Two Days of Dressage Conclude

The prestigious 5* eventing competition, Badminton Horse Trials, has concluded its two days of dressage. The competition is one of the most important in the eventing calendar, attracting top riders from around the world. The leaderboard after dressage is topped by Oliver Townend and his horse Cooley Rosalent, with a total score of 25.3 following their excellent performance in the dressage test.

With dressage counting for 10, the one on the lead after the first day was Oliver Townend with Van de V podcast 21.9.

[Anne Boogman, Horses.nl]

The pair went clear in the show jumping phase and had a brilliant cross-country round, taking the lead after the first day. After dressage, they have extended their lead, with Townend commenting on his horse’s relaxed manner in the dressage ring.

Consistent Performances Throughout the Day

Townend’s fellow countryman Tom McEwen is in second place on.indexwith a score of 29.3. He laid down an excellent test, scoring 77.56% in the dressage phase. He made an’er”;t removal and picked up 9.2 time faults in the show jumping, but had a clear and inside the time cross-country round.

Other Notable Players

• Andrew Nicholson has had a consistent day to finish in third on EUROcommerce Aspen combination, following a dressage score of 29.5 and a clear show jumping round.
• Michael Jung is in fourth place on fischerTrops Chenginese Combination. They scored 28.8 in the dressage and jumped clear but picked up 9.6 time faults in the cross-country.
• Oliver Townend also has another horse in the top 10. He lies in eighth place on Cooley Master Class after scoring 30.3 in the dressage phase. He jumped clear and had 2.8 time faults in the cross-country.

Looking Ahead to the Next Phase

The event continues with the cross-country phase tomorrow. The challenging track, designed by Eric Crocq, contains 40 jumps and is expected to take between 11-12 minutes to complete at the optimal pace. The leaders after dressage will have the advantage of going early in the order, but with a tight pack at the top of the leaderboard, the final results are far from decided.

Challenging Cross-Country Ahead

The cross-country phase tomorrow promises to be the highlight of the event. The track contains several demanding combinations and the water jump, which is always a crowd favorite. The riders will face a tough task to make the time, and with such a close competition at the top, every second could count in the final standings.