It was a top 10 finish for Tim Price at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials and a top 20 for event debutant Tayla Mason. World no. 4 Tim and Vitali added 12 jump faults to his tally to finish on 46.2 penalty points in 10th place.

Tayla and her homebred Centennial added eight jump and 1.2 time for a final score of 53.8. Her efforts across the event saw her win the Glentrool Trophy for the combination to have made the greatest improvement on their dressage placing. Tayla and Centennial were 69th equal after their dressage but a stunning clear with just 4.4 time in the cross country saw them scoot up the leaderboard to 22nd and this morning’s efforts took them to 19th on 53.8.

“The event has been really quite surreal,” says Tayla. “I got in late – so didn’t know I was going until Monday but I had him well prepared. When we got to the event I was very pleased with the way he handled everything and finished. The massive bonus was being top 20 and then we received the highest riser trophy after going up 59 places. It really does feel like a dream.” Centennial had exceeded all expectations on the cross country. “He was very within himself and galloped all the way home. I couldn’t have asked for more.” Tayla said she hadn’t anticipated just how big the showjumping atmosphere would be but given her horse is a “real performer” she used the energy to her advantage. Mum Sonya was on hand to see he star team make all sorts of waves. She got a phone call to say Tayla was off the wait list at 3am and was out the door by 3.30am and made it in time for the first horse inspection.

Tim Price also did a fair bit of moving up the leaderboard with his horses Vitali and Viscount Viktor. Vitali had been 16th equal after the dressage and moved to ninth after adding just 3.6 time in the cross country. “I just wanted to be clear and inside the time with him,” he said. “We didn’t quite achieve the time but he was super. He is such a good cross country horse.” Despite picking up jump and time penalties in the cross country with Viscount Viktor, Tim was still impressed by the horse who finished on 86 in 41st spot.

Caroline Powell (NZL) rides High Time during the Showjumping. 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials. Gloucestershire, England. Sunday 11 May 2025. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography

Caroline Powell aboard High Time were 21st on 55. They were 53rd after the dressage and moved to 24th after picking up just time in the cross country and this morning added a rail and time for their final score.

Jonelle Price (NZL) rides Grappa Nera during the Showjumping. 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials. Gloucestershire, England. Sunday 11 May 2025. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography

Jonelle Price on Grappa Nera were right behind them in 22nd on 55.3. They were 46th after the dressage, added just time in the cross country to move up to 20th and this morning had two down and a smidgen of time to add.

Dan Jocelyn (NZL) rides Blackthorn Cruise during the Showjumping. 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials. Gloucestershire, England. Sunday 11 May 2025. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography

Dan Jocelyn and Blackthorn Cruise finished on 63.2 and had steadily moved up the leaderboard through the tests. They were 41st after the dressage, 35th after the cross country and this morning added jump and time for 26th place.

The day belonged to Ros Canter (GBR) and Lordships Graffalo (25.3) whose pressure-filled clear showjumping proved too much for eventual runner-up Oliver Townend (GBR) on Cooley Rosalent (26.3) with Austin O’Connor (IRL) and Colorado Blue (31.2) in third. Ros is just the fifth rider to win Badminton twice on the same horse. Clear rounds were hard to come by in the showjumping with just five combinations adding nothing to their tallies. Fifty-four combinations completed Badminton after another six were withdrawn before the showjumping.

Earlier, Caroline Powell withdrew her defending champ Greenacres Special Cavalier before the dressage, Jesse Campbell withdrew Cooley Lafitte after the dressage, Joe Meyer aboard Harbin and Samantha Lissington on Lord Seekonig retired during the cross country and Lauren Innes with Global Fision M were eliminated on the cross country.

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THE HORSE DETAILS

Horse

Breeding

Owners

Blackthorn Cruise

by Vancouver out of Ms Cruize who is by Cruising

Panda Christie and Dan Jocelyn

Centennial

by Euro Sport Centavos out of Made you Look who is by Moonwalker

Sue Rutter and Sonya, Kyle and Tayla Mason

Cooley Lafitte

by Je T’aime Flamenco out of Graf Shenanigans who is by Scirocco Delle

Jay Jaffar

Global Fision M

by Flipper D’Elle HN out of Kantussa who is by Cantus

Innes Family Syndicate

Grappa Nera

by Karandasj out of Cetonette who is by Babalouba)

The Grape Syndicate and Jonelle Price

Greenacres Special Cavalier

by Cavalier Royale out of Greenacres Touch who is by Touchdown

Michelle and Chris Mann and Caroline Powell

Harbin

by Verglas out of Rainbow City who is by Rainbow Quest

Joe, Ruth, Gay and John Meyer and Theresa Foote

High Time

by Hemmingway out of Freckleton Mandolin

Ruth Armstrong, Serena Greenwell, Jo West and Caroline Powell

Lord Seekonig

by Lord Fauntleroy out of Seekoenigin who by Carpalo

Sharon Honiss, Annabelle and Robin Greville Williams, Brayden Lissington and Neil Robertson

Viscount Viktor

by Viscount 22 out of Noble Beauty who is by Nobre

Barbara Cooper, Glynn Norcutt, Ginny Rusher and Tim Price

Vitali

by Contender out of Noble Lady I who is by Heraldik

Alexander and Joe Giannamore and Tim Price

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ