Gemma Tattersall riding Arctic Soul. Image: @GTeventing. Click through for Gemma Tattersall on Twitter.
In keeping with tradition, Cross Country Day at Badminton Horse Trials delivered no shortage of drama.
This year’s course produced plenty of heart-stopping moments, especially at the Vicarage Vee fence.
Sharp fall for @TCEventing and Coolys Luxury today at the #Vicaragevee #MMBHT horse and rider up & ok. @swiftpellets https://t.co/rt0OJgSrOW
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#EquineHour (@EquineHour) May 07, 2016Zara Tindall riding High Kingdom competes in the Cross-Country phase of the #badmintonhorsetrials https://t.co/IGg5B4bVd3
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PA Images (@PAImages) May 07, 2016Frontrunner Michael Jung remains in first place going into the show jumping tomorrow.
Michael Jung clears the #VicarageVee and canters on with a big smile #MMBHT #EquineHour #Horseware https://t.co/9n37JJNohs
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#EquineHour (@EquineHour) May 07, 2016Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul finished third overall, making her the highest ranking Briton in the competition heading into the final day.
Oliver Townend and Izzy Taylor also remain in the top ten, representing Great Britain.
Final top 12 standings after cross-country #badmintonhorsetrials #MMBHT https://t.co/ZkJVPVAAKu
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The Irish Field (@TheIrishField) May 07, 2016Jung could make history
German rider Michael Jung and his steed La Biosthetique-Sam FBW made Badminton’s notorious cross country course look easy, finishing clear and seven seconds within the time.
After today Jung looks well on his way to becoming only the second person in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam, following consecutive wins at Kentucky and Burleigh.
The 33 year old had this to say about talented gelding ‘Sam’:
In my head I had many options at the difficult fences, but he made it seem easy. When I sit on him and I can feel his power and focus that’s a great feeling.
Jung leads with two fences in hand into tomorrow’s show jumping phase.
Young British star eliminated
British rising star, Emily King, rocketed up the leader board to second place after a 75.50% dressage score, riding 14 year old gelding Brookleigh.
This is Ms King’s debut at Badminton, and at just 20 years old she is the youngest competitor in the field.
She sat 2.4 penalties behind Micheal Lung at the end of competition yesterday.
Her mother, six-time Olympian Mary King, has won the event twice (1992, 2000).
Mary and Emily King after Emily's excellent dressage. https://t.co/PdLSFgQoVw
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Horse & Hound (@horseandhound) May 06, 2016But Emily King’s debut dreams ended dramatically this morning when she was unseated at the second to last fence, after what had been a great round.
Princess Zara’s road to Rio
Olympic medallist Zara Tindall had her sights set on qualification for the Rio Olympics at the beginning of the competition.
📺 alert! Watch GB's equestrian stars at the Badminton Horse Trials via BBC Sport #RoadtoRio
bbc.co.uk/sport/live/equ… https://t.co/gzmj9VWtMg
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Team GB (@TeamGB) May 07, 2016Princess Zara and her World Champion horse, High Kingdom, are yet to qualify after High Kingdom missed most of the year due to injury.
The Queen’s granddaughter sat within the top twenty after the dressage yesterday.
The pair went clear with 15 secs over today, resulting in a slip down the table to 24th place.
It is crucial for them to show selectors that they are both back in form if they are to have a hope of qualifying for this year’s Olympic squad.
Zara Tindall kisses husband Mike and daughter Mia after riding High Kingdom #badmintonhorsetrials #royals https://t.co/tFaFytWLxU
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PA Images (@PAImages) May 07, 2016
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