Wendy and Koyuna Sun Dancer are heading to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials
The last time that Wendy Schaeffer rode at Badminton was in 1996, the year that she became an Olympic Gold medallist.
At the tender age of 21, Wendy had decided to use the famous Badminton Horse Trials as a part of her preparation for the Olympics, aiming to make the Australian team for Atlanta but she also just harboured the dream of riding at Badminton.
“I wanted to do Badminton because if, for whatever reason, I didn’t get selected for the Games, at least I could say, ‘I’ve done Badminton’” she says in the book An Eventful Life – Life Stories of Eventing Champions
Her Badminton debut almost didn’t come off as her famous little horse Sunburst was suffering from a foot injury in the run-up to the event and had to have four weeks off during which Wendy could only walk and swim him to keep his fitness up. Despite this they only incurred a few time penalties on cross country but an uncharacteristic rail in the show jumping kept them just off the leaders, finishing in 11th place and winning an award for the best-placed first timers
Emily Penney caught up with Wendy at Belton International Horse Trials recently to find out how the preparation for her second Badminton is going, this time from her permanent UK base rather than on a flying visit
Wendy Schaeffer
