Oliver Townend battles back as Andrew Nicholson completes comeback
Two impressive cross country runs saw Shropshire’s Oliver Townend bag two top-20 finishes at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials as Andrew Nicholson completed one of equestrian sport’s greatest comebacks to take the top prize.
Townend, from Duddleston Heath near Ellesmere, finished 16th overall on ODT Ghareeb and 25th on Samuel Thomas II. The pair had been 47th and 63rd respectively after the first two days.
Townend had been as high as seventh in the standings following a fine cross country ride on ODT Ghareeb on Saturday, but missed out on a top-10 finish after he downed four fences in yesterday’s showjumping.
But the day belonged to New Zealander Nicholson. Just two years after suffering a serious neck injury that required eight hours of surgery, he claimed his first Badminton title at his 37th attempt on board his London 2012 horse Nereo.
Nicholson landed a record £100,000 winner’s purse by claiming just one showjumping time penalty during a thrilling finale.
That piled the pressure on reigning Olympic champion world No.1 and Badminton title holder Michael Jung, who held second spot aboard La Biosthetique Sam, but he had one fence down and had to be content with second.
Then overnight leader – Jung’s fellow German Ingrid Klimke – racked up a cricket score of 23 faults with Horseware Hale Bob, when a clear round would have meant Badminton glory, as Nicholson moved from third to first.
This year’s event was tinged with sadness with British rider Emily Gilruth in intensive care in Bristol’s Southmead Hospital after falling during the cross-country phase on Topwood Beau.
