Fellow Canadian here…went on a Thursday twenty years ago. Somewhere I have a video of me standing in the Start box. 
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I believe Japan had at least two riders at Land Rover in Kentucky. They were based with Boyd I think.
5* would not be a priority if you are focused on Paris.
Yup, I’d imagine they were all out there to jump clean and bring their horses home safely and in good shape to showjump tomorrow.
Someone above said “nowhere near the world class level of GB” and I think it’s time we all disabuse ourselves of the notion that Americans will ever again be an eventing world superpower. At most, our handful of top riders have two solid 5-star horses each at this point, where the GB folks have full strings. We don’t have the breeding programs or easy access to continental Europe for finding young talented horses, and it costs a fortune to get them here when we do find them. Our young riders aren’t coming up in pony club or foxhunting every weekend over crazy terrain.
And frankly, I don’t think any of our riders have the “get it done and win no matter the cost” mentality of riders like Ollie Townend. For which I am endlessly grateful, as most of our riders seem to truly care about the health, happiness, longevity and welfare of their horses. Not saying that the GB folks don’t, but maybe you take more risks or ride more aggressively when there are a half dozen other good horses ready to step in and keep you competing at the top of the sport.
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Will’s horse looked off behind to me after the finish when they led him away.
I could be wrong though, it wouldn’t be the first time.
I’m so happy for all the first timers that got around. Imagine completing Badminton cross country at 20 years of age!
Very nice for Dom Shramm since he traveled across the pond to get there.
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There was a comment made on Radio Badminton that maybe Tami Smith should be reviewing her horse’s fitness regime.
From Ollies press conference interview on Ballaghmor Class;
“He was a privilege to ride,” said Oliver of 15-year-old Courage II gelding. “That’s his eighth five-star he’s jumped round clear. He worried me in the warm-up as he was going over the top, then he settled once he saw two grey hunt horses who came over to meet him. They became his friends, like a comfort blanket, and escorted him to the start. He’s a funny, quirky old horse, but one I’ll probably never have again.”
Their round looked copybook, as if he were jumping a far more basic track, but Oliver had a double handful initially.
“He was quite cocky early on, he was a bit tricky to steer in Huntsman’s,” Oliver explained. “Then he got halfway round and said, ‘I remember where I am and this is hard work’, but that was brilliant because when he settles he lets me ride him. He just tells me when I need to lean forwards and give him a dig and he responds beautifully.
“He’s just a very good friend and I think if you set out a six- or seven-star he would still come home. He is very, very special.”
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Interesting. Pure speculation on my part, but I’d guess the slow round was intentional given all the early problems and Nicola’s fall. From what video clips I saw, Mai Baum looked in good shape when he came to the finish, where some others were lumbering along on loose reins looking exhausted.
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It will be interesting to watch the replay of the cross country rounds. Everything happens so quickly in real time. I look forward to seeing Corvette’s round again, among many others.
I mean ros canter made the time on her 10 yo first time badminton horse. It’s disappointing that our elite riders like phillip and tami aren’t even close to being competitive with the time. I get that it’s a world championship year but at this point Z isn’t running around for just experience so this may be the best he is.
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Radio Badminton has a re-cap of cross country. ETA Eric Winter now.
I believe they said on the commentary—much later—that Z lost a shoe at Fence 4 – you can see him slip behind. I would imagine that would account for a lot of the time faults.
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I think Z is what he is. A decent 5 star horse. Mai Baum is incredible, but also wonder how much last week’s events with Fleeceworks Royal’s injury played into how carefully Tamie rode. It was a masterclass, just a slow one 
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Yes, they did say he lost a shoe. Another thing to watch for on replay.
I don’t think they’ll have replay up until Monday. ETA I am wrong about the replay.
Eric Winter seems chuffed with his course.
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Really? Is it acceptable to have so many falls? Riders falling off ok but horses falling down no.
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Z has always had time penalties over the last two years.
I was looking at several riders and their top horses. With the exception of Tamra’s dressage at Badminton, our top riders seem to score worse in dressage when we leave the country. Also, when you look at XC scores at the 4L and 5 level, they almost always have time penalties.
The dressage differential in scores has been going for years. There is the occasional exception but generally they have worse scores overseas. If you’re not making the time at home at places like Kentucky or Fair Hill, there is no way you are going to make the time at places like Badminton and Burghley.
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The early rounds were “interesting”. I suspect that some top riders read the big build up, arrived at the site, walked the course for themselves, many times, and began to say “Not so bad, after all”. Tom McEwan simply rode the fence wrong before his fall: too fast, thinking about making up time rather than getting around the course. Lessons were learned and passed back to the start. Once things settled down, there were excellent rounds, by young riders, by young horses, by both first timers and experienced combinations of many nations. The cream did rise to the top during xc.
I’m glad that Ollie Townend was re-instated and the E removed.
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From a spectators point of view Kentucky has never seemed (to me) to be as difficult as Badminton.
I’ve noticed that our dressage scores are better at home. I wonder why, since there are international judges at the U.S. events.
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I heard that as well on Radio Badminton. The commentators praised Tamie’s riding, saying that she went as fast as she / the horse could, and that they (commentators) felt that if she had pushed for more speed, the horse may have had a problem at one of the last several jumps.
Then the fitness comment - they had great things to say about Tami and the horse, but felt the horse needed more fitness to complete the course at speed.
they also said Ariel’s horse was one of the fittest looking at the finish line
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