MARS BADMINTON
8–12 May
Edited by Pippa Roome
@pipparoomeorkyle
Mars Badminton, Glos
AS the week of the 75th anniversary edition of Badminton unfolded, one brilliant winner's story after another came into focus through the rays of perfectly timed sunshine.
Oliver Townend wins the Rolex Grand Slam. William Fox-Pitt lands his 15th fivestar and retires. Tim Price finally coaxes a showjumping clear from Vitali to hold on to victory. Emily King becomes a second-generation five-star winner on her first completion and fifth start here. An unknown Irish amateur debutante trounces everyone. Bubby Upton makes a victorious comeback from a potentially career-ending injury less than a year ago.
And yet, one after another, these stories faded away. In their place, galloping round in the winner's rug when all was said and done, were New Zealand's Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier, owned by Chris and Michelle Mann and her rider.
No one expected Caroline to win. Data analytics experts EquiRatings put her victory chance at 2% before the event.
“It never entered my mind that we would win it – you get to an age
