The best place to watch from on a cold and windy day ...........
One of the joys of attending big events is getting back together with friends in the media centre. Even on a freezing cold day with icy blasts rocketing down the runway in front of Badminton House, certain members of the media can always be counted on to warm the cockles of your heart with well timed and dry comments (as opposed to wet comments when it’s raining). A good giggle certainly helps when you are so cold that your fingers keep taking photographs by mistake but a borrowed beanie is seventh heaven, regardless of how you look.
Today was certainly not a day for flimsy dresses at the first horse inspection and even Christian Landolt, the President of the Ground Jury who we normally see in the smartest of shorts in Adelaide, was rugged up. A very cold wind, which has been blowing for two days in this part of the world, meant that the dress code was faux fur, boots and coats for the ladies however two of the gentlemen, Paul Tapner and Ben Hobday resolutely sported sunglasses, maybe in hope of attracting some rays in the coming days or more likely as part of their on-trend outfits.
Paul was the first on the runway and set the pace in the fashion stakes with his red trousers (to help him go faster no doubt) and dicky bow. Paul and Kilronan came oh so close to another win here last year and Kilronan looks in great shape again but for Paul’s second horse Indian Mill, this is a whole new experience
Paul was not the only one in red trousers today with Sir Mark Todd joining him to present his two horses; Oloa looked a bit perturbed when his stable mate Leonidas was led away – “Where is he going Dad?” but he soon got the idea. Another New Zealand horse was a little camera shy, not wishing to get too close to the photographers at the end of the runway but Andrew Nicholson gave Calico Joe lots of reassuring pats, telling both the photographers and the horse “I’m a bit like that about cameras too”
Andrew Hoy needed a bit of shush for the talented but tricky Lanfranco’s turn at the end and first timer Nana Dalton’s son almost joined the horses, despite every attempt to keep him on the right side of the barrier. Oblivious to her son Toby’s attempts to join in Nana, who trains with Chris Burton, looked very smart in her black and white outfit down to the very heels on her boots.
Nana Dalton and Absolut Opposition
There were plenty of pairs of white trousers teamed with boots of varying heel heights and fur, fur, fur. Fur collars (Dee Hankey – how does she run like that in those boots?), fur headbands (Caroline Powell), fur capes (Georgie Spence). The least furry thing around were the horses who looked fit, fantastic and raring to go. Three horses were sent to the holding box; Aoife Clark’s Vaguely North, Tom Crisp’s Cooley’s Luxury and Matthew Heath’s The Lion and sadly for Matthew The Lion wasn’t accepted on re-presenting however the other two went forward to the start.
So who did we pick as our best dressed winner? Well, there were plenty of highly commended pieces; Elizabeth Power’s pork pie hat, Bettina Hoy’s new hair-do, Tina Cook’s hat which almost stayed on throughout causing the commentator to note “De Novo News accepted without the hat”, Tim Lips’ suit and Ingrid Klimke’s smile but two ladies in smart coats really took our fancy.
Both Gemma Tattersall and Emily Llewellyn were wearing very smart blue coats and the thing about well fitting coats is that they look great from both front and back. The two girls looked great, warm and could run in their boots – top marks girls
The girls in blue - Gemma (above) and Emily (below)
So as the event is about to kick off, what did Paul Tapner, Sam Griffiths and William Fox-Pitt have to say about this year’s Badminton?
Paul Tapner
And for those less interested in the first horse inspection than shopping the trade stands were already doing a roaring trade
