At the end of a drama-filled cross-country at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials CCI**** Australia’s Paul Tapner and Kilronan lead the field on a score of 56.4.

There were shocks, thrills and spills aplenty when, one by one, the favorites disappeared from the reckoning. Just 35 of the 77 combinations who set out on Guiseppe Della Chiesa’s new-look course completed, and no one managed to finish anywhere near the optimum time. There were 24 clear rounds.

Tapner’s round for 20.4 time penalties was one of the quickest.