Friday, May 5th - The Second Day of Dressage

The First Rotation of the Afternoon

Germany's Ingrid Klimke led the Dressage from just after 3 PM on Thursday until just after 3:10 PM on Friday - a few minutes over twenty-four hours. Then along came Australia's Andrew Hoy, fresh from victory at the Kentucky CCI****, this time riding Moonfleet. Perfection after perfection - a few nines, a not square last halt, and a score of 36.5 - good enough to take the lead by 4.9 faults.

According to the commentators on Badminton Radio (a wonderful short range radio station, "Brought to you by Sports!Linkfm," that can be heard on small portables just larger than a credit card, which sell for five pounds, or on a normal FM radio) said that Andrew's wife Bettina, who rides internationally for Germany, was bursting with joy and cheering loudly over her husband's great ride.

Andrew said, "It's really due to my support team and my staff and Bettina, who is NOT on my staff.. Bettina has been riding him (Moonfleet) at Fontainbleau and Burnham Market. Thank you Bettina!

Andrew continued saying that as he was riding his test, "Bettina's voice was ringing in my ears, 'Don't pull against him!' (Andrew and Bettina are pictured below at the right.)

Regarding the heat (It's been warm at Badminton, though not by American standards.) Andrew said, "The Thoroughbred deals with the heat better than the Warm Blood," and continued that it was no where nearly as hot as Hong Kong would be, nor was it as hot as Athens or Jerez had been.

He also spoke of returning from Kentucky, "I arrived back Monday morning. I drove back to Gatcombe. I wasn't feeling very special. I rode the horses Tuesday and jumped some water - then we came over here."

The Second Rotation of the Afternoon

Oliver Townsend was the only competitor of Friday's second rotation to get a score in the forties - this with the grey Flint Curtis, whose 43.5 moved the pair into fifth place. Oliver is twenty-three years old and is a member of the World Class Potential Squad. (Oliver and Flint Curtis are pictured at the left.)

Polly Stockton made the remark of the afternoon. When asked how she liked the Cross Country Course. She said, "As I am the first to go, I've got to get to like it pretty fast!"

(The Colt Pond is pictured above - note the Viking boat replica at the left ans the wave shaped fences at the right.)

The Second Rotation of the Morning

Olivia Bunn (AUS) rode the fourteen year old New Zealand Thoroughbred GV Top Of The Line to a score of 49.1 for a tie for seventh place with her countryman Andrew Hoy and Mr. Pracatan. GV Top Of The Line and Olivia were members of the Gold Medal Team at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. The pair won two FEI World Cup qualifiers in Australia last year and went to the final in Malmo, Sweden where they finished fifth. (Olivia and GV Top Of The Line are pictured at the right above.)

GV Top Of The Line's canter work was considerably better than his trot work and propelled him into the top ten.

The second last horse of the same rotation was Comanche, ridden by James Robinson for Great Britain. Comanche showed some good self carriage and looks as though he could gallop all day. His energy was well under control and his score of 49.40 put him in a tie for tenth place with Daisy Dick and Spring Along. (James and Comanche are pictured at the left.)

James said, "This horse is fabulous Cross Country. All I've got to do is ride it - it's always going to be up to me. Regarding the bounce into the Lake, James said, counter to other opinions, "It's the easiest fence on the course!"

The First Rotation of the Morning

Andreas Dibowski (GER) scored a 44.6 with FRH Little Lemon, in the first rotation of Friday morning and is now in fourth place, 4.2 faults adrift of his country woman Ingrid Klimke, who still leads in the Dressage Phase.

Little Lemon is a fifteen year old Hanoverian. This pair placed thirteenth at the Athens Olympic Games, in 2004, and was second at Boekelo last year. (Andreas and Little Lemon are pictured at the left.)

Sharon Hunt made it into tenth place, for the moment, with the twelve year old 3/4 bred Irish gelding Tankers Town. Sharon is a member of the World Class Potential Squad and finished in the top twenty at Badminton last year.

THE HOT NEWS of FRIDAY MORNING: Both The London Times (Jenny MacArthur) and The London Telegraph (Alan Smith) have reported, in this morning's editions, that William Fox-Pitt is withdrawing his 2004 winner and last year's runner up Tamarillo in order to save him for the World Games, in Aachen this summer. (William and Tamarillo are pictured at the right.) Tamarillo is currently standing in ninth place. However, the word from the Press Centre is that his withdrawal, "... is NOT official."

Both papers quote Event Director and Course Designer Mr. Hugh Thomas as being more than a little annoyed. To add to Thomas' irritation there is a rumor afoot that Pippa Funnell may withdraw Ensign who currently stands thirteenth.

Stay tuned!

When the Order of Go Sheets for Cross Country came out late Friday afternoon, Tamarillo's name was missing.