Collett marvels at depth within British eventing

NEWLY-CROWNED Badminton champion Laura Collett has hailed Britain’s “unbelievable” eventing strength after another spectacular performance.

British riders, led by Collett and London 52, filled the top seven places and collected £281,000 in prize money between them.

It was the first time since Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt and Leslie Law in 2002 that Britain achieved a podium clean sweep at Badminton.

For Collett and third-placed Oliver Townend it continued an outstanding run of success highlighted by them winning Olympic team gold alongside Tom McEwen in Tokyo last summer. In addition to that triumph – a first Olympic eventing team title for 49 years – Gloucestershire’s McEwen won individual silver.

Ros Canter, Badminton runner-up, is the reigning world champion, claiming that crown four years ago, when Britain took team honours too.

North Yorkshire’s Nicola Wilson, meanwhile, collected her first European individual title in Switzerland last year. And Wilson also spearheaded European team success after the British selectors chose an entirely different team from Tokyo.

The major aim this year is the World Championship in Italy in September, and although Collett’s Badminton success suggests she might already have secured a spot, a fierce battle for places lies ahead.

“The British team is unbelievable at the moment,” she said. “We just seem to be upping the game, and it is keeping us all on our toes. We all like a challenge, and here is to the next one of trying to get to the Worlds.”

Gloucestershire rider Collett was among the pre-event favourites for Badminton, but few anticipated such a dominant display across the disciplines of dressage, crosscountry and showjumping.

Collett and London 52 secured a winning margin of 4.6 penalties, which in eventing terms is a good furlong clear of the field. Her final 21.4 score was a Badminton record.

“He is a horse of a lifetime,” Collett added. “He has done so much for me, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to be sat on a horse like him.

“He just gets better and better, and the most exciting thing is that he is still young enough to do it all again.”