5 things not to miss on showjumping day at Badminton – from the chance of a rare grey winner to the battle of the debutants

The stage is set for the Mars Badminton Horse Trials showjumping phase tomorrow (Sunday, 11 May) after an eventful day’s cross-country.

The final horse inspection takes place at 8.30am in front of Badminton House. The top 20 horses will jump in reverse order in the afternoon session, which is due to start at 2.45pm. Those outside the top 20 will jump in the morning session from 11.30am.

Badminton Horse Trials showjumping – what not to miss

1. Will we see a grey winner? If the leader Cooley Rosalent retains top spot, she will become the first grey winner since NZB Land Vision won for Mark Todd in 2011. But Oliver Townend’s mare is only three penalties ahead of the 2023 winner Lordships Graffalo, so does not have a fence in hand.

The two other greys in the top 10 are Colorado Blue (Austin O’Connor, fourth) and Ballaghmor Class (Oliver Townend, eighth).

2. Harry Meade’s five-star form. Harry finished third and fourth at both Burghley, the last British five-star, and Kentucky CCI5* last month. Yet again, he brings two horses forward in the top 10. Superstition lies in fifth and Cavalier Crystal in seventh so are in shouting distance of the podium again, and both have good showjumping records.

3. The course. In the 2024 Badminton competition, the showjumping proved massively influential with only three riders clear inside the time. The winner rose up from only sixth after cross-country and the top two each lowered several rails to fall right out of contention. What sort of track does Kelvin Bywater have in store for riders?

4. Vitali’s time to shine? Vitali (Tim Price) blotted his excellent dressage copybook with a sub-par test to lie an uncharacteristic equal 16th this week, but redeemed himself with a quick cross-country round to move up to ninth. At previous five-stars, including Badminton last year, he has scuppered winning chances with poor showjumping rounds. Victory tomorrow would still be a stretch but a rueful Tim said: “It will be typical if he showjumps clear.”

5. The battle of the Badminton debutants. Several first-timers have already made their mark on this year’s Badminton, but who will finish top? Ireland’s Ian Cassells is currently leading the newcomers, sitting in 10th on Master Point. Katie Magee is the best British first-timer at this stage, lying 13th on Treworra, just ahead of 14th-placed Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ).

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.

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