British rider Bubby Upton was emotional at finding herself the early leader after the first morning of dressage as, last year, she suffered a serious fall at home, breaking several vertebrae.
‘If you had told me seven months ago that I would be here at Badminton, I wouldn’t have believed it after what we have been through,’ she said tearfully, after scoring 27.3 on Cola (pictured).
Bubby has faced months of rehabilitation, working with the Injured Jockeys Fund. ‘Subconsciously, I always wanted to be at Badminton but, at first, I was learning to walk. When I started riding, at the start of the year, I kept falling off at the side, and my first jump was very painful. I just kept pushing and dreaming, but when I’m doing what I love, the pain goes away.’
Boyd Martin, the world number three from the USA, was in second place at lunchtime with a score of 29.0 on the experienced Tsetserleg. Amazingly, the world silver medallist and Olympian, who like New Zealander Tim Price, has started at all the world’s seven five-star competitions, has never completed Badminton before.
‘I am thrilled with the horse – he looked like a champion,’ said Boyd. ‘I feel we’re in with a chance now. I don’t want to just complete – I want go get in and get stuck in. I love five-stars – it’s what keeps me motivated.’
After the first morning of dressage Britain’s Georgie Goss was in third place on Feloupe (30.6) and first-timer Max Warburton fourth on Monbeg Exclusive (31.7).