The first day of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2024 :British rider Bubby Upton took pole position on the first day of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials just nine months after major spinal surgery.
Bubby Upton leads the way after the first day of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials
The 25-year-old leads Kola halfway through the dressage phase with a penalty score of 27.3.
And it represents a spectacular return to eventing’s elite five-star arena as he puts the Mars Badminton Horse Trials and tribulations of a serious fall last summer well and truly behind him.
Upton broke several vertebrae, required a seven-hour operation and had to learn to walk effectively again, such was the extent of her injuries.
“If you had told me in August that I would be here in badminton, I wouldn’t have belief it after what we’ve been through,” he said.
“It’s so magical. Just being here is a dream come true.
“Subconsciously, I always wanted to be in badminton, but 1st I was learning to walk anew. Even just the thought of riding a bike again was out of the question.
“When I started riding at the beginning of the year, I kept falling off the side and my first jump was very painful.
“But I just pushed on and never stopped dreaming, and when I do what I love, the pain goes away.”
Upton’s performance grabbed headlines on an opening day in which he established a 1.7 penalty lead over American rival Boyd Martin, while 55-year-old William Fox-Pitt – a two-time badminton champion – was equal 4th with Ireland’s Georgie Goss.
Further down the leaderboard, 2006 world champion Zara Tindall is 24th in the class matter and 3-time badminton champion Pippa Funnell is 35th in Majas Hope.
Rose Canter begins her bid to successfully defend the badminton title – a feat not achieved since Funnell did it in 2003 – on Friday, while other notable starts include British Olympic team gold medalist Laura Collette, in-form Emily King and New Zealand’s Tim Price. .
Live Blog from Dressage Day One at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials
Here we are Eners, the first day of dressage in the Great British Spring 5* offer and I have some breaking news for you… it’s not raining. Not even a light drizzle. I can’t promise it will stay that way, but the clouds are hiding their moisture as we climb the center line and it’s definitely worth a huzzah or two.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of this great event Mars Badminton Horse Trials , Badminton Estate has certainly seen some special and dazzling eventing moments over the past seven decades and there will be more to come this week when a host of the world’s best horses and riders are on display. They will shine like diamonds as they attend this iconic event.
Over the next two days we will see 69 competitors from eight different countries dress ’til they can no longer dress for their games in the main arena, hoping to lead into Saturday’s cross country. The Pack Badminton entry list is always stacked to the brim with the bold, the brave and the super talented and we’re in for a dang ol’ competition – you know it!