Nicholson Still Leads Charge at Badminton   9 May 2015

Andrew Nicholson and Nereo have held on to their overnight lead by the slimmest of margins as the dressage phase comes to an end at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in the United Kingdom.

Nicholson and Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar) sit on 37.8 penalty points, just 1.2 penalties ahead of long-time rival William Fox-Pitt (GBR) aboard Chilli Morning, with Oliver Townend (GBR) on Nicholson’s old campaigner Armada – a full brother to Nereo – another 1.8 penalties back, and Ingrid Klimke (GER) on Horseware Hale Bob chasing her country’s first Badminton win in fourth on 40.2.
Jock Paget has two in the top 10, with Clifton Lush (owned by Lucy Allison and Frances Stead) and Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead) in fifth and sixth respectively. Nicholson and his own Calico Joe sit in 12th place on 43.5, just 5.7 penalties adrift of Nereo’s 37.8 score.
“I am a little bit surprised to still be in the lead,” admitted Nicholson, who is chasing his first Badminton win, “but Nereo felt very smart in there, so I knew that if I was to be overtaken they wouldn’t be very far in front.

“I know what I have to do . . . I want to win it. I will be riding like I normally ride.”

This morning, Lucy Jackson and Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson) rode their way into 14th spot with 45.7, while Caroline Powell and Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Powell) sit in =23rd on 47.2, Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Selwood.com) are in 30thon 48.1 and his wife Jonelle aboard The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, Tim and Jan Morice and Selwood.com) are just behind them in 33rd on 48.3. Sir Mark Todd and Oloa (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Pip McCarroll) are on 52.7 in 51st place.

Powell was pleased with the efforts of Onwards and Upwards, who ‘is a bit of a ginger hot head but he performed really well today”. She is looking forward to tomorrow’s cross country.

“The ground will be fast but Badminton is old parkland and you can’t ride on much better than that,” she says. “The course is fantastic . . . there are some very large fences out there but that is what we do it for.”

Jonelle Price, who while ranked number three in the world is still chasing her first four star win, says she is lucky to be heading out on such a course with two very good horses.

“They both have a bit of experience behind them, so hopefully if I do my job, they will too and we will have two good rounds,” she says.

But there is nothing in the 81-strong field, with a single stop tonight in the cross country worth 20 penalties, and riders are already saying making the time allowed is going to play a big part in shuffling the field.
The cross country draw is done, and Paget aboard Clifton Promise will be the first Kiwis on course just before 11pm. Todd and Oloa are the last combination on the course.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s top dressage riders were in action overnight at the Sydney CDI 3*, with relatively new combination John Thompson and Bates Antonello placing second in the Grand Prix Special. Julie Brougham (Palmerston North) was kicking herself after rider errors saw her and Vom Feinsten (owned by Julie and David Brougham) finish in sixth place on 65.47%, while Penny Castle (Ashhurst) and Magnus Spero scored 63.1% for 12th spot.

Para equestrienne Charlotte Hoonhout won the grade 1B championship aboard Heath and Rozzie Ryan’s advanced schoolmaster Jasper R.

Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials Results (on completion of the dressage phase) -
Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar 37.8 penalty points 1, William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Chilli Morning 39 2, Oliver Townend (GBR) Armada 39.6 3, Ingrid Klimke (GER) Horseware Hale Bob 40.2 4, Jock Paget (NZL) Clifton Lush (owned by Lucy Allison and Frances Stead) 40.8 5, Jock Paget (NZL) Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead) 41.2 6, Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Calico Joe 43.5 12, Lucy Jackson (NZL) Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson) 45.7 14, Sir Mark Todd (NZL) Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden and Peter Cattell) 45.8 =15, Caroline Powell and Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Powell) 47.1 =23, Tim Price (NZL) Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Selwood.com) 48.1 30, Jonelle Price (NZL) The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, Tim and Jan Morice and Selwood.com) 48.3 33, Mark Todd (NZL) Oloa (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Pip McCarroll) 52.7 51, Jonelle Price (NZL) Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards) 54.9 60, Craig Nicolai (NZL) Just Ironic (owned by Anne, Hedde and Craig Nicolai) 62.4 79.

Ends

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