Rain mars opening at Badminton

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 80

Rain mars opening at Badminton

NZPA staff correspondent Badminton, Avon Bad weather yesterday threatened to end one of Britain’s leading sporting events — the Badminton horse trials. Rain and muddy conditions marred the opening of the three-day event which featured the first round of dressage. Torrential rain began to fall just as New Zealand’s Mark Todd, the last rider, completed • his test and organisers are hoping it will clear before the cross-country tomorrow. Officials say bad weather has forced the cancellation of Badminton just twice since it was first contested in 1949.

Todd and the first of his two entries, Any Chance, performed well in the dressage. The New Zealander, who is recovering from a heavy cold, said “parts” of the test went well. “He (Any Chance) went well considering it was his first big event... he just tends to panic a bit.” The favourite to win the title for the second successive year Virginia Leng (formerly Holgate), riding Night Cap, produced a brilliant round to open up an early 10 point lead. The British rider and European champion was “delighted” with the form of her “second” horse.

Leng last year won the event on Priceless, who is in quarantine preparing for next month’s world championships in Gawler, South Australia. Also preparing yesterday was the world champion, Lucinda Green, who is looking to bag her seventh Badminton title. Green last won the event in 1984. Riding her lesser-known mount, Count de Balebec, she failed to make the top six but is expected to improve her chances when she rides the top eventing horse, Shannagh, in the second dressage round.

Todd, aged 30, who the press have labelled as a “favourite” in the British horse world, will also want a solid performance from the eight-year-old Michaelmas Day. “Mick,” according to Todd, handles the soft conditions well and in spite of his relative inexperience could be well placed. The pair had their first three-day event win at the Rotherfield trials last year. Making an impressive Badminton debut was the young Englishwoman, Claire Mason, who with the Artful Dodger, finished the day in third place. Results from the first day of dressage (British unless stated): Leng (Nightcap) 42.2 penalty points, 1; Tucker (Good Value) 52.2, 2; Mason (The Artful Dodger) 52.8, 3; Jane Starkey (Buckley) 57.8, 4; Todd (Any Chance New Zealand) 59.2, 5; Jane Holder-ness-Roddam (Geiert, Wales) 59.4 6.