'Mind games' pay off

Laura Collett has to leave her superstar London 52 at home but triumphs onher second Badminton hopeful, while a new partnership also rise to the top

- PIPPA ROOME

Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market, Norfolk

LAURA COLLETT gave Dacapo the perfect Badminton warm-up run when she led from start to finish to win the CCI4*-S.

“I always planned to run him competitively here because if you run him too slow too many times, he switches off and forgets he can get excited about cross-country,” said the rider of the 14-year-old, who belongs to Gillian Morris-Adams, Diana Chappell, Carolyn Taylor, and the Smedleys.

“He’s always had the ability, it’s just working out what makes him tick. Over the years we’ve learnt how to play mind games with him and hopefully we have him figured out now.”

Laura said she couldn’t fault Dacapo’s performance in any phase and he added just 3.6 cross-country time-faults to his leading dressage score of 23.7.

“The course had plenty of questions and some of the lines didn’t ride as they walked, so it was good in that you had to react and ride what you had,” said Laura.

The rider’s defending Badminton champion London 52 had been due to compete here too, but an overreach at the start of the week meant he has been diverted to Kelsall Hill for his final prep run before the five-star.

“He didn’t fancy a trip to Norfolk and thought he’d let his friend do the business this weekend,” joked Laura.

Piggy March finished second with Trevor Dickens’ Vanir Kamira, who is enjoying one day competition now that she has been retired from five-star after two wins at the level.