Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo may be on their way to a record third MARS Badminton Horse Trials win. All that’s in the way is Sunday’s show jumping course, after they put in a stellar double-clear cross-country trip Saturday to keep their lead from dressage on 23.7 penalties.
“He’s just an absolute legend, isn’t he?” Ros said of her mount, best known as Walter.
“He lets me ride how I need to ride,” said Ros, who is a legend herself when you consider she had a baby less than four months ago and is still breast-feeding.
“He gives himself every chance to play the game,” Ros continued, rhapsodizing about her horse. She admitted as she came to the final cross-country fence, she thought, “Please don’t mess it up.”
A European Championships gold medalist and Olympic team gold medalist, Ros had extra pressure trying to make the time.
Until Badminton, “I haven’t been fast yet properly this year,” she said. While that is understandable, considering that she’d been so involved being a mother to baby daughter Seneh, she was able to meet the challenge of the clock with the assistance of her equine partner. In fact, she was 13 seconds under the optimum time on Eric Winter’s course.
What a treat it would be, and how fitting, if she were to win her third Badminton with Walter on Mothers Day! Actually, in the United Kingdom , the equivalent of the USA’s Mothers Day is called Mothering Sunday, and it was celebrated in March. But you can bet there will be a celebration if Ros wins this Sunday.
Ros Canter and Walter doing their dressage test.
Ros is 6.6 penalties ahead of world number one, her compatriot, Harry Meade, on Annaghmore Valoner, whose double clear moved him up from eleventh after dressage. Harry bounced back after being eliminated with Cavalier Crystal for a fall.
The all-British top four has Sarah Bullimore in third with Corimiro (32.1) and 1.2 penalties in front of Katie Magee and Treworra (33.3).
Just seven combinations in the 49-horse field were double-clear, with eight entries retiring on cross-country and six eliminated.
Things did not go so well for the U.S. riders. Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl dropped from second after dressage to forty-fifth in the 59-horse field, standing last of those who finished cross-country. She had 42 jumping penalties and 25.6 time after her mare tripped going up the bank at 18AB, the LeMieux Village, and then stopped at the house element. The 2024 Badminton winner, Caroline Powell of New Zealand with Greenacres Special Cavalier, also had a problem at that obstacle and retired.
The top American is now Cosby Green, in twenty-ninth place with Jos UFO De Quidam, having only 13.6 time penalties added to her dressage score of 34.9 penalties, moving her up from thirty-fifth at her second Badminton.
“His whole heart was out there,” Cosby said of her horse.
“I couldn’t be happier with him.”
At the infamous Vicarage Vee, she noted cheerfully, “He was way braver than I was.”
Cosby added, “I think I had my eyes closed. By the time I opened them, we were over the last jump.”
No other Americans finished.
Grace Taylor retired Game Changer on course, while Cassie Sanger and Refield Fyre were eliminated for a fall in the water at the multi-part Sustainability Bay combination. Cassie, 21, was the youngest rider in the competition this year.
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