The 70th anniversary of the world-famous Badminton Horse Trials provided nail-biting competition right to the end, as overnight leader Oliver Townend entered the arena in first place on Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan’s Ballaghmor Class with one pole in hand over second placed Piggy French. Using up his four fault advantage at fence 12, Oliver looked to have sealed his second Badminton win as he crossed the finish line without further problems, but the clock stopped four seconds over the time allowed, and with a resulting 1.6 time penalties to add, victory was handed to Piggy.

With just fourteen clear rounds from the 56 show jumping starters – and only 11 of those within the time, securing one proved hugely valuable; and it was a perfectly executed ride from Piggy on Trevor Dickens' Vanir Kamira that saw her leaving the show jumping arena in no lower than second place on their score of 26.8 penalties. As the drama unfolded in the main arena during Oliver’s round, the celebrations started in the collecting ring for Piggy and her connections with the realisation of her first ever CCI5*-L win.

An emotional Piggy said afterwards; “To be honest it hasn’t sunk in. [I] Just cannot believe it, I started to half dream this morning and then I walked the [show jumping] course and I thought ‘not a chance’. I get so used to congratulating other people, but she’s such and amazing little mare. She doesn’t find it easy; she busted a gut - fair play to her. I probably don’t believe enough, but the whole team back at home are just great.”

Adding a total of 5.6 penalties from the show jumping phase, Oliver and his 2017 Burghley champion finished today in second place on a score of 27.1 to give Great Britain two podium places, with Australia’s Christopher Burton clinching the third. A clear round inside the time on Joe and Kate Walls’ Cooley Lands shot the Olympian up from overnight 11th place to eventual third with a score of 28.1 penalties, as Christopher’s second ride, The Graf Liberty Syndicate’s Graf Liberty, dropped one place to fourth after picking up four jumping and two time penalties to complete on 33.7.

Andrew Nicholson and Paul and Diana Ridgeon’s Swallow Springs finished today in fifth place following eight jumping penalties which saw them move down one place. Oliver’s second ride, Sally-Anne Egginton’s Cillnabradden Evo, added four jumping faults to their score but moved up to sixth place from seventh after cross country, and fellow Brit Kristina Cook also moved up the ranks from 10th to seventh after a clear round on Elisabeth Murdoch and Keith Tyson’s Billy the Red.

There were further strong results from British combinations as Imogen Murray produced one of today’s rare clear rounds on Aivar Ward and the M.S. Team’s jumping machine Ivar Gooden. With only 1.6 cross country time faults, their double clear jumping record here saw them rise from 65 after dressage to complete today in eighth place.

British eventing and Badminton stalwart, William Fox-Pitt, sneaked inside the top ten on Jennifer Dowling’s Little Fire. Picking up just four faults from today put them in ninth place with his second ride, the Oratoria Syndicate’s Oratoria, also collecting four penalties to collect 13th place.

Burghley 2018 champions, Tim Price and his own, Varenna Allen and Robert Taylor’s Ringwood Skyboy, added 12 jumping and 1.2 time penalties to their score to complete the top ten for New Zealand.

VIEW FINAL RESULTS

Additional Prizes

Butler Bowl ~ for the highest placed British rider: Piggy French

Laurence Rook Trophy ~ best British rider not previously completed Badminton: Nicky Hill

Worshipful Company of Saddlers saddle ~ Rider with the best score who is under 25 on 1/1/20 and who has not previously won a Company saddle in the calendar year: Alicia Hawker and Charles RR

Silver Jubilee Plate ~ best Owner/Rider: Nicky Hill

Glentrool Trophy ~ Horse & Rider who have made greatest improvement on their dressage placing: Imogen Murray & Ivar Gooden (who also won this trophy in 2018)

Frank Weldon Memorial Trophy ~ Rider of youngest British owned and ridden horse in top 12: William Fox-Pitt for the 10-year-old Little Fire

Cotswold Life Trophy ~ Local rider’s trophy: Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy

The William Miflin Memorial Trophy ~ To the rider of the horse with no cross-country jumping penalties and closest optimum time: Chris Burton for Graf Liberty

Retraining of Racehorses £1000 ~ The highest placed former racehorse which must have been raced under the rules of a recognised racing authority worldwide: Won’t Wait, ridden by France’s Clara Loiseau

Farriers Prize ~ plaque to the owner and farrier of the best shod horse: Antony Marris for Izzy Taylor and owners Tom & Sara Strong with the horse Call Me Maggie May.

Stud Voucher £500 ~ owner of the highest placed British owned mare: Trevor Dickens for Vanir Kamira

Mark Holliday Memorial Trophy ~ Groom of winner: Amy Phillips for Vanir Kamira

David Beaufort Memorial Trophy ~ to the person who has contributed to the running of the Horse Trials over many years: Cross Country controller for many years, and now supervisor of the Prize Givings, George Weldon

Embryo Transfer ~ to the highest placed British bred or domiciled mare to be in the top 20%, courtesy of Tomlinson Equine: Vanir Kamira

Breeder of the winner ~ Kathryn Jackson

Armada Dishes: Jonelle Price, Michael Jung, Sir Mark Todd, Gemma Tattersall, Harry Meade, Tom McEwen, Caroline Powell.