Sam Watson: Impressions On The Dressage Scoring

Jakarta Managed A Perfect 10

Dressage over and what a display! Six combinations in the thirties, another twenty seven in the forties, and only thirteen competitors with a score of 60 or higher. That’s impressive and a seriously high standard. Welcome to the World’s top event. The judging was the best I’ve ever seen on the international stage. As usual there was the odd discrepancy with 4’s and 7’s appearing for individual movements but that happens and will continue to do so until eventing also has a ‘video referee’! I say that with tongue in cheek, but I was genuinely impressed with the consistent percentages from top to bottom across the three judges. Every single horse in the top ten scored higher than 70% from each judge. That reflects consistency of both performance and judging and was a pure delight to watch. But now the dressage is over and the intricate details have already been forgotten. Why? Because there’s a bigger fish to fry. It’s called cross country….

Badminton 2011 | End Of Dressage Press Conference

Sam Watson Reflects On Day One Of Dressage

Laura Collett Is Delighted After Her Dressage Test

At the end of day one the riders at last have a leaderboard, or at least half a leaderboard to focus their sights on. For the riders that have been today their fate in the dressage phase has been decided. Those who have underperformed will have to muster a lot of mental strength to get over one disappointment and refocus for the next two disciplines. You can’t afford to head out on cross country day with your tail between your legs, or things will only get worse! For others it’s job done, time to pack away the dressage saddle and start concentrating on Sunday’s big test. And for the early leaders, every fence on that notorious course has just grown 10inches taller. With success comes pressure, some thrive on it and others just don’t.

Youngest rider heads the field after first day of dressage

Laura Collett, the youngest rider in the field, heads the leaderboard at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials after the first day of dressage.

Badminton 2010 Post Dressage Press Conference

Here's a short video of the post Dressage Press Conference with Ruth Edge, Kai Ruder and Tina Cook.

Kai Rüder maintains pole position going into Sunday's Cross Country

Kai Rüder has maintained his pole position at the end of the dressage phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. The German rider and his stallion, Le Prince Des Bois, hold a 5.2-penalty lead over Ruth Edge and Two Thyme.

Ruth may well be thanking her lucky stars for an early draw tomorrow as rain has been pelting down on Badminton park since lunchtime today.

But Ruth said: “The ground has been so well prepared that it will take more rain. Even so, I’m glad to be going early on.”

Kai Ruder revealed that he won’t be playing safe because of the weather; he has his sights very much focused on taking home the Mitsubishi Motors trophy despite this being his first attempt.

“My horse is strong so he shouldn’t be affected by the rain. My plan at the moment is to take all the straight routes,” he said.

Le Prince Des Bois is certainly bred in the purple for the job. He is by Yarlands Summersong, the ride of Marie Christine Duroy, who was eighth here in 1985.

Tina Cook and Miners Frolic lay poised in third on a score of 41.7. Tina blamed herself for a few lapses in concentration which prevented her from breaking the 40-barrier.

She said: “To get in the 30s I have to press all the right buttons and I missed a beat with the first flying change, which I’m cross with myself about.”

Tina thinks that tomorrow’s proceedings could be dictated by the weather.

She said: “If it keeps raining like it is now then I think that the ground in front of some of the narrow fences could get quite cut up". Tina earmarked the Quarry (fences 3 to 6) as a potential problem area on the course. “I’ve never jumped a fence like the log at the bottom of the quarry before. It’s a real old-fashioned test and I don’t know how it will ride.”

The first combination, Dan Jocelyn and Special Attorney are due out on course at 11am.

Keep up to date with the action on twitter: http://twitter.com/BHT_Office/badminton-crew

Short Video Message from Kai (auf Deutsch)

Kai Rüder storms into the lead

Rather rashly, we predicted that there might not be much change at the top of the leaderboard during this morning’s dressage at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. How wrong could we be?


Germany’s Kai Rüder and Le Prince Des Bois stormed into the lead with a score of 33.8.

Kai said: “I could feel that he was going well in the warm up; once I got into the arena I just had to sit there and let it happen.”

The pair finished 10th at Burghley last year, but this is their first visit to Badminton.

Francis Whittington has made a miraculous recovery from a meningitis scare at the beginning of April which rendered him hospital-bound until the 16th of this month. His test on Sir Percival III was good enough to go into third place on 42.8.

“I have my sister, Bryony, and my support team at home to thank for keeping Percy fit,” said Francis, who will need to have his wits about him tomorrow to keep Percy focused on the job.

“I’ll need to concentrate from fence 1 to fence 31 as you never quite know what surprise he’s going to throw at you,” said Francis, in reference to the gelding’s faux pas at Burghley last year when Percy jammed on the anchors at a relatively innocuous fence.

There were smiles all round when Piggy French managed to contain an exuberant Some Day Soon to post a score of 44.7, which puts her currently in equal seventh with Mary King and Imperial Cavalier.

“We have been working him since 5am this morning,” said Piggy.

Among those congratulating Piggy was Oliver Townend, who looks to have made a good recovery from his horrific fall at last week’s Rolex Kentucky three-day event, which left him with a broken shoulder, collarbone and two cracked ribs.

“Obviously I would have preferred to be riding here, but I’ve got a 21-day ban and I’m in no rush to get back in the saddle,” he said. “I’ve got two good boys at home – Waylon Roberts and Steven Smith – who will do a very good job keeping the horses fit.”

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on current European Champion Tina Cook and Miners Frolic when they perform their test at 2pm.

Listen to the Audio Interview with Kai.

Keep up to date with all the latest gossip on twitter: http://twitter.com/BHT_Office/badminton-crew

Ruth Edge Leads After Day One

Ruth Edge leads after the first day of dressage at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. A typically polished first phase performance with Phil and Maureen Smith’s Two Thyme earned the current British open champion a score of 39 – the only sub-40 mark of the day.


Two Thyme, who is now 16, has been carefully prepared for Badminton this year.

Ruth said: “He’s had a few soundness issues since Luhmuhlen [where he won in 2008], which ruled him out of the Hong Kong Olympics, but by giving him little holidays in between competitions he has stayed fit and well. Badminton has been his specific target for this season and he is on great form.”

Kitty King (née Boggis), who was the last rider of the day into the arena, inched her way into second place by virtue of an energetic and uphill test with the 14-year-old black gelding, Boondoggle, with a score of 44.3.

“When I first started riding him two years ago he was quite green on the flat, but now he’s more relaxed and his paces are starting to swing.”

Mary King and Imperial Cavalier are lying third on a score of 44.8.

“Unfortunately the loud speakers crackled and banged just as we came into the arena, so his test was a little bit tense to start with,” said Mary, for whom this is a 19th visit to Badminton.

“I’m just as excited now as I was back then,” she said.

Tomorrow’s dressage gets underway at 9.20am, when vet James Robinson will be first into the arena with Comanche.

Sharon hopes to set the record straight

All eyes will be on Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town on Sunday as they look to lay last year’s cross-country start box ghosts firmly to rest. The chestnut gelding, who finished fifth here in 2008, planted his feet last time and refused to start, resulting in elimination.

But 32-year-old Sharon, who has recently re-located her string from Suffolk to Kent, has experimented with various tactics over the past 12 months to get Tankers Town back on track.

“I have found that getting on him in the start box works really well,” said Sharon, who won an advanced section at Belton last time out.

The pair has started well at Badminton this year. A supple, accurate test earned them a score of 48.2 and leaves them in 11th place at the end of the first day.