Equestrian: Lambie survives Badminton in style

9.00am

At the beginning of last week, all Kate Lambie from South Auckland wanted to do was to complete the challenge of Badminton Horse Trials, arguably the toughest event of its kind.

After one rail down in her show jumping round, 27-year-old Lambie and her little bay mare Nufarm Alibi finished in fifth place. They finished ahead of some of the top international stars in the sport, picking up a cheque for £10,500 ($31,500) and a replica of the Mitsubishi Challenge Trophy.

The winner of the event, right from the start when she led the dressage, was British Olympic medallist Pippa Funnell on Supreme Rock, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse.

William Fox-Pitt, another of the senior British team and a multiple European medallist, moved up from third after endurance, to show jump clear for second place on 10-year-old Tamarillo. Leslie Law and Shear H2O, British team silver medallists at the Sydney Olympics, were third.

The day began with more disappointments for the New Zealand camp when Blyth Tait's fourth-placed Welton Envoy was withdrawn from the holding box at the final inspection with some heat in a leg.

First-time Badminton competitor Matthew Grayling (New Plymouth), who had had a foot-perfect ride on the cross-country, was devastated when Revo trotted up in front of the judges lame in a foreleg and he, too, was subsequently withdrawn. Joe Meyer's Southern Star was not presented.

By the end of the day, New Zealand had four in the top 20, with Andrew Nicholson's pair New York and Mr Smiffy in eighth and ninth place, the former with two rails down in the arena and the latter dropping one.

Heelan Tompkins (New Plymouth) on the youngest horse in the competition, eight-year-old Classic Hits Crusada, had just one rail down, plus a time penalty, to finish 13th.

Team trainer Mark Todd said it was unfortunate Grayling's Revo was withdrawn.

"It was really sad that Matthew's horse wasn't right to show jump, but the two girls both rode really good rounds and it is a fantastic result.

"I think it's a brilliant start (to the World Equestrian Games campaign). It's their first four star event in Europe and they will have learned from it."

Todd is returning to Britain for a holiday in July and will spend some time with the riders based here, as well as travelling back a week or so prior to the Games in September to fine tune the team effort.

Perhaps significantly for eventing in New Zealand, Lambie, Tompkins and Grayling, who all travelled to Britain just weeks before Badminton, have shown it is quite possible for horses and riders to prepare at home for major northern hemisphere competition, without having to base themselves in Britain or Europe.

It opens doors of opportunity for many more riders and, of course, means that there will be a wider range from which to select teams in the future.

Results: Pippa Funnell (GBR) Supreme Rock 37.81 1, William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Tamarillo 41.81 2, Leslie Law (GBR) Shear H2O 47.20 3, Andreas Dibrowski (GER) Ginger 48.80 4, Kate Lambie (NZL) Nufarm Alibi 53 5, Andrew Nicholson New York 55.81 9 & Mr Smiffy 57 10, Heelan Tompkins (NZL) Classic Hits Crusada 62 13.

- NZPA