May 9, 2025 
Yesterday, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend and his veteran mount Ballaghmor Class led through 20-some dressage rounds on the morning of Day 1 at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials. Then, the afternoon came.
Another 20-something rounds left Townend and “Thomas” in fifth place, with the second half of the competition still to come on Friday. Townend’s not-so-secret dream of a second MARS Badminton win (his first was more than 15 years ago) seemed to be slipping away.
Fortunately, he still had one more flea-bitten grey in his pocket.
On Friday afternoon, Townend and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Cooley Rosalent earned a 21.1, 1.3 penalties ahead of Thursday’s leader, Townend’s Tokyo and Paris Olympic teammate Tom McEwen (GBR) with JL Dublin. Gemma Stevens (GBR) sits third with Jalapeno on 24.7 penalties.
“[Cooley Rosalent] is still quite babyish, but she coped very well in the atmosphere of the dressage,” said Townend, who won his first CCI5* with the mare in Kentucky in 2024. “She is very nippy across country; she can adjust her stride and she has a great galloping pedigree.”
So great, in fact, that “Rosie’s” mom, Bellany Jewel, won the Scottish Grand National steeplechase. Her father was a show jumping stallion named Valent.
“She has the stamina and it’s up to me to give her the ride,” Townend continued of Cooley Rosalent, who is owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon. “Sometimes it’s your day and sometimes it’s not.”
In eventing, that’s very much a true statement, especially on the eve of cross-country. Even so, if you were a betting man, it’s worth giving Townend a hard look to take home the title for a second time.
His first-ever 5* triumph at Badminton came at the age of 26 in 2009 with Flint Curtis. But Townend has been runner-up at this venue twice on Ballaghmor Class—not to mention scoring multiple victories at Kentucky and Burghley.
In fact, Townend is the most experienced competitor at Badminton this year, with 18 completions to his name.
Still, don’t expect his 2024 Paris Olympic gold medal-winning teammates to make it easy on him. Not only does McEwen currently sit second, he ties Ros Canter, in fourth, as the Equiratings Prediction Centre’s top pick to take Badminton in 2025 with 25% odds. Townend and Rosie are in third at 17%.
Not to be left out: fellow Olympic veteran (2016) Gemma Stevens (nè Tattersall), who, like Townend, has not one but two horses—Jalapeno and Chilli Knight—currently ranked among the top 10 after Dressage. And, like Townend, Stevens is fully focused on her to-do list tomorrow on cross country.
“The two horses are similar types, but have different ways of going,” she explained. “[Chilli Knight] will want to gallop to the end, but the mare [Jalapeno], who can be lazy, will tell me she is tired three minutes into the course and I will be clicking. Luckily, I have been to the gym,” Stevens joked.
“I will be terrified, but then, if you’re not terrified at Badminton, why are you here?”
