New Zealander Jonathan Paget today became the first Badminton debut winner for 33 years after a neat and tidy clear round on Clifton Promise. The last first timer to win Badminton was Paget's fellow New Zealander, double Olympic champion Mark Todd back in 1980.
Paget, 29, pipped William Fox-Pitt to the post meaning he was unable to complete The Grand Slam.
The Grand Slam is awarded to any rider who consecutively wins Burghley, Kentucky and Badminton titles.
Both British Olympian Fox-Pitt and New Zealander Andrew Nicholson entered the final showjumping phase with a chance of completing the clean sweep Grand Slam.
Fox-Pitt was the 2011 Burghley winner and 2012 Kentucky champion. He should have competed for the Grand Slam last year, had Badminton not been cancelled due to a waterlogged field.
Nicholson was also in line to achieve the Grand Slam after winning Burghley in 2012 and Kentucky last weekend. This is the first time two riders have been competing for the prestige title in the same year.
Sadly it was not meant to be and Fox-Pitt finished fifth on Parklane Hawk after hitting a fence. Nicholson finished third on Nereo.
The reigning Olympic, world and European champion, Michael Jung unfortunately also rolled a pole on the final fence on his La Biosthetique-Sam to finish second, just 0.3 points behind Paget.
Olympic Silver medalist Zara Phillips sadly decided to retire from the competition after missing the second of two brush jumps in the Lake during the Cross-Country phase of the competition yesterday.
Fellow Olympian, Mary King was also eliminated from the competition riding Kings Temptress.
Badminton 2013 proves to be nail-biting stuff after first-timer wins
Sian Lovatt
Monday, May 06, 2013
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