Day one at the CCI5*-L in Badminton with dressage performance by Arne Bergendahl and Luthien NRW

Arne Bergendahl and Luthien NRW have made it, phase one of the CCI5*-L in Badminton is behind them and let’s put it this way, “Lucy” could probably do without an appearance in the arena and start directly with phase two. One can only take one’s hat off to environmental engineer Arne Bergendahl for the feeling and skill with which he maneuvered his four-legged bundle of energy over the 20×60 meters of hallowed turf at Badminton. Even though the La Calido daughter has all the options when it comes to movement, Lucy simply has no patience for medium stride, for example.

The bottom line is that they scored 38.8 minus points today, which puts them in 24th place. They can do better, but they can also do worse. And the most important thing is yet to come. As the English commentator who scored the dressage in Badminton today for Clip My Horse said: “I saw the pair in the cross-country in Pau. My goodness, can that horse run and jump!” Fingers crossed that things go as well for the pair as they did last year at the end of the season in Pau!

The front runners

Leading the field today is US rider Tiana Coudray on the Holstein mare Cancaras Girl by Cancara, bred by Johann Peter Lass. In 2024, they had their best dressage result to date of 29.8 minus points. They were able to clearly beat that today: With 28.1 minus points, they were the only pair to break the 70 percent mark today. The Wiltshire-born Californian and her self-trained mare have already finished Badminton twice, once in 44th place and once in 25th place.

Great Britain’s Will Rawlin and his 14-year-old Irishman Ballycoog Breaker Boy were delighted with second place. They were 23rd in Badminton last year.

Third place went to 27-year-old Bubby Upton, also for Great Britain, and her now 16-year-old Holstein long-term partner Cola by Catoki, with whom she has already won U21 European Championship gold. The two are the pair in the field who have finished Badminton the most times – four times in a row since their debut in 2022. Last year they were eighth. This year, they start the weekend with 29.8 minus points.

You can find all the results here.