The Class of 2024. Photo via Badminton Horse Trials.
Here we go ENers, it’s the first day of dressage at the Great British spring 5* offering and I have some BREAKING NEWS for you… It’s not raining. Not even a light drizzle. I can’t promise it’ll stay that way, but the clouds are keeping their moisture under wraps as we get going up the center line and that’s surely worth a huzzah or two.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of this great event, the Badminton estate sure has seen some special and sparkling eventing moments over the past seven decades, and there’ll be more to come this week as a whole bunch of the world’s best horses and riders show up to shine like diamonds as they take part in this iconic event.
Coming up over the next two days we’ll see 69 competitors from eight different nations dressaging ‘til they can’t dressage no more as they make their play in the Main Arena, vying to head out out onto Saturday’s cross country as leader of the pack. The Badminton entry list is always stacked to the brim with the bold, the brave and the super talented and we’re in for a dang ol’ competition – you know it!
Here’s a taste of what we’ve got to look forward to today:
🇺🇲 There are six US combinations in the field, with four taking to the stage today:
💎 World No. 3 and going for a completion in all seven of the world’s 5*s, Boyd Martin will be first up the center line for the Stars and Stripes with Tsetserleg TSF – they go at 9:40am BST / 4:40am ET / 10:40am CEST.
💎 Also in the mix for the States today is Meghan O’Donoghue with eighteen-year-old Thoroughbred Palm Crescent – they go at 12:04am BST / 6:04am ET / 1:04pm CEST.
💎 British-based American Tiana Coudray will have her turn in the Main Arena this afternoon with Cancaras Girl – they go at 3:36pm BST / 10:36am ET / 4:36pm CEST.
💎 And last season’s Pond-hopper Cosby Green will be making her Badminton debut with Copper Beach – they go at 4pm BST / 11am ET / 5pm CEST.
🇨🇦 Jessie Phoenix is the only rider flying the Maple Leaf at this year’s Badminton. She brings Wabbit forward at 2:39pm BST / 9:39am ET / 3:39pm CEST.
🇬🇧 Obviously a huge British contingent has descended on the Badminton estate. Here’s some highlights:
💎 World No. 5 Harry Meade is making history with three Badminton entries this year. He’ll bring Burghley third-placer Cavalier Crystal into the ring first – they go at 9:16am BST / 4:16am ET / 10:16am CEST. Harry’ll be back with us at 4:16pm BST / 11:16am ET / 5:16pm CEST with 5* stalwart Away Cruising.
💎 Everyone’s favorite video game star, three-time Badminton champion, Olympic silver medalist and former European Champion Pippa Funnell has two shots at another win this year; she’ll canter up the center line today with Majas Hope at 9:48am BST / 4:48am ET / 10:48am CEST.
💎 Former World and European Champion and Olympic silver medalist Zara Tindall missed out on Badminton last year as she was busy at her uncle’s Coronation; she’s here this year with Class Affair – they go at 10:48am BST / 5:48am ET / 11:48am CEST.
💎 Two-time British U25 Champion Bubby Upton’s back after a serious injury last year; she comes forward with Cola, who she finished 8th on last season – they go at 10:56am BST / 5:56am ET / 11:56am CEST.
💎 Finish-on-their-dressage specialists David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed were runners-up at Burghley and sixth here last year – they go at 11:48am BST / 6:48am ET / 12:48pm CEST.
💎 Youngest rider in the field for three years running, Alice Casburn brings second generation homebred Topspin forward at 12:12pm BST / 6:12am ET / 1:12pm CEST.
💎 Multi-Olympic, World Championship and European medalist and winner of five of the seven 5*s William Fox-Pitt is here with Maryland runner-up Grafennacht – they go at 3:03pm BST / 10:03am ET / 4:03m CEST.
🇮🇪 Hoping for the luck of the Irish, five horse and rider combinations from the Emerald Isle are joining us for this year’s Badminton. Today we’ll see EquiRatings’ stats geek and World Championships silver medalist Sam Watson with SAP Talisman at 10:24am BST / 5:24am ET / 11:24am CEST; Georgie Goss brings forward 5* first-timer Feloupe at 11:56am BST / 6:56am ET / 12:56pm CEST; and Irish top team member and World Championships silver medalist Sarah Ennis enters the ring with Grantstown Jackson at 2:31pm BST / 9:31am ET / 3:31pm CEST.
🇫🇷 There are five Frenchmen in the field. Having their turn between the white boards today are European medalist and fellow with French flair to spare Gaspard Maksud with one of the smallest and youngest horses in the field Kan-Do 2 – they go at 2:23pm BST / 9:23am ET / 2:23pm CEST; and amateur rider and full-time farrier Florian Ganneval brings Badminton debutant Blue Bird De Beaufour forward at 2:47pm BST / 9:47am ET / 3:47pm CEST.
🇦🇺 Both Aussie Badminton entries will get their campaigns underway today. Adelaide 5* runner-up and third place finisher Sammi Birch will come up the center line with Finduss PB at 11:32am BST / 6:32am ET / 12:32pm CEST; and eventing veteran and World Championships rider Bill Levett brings Huberthus AC forward at 2:15pm BST / 9:13am ET / 3:15pm CEST.
🇳🇿 There are six riders in the Kiwi camp this year, all of whom we’ll see tomorrow, including Olympic medalist and Burghley winner Caroline Powell who has two rides here, so will go today also. She’s second into the ring with 5* first-timer CBI Aldo at 9:08am BST / 4:08am ET / 10:08am CEST.
🇨🇭 Sole Swiss representative, Olympian and birthday boy Luhmuhlen winner, Felix Vogg is here with his World and European Championships partner Cartania – they go at 10:32am BST / 5:32am ET / 11:32am CEST.
Phew! If you were doubting the strength of this field before, I will just say, I informed you thusly.
I clearly couldn’t highlight everyone, even though they’re obviously all awesome, so here’s the full list of entries.
If you’re yearning for even more insight into the combinations who’ll be cantering up the center line as we get the 75th edition of Badminton underway, then you’re in need of EN’s epic Form Guide, which you’ll find right here.
Paving the way for all his fellow Badminton competitors will be Britain’s Tom Jackson with the first of his two rides Farndon – they’ll enter the ring at 9am BST / 4am ET / 10am CEST.
If you want to see when your favorites are going, you’ll find the ride times here.
As you know, here at EN we’re true eventing geeks, happy to wear our fingers down to stumps in order to bring you all the content you can handle. This week, we’ve got you covered with live blogs following every single step the runners and riders take in the dressage, cross country and the finale of the show jumping, and we’ll be wrangling together daily reports from every stage of the competition, cluing you up with a cross country course preview and giving you the low-down on what the riders think of the fences they’ll be facing when they leave the start box on Saturday. Keep it locked on to EN and click here for all of our blood, sweat and tears – go on eventing nerds, you know you want to. As if that isn’t enough, we’ve got great IG content happening too @goeventing.
I’ll be bringing you live updates from the Main Arena throughout the day, so keep this page refreshed, and watch this space! If you’re catching up with this later and are the type to like things in order, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.
With all that said, let’s kick on and get the 75th anniversary edition of MARS Badminton Horse Trials underway.
Let’s get wild with the wonder as our stars shine bright at Badminton, and go eventing!
EN’s coverage of MARS Badminton Horse Trials is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, your go-to source for science-backed nutritional support across all types of horses, disciplines, and needs. Click here to learn more about what KPP can do for your horse — thank you for supporting our wonderful sponsors!
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4am ET
🇬🇧 Tom Jackson and Farndon
Facts and Form:
Horse:
5⭐ form:
2023 – 6th Luhmuhlen (finished on dressage), 20th Pau
⏩ Farndon was brought through 3* by fellow Brit and Badminton competitor Francis Whittington before Tom took to the tack for the 2021 season.
Rider:
Recent 5⭐ form:
Badminton – 5th (23) 16th (22) 35th (19)
Luhmuhlen – 6th (23)
Burghley – 2nd (22)
Pau – 20th (23) 7th (21) 13th & 18th (18)
🏸 form: 5 starts, 4 completions
🤩 Tom trains with Pippa Funnell.
👖 His mom was a dressage rider and his dad’s a farrier.
📋 Finished on their dressage score of 34.9 at Luhmuhlen for 6th place and put down a 33.2 at Pau last season.
First 5* ✅ Finish on dressage score ✅:
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Today’s Test:
This is it ENers! Badminton is here and we’re off up the center line with Tom and Farndon!
Tom dressed for the British springtime in a black overcoat at the Horse Inspection.
The bell’s rung for the first horse and rider of Badminton! They make a beautiful straight entry and have a good, solid halt to start. Farndon’s got his ears pricked and looks to be very ready for Badminton. He’s starting in a really nice balance and rhythm in the trot work and is supple and free moving. He’s got a lovely uphill frame and everything so far looks soft and easy for him. This is a great start.
There’s a bit of a stutter in the transition to walk, but Tom squeezes on. Farndon seemed to think he was halting there and anticipated it. He continues on in a nice enough walk, but as it goes on he gets a little wobbly in the contact, showing his excitement to be there. The halt is very nice and square and the reinback is accurate and Farndon’s very willing. They get a smooth transition into canter.
The first change is clean and the canter work starts off accurately. Tom seems to have to be working a little harder at this point in the test, Farndon’s a little bobbly in the contact – a little tension creeping in perhaps. The stretch canter could have a little more stretch for the higher marks – it scores 7s and a 7.5. The end of his canter work isn’t quite as balanced as the beginning but they finish up with a lovely square halt.
What a lovely start to Badminton 2024. A very clean and solid test that looked to be very much within the horse’s comfort zone. A lovely picture.
Tom Jackson and Farndon score 33.
