Three horses out of Badminton Horse Trials 2025 at first trot-up – including Paris Olympic medallist

The 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials field was thinned by three at the first trot-up, with Paris 2024 Olympic individual medallist Shadow Man among those out of the competition.

A full field of 85 came before the Badminton ground jury of Xavier Le Sauce, Nick Burton and Robert Stevenson at this afternoon’s (7 May) veterinary inspection, and 82 will go forwards to the first phase.

Shadow Man won silver in Paris last summer with Australia’s Christopher Burton and returned to regular rider Ben Hobday ahead of an autumn campaign that included finishing 12th at Pau CCI5*. The 15-year-old gelding, who is owned by Ben and his father Stephen, was withdrawn from the holding box.

E.A.R.L. Haras Des Châteaux’s Viens Du Mont, who finished 11th here in 2023 with French rider Luc Château, and Spano De Nazca, with whom Britain’s Georgia Bartlett claimed the best under-25 prize last year, were both sent to the holding box, but were not accepted on re-inspection.

British-based US rider Grace Taylor’s Badminton Horse Trials entry Game Changer, owned by Grace’s mother Ann, was also held, before being given the nod of approval on re-presentation.

The addition in recent years of Wednesday shopping, as well as the LeMieux Grassroots Championships, which finished shortly before the first trot-up for the CCI5* Badminton Horse Trials competitors, gives added buzz to the atmosphere on this day at Badminton.

Big crowds gathered in the warm May afternoon sunshine and many of these super-fit five-star horses were on their toes.

Tom Rowland’s established campaigner Dreamliner, owned by breeders Mark and Angela Chamberlayne, cantered back towards the ground jury and was asked to trot again.

Oliver Townend’s 18-year-old four-time CCI5*-winning partner Ballaghmor Class, who is owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan, looked particularly fresh. So too did David Doel’s ride Galileo Nieuwmoed, who he owns with Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas and who was runner-up to Ballaghmor Class at Burghley in 2023.

Britain’s Kirsty Chabert and Classic IV will be the first combination between the white boards on the opening day of dressage (Thursday, 8 May) at 9am.

How to watch Badminton Horse Trials

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