Harry Meade Falls at Badminton but Holds Second Overnight
Harry Meade fell from Cavalier Crystal at the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country on 9 May 2024, but he still held second place overnight on Annaghmore Valoner after going clear inside the time. The split result left him with one costly mistake and one major climb up the standings from the same day.
Cavalier Crystal at Farm Yard
The fall came at Mike Weaver’s Farm Yard fence 22ab, where Cavalier Crystal stood on herself at the angled rail after the open ditch and could not get her legs up. The frangible device broke and fired Meade off.
Meade described the mare in bluntly positive terms after the round. “Cavalier Crystal was sensational – she was almost my banker. She was up on the clock, giving me at least a good a ride as Annaghmore Valoner.”
He added that the stop was a rare one in a long Badminton record. “I’ve had 18 rides here – 17 amazing rides – and that was best of all of them until then, but the sport keeps us all grounded, quite literally.”
Annaghmore Valoner Stays Calm
Annaghmore Valoner carried the other part of Meade’s day. He said the mare had historically lacked self-belief and had been “quite an introvert, a worrier,” but the round on 9 May held together under pressure and moved him into second overnight.
“Annaghmore Valoner is a lovely mare who has historically lacked self-belief and been quite an introvert, a worrier. I always run her in a very relaxed, lobbing way round one-days, which means I can bring her out on a day like today and she can cruise with that relaxation,” Meade said. “She made it feel pretty easy.”
That ride mattered because it kept him in the frame while Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo led the standings at the end of the day. Sarah Bullimore climbed from 19th to third on Corimiro after a clear round in the time, while Katie Magee moved from 26th to fourth on Treworra.
Badminton Leaderboard Tightens
The broader numbers showed how demanding Eric Winter’s track was. Thirty-five of the 59 starters jumped clear, but only seven were inside the time. Lucy Latta sat fifth on RCA Patron Saint and Tim Price was sixth on Falco after both were a few seconds over the time.
Further down the board, Gaspard Maksud went clear in the time on Zaragoza to sit equal 11th, Tayla Mason did the same on Centennial to move to 13th, and Holly Richardson went clear in the time on Ballyneety Silver Service to finish the day 22nd. Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier retired after an incident at the LeMieux Village fence 18ab.
Meade’s day ended with a split verdict: one horse out of the competition and another leaving him second overnight. With seven riders inside the time on a course that pushed the field, that position kept him inside the fight while the leaders turned toward the next phase with little room to spare.
