5 things not to miss on the second day of Badminton dressage: sub-20 potential, the favourites and rising stars

We’re halfway through the Mars Badminton Horse Trials dressage after an exciting, if chilly, first day. Half the field have done their tests and half are still to take their place between the white boards – there are certainly some on tomorrow’s start list who can muscle their way into the top group or even into pole position.

Read on for a quick rundown of who to keep an eye on as the second part of the action unfolds.

1. The favourites. Badminton’s winners from two years ago, Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, take to the arena at 9.28am and all eyes will be on the Olympic gold medallists, European champions and Burghley winners. Data analystics company EquiRatings give them a huge 36% win chance.

2. Three greys in the final session.  Oliver Townend kicks off the last session of Badminton Horse Trials dressage with last year’s Kentucky Three-Day Event winner Cooley Rosalent, who is a potential contender for the title. Ireland’s Joseph Murphy goes two horses later with Calmaro, who probably won’t excel between the white boards, but is one to keep an eye on as the week progresses. The last grey to go is Dreamliner, seventh here last year with Tom Rowland – and this week’s H&H cover star.

3. Rising stars. The last pair before the morning coffee break are Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry, the 2024 Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-L runners-up, who went on to be 18th at Burghley Horse Trials with a double jumping clear. Max is only 26 and his ride is 11 years old, so they are a young pair and we’re fascinated to see if they can build on Burghley here.

4. Aiming for 10 from 10. Georgie Goss has nine Badminton finishes from nine starts – a record for any rider to proud of – and will aim to complete round 10 this week as she represents Ireland with the smart mare Feloupe. Riders are given an Armada Dish for five completions, so Georgie will earn her second if she manages it. Competitors really value these awards – US-based New Zealander Joe Meyer admitted today that trying to claim a second Armada Dish was part of his motivation for returning to Badminton after 15 years away (he’ll be at nine completions if he finishes this week).

5. The last to go. Tim Price and Vitali were third after dressage here last year – and broke the record score in this phase at Burghley the season before, when he scored 18.7. The first phase certainly won’t be over until the New Zealand pair have their say – could they punch in the only sub-20 mark?

How to watch Badminton Horse Trials

If you want to watch the live action from Badminton Horse Trials from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. This year, Badminton TV has teamed up with ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch Badminton – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £21.99. Go to clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/badminton to subscribe or to activate your account as an existing Badminton TV subscriber. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. As part of Badminton TV, you can enjoy the documentary programme Legends and Legacy, a fly-on-the-wall insight into the 2024 event and preview of 2025.

Enjoy the best of Badminton with Horse & Hound

To ensure you keep up to date with all the breaking news, behind the scenes insight, and the best of the action throughout Badminton Horse Trials with no limits on how much you can read, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website from as little as £1 a week. Sign up now. And don’t miss our bumper 22-page magazine report on Badminton, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comments from top names, in the issue of Horse & Hound dated 15 May.

You may also be interested in: