the atmosphere, I kept him quite round at the beginning and in his old age, he gets more lit up with everything going on. I was happy enough with the old boy, he really looked after me and we had fun out there yesterday. At my age, just to come back to Badminton is crazy, but to get another completion is really special.”
The final World Class Programme finisher was Yorkshire’s Kristina Hall-Jackson and the KHJ Syndicate and her own CMS Google. The mare entered the arena full of beans – even making an effort to spook at the arena decorations – and they set off well, but lowered the first part of the double of water trays and clocked up two time penalties to give six to add to their two-day total, finishing on 132.1 and in 29th place on their debut, scooping the coveted Laurence Rook Trophy for the best British first time completion.
“She’s amazing! The pole was my error, not hers,” explained Kristina. “She gave me so much confidence in there. She was jumping amazing out here and I knew that if I went in there and did my job correctly, she’d do hers, and I just literally didn’t sit up quick enough for her. But she tried her heart out.
“She doesn’t even feel like she went round cross-country yesterday. She’s come out quite wild and she’s absolutely pinging – definitely a future star horse, hopefully. It’s just learning all the time. I’m really lucky to have Chris [Bartle] and Pippa [Funnell] – I lean on them so much, they’re amazing and fill me with confidence. They keep telling me – they’ve been doing it for years – you’ve always got to learn, but it’s frustrating when I make little mistakes, but I’m only human. She does her job amazingly; I can’t fault her at all. I have such a connection with her, she’s fantastic. I know her inside and out and she knows me inside out. She looks after me very well.”
While on paper it might not have been the final score they were hoping for – owing to two glance-offs on yesterday’s demanding cross-country track – the pair can be happy in the knowledge that they’ve completed one of the most demanding editions of Badminton Horse Trials in recent years.
Fittingly, we signed off from the event with a huge round of applause in appreciation for all the volunteers who make Badminton possible, as today is ‘The Big Help Out’ as part of the King’s Coronation celebrations.
For full results, head over to the Badminton website and if you missed the any of the four days’ action and want to watch again, a year’s subscription to Badminton TV, powered Brightcove, let’s you watch on demand, any time. Plus, you can catch up with today’s BBC 2 coverage on the website and iPlayer.