Aussies top two after first Badminton dressage
Baca Juga
Antipodean challengers concur the ask identify iii places later the start 24-hour interval of dressage on Fri at the Badminton Horse Trials.
Sam Griffiths 
Andrew NicholsonTwo members of Australia’s 2012 Olympic squad caput the leaderboard, amongst New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson inwards 3rd amongst Avebury.
Badminton is the quaternary leg of eventing’s rich HSBC FEI Classics series, inwards which Nicholson is leading.
Christopher Burton (AUS), who proved such a vivid pathfinder when set out on the course of report at the London 2012 Olympic Games, scored 43.0 inwards Badminton’s atmospheric arena to prevarication a fraction of a penalization ahead of his compatriot, Sam Griffiths on Happy Times.
The duet are also quondam friends together with 31-year-old Burton, who won the Adelaide CCI4* inwards 2008, was based amongst Griffiths together with his married adult woman Lucy when he start came to England 2 years ago.
Burton is good known equally a talented showman inwards the dressage arena. He said of his mount, Jean together with Jade Findlay’s 17-year-old warmblood mare, Holstein Park Leilani: “Back at dwelling inwards Australia, I said ‘this is a Badminton horse’, but I sure didn’t aspect to hold upwardly inwards the Pb here.
“She’s a lovely mare but non the most extravagant mover, thus you lot ask maintain to genuinely ride her. I’m thrilled because I was aiming to score nether 45, together with thus to hold upwardly inwards the Pb on 43 feels incredible.”
In contrast, Griffiths together with the 14-year-old Happy Times are quondam hands at Badminton, having finished 3rd inwards 2009 together with quaternary inwards 2011. “He’s an experienced campaigner together with he’s inwards adept form,” Griffiths said.
“I promise his dressage score volition concur up, because we’ve got about genuinely adept combinations coming upwardly tomorrow, but it way I’m inwards a adept identify psychologically.
“I made a few mistakes out in that location together with nosotros threw away a few marks,” he said. “Happy Times has traditionally been a adept cross-country horse, thus I promise that if nosotros tin travel along inwards deport upon amongst the leaders later tomorrow’s dressage we’ll hold upwardly inwards the mix come upwardly Monday.”
This halfway phase of the HSBC FEI Classics flavor is an chance for other riders to larn a foothold on the leaderboard, but electrical flow leader Andrew Nicholson shows no signs of relinquishing his commanding seat without a fight.
He is currently inwards 3rd identify at Badminton on 45.0 on his Burghley winner, the crowd-pleasing grayness Avebury, amongst his Pau winner Nereo to come upwardly on Saturday.
Both Nicholson together with William Fox-Pitt (GBR), who are head-to-head inwards a thrilling battle for the Rolex Grand Slam this weekend, look to hold upwardly treatment the intense media attending amongst equanimity.
“I’m non genuinely thinking most the Grand Slam,” Nicholson said. “My principal objective has ever been to win Badminton together with it’s been fixed inwards my heed since in conclusion twelvemonth because I’ve got such a adept string of horses at the moment. The Grand Slam is a fleck of a dream, but I did become to Kentucky to position myself inwards arguing for it. And, of course,” he laughed, “if I win Badminton, the Grand Slam volition autumn into place!”
Of his ride on Avebury, Nicholson said: “I pushed the incorrect buttons going from the rein-back into canter, together with he struck off on the incorrect leg. But apart from that I idea he did about of his best ever work.”
Fox-Pitt is currently alone 0.8 of a penalization adrift of Nicholson, inwards equal quaternary identify amongst Ireland’s Aoife Clark on Master Crusoe. His start ride, Oslo, winner of Pau equally a precocious nine-year-old inwards 2011, is owned past times a syndicate of 12 owners, the oldest of whom, Delia Cunningham, is 92.
“He’s adept at dressage together with he’s ever on your side, but he tin hold upwardly a fleck cheeky,” said Fox-Pitt of the French-bred gelding who spent in conclusion twelvemonth sidelined amongst an injury.
“I was rattling pleased amongst him. He didn’t brand whatever mistakes together with concentrated well,” he said. “This was his start fourth dimension inwards a large arena since Pau 2011 together with he coped good amongst the atmosphere.”
Aofie Clark, who finished private 7th at the Olympic Games inwards London was in conclusion to become together with recorded the same score at Fox-Pitt – 45.8.
Her compatriot Joseph Murphy riding Electric Cruise (ISH) lies inwards 20th identify later a score of 56.8, spell Michael Ryan scored 64.5 penalties.
Ireland hasn’t won the lawsuit since Major Eddie Boylan took the trophy amongst Durlas Eile inwards 1965.
Five to a greater extent than Irish Gaelic riders volition compete on Sabbatum amongst the start into the band existence Sarah Ennis at 9:24 am followed past times Elizabeth Power at 9:56, Peter Hannigan at 10:50, together with thus Jim Newsam at 12.10 together with finally Sam Watson at 14:36.
Olympic champion Michael Jung (GER) made his Badminton debut on Leopin FST together with is inwards 6th identify on 46.5 later a customarily well-ridden performance. “It’s rattling prissy to hold upwardly here,” he said. “The cross-country has adept distances betwixt fences where you lot tin gallop – it’s rattling dissimilar from the Olympics!”
Defending Badminton champion Mark Todd is inwards 37th place amongst a score of 67.8 on his start ride, Major Milestone, but he is non downhearted. “He’s non built for dressage together with he doesn’t savour it. We both merely ask maintain to larn through it because he’s a rattling adept jumper. My ambition amongst him is to win the Glentrool Trophy! [for the passenger who makes the greatest improvement on their dressage score]”
The reason at Badminton is inwards perfect condition, together with predictions are that quite a few riders volition accomplish the optimum time, but riders are regarding the fences amongst dandy respect.
Burton said: “It’s Badminton – it’s big. There’s a lot of jumping out in that location together with I remember the cumulative upshot of having thus many large jumping efforts inwards the 2d one-half of the course of report together with volition ask maintain its toll.”
Nicholson commented: “I idea it was a fleck softer at the start until I had a 2d walk together with I’ve realised in that location are about rattling tricky fences out there. At the Lake (fence 9), there’s is a large debate inwards together with genuinely quite hard 120-degree turn. It’s a proper fence, equally it should hold upwardly at this level.
“The course of report is pretty decent all the way round. There’s opened upwardly corners, the Mirage Pond (fence 14) is hard to guess because you’re non sure where you’re going to land, together with at the Shogun Hollow (fence 18) there’s a long distance to the 3rd box which volition create difficulty for horses that observe it hard to conform their strides.”
Badminton has received unprecedented spectator involvement this year, together with ticket sales are most 10% upwardly on in conclusion year, when the lawsuit had to hold upwardly cancelled due to moisture weather. There are 84 horses inwards the plain representing fifteen nations.
Director Hugh Thomas, who says his cross-country course of report is “the strongest it’s been for a while” said of the line-up: ”For those of us who ask maintain been involved inwards the sport for a long time, to ask maintain Fox-Pitt versus Nicholson versus Jung is a tasty dish. However, the reality is that in that location are genuinely most fifteen combinations hither who could win.”
Reporting: Kate Green; Badminton Horse Trials; Colin McLelland.
Results later start 24-hour interval of Dressage
1 Christopher Burton/Holstein Park Leilani (AUS) 43.0
2 Sam Griffiths/Happy Times (AUS) 43.3
3 Andrew Nicholson/Avebury (NZL) 45.0
4= William Fox-Pitt/Oslo (GBR) 45.8
4= Aoife Clark/Master Crusoe (IRL) 45.8
6 Michael Jung/Leopin FST (GER) 46.5
7= Mary King/Imperial Cavalier (GBR) 47.3
7= Vittoria Panizzon/Borough Pennyz (ITA) 47.3
7= Lucy Wiegersma/Simon Porloe (GBR) 47.3
10 Kai Ruder/Les Prince des Bois (GER) 47.8
Images below © Mike Bain
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