Latest Kentucky and Badminton news, plus other things the horse world is talking about
1. Mai Baum to miss Kentucky
The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event will be getting under way on Thursday (25 April) without the home side’s favourite in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S. Last year’s five-star winner Tamie Smith and Mai Baum were planning to contest the CCI4*-S this time, but an incident at home has led to “Lexus” missing the event. Tamie said: “While I was away competing some of my other horses last weekend, Lexus was a bit wild and feeling exuberant and pulled away from his handler and tweaked himself.” Another horse crowds won’t be seeing at Kentucky is Boyd Martin’s world team silver medallist Tsetserleg TSF. He will be heading to Badminton instead, and Boyd will ride 2021 Maryland 5 Star winner On Cue in the five-star at Kentucky. Boyd also has Commando 3 and Federman B in the CCI4*-S at Kentucky.
Follow all the latest Kentucky news
2. The Badminton draw is out!
Tom Jackson and Farndon, pictured here competing at Blenheim, will be the Badminton 2024 pathfinders.
The order of riders competing at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials (8-12 May) has been confirmed, with Tom Jackson as the pathfinder on Farndon. Tom’s British squad horse from last year, Capels Hollow Drift, will compete towards the end of the class as number 80. The favourites, Ros Canter and Izilot DHI at number 53, are likely to do their dressage on Friday morning. Oliver Townend may ride Tregilder as number nine, although the horse’s participation has to be in some doubt with only one open intermediate run so far this year, with the brilliant Ballaghmor Class as number 78. Harry Meade still has three horses likely to start; Cavalier Crystal as number four, Away Cruising as 40, and Red Kite will be the final horse in the competition at 82.
Find out more about the Badminton draw
3. Farewell to “the ultimate showgirl”
Connections have paid tribute to the exceptional small intermediate show riding type contender Wilderness Carmen, who has died aged 25. Louise Edgar-Kingman and Wendy Edgar’s mare was crowned intermediate champion at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2009 and was supreme of show at the Cherif championships, both in hand and under saddle, during her showing career. She was also the dam of the 2018 HOYS supreme pony of the year Carmens Novello.
Wilderness Carmen was crowned intermediate show riding type of the year at HOYS in 2009.
“It didn’t matter which show we were at, she absolutely loved showing; she always had to walk into the ring first,” Louise said. “She could be a diva about a handful of things but she was the ultimate showgirl who knew her job so well.”
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