Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Britannia Winning the 2007 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials Photograph:Jan Milne

For the second year in a row, an Australian rider has won the prestigious Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials. Lucinda Fredericks riding her mare Headley Britannia, co-owned with husband Clayton, led from day one of the competition but had to withstand a number of challenges over the final two days.  Lucinda held her nerve, however, to complete her second major Four-star victory in six months.  

The win follows her first major four-star win at the Burghley Horse Trials last September and comes one week after husband Clayton won the Rolex Kentucky four-star event in the USA.

After her outstanding Dressage test on day one, Lucinda gave up just 1.6 time penalties over the cross-country course and another four penalties in the jumping to finish on 39.6 penalties, wining by just two points from German Andreas Dibowski and Kim Severson from the USA who finished 3rd.

Australian Olympic gold medallist Matt Ryan riding Bonza Katoomba capped a memorable event for Australia by continually improving his position throughout the competition with clear rounds in the cross country and showjumping phases, to finish in 4th position.

As the World Equestrian Games are only held every four years, the Badminton event was the 2007 benchmark event for Australian Olympic Committee’s Adidas Medal Incentive Program. The win will now see Lucinda qualify for the $15,000 funding awarded to winners of benchmark events.   Matt Ryan also qualified for $2,500 funding awarded to 4th placegetters in this program instigated by the AOC and Adidas to support athletes in their preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The Badminton win continues a wonderful run of major four-star performances for Australian riders who have now won six of the last eight of these major events and finished second in the other two, including the World Equestrian Games last year in Aachen, Germany.

Gill Rolton Showjumping report:

Celebrations all round for Australia here at Badminton with a fantastic win for Lucinda Fredericks and the tough and very talented little chestnut mare Headley Britannia!

After a couple of withdrawals overnight and UK rider Piggy French’s What a Performance being spun in the trot up, there were only 39 left to jump today, the first 19 in the morning and 20 in the afternoon.

The morning session proved that the course was very jumpable with 6 double-clears and very few time penalties so we were set for an interesting afternoons sport.

Clayton Fredericks came into the ring in 19^th place on 55.6. He started off jumping quite clean but had a rail down at the square oxer at no 7 when he rode for the 6 strides down the line and had the front of the oxer and another down at 10. Another square oxer followed by another in the treble and move down to 22^nd position on 67.6 penalties rather a costly round for Clayton.

Next out, Swede Dag Albert on Who’s Blitz were the first clear of the afternoon to finish on his dressage score of 54.8 and 17^th.

The next clear was the very talented and beautiful 17.3 hand Irish-bred horse McKinlaigh ridden by US competitor Gina Miles, to finish on 53.6 and 15^th.

The course was riding well and horses handling the windy conditions though the jumps weren’t quite so stable.

Kiwi Caroline Powell on Lenamore came into the ring and as she approached the start, the 2^nd fence blew down … luckily she heard the bell and stopped to let the fence crew get it back up again..

She ended up with one down and a good finish in 12^th on 51.2 penalties.

Matt Ryan entered the arena in 8^th position on his dressage score of 46.2 but in sight of the leaders if he could pull off a clear round. He rode a very clever round to finish clear within the time on 46.2 to put pressure on the leaders and ender up in 4^th position .

The next three to jump after Matt all had rails and he was in the lead until Andreas Dibowski and German bred mare FRH Serve Well had a very convincing clear to finish in front of Matt on 41.6 – good enough for second place.

Hinrich Romeike and Marius Voigt – Logistik had two rails to drop down to 6^th.

Next to go, the American multiple Kentucky winner, Kim Severson and Winsome Adante. Dan didn’t look like he was going to touch a fence early in the round but the treble took its toll when he had the B and C elements down, giving Lucinda breathing space Andreas second place and moving Kim and Adante down to third.

The stadium was hushed as Lucinda rode into the ring. Britt looked to be quite strong and was not giving Lucinda an easy ride.  She made her wait for the six strides from 6 to 7 where most had been jumping in 5 and kept them up but a rail at the oxer at 10 made the crowd gasp. Luckily Lucinda was able to pilot Britt through the treble clear and a huge jump over the last – the Liverpool - saw Lucinda and the little mare this year’s very popular Badminton winner in a very international field.

At the press conference after, Lucinda was full of praise for the wonderful Burghley and now Badminton winner Headley Britannia, saying that next week she will be going to be harvested for Embryo Transfer before coming back into work again .

So a great result again for the Fredericks family - and Australia - after Claytons win last weekend at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****

We have had an amazing run in the last 2 years with Australians winning 6 out of the last 8 CCI**** Events.