
By Kitty Trice
We’ve picked our top 9 stats from their reams of data for you dedicated super fans.
Surprisingly, dressage leader Chris Burton has had a mixed record at Badminton. Just a single cross country clear, with 2.4 time penalties, in four attempts and a rider fall and two refusals apiece.
© The Gaitpost
Ingrid Klimke has finished runner up at Badminton twice – the latest being on Horseware Hale Bob in 2015 on a dressage score of 40.2. With three jumping clears and a total of 3.6 time penalties, she will be one to watch later on in the day!
Jonty Evan’s Cooleys Rorkes Drift has competed in one four star – the Rio Olympics – but jumped clear with 22.4 time penalties.
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Defending champions, Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam, have never finished out of the top five in all four star starts. From nine runs at this level, he has a mere three seconds over the time.
Arctic Soul did not present himself at his best in the dressage yesterday, finishing in equal 67th place, but that is very likely to change today. Clear inside the time at this event last year and at the 2015 Blair European Championships, he will relish today’s tough track.
Qwanza was another cross country merchant who struggled in the dressage but, with Andrew Nicholson in the saddle, today’s conditions should be more suitable. A clear inside the time would see the pair move up the leaderboard from 64th place.
© The Gaitpost
As a former trainee at Team Nicholson’s, it would be no surprise to see Astier Nicolas climb the leaderboard from tenth place. Riding Piaf de B’Neville, the Pau winners have never added any penalties to their dressage score on their three previous four star runs.
Japan’s Yoshi Oiwa significantly improved on his 47 from Rio, when scoring 42.6 with Duke Of Carvan. The pair caught the eye of many when impressing across country in Rio last year.
© The Gaitpost
The Gaitpost’s Jonty Evans broke his personal best of 41.6 (also at Rio) when scoring an impressive 37.2 yesterday. He scored the best ever 4 star test for an Irish rider.