Badminton 2026: Rosalind Canter/Lordships Graffalo win ahead of Tim Price (NZL)/Falco and Harry Meade (GBR)/Annaghmore Valoner

The sensation is perfect: Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo have won the CCI5*-L at Badminton. It was the third victory in Badminton for the son of Grafenstolz. No horse has ever achieved this before.

125,000 pounds prize money in badminton for “Walter”

Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo, “Walter”, have not only made history. With their final round, they showed that a well-trained horse can confidently go over a show jumping course one day after what is probably the most demanding cross-country course in the world. It was a controlled ride, no excessive movements and always a little “proud” over the jump – just in Walter style. The pair could have allowed themselves two jumping faults, two time faults was all that had to be added to the dressage result.

Rosalind Canter: almost with dressage result to Badminton victory

The pair had already topped the field in the dressage with 23.7 penalty points. No penalty points were added in the cross-country. The most difficult thing was to reconcile feeding her daughter, who was born in January, with the schedule, “Ros” Canter said after the cross-country.

Birth and then back into the field

She gave birth to her second child in January. Before the baby break, she had won the CCI5*-L in Burghley at the beginning of September 2025 in the saddle of Walter. For the second time. At the time, the British rider was five months pregnant. She had ridden the CCI4*-S in Thoresby Park at the beginning of April 2026. And then it was off to Badminton, where the pair had already won in 2023 and 2025.

“I can’t find words, I’m so happy,” said the otherwise rather sober winner after her historic success, only to then focus on the real hero, Walter: “He makes my life so easy, he loves this sport, he lives it”. And the team was also praised. Especially her mother, who took care of her two daughters: “It’s a real family sport!”

No teeth, but no jumping faults either

New Zealand’s Tim Price was delighted with second place. His Falco, tenth after the dressage (29.9), was in fifth place after the cross-country with four time faults before the final day (33.9). Price had won the individual and team bronze medal with the Hanoverian gelding in Pratoni del Vivaro in 2022. The pair were also victorious at the CCI5*-L in Pau (FRA). The pair also competed in Paris 2024 – finishing sixth in the individual classification. His wife Jonelle, winner in Badminton in 2018, came twelfth in Badminton this year with Chilli’s Midnight Star (45.1).

EORTH causes no problems

Falco, bred by Norbert Nowak, no longer has any front teeth. They had to be removed at the beginning of the year because the gelding suffers from EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis). According to Tim Price, his well-being has improved since then. And he has no problems eating. “As far as that goes, he’s a bit of a pony out of proportion,” says Price. “Sometimes he just looks like a grandpa who needs glasses,” says Price. But he is doing really well after the operation – his performance in Badminton proves it.

“Clear” on the course with no time faults for Arne Bergendahl and Lutien

The pair managed their second penalty-free ride in the jumping competition within the time limit. Only one other combination had achieved this before. Arne Bergendahl with Lutien by La Calido, who was bred by his family. The gray mare is not a born dressage horse. She also proved this in Badminton: From 49th place after the dressage (38.8), they were 42nd(46.2) after the cross-country with two dicey situations. With this result, the pair finished in 35th place overall. Lutien’s son Bronco is one of the horses supported by the Road2LA initiative.

Bad luck for Harry Meade

Tim Price benefited from the mistakes made by two British riders. Harry Meade in his typical long red jacket, which would look good in any hunting field, was in second place after the cross-country with Annaghmore Valoner (30.3). A knockdown in the first third of the course, a bridge over a ditch, and 0.8 time penalties meant that the world leader finished in third place (35.1). Meade had brought a total of three horses to the start.

A total of 61 combinations traveled to Badminton. 45 finished the cross-country. After the final conformation test on Sunday morning, in which Irish rider Sarah Ennis did not receive the hoped-for “passed” for Grantstown Jackson, among others, 40 combinations had ridden the course.

Sarah Bullimore, 52, whose Corimiro by Amiro Z, is one of the greatest hopes in the British eventing camp, is home-bred, Bullimore has already ridden the dam of the eleven-year-old gelding at CCI5* level, A down at jump four, the bright red “Post Office” steeplechase and another pole, later at an oxer, which the chestnut did not quite finish jumping, hindquarters faults, caused the third to slip to tenth place after the cross-country (41.7).

Final result Badminton Horse Trials 2026