Great Britain’s great horse and rider combination, Lordships Graffalo and Ros Canter, held their lead from dressage through cross-country and Sunday’s show jumping at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials, adding a mere two time penalties to their original score of 23.7. They became the sole combination to have won the event three times, also logging victories in 2023 and 2025.
“Amazing “is the only word to describe it in the long history of Badminton, which began in 1949.
The winner in the iconic Badminton setting.
Ros and the 14-year-old son of Grafenstolz finished 8.2 penalties ahead of New Zealand’s Tim Price and Falco, who had put in a fault-free show jumping round to move up from a fifth-place tie after cross-country. The scoring differential meant Ros could have had two knockdowns in the final phase. But of course, Walter, as her British Sport Horse is called affectionately, didn’t consider toppling a rail on the route set by Kelvin Bywater.
“He jumped his socks off in there today,” said Ros.
Ros and Waler had the crowd with them as they delivered a round free of jumping penalties.
“I knew my plan and can’t thank everybody enough for all they put in to help me . It takes an army to do this. People say, `You’ve trained him well,’ ” but she insisted, “he really does make my life easy. He loves it and looks and feels a million dollars.”
A knockdown and 0.8 time penalties dropped another British rider, world number one Harry Meade, from second to third with Annaghmor Valoner. He still is waiting to win his first 5-star.
Harry called Ros and Walter winning Badminton three times “staggering. It doesn’t happen in our sport.” Especially considering that it’s less than four months since Ros gave birth to her daughter, Seneh — and was pregnant when she won Burghley last September.
On Mother’s Day (in the U.S., but not the UK) Harry pointed out the fact that “she’s a recent mother and she’s done it with all the excitement and challenges and family life that go with it, it’s outstanding.”
As Harry mentioned, “it is so difficult to get a horse to the start line,” noting from those who were prospects last December, “30 to 50 percent don’t even reach there.
So then, “To go through the whole week and just deliver not only well enough to win, but do it in the style every single time, it doesn’t just happen.”
While “Ros is always wonderful at crediting Walter,” Harry continued, “her technical capability and coolness under pressure means their achievement will stand the test of time, not just for Walter, but for her as an extraordinary achievement.”
Tim, who is still recovering from a broken shoulder he suffered in a fall off a bicycle earlier this spring, called Falco “a fantastic little horse. It’s all about his head and his heart. If he’s enjoying himself he gives me everything he’s got to give.”
To start on Eric Winter’s cross-country course on a Badminton first-timer 17-year-old slight make-believe event horse was a little bit nerve-wracking. He just dealt with the course so well. It was such a joy.”
Ros still is processing the fact that she and Walter achieved a three-peat. Once she can get her mind around it, she said, “It will be incredible.”
But Ros had a word of encouragement for aspiring eventers who don’t think they can reach their own pinnacle. She recollected when she was starting out in the juniors, “I really wasn’t very good.”
At the national championships, she was second going into show jumping, but so nervous there, “I couldn’t cope with pressure. at all” and sank to the bottom of the standings after a wipe-out in the triple combination.
This horsewoman has come a long way, but the lesson she wanted to impart is that “you can learn to be good under pressure. It’s not just about learning to ride well, it’s all the other things that go with it.” So for those who are following a dream to compete and win, she advised, “it is possible.”
Cosby Green was the top American in the standings, finishing twenty-second with no jumping faults and just 0.4 time penalties on Jos UFO de Quidam.
The only other U.S. rider to complete the event from four American starters was Tiana Coudray on Cancaras Girl. She had two rails and 1.4 time penalties to wind up fortieth, last of those who finished. But there were plenty who didin’t complete, since the original field numbered 61.
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