What a contrast from 2023! The sun shone down on the first day of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials dressage phase, and spectators were treated not only to blue skies but hot competition.
At the end of day one, scores are tightly bunched, with the top 10 covered by just over six penalties. There were only three scores under 30, with a Brit and two Americans in this trio.
Bubby Upton holds the lead after the first 35 riders, on Cola – a remarkable achievement given Bubby’s career-threatening injury last year.
US raider Boyd Martin is lying second on the 17-year-old Tsetserleg TSF, as he bids for his first Badminton completion.
Another American, Tiana Coudray, produced a fantastic performance from her mare Cancaras Girl to take third place at this stage.
There was a disappointment for two-time Badminton winner Pippa Funnell, when her experienced partner Majas Hope found the whole occasion far too exciting.
William Fox-Pitt slotted into fourth on Grafennacht. The rider is bidding for his 25th completion at Badminton and third win.
This time last year Aussie rider Sammi Birch was pregnant; today her baby daughter was watching on as she performed her dressage.
If Boyd Martin completes Badminton, he will join Tim Price in holding the full set of the world’s seven five-stars
Irish rider Sarah Ennis was relieved to get the dressage done and dusted on her cross-country specialist.
It wasn’t only about the dressage today – sartorial details also had their place.
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Bubby Upton riding Cola during the dressage phase of the 2024 Mars Badminton Horse Trials.
Credit: Peter Nixon
Bubby Upton riding Magic Roundabout IV at Bramham 2023.
Credit: Peter Nixon
Fence 13: The KBIS Broken Bridge on the 2024 Mars Badminton cross-country course.
Credit: Gemma Redrup
Emily King picks out a light blue outfit to trot up Valmy Biats, owned by her father David and the Valmy Biats Syndicate.
Credit: Peter Nixon
H&H features editor
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
2024-05-09 17:52:35
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