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Paul Tapner said in the end of day press conference that he had never been so relaxed doing his dressage test at a major championship before as he’d already decided that the dressage mark wasn’t going to have much significance on the final result.
All of the riders seem to have their focus on the challenges of new cross course and the impact of the weather on the final result. Still, it’s not a bad thing to be in the lead after the first day of dressage!
Paul and Kilronan enjoying the ride Photo: Mitsubishi Motors/Kit Houghton
Paul , riding Fred and Penny Barker’s 13 year old grey Irish Sport Horse gelding Kilronan, was the last rider before tea in the afternoon and the rain started to come down as he entered the arena but that didn’t faze the boy born in NSW but who has called England home for many years
“I love it! I came to this country for a reason” he said, adding that the rain reminds him of when he won in 2010, so “Bring on the rain!”
Paul Tapner interview
They produced a very well ridden test with great impulsion, a relaxed, swinging trot and the horse looked very rideable and obedient. Radio Badminton and dressage Olympic gold medallist Carl Hester was most impressed by the test and the fact that Paul was willing to take risks by riding to the maximum – high praise indeed! There were 8’s and 9’s throughout the test so, not surprisingly Paul was very happy with Kilronan and said that half way round he started to really enjoy himself. One of the most competitive riders on the circuit, Paul had a target to beat (and an Easy Target at that – sorry for the terrible pun!) in Francis Whittington’s score of 36.2 from earlier in the day and he went for it
“When Francis had a 36.2 test, I thought ‘I know I can beat that!” and he did, by just 0.2 of a penalty, delighted to finally break the 40 barrier in a 4* test after a lot of work in this phase over the past year.
Francis Whittington and Easy Target Photo: Mitsubishi Motors/Kit Houghton
Francis too has been working hard on his dressage and it showed in his improvement from 31st at Badminton on Easy Target last year, achieving a 15-mark improvement in 12 months. “The big thing is that over this winter I’ve been learning to ride again,” he explained. “We knew ‘Smokey’ had the movement and could do it.
“But it was really the warm-up which made the difference. Ian Woodhead, who trains me, worked out exactly how long it would take to get to the arena, and we timed everything to perfection.”
But Francis has been in this position before and knows that things may change dramatically on Saturday. Lucinda Fredericks, currently in third place on Flying Finish (below) with a score of 39 says that it’s a true 4* course and the ground conditions are going to make it even tougher.
The rain was coming in sideways during some of Lucinda’s test however Flying Finish stayed obedient throughout the test. She scored consistent 7’s and 8’s throughout with 8’s for the halt, salute and medium paces and some 9’s towards the end thanks to some a consistent and powerfully ridden test which scored Lucinda a 9,8 and a 9 for her riding from the judges
Sir Mark Todd went early in the day on NZB Campino (below) and they led for a while on a score of 40.5 but finished the day in fourth spot. The master rider piloted the bay gelding by Contendro through a test that started well with good rhythm in the medium and flowing shoulder in but there were a few mistakes towards the end. 9’s for half pass and 8’s and 9’s for riding. With three distinct errors that affected his score, it shows how good the first part of the test and his riding was!
“It was nearly very well done,” he said. “In the trot he was working really well. Normally his canter work is the best part but we made a couple of big mistakes which were expensive. When things like that happen, you have to put them behind you and get on with it. You can’t let that spoil the rest of the test. Overall I was very pleased with him.”
There are two other New Zealand riders currently in the top 10; Neil Spratt and Upleadon with 44.2 penalties and Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo on 44.7. Andrew too was very happy with the calmness of his horse in the big atmosphere “He went into the arena just like he does at a small one day event,” he said.
British star Pippa Funnell was third rider out on Billy Beware (above) and her early good score of 42.3 kept her up with the boys in fifth place at the end of the day. Pippa was ‘really chuffed’ with the horse ‘bred to jump big jumps’ doing his first 4* dressage test here and Pippa explained to the press why she feels that Billy is up to the big task ahead in this video by Sam Clark
Another British rider Carolyne Ryan-Bell on Rathmoyle King is in eighth place (46.8) and Frenchman Pascal Leroy on Minos de Petra is in ninth (47.3) while Australia’s Bill Levett takes tenth place on Silk Stone (below) with a score of 47.8
Bill said he had worked the horse quite a lot in the morning due to the horse’s high level of fitness and it’s always hard to find the right balance “I thought he was going to be a little sharp but he didn’t buzz up. There were no major mishaps but he was a bit flat if anything”
However with three 8’s for the canter extension, Bill really went for it and the pair produced some lovely neat flying changes. Tomorrow he rides his other Normandy Squad horse Shannondale Titan
Nat Blundell (above) has come a long way for her Badminton debut as she tells FEITV below but Algebra performed well with his ears forward, listening and quite relaxed despite the weather and atmosphere. The rain was coming down hard during the test which produced one of the better walk pirouettes of the day and, although there is room for improvement, it shows that Nat has been working hard with Andrew Hoy in this phase recently and they scored 49.8 to be in 14th place
Wendy Schaeffer and the long striding Koyuna Sun Dancer (above) produced a test with good rhythm, an even striding walk and bold extended canter that scored good solid 7’s throughout until the last few flying changes which dropped the marks down. They finished in 31st on 57.3 but the cross country will be where they hopefully will shine
The dressage is not the favourite phase for the two other Australian horses competing here on the first day but Emma Dougall did a very good job to pick up every mark she could on the very fit looking Kelecyn Ice Age (above) who finished in 38th on 64.8. They broke in the extended trot but looked nice when the ears were pricked forward and Kelecyn Ice Age was a bit more settled but unfortunately the rain had an effect and caused him to go behind the vertical at times.
USA based Australian Peter Atkins and the popular Henry Jota Hampton (above) are contesting their first Badminton and are probably glad to have the wet dressage day behind them! They had some difficulties in the canter to finish in 36th place on a score of 62.2 and now look forward to a ‘Run Henny Run’ around the tough cross country course
First there is another day of dressage ahead with some very fancy combinations coming up, including Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo, Andrew Nicholson on Nereo and William Fox-Pitt on Parklane Hawk. But if there ever was an event when the phrase ‘this isn’t a dressage competition’ was apt, this is it, especially with a wet day forecast for Saturday
