Germany's Michael Jung looks on course to land the Rolex Grand slam as, following victories at Burghley last year and Kentucky last weekend, he has two fences in hand going into Sunday's final show jumping phase of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton horse trials.
The reigning Olympic and European champion partnered the 17-year-old La Biosethique Sam to a superb clear over the Giuseppe della Chiesa-designed cross-country course on Saturday as he nearest rival after dressage, Britain's Emily King, riding Brookleigh, was eliminated at the second last fence, the Rolex Crossing double of logs.
Jung, who would become the first German to win Badminton, remains on his first phase score of 34.4 penalties while his compatriot, Andreas Ostholt now holds second place on So Is Et in spite of picking up 5.2 cross-country time penalties for a total of 43.4. Britain's Gemma Tattersall and the Irish thoroughbred Arctic Soul moved up from 16th to third (44.6) when one of 11 combinations to come home clear within the time.
Just 0.8 prevented Ireland's Camilla Speirs to be among that group with the diminutive Portersize Just A Jiff who was bred near Portrush by Philip White out of a thoroughbred mare. The Kildare rider and her mother Bridget's 16-year-old brown gelding, which is by the Connemara stallion Crosskeys Rebel, are now the best-placed Irish combination in 17th place on 50.7.
Joseph Murphy is currently lying in 27th place with DHI Topstory on a total of 65.3 which includes 10 cross-country time penalties. The Co Down rider is also in 41st spot with Sportsfield Othello (102.6), one of many horses to have a refusal on the influential cross-country course. Irish pathfinder Micheal Ryan picked up jumping and time penalties on Saturday for a two-phase total of 84.4 with Ballylynch Adventure while Sarah Ennis, who had been lying 12th after dressage, dropped to 37th when also penalised for a jumping error and going over the time on BLM Diamond Delux (93.6).
All Irish horses passed Sunday morning’s second inspection. Murphy, Ryan and Ennis will compete in the first session of show jumping while Speirs will be among the top 20 who jump this afternoon.
