The Mitsubishi Motors
Badminton Horse Trials.
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by Rosemary Cooper
The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2006 proved a triumph for Andrew Hoy, who finally won 27 years after his first attempt, on the near-black thoroughbred Moonfleet. Performing his dressage test late on the second day, he shot into the lead with a score of only 36.5, and later followed this with clear rounds across country and show-jumping. Earlier Ingrid Klimke on Sleep Late had taken the lead with a dressage score of 40.4, but had 2.8 time faults on her otherwise clear cross country score and one fence down in the show-jumping. Although she had been only 0.3 points ahead of Oliver Townend on Flint Curtis, she hung onto second place as Ollie had two show-jumping fences down, so the top three places after the cross country were unchanged in the final result.
Andrew Hoy, who at 47 is the oldest rider ever to have won Badminton, was fresh from his victory at Rolex Kentucky, where he rode Master Monarch, third here at Badminton last year. His Kentucky victory had been rather different because, instead of leading from start to finish, he had a mediocre dressage score but improved to sixth place after a clear round across country, then jumped a clear show-jumping round to win after the five horses in front of him all knocked down fences. Now, if he can win Burghley this year, he will be only the second rider ever to have won the Grand Slam, the first being Pippa Funnel.
Was twenty-seven years a long time to wait to win Badminton,' he was asked. 'It's not long at all,' he replied. 'I should listen to my wife Bettina more. We were riding at Gatcombe when she said: "Moonfleet's going to win Badminton for you." Going into the dressage she said: "He's going to score 36." My performance on Mr Pracatan (three show jumping fences down) was not the best precursor. I asked my support team what I did wrong and was told: "Nothing. Just focus on your next ride." So that's what I did. If I ride Moonfleet well, he will jump clear.' Asked if it takes the pressure off him when other people make mistakes, he replied: 'I never know how it will be. I just have to ride my personal best.'
Asked about the cross country course, he said it was longer and more undulating that the Kentucky course. He had decided to take some of the longer routes when walking the course on Saturday morning, but he had to ride good distances and be quick at the fences to get the time. 'It might look easy but it's not.'
Moonfleet, who won Burghley with Andrew in 2004, is bred for steeplechasing. He is a fifteen-year-old by Strong Gale, and raced twice, but was not fast enough. Being a good mover, he went into eventing and started in Ireland before coming to the Hoys. He is now owned by Andrew and Sue Magnier, who also part-owns George Washington, winner of the 2000 Guineas the same weekend.
Andrew also finished fifteenth on the fourteen-year-old Mr Pracatan, who has sixth last year both here and at Burghley. They had lain equal ninth after dressage and had climbed to sixth place after a clear round across country until their show-jumping round spoiled their chances of a repeat performance.
'I have four completely different horses,' said Andrew. 'Black and white; that's the difference between Moonfleet and Mr Pracatan.
Second-placed Ingrid Klimke was bronze medallist at Blenheim, but was riding at Badminton for the first time at the age of 38. Her little daughter Greta was with her.
'In the past I thought Badminton was definitely not for me,' she commented, 'but now I am very thrilled. There was cheering and clapping at every fence. There is so much friendliness here, because there is always someone smiling or applauding.'
Her horse, Sleep Late, is a grey thoroughbred out of Fast Asleep, the sister of Wide Awake, who won here with Lucinda Green in 1976.
'He was picked as a star at Sydney.' said Ingrid. I'm thrilled with him, but this is the highlight. The cross country was wonderful. Fence after fence went to plan, but it was not easier than I thought. At fence 27 I had a big smile on my face because three quarters of the curse was behind me.'
'The dressage standard had improved. Sleep Late can turn very softly and come back very quickly. Dressage training works in cross country.'
Twenty-three-year old Oliver Townend was twelfth here at his first attempt last year with Topping, a thirteen-year-old chestnut gelding who completed here again. His new ride, the grey Flint Curtis lay fifth after dressage, but a clear round across country raised him to third place. After a succession of horses had show-jumping faults, he was able to keep third place in spite of two errors.
'Andrew did his first Badminton four years before I was born,' said Oliver. Both my horses are brilliant, and I am very lucky to be on them so early in my career. I hope the selectors have had their eyes opened.'
'I've had Flint Curtis for three or four months. He's done one one-star event, one two-star, one three-star, and one four-star. He can only improve on his Badminton performance, because if he can put up with the crowds and fences here, he can put up with them anywhere. He will have a break for a little while, then we will have a discussion with Yogi Breisner, (the team manager), since he's done better than expected.'
'I was concerned he would leave a leg from inexperience. Something takes his eye and he forgets to bend one leg, which is why I gave a quad bike rider with a camera an earful on the way to the pond. He was right in front of me.'
'With the long format there was not the same need to warm the horses up, but now I've finished, I think the short format is a good thing.'
Jeanette Brakewell rode the eighteen-year-old chestnut Over To You, who has completed five previous Badmintons and shows no sign of his age. Although he went clear across country, a dressage score of 52.0 had put him in twelfth place. After he jumped a clear show-jumping round, the horses who followed had faults, so after each round he rose another place until he finished fourth. James Robinson and Comanche had a similar experience. Time faults across country had put them one place behind Over To You, but after they had show-jumped clear, as horse after horse rolled poles and Over To You rose up the placings, so did Comanche, one place behind to finish fifth.
Sharon Hunt and her chestnut three-quarter thoroughbred Tankers Town, part-owned with her parents, was the most successful owner-rider, finishing sixth, with a clear round across country. However they were one of the combinations to incur show-jumping faults when Over To You and Comanche were climbing up the placings, and added four faults to their dressage score of 49.6. Lucy Wiegersma on Shaabrak put up a very similar performance to finish seventh, being just 0.2 points behind Tankers Town after dressage. This was Lucy's first time here and she also rode In The Purple, who finished 20th. Daisy Dick on the wonderfully-named Spring Along, whom she part-owns with her mother, scored 49.8 in the dressage, but had 0.4 time faults across country. She was also overtaken by Over To You and Comanche when she had four show-jumping faults, which left her in eighth place, the same as last year.
Ninth was William Fox-Pitt and Ballincoola, the last to go in the dressage and across country, where they went clear. They had one show-jumping fence down to add to a dressage score of 50.7. William's other ride, the charismatic Tamarillo, who won here in 2004 and was part of the gold medal-winning British team at Blenheim last September, was withdrawn after he finished equal fifteenth in dressage, to save him for Aachen.
Over To You and Comanche also overtook Lord Killinghurst, with Andrew Nicholson from New Zealand, fourth here last year, but this time lying eleventh until they hit two show-jumping poles, which dropped them to fourteenth place.
Early in the dressage Ruth Edge and Two Thyme, winners at Gatcombe in 2004, went into the lead with a score of 40.6, not passed until Ingrid Klimke and Sleep Late did their test. Only just behind was Terry Boon and Foreign Exchange. Two Thyme and Foreign Exchange finished the dressage section in third and fourth place, but Two Thyme collected time faults across country, plus eight show-jumping faults to finish eleventh, while Foreign Exchange lay in fourth place after cross country, but unfortunately had to be withdrawn, having knocked himself.
This was the first short format Badminton, with competitors going straight to the cross country. Three fences were straightforward, but the fourth, the Discover Ireland Quarry, two fences with a turn between them and a drop on landing, claimed one victim, Tommy Pink.
The course caused fewer problems than expected. Most trouble occurred at the Vicarage Vee and the Shogun Hollow, where four competitors ran into trouble at each. The fast route over the Vicarage Vee involved jumping rails and a ditch that were set at angles, making it difficult to judge the take-off point, with a longer alternative of taking the ditch first and the rails afterwards. Spin Doctor and Francis Whittington misjudged the fast route, with Francis falling into the ditch, after which he retired. Karin Donckers fell off Gormley and broke her wrist. Clare Chamberlayne and Astronave were eliminated for three refusals, and Nick Gauntlett and Arthurs Word retired after two refusals.
The Shogun Hollow was a coffin, little changed from last year. The left hand route had a take-off and landing on sloping ground, while the slow right hand option involved an extra fence before a detour round a barrier to a level take-off and landing that allowed an extra stride to the ditch and to the last element.
Ginger Charlie and Political Mandate refused here, while Helen Wilson fell off Tip Top Tiger. 57-year-old Eddy Stibbe and Dusky Moon had two refusals here, and Eddy fell off and retired.
The lake caused less trouble than expected. The direct route involved a bounce into water over rails and a brush fence, then a short turn in the water followed by two brush fences at angles to each other. A decorative wooden dolphin made the route into deep water look less attractive to the horses. The longer route involved turns in order to avoid the bounce. Two New Zealand horses, Fig Jam and Lenamore, had problems here, while the Irish horse Cool Kiwi refused. Tommy Pink refused twice and retired, Sarra Mayberry having already fallen off at the quarry.
For some years the Hunt Kennels have been two formidable triangular tables, which involve a big spread even when jumped almost at the point of the triangle. They were in their last year, because the riders have found the key to jumping them, until it was decided to add a third kennel, just as big. The S bend involved in the straight route made this appear to be the most demanding fence on the course, but in fact only two horses, Harry and Two Tone Tyrone, refused.
The Countryside Close claimed three victims. It began with a choice of log cabins, beautifully decorated as Wendy houses with hanging baskets on the landing side, followed by two big curved brush fences. The direct route involved jumping them right next to the flags, where running out was a possibility. On the slower route the tops of the fences were trimmed to allow a wing either side of the point of jumping. Dusky Moon refused and Karl d'Cymbeline fell, so was eliminated. The complex ended with a gate out of the wood, where Caroline Moore fell off
Don Giovanni II.
There were four other incidents across country. The Outlander Tree Trunks were very close together, with the second log so far to the right of the first that they had to be jumped at an acute angle. This year there was no slow option as in previous years. Glenburny du Leou and Pascal Leroy ran out at the second element.
The kennels were followed by Mike Weaver's Haycart, a square fence consisting of an old-fashioned farm waggon with its racks set at 45 degrees to act as wings. This caught out Pippa Funnel and Ensign, who fell dramatically and were eliminated.
The final element of the Rolex Treble was an extremely narrow log, sloped downwards from a tree on the right to the flag on the left, and closely following a triple bar, a steep downhill slope, and a trakehner. Like many fences at this standard, it had no wing at all and seemed to invite a run-out, but only the French horse, Harry, had a problem.
The only other horse to run into difficulties was The Busker, who retired at the Shooting Butt, a brush of maximum height and spread.
So twenty fences were jumped without incident.
'It was long, with many fences, but not too high,' said Ingrid Klimke. 'It was plenty big enough and far too long,' added Oliver Townend.
On the final day the parade of competitors preceded the climax of the show-jumping, with the Duke of Beaufort's hounds circling the ring to enthusiastic applause before the presentation.
RESULTS.
1, Moonfleet & Andrew Hoy (AUS), 36.5 penalties;
2, Sleep Late & Ingrid Klimke (GER), 47.2 penalties;
3 & Best British rider, Flint Curtis & Oliver Townend, 51.5 penalties;
4, Over
To You & Jeanette Brakewell, 52.0 penalties;
5, Comanche & James Robinson, 52.2 penalties;
6 & Best rider on
own horse, Tankers Town & Sharon Hunt, 53.6 penalties;
7, Shaabrak & Lucy Wiegersma, 53.8 penalties;
8, Spring Along & Daisy Dick, 53.8 penalties;
9, Ballincoola & William Fox-Pitt, 54.7
penalties;
10, Snip & Joe Meyer (NZL), 54.9 penalties;
11, Two Thyme & Ruth Edge, 56.2 penalties;
12, Ballys Geronimo & Viktoria Carlerback (SWE), 58.4 penalties;
13, FRH Little Lemon & Andreas Dibowski (GER), 58.8 penalties;
14, Lord Killinghurst & Andrew Nicholson (NZL), 59.1 penalties;
15, Mr Pracatan & Andrew
Hoy (AUS), 61.1 penalties;
16, Hope Street & Daisy Dick, 62.1 penalties;
17, WP In Limbo & Clayton Fredericks (AUS), 63.1 penalties;
18, Cashel Bay & Mary King, 64.1 penalties;
19, Who's Blitz & Dag Albert (SWE), 65.7 penalties;
20, In The Purple & Lucy Wiegersma, 65.7 penalties;