British rider Oliver Townend had a fairytale finish to his Badminton campaign, winning the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. The 26-year-old, riding his long-time partner, Edward and Robert Nicholson’s homebred Flint Curtis, survived a nerve-wracking show jumping round.

The combination had a fence in hand, but used this up halfway around the course, ensuring spectators were on the edges of their seat to the last. A second pole down would have handed the trophy to former winner William Fox-Pitt.

“That was nerve-wracking,” admitted Oli. “But he is a good horse and I know him inside-out – if he hadn’t won today, it would have been down to me – but to win here is just a dream.”

As the afternoon’s show jumping progressed it became evident to riders that in order to retain their position on the leader board, a clear round over Jon Doney’s 13 fence track was imperative – nine of the final top 20 riders produced clean sheets and those adding faults found themselves dropping rapidly down the order.

William Fox-Pitt and Idalgo, who jumped clear, were ones to benefit from others’ mistakes and in the end it was so close – the pair was just 0.7 penalties behind the leader and William a fraction away from recording his second win after his first in 2004.

“Idalgo has been sensational all week,” said William. “He’s been a bit unlucky in the past but we’ve always believed in him and his owners – George and Jane Apter – have been very loyal and as he proved today, he’s been well-worth waiting for.” William also finished fifth on his second ride, Macchiato.

A clear round brought British-based Australian Sam Griffiths and Happy Times up into the frame to take third place. Happy Times, a ten-year-old, is a German-bred gelding by the influential eventing Thoroughbred sire, Heraldik. The pair, 20th after dressage, rose to eighth place after cross-country. “I think the world of him and that was before we came here,” said Sam, whose previous highest placing here was sixth in 2004.

Italian first-timer Roberto Rotatori and Irham de Viages finished in fourth place to become the highest placed Italian rider in the history of Badminton. “He is such an amazing horse – he has a really big heart – and it is just amazing to be at Badminton,” said Roberto who came back to competitive riding three years ago after giving up ten years ago.

Sadly for British rider Lucy Wiegersma, Shaabrak took out four poles and the pair, second here last year, dropped to sixth place. Dressage leaders Karin Donkers and Gazelle de la Brassiere added 12 faults to their sheet after the mare started to run on, and ended the three days in seventh.

Oliver’s win at Badminton gives him the current lead in the HSBC FEI Classics ™ standings – the series of five, four-star events that offers a first prize of US$150,000 to the rider gaining the most points at the end of series.