It’s hotting up! Badminton dressage leaderboard shaken up with just 10 penalties covering top 20 places

Ireland’s Georgie Goss and Feloupe cracked the 30 barrier to break into the top-10 ahead of the lunch break on the second day of dressage at Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2025.

Georgie, who has nine Badminton finishes from nine starts – including 27th with this mare in 2024, earned a score of 29.6 from the judges to put her in eighth place provisionally.

This pair were the second combination to shuffle the top-10 this morning, with Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo taking the provisional runner-up spot on 25.3.

“I’m absolutely delighted. She was amazing. I just made one error in the third change, which is so frustrating, because her changes are a good bit, but I’m over the moon,” said Georgie, who owns the 15-year-old Ustinov daughter with Suzanne Doggett and Lucy Fleming.

“Last year she got a 30 – I’d entered the arena one second too late, so had an error of course or I would have been in the 20s. So this year I wanted to be in the 20s. I’m really proud of her.

“She’s very ridable; she’s actually been quite hot since she’s been here, which is not normally her.”

Felix Vogg and Cartania also joined the sharp end of the provisional leaderboard, with their score of 29.7 leaving them just 0.1 of a penalty behind Georgie to hold ninth. Cartania’s flying changes were a valuable highlight, making the difference between their test being pleasing – to one that is challenging the leaders. Two of the flying changes in this CCI5* “C” test carry double marks, meaning a good – or bad – change has significant weight for the overall score.

“It’s her second-best result in the five-star, I’m super happy with her,” said Felix.

“Myself, as always, could have done more. Sometimes I felt like she’s not even on the bit. But they said it didn’t look like it [through their marks]!”

This mare is so consistent. The 14-year-old, owned by Felix and Phoenix Eventing S.à.r.l., have previously finished 15th and 11th at Badminton, were 13th at Burghley in 2024, and have solid championship results.

The quicker ground is on Felix’s mind ahead of tomorrow – he explained that it isn’t always easy to get this great cross-country mare back to him before a fence.

“If it’s easier for her to gallop, maybe it’s harder for me… we will see,” he said.

Other notable Badminton dressage tests on Friday morning

Ireland’s Ian Casells and Master Point were among the best tests on Friday morning, holding 13th place at the lunch break on 30.7.

British Badminton first-timer Katie Magee came here aiming for a score in the low-30s and was delighted to be rewarded with a mark of 31.8 for her performance with Angela Hislop’s 11-year-old Treworra.

“I worked in with Nicola Wilson yesterday and we thought he felt good, so it was nice to get in there – he was so with me and really tried,” said Katie, who made her five-star debut with this 17.2hh “old-fashioned cross-country” horse at Pau 2024.

The pair sit atop a chunk of notable tests from Friday morning, including Christoph Wahler and D’Accord 70 (32.2, provisional 20th), Max Warburton on Deerpairc Revelry (32.7, provisional 21st) and Kate Rocher-Smith with Dassett Select (33.1, provisional 21st).

Max, who rides this 11-year-old for the Paske Syndicate, said: “He’s a big horse, and he’s still got a lot of maturing to do. You feel like you’re juggling him to keep him straight, but everything you ask him to do, and all the lateral movement, he’s very good. It’s just a case of trying to add the little finishing touches, which I’m sure will come. He’s a lovely jumper.”

Thursday’s dressage leaders Tom McEwen and JL Dublin are still out in front on 22.4, followed by Ros and Lordships Graffalo, with Emily King and Valmy Biats completing the all-British podium at this stage. The scores are closely bunched, just 10 penalties covers the top-20 ahead of the last 17 competitors yet to start this afternoon.

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