Andrew Nicholson on target for first Badminton win

There was a feeling of de ja vu at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials today, with the same riders taking up the top five spots after cross-country as there had been 24 hours earlier after the first phase.

Easy does it

The dressage had seen Andrew Nicholson (Nereo) lead ahead of William Fox-Pitt (Chilli Morning), Oliver Townend (Armada), Ingrid Klimke (Horseware Hale Bob) and Jock Paget (Clifton Lush), and all five went clear within the time to retain their positions.

Paul Tapner (Indian Mill) and Andrew Nicholson on second ride Calico Joe also stayed on their dressage score to move up to sixth and seventh position respectively.

Mr cool

Andrew now goes into the final day with a strong chance of winning his first ever Badminton title. But just one jumping penalty divides the top five, so tomorrow’s showjumping will be crucial.

But as today’s cross-country reminded us, Nicholson is the master of keeping a cool head. “I made a mess of it last year but this year I made sure I jumped every single fence,” Andrew told H&C, referring to his uncharacteristic tumble in 2014. “It might not have been as smooth as he can be but I made sure it was very secure.”

Asked about his thoughts ahead of the showjumping, he said that he would be “feeling like the rest of them”, but will be going back to his home tonight to have some distraction in the form of his family and normality. “It’d have been nice to have five rails in hand but as it is it’s going to be an exciting afternoon,” he added.

Close at the top

Andrew and William Fox-Pitt are long-term rivals – though the competitiveness has not quite been whipped up to the extent it was back in 2013, when both were live contenders for the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.

But while Andrew is focused on winning his first title here, William will certainly be doing his utmost to stop him. With William and four other former Badminton winners in the top 10, we can be sure of an exciting finale tomorrow.

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