Badminton’s best dressed, grassroots champions crowned, and other things the horse world is talking about

1. Badminton dressage underway

The dressage phase of the five-star competition at Mars Badminton Horse Trials is underway with 69 coming forward after yesterday’s first horse inspection. There were two late withdrawals – Tom McEwen with CHF Cooliser and Richard Coney with Poetry In Motion – while Bill Levett had a nervous wait when Huberthus AC was sent to the holding box, before being accepted after trotting up for a second time. A range of clothing choices from shorts to floaty dresses were seen on the trot-up strip yesterday ...