Wednesday,
May 4 - First Veterinary Inspection
75
horses trotted up in front of Badminton House on Wednesday afternoon. Two were
sent to holding, Autumn Sky, presented by Eddy Stibbe (AHO), and Sparrow Hall,
presented by Marie Ryan. Autumn Sky passed upon re-inspection. Sadly, Sparrow
Hall did not.
The
usual gallery of super stars are competing at Badminton this year. Two Olympic
Individual Gold Medalists will run - Matt Ryan (AUS), the champion from Barcelona,
in 1982, and the reigning Olympic Champion Leslie Law (GBR).
Ryan
will ride Royal Dragoon. Law will ride Shear H2O and Shear L'Eau, his Olympic
Champion.
Three
former Badminton winners trotted up their 2005 rides. Mrs. Mary King a double
previous champion (1992 and 2000) presented Call Again Cavalier, 
formerly
the ride of the late Caroline Pratt..
Mrs.
Pippa Funnell, also a double previous winner (2002 and 2003) will ride Primmore's
Pride. This 12 year old 7/8 bred gelding won both the Rolex-Kentucky and the Burghley
CCI's****'s in 2003, as two thirds of the Rolex Grand Slam. Funnell is the only
person ever to have won the Grand Slam.
William
Fox-Pitt, last year's winner will have a go with Ballincoola as well as Tamarillo,
whom he rode to victory in 2004. (William and Tamarillo are pictured at the
right above.)
Three
Americans are competing at the Mitsubishi Motors Championship this year - all
three are first timers at Badminton.
Will
Faudree, 23, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, will ride Antigua, the 16 year
old Australian Thoroughbred who was his mount on the Pan American Games Gold Medal
Team for the USA, in2003 and was the travelling spare for the USEF at the Athens
Olympic Games. Antigua is owned by Will's parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. Faudree. (Will
and Antigua are pictured at the left above. Will was a picture of sartorial splendor
in a grey suit with a pink lining and a pink tie to match.)
Sara
Kozumplik, 26, of Virginia, brings As You Like It who is owned by Mrs. Edith Hunter
Hornberger and by Sara. Sara completed both Burghley and Kentucky in 2002 and
2003, as well as the World Cup at Pau, France in 2004.
Heidi
White, 39, of Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania, will ride her proven partner the 12
year old Britis bred Northern Spy. Northern Spy completed both 
Kentucky
and Burghley in2003 and 2004 and was Short Listed for mthe Athens Olympic Games.
Eleanor
Brennan, 18, who is a British citizen, resides in Virginia. She is the youngest
rider at Badminton this year. Eleanor trains with both Kim Severson and Captain
Mark Phillips. Eleanor rides Bailey Zwei, a 15 year old Canadian bred Hannoverian
/Thoroughbred Cross gelding, who placed 10th in the under 25 competition at Bramham,
in 2004. (Eleanor and Bailey Zwei are pictured above at the right.)
Dressage
begins on Thursday. The first ride in competition will be at 9:45 AM.
