another video: Badminton Horse Trials 1968

[JER]

From the British Pathe archive, in beautiful color.

Badminton 1968

I searched for this today because we were talking about this event this morning, and JMP couldn’t remember where he placed. He thinks it was 6th. Glenbaer is supposed to verify somehow.

I said ‘You know, British Pathe recently uploaded their entire archive to YouTube. There’s probably video.’

And so there is, but, alas, JMP is nowhere to be seen.

The wonderful British Pathe archive is here. Their YouTube channel is here. Just for starters, here’s what they have on Badminton.

[retreadeventer]

Awesome!

[vineyridge]

Thank you so much for this. I’ve been looking at the other newsreel clips from other years, and so much has changed. One thing that really impressed me was the apparent lack of security and separation for the royal family. Another is how much the course resembled a day out hunting on steroids.

BTW, it looks as if JMP was 9th that year on Plain Sailing. Best American finish.

[JER]

[QUOTE=vineyridge;7591630]
One thing that really impressed me was the apparent lack of security and separation for the royal family. [/QUOTE]

Just a few years ago, when the French horse caught the flag and severed the artery in his leg, a very tall guy stood up in front of me to get a better view, blocking my view as he did so.

I was about ask him to sit down (he was very tall), and then he turned around. Hello, Prince William! Prince Harry was a short distance away. At that point, I looked around, and there were some burly security types in the area, but the royals were very much in with the populist horde.

Sheila Willcox’s second go at that obstacle is quite a show of determination.

[Romany]

Thank you SO much for posting this! Shortly into the video is “Fiona Pearson,” who was our PC instructor for many years in the 60s, 70s and 80s, having been bumped from the British Olympic team in '68 when her horse went lame, iirc.

She got many, many keen but hairy little Pony Clubbers to Stoneleigh for the National Championships (including myself and my sister), and some went on to success at a Junior European level: no mean feat when you take into consideration the dearth of competition in Scotland at that time.

Ask most Scottish horse people about Fiona and Tullochan, her gorgeous farm overlooking Loch Lomond, and they’ll break into a wide grin.

…I just googled Fiona and her horse, Ballinkeele, and it looks like they won that year?

http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Completions-K-P-2013.pdf

[vineyridge]

The results that I found for Mrs. Pearson and Ballinkeele in 1968 have them finishing 6th.

[riderboy]

Great video, thanks for posting!