IF YOU were looking for thrills and spills, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2008 did not disappoint.
While some of the biggest names in the sport fell by the wayside, others took the opportunity to push for Olympic selection - none more so than the best of the domestic riders, Lucy Wiegersma, on Shaabrak, who finished an honourable second to the deserving French winner, Nicolas Touzaint.
Lucy is now surely in contention for the Olympic team, while William Fox-Pitt's third place on Ballincoola will have selectors wondering whether this horse or Tamarillo, who finished 18th, will be going to Hong Kong.
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New Zealand rider Caroline Powell and Lenamore put in an excellent performance to finish fourth and Sharon Hunt's fifth place on Tankers Town must also put her in contention for the Games.
Polly Stockton, although she dropped three places after the show jumping to finish sixth on Tom Quigley, is also a force to be reckoned with.
And who will forget the storming performance by first-timers Georgie Davies and Fachoudette who, with Polly Stockton, had one of the only two clear rounds within the time on the cross country course?
They finished 10th to win the Laurence Rook Trophy for the best-placed British young rider at her first Badminton.
Harry Meade and Midnight Dazzler, who finished 13th, won the Cotswold Life Trophy for the highest-placed local rider for the third year in a row, with Rodney Powell and Zin Zan II close behind in 14th.
Zara Phillips demonstrated her gutsy style once again by riding two of her less-
experienced horses, Glenbuck and Ardfield Magic Star clear across country to finish 16th and 19th respectively.
She also won the Glentrool Trophy for the greatest improvement between her dressage placing and the final result - Ardfield Magic Star moving up a massive 59 placings from 78th.
But Hugh Thomas's taxing caught out many of the best riders including Gatcombe-based Australian Andrew Hoy and Moon Fleet, in the lead after the dressage, who were eliminated as early as The Quarry (fence 5), while fellow Australian Clayton Fredericks, who led after day one of the dressage, came to grief on Nullabor at the HSBC Hexagon Hedge.
Even Mary King and Imperial Cavalier had an uncharacteristic fall two fences from home, while Pippa Funnell and Ensign got no further than Huntsman's Close.
Julie Tew from Northleach, riding Sir Roselier, retired at the Blue Cross Roundtops but the Chippenham-based Beanie Sturgis and Monarch's Rock finished a very creditable 27th while Georgie Spence, also from Chippenham, rode Running Brook II into 30th and won the saddle presented to the best British U25 rider.
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