‘I was flat to the boards all the way’: Gemma Stevens rockets around cross-country inside the time to set the target at Badminton

Gemma Stevens blitzed round the Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country phase one second inside the time, with a brilliantly judged ride on Chilli Knight.

The 2021 Bicton winners were lying 10th after dressage on 29.5, and have set the target at this early stage. Gemma Stevens channelled Chilli Knight through a wobbly passage at the Mars Lake, and the horse responded brilliantly to her positive riding and finished full of running.

“I am beyond thrilled, what a horse because it’s a long way round,” said Gemma. “I was flat to the boards, straight routes everywhere. He has so much heart and gave me the most amazing ride. You have to be as quick as you can at every fence, and not take too many pulls.

“Last year we struggled with our brakes, but we’ve changed the bit, had a fantastic ride at Burghley and come here full of confidence. He’s not big, but he eats up the ground.

“He still throws his head around when I say whoa, but he knows I’m whoaing for a jump and has a small amount of respect for me.

“He was unreal at Huntsman’s, he turned in and popped it,” she added. “I knew I didn’t have enough seconds spare to go long, but he was looking for his flags. He jumped the log-ditch-log that was keeping me up at night like it was a fence in the school.”

Oliver Townend sets early standard at Badminton Horse Trials cross-country

Oliver Townend had set the tempo from second draw, piloting his fabulous Ballaghmor Class round to finish 12sec outside the 11min 40sec optimum time.

“He’s as good as ever,” said Oliver, lying ninth with this horse after dressage. “He enjoyed it more than I did, though looking back I loved every minute. He’s a good old horse but he’s very keen these days.”

They kept up a smooth pace throughout, after the horse had slight scare early on when he made up too much ground to take off underneath the brush in the Mars Lake at 10b, and scrambled a bit to make the final skinny brush. But he seemed to build momentum, and the 17-year-old was fantastically nimble and economical at the LeMieux Eyelash Brushes when he had to adjust at the ditch.

“A couple of places weren’t quite impressive enough for him,” said Oliver. “The bigger the fence, the more beautiful he is to ride at it. If he sees a fence he doesn’t think much of, he’ll just run me through the distance, so I had to correct him or swing off [my line] a few times.

“But when the big old-fashioned Badminton fences like the double of hedges with the ditch – he’s a six-star horse.”

Pathfinder leads the way

Kirsty Chabert was first out of the start box on Classic VI, lying 32nd after dressage and would have given her rivals plenty of confidence with their smooth round.

The little mare was copybook throughout and highlighted the trust in this partnership. When Kirsty gave the mare her head at the water, and said “go on, you do it”, she skipped through on a loose rein.

They finished 45sec over the time, just taking one long route at the Holland Cooper Corners (fence 17/18).

She highlighted the Ineos Grenadier Sunken Road as the toughest combination, where they have to be “athletic and brave”.

“She was absolutely fab, she’s never strong, never pulls, she can just be spooky even after 11min galloping,” Kirsty said.

A few riders have notched up 20 penalties.

Tim Price was caught out by Viscount Viktor’s inexperience at the Le Mieux Eyelash Brushes, running out at the final element after the 11-year-old ballooned the middle ditch.

Joseph Murphy was the first to fall foul of Mayston Equestrian Sunken Road at fence 21. Joseph asked Belline Fighting Spirit for a long stride for the second element, and ran past.

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