Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Canter and Lordships Graffalo have also claimed two wins at Burghley Horse Trials and an Olympic gold medal
Britain’s Ros Canter and her horse Lordships Graffalo have become the first rider and horse combination to win the Badminton Horse Trials three times.
Canter, 40, who helped Team GB secure team eventing gold at the 2024 Olympics, competed just 16 weeks after giving birth to her second child, daughter Seneh.
Canter and ‘Walter’ — as the 14-year-old bay gelding is also known — led from Harry Meade and Annaghmore Valoner after the dressage and cross-country phases, holding a fence in hand. Meade and Annaghmore Valoner knocked down one fence during Sunday’s showjumping finale, giving the leaders a cushion of 10.2 penalties.
Canter and Lordships Graffalo used only two of those penalties in excess time, finishing with a final score of 25.7. Tim Price and Falco secured second place.
This marks Canter and Lordships Graffalo’s third Badminton win in four years, making them the first pair to achieve a trio of victories since the prestigious event began in 1949.
Having also won Burghley Horse Trials for a second time last September, they are now five-time five-star winners, making Lordships Graffalo the most decorated horse in eventing history.
“I thought he jumped his socks off in there today,” Canter said on BBC Two while holding Seneh. “I can’t put into words how lucky I am to ride a horse like him. He enables me to get myself into a position where I believe I can be one of the fastest riders in the world.”
She added: “I can’t thank everybody enough for all they put in to help me because it takes an army to do this. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to juggle both jobs. To be an event rider, it’s a real family sport and we’re very privileged to be able to do both at the same time.”
