It took him 27 years, butAustralian veteran Andrew Hoy finally won the MitsubishiMotors Trophy at the Badminton CCI****, May 4-7, leading from start to finish on Moonfleet.

The victory, in Gloucester, England, contained so many “firsts” it is hard to know which to headline: Andrew was the first Australian to win in 45 years and the first dressage day leader (on 36 penalties) to win in 13 years; he is the oldest champion (at 47); and it means the Rolex Grand Slam is again a possibility following Hoy’s win the previous week at Rolex Kentucky.

But most distinctive of all is that at the exact moment Moonfleet set out on the cross-country, 120 miles away in Newmarket, George Washington was running away with the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the first of the 2006 “Classics” for the same owner, Sue Magnier.

George Washington, bred by Lael Stable, cost 1,150,000 guineas ($2,165,857) at Tattersalls in October 2004; by contrast, racing-bred Moonfleet was bought for 50,000 guineas ($64,147) at the same venue in 1995 and went point-to-pointing before moving to eventing in 1998, winning the Burghley CCI**** (England) along the way in 2004. He has something of the fleet-footedness of his racing stablemate, for Hoy took long routes at two fences but still finished inside the time.

“Moonfleet might make it look easy, but there was plenty of jumping to be done out there; he is such a talented horse,” Hoy said.

Runner-up spot–and the best-ever German result–went to team regular Ingrid Klimke with Sleep Late, Hoy’s nearest challenger throughout despite a show jump down. Rising British star Oliver Townend, 23, set the foundation for third place with an in-touch dressage score (43.5) on Flint Curtis, whom he has only been riding for three months. They held onto their cross-country position despite two show jumps down.

Jeanette Brakewell bene-fited from a tough show jumping track, which saw several leading contenders plummet out of the picture, including Hoy on his second ride, Mr Pracatan, who dropped from sixth to 15th. Brakewell’s Over To You jumped one of only seven clear rounds from 53 completions to rise from 11th to fourth.

Several other top finishers were posting their best four-star results, including full-time veterinarian James Robinson and Com-manche, fifth, and relative newcomer Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town, who took the owner-rider prize. Lucy Wiegersma, whose Dutch-born father Henrik’s West Country yard has sold hundreds of good horses on the national and European circuit, finished seventh on Shabraak.

Tough Breaks
As usual, though, there was angst aplenty for leading contenders, and for once William Fox-Pitt and Pippa Funnell found themselves at the sharp end of the pens.

Fox-Pitt withdrew 2005 winner Tamarillo after a dres-sage score not to his usual high standard (49.8), though still in the top 12. This incurred the wrath of event director Hugh Thomas and, more generally, accusations of “spoil-sport” behavior.

Fox-Pitt, conscious that his crashing fall with Coup de Couer at Rolex Kentucky has reduced his options for the World Equestrian Games, said he did not want to risk Tamarillo and that he was surprised at the uproar.

“Britain’s team performance at the WEG will directly reflect on the lottery [government] funding that eventing receives, and while I appreciate the importance of Bad-minton, the WEG is top of Tamarillo’s priorities,” he said. “If Badminton feels horses have an obligation to run, how about an appearance fee?”

Meanwhile, Funnell thought that European bronze medalist Ensign might have reached his level at Blenheim CCI*** (England) last year and had wondered whether to start him at this four starplus Badminton. Alas, the horse indeed looked insecure in the early stages, lurching into the Lake and causing the rider to lose a stirrup iron, finally tipping over at the Haycart (fence 17) off a bad stride.

The rider publicly blamed a BBC cameraman who had been following her around–along with all the others–from an all-terrain vehicle. The jury of appeal, with technical delegate Mike Etherington-Smith, immediately examined the replays and concluded “that the rider may have been distracted but the horse certainly was not.”

And there was later ignominy for Brakewell, a U.K. team stalwart and reigning world silver medalist. Though her 18-years-young Over To You has typically finished on his dressage score, she was dropped next day from the WEG squad. The selectors have named Townend and Daisy Dick (daughter of Grand National winning jockey Dave Dick, and eighth here with Spring Along), together with previously listed Fox-Pitt, Mary King (Call Again Cavalier), Zara Phillips (Toytown, who has yet to run across country in the U.K. this spring) and Funnell (Primmore’s Pride, pending his proving to be sound).

“I am a bit disappointed,” said Brakewell. “I’ve had a good run, but I’m sure that if he had been picked, Over To You would have gone out and done his usual.”

More And More Competitive
Other notable rounds came from long-standing British resident Joe Meyer, whose family has bred many notable event horses in New Zealand, including the charming little gray Snip, whose 10th place must have earned Meyer his first selection for a Kiwi championship team.

Terry Boon, one of Britain’s most prodigious talents, but who has always dipped in and out of the sport, rode a breathtaking dressage and impeccable cross-country round on Foreign Exchange, a French-bred horse so named as he was swapped by his owner for a hunter. Sadly they had to withdraw after cross-country.

One feature of this Badminton was the high quality of dressage, despite the absence of a number of stellar combinations.
British Olympic dressage rider Carl Hester commented that a good mover–of which Foreign Exchange and Flint Curtis were particularly strong examples–was now essential at this level.

“Riders know how to do the movements, but they must teach more expression,” he said. “This is where Andrew, Ingrid and Ruth Edge [eventual 11th on Two Thyme] stood out. They were so light and still.”

Moonfleet has, by the way, had threesuccessful national outings this spring with Andrew’s wife Bettina Hoy, who said he is “responsible for putting a smile back on my face” after the loss of Woodsides Ashby at Kreuth CCI*** (Germany), last October.

For Klimke and Townend, there were quite different emotions after the prize-giving.

“I’ve wanted to come to Badminton many times,” said the self-effacing Klimke, “but my problem has been the long winter in northern Germany.

“German riders have not come herethat regularly. However, our team trainer former Badminton winner Chris Bartle] encouraged me and said we could keep up,” she added. “I shall always remember the cross-country crowds and the friendliness; wherever I looked, someone was willing to help me.”

For confident Townend, just being part of it was never an option. “If the horse is ready, I always come to win,” he said. “I hope the selectors have opened their eyes to Britain’s new generation of talent. When Andrew first rode here, it was four years before I was born.”

As well as pocketing the best British rider award, Townend won the Laurence Rook trophy for the youngest horse, 10-year-old Flint Curtis, for owner-breeder Edward Nicholson. The horse is by William Curtis, a well-known British show jumping sireand is related to Get Smart, who appeared on many British teams with Karen Dixon.

Finally, just to prove it is never too late, Christine Hardinge attempted her first Badminton–and completed in 38th place with the fastest clear–at the age
of 53.

Hardinge only started eventing 10 years ago, having previously show jumped and raced; she still trains point-to-pointers. Her ride, Hiawatha II, was bought by owner Rachel Davis out of her “lucky field” in Ireland; she found Wily Trout (who in 1984 achieved Britain’s best Olympic dressage result for Bartle) in exactly the same spot.