Related items

• Ros Canter closes in on first Badminton title

  Former world eventing champion Ros Canter is within touching distance of a first Badminton Horse Trials title after she conquered punishing cross-country conditions to take pole position.

  Lincolnshire-based Canter flourished with Lordships Graffalo – Badminton runners-up behind Laura Collett last year – on a day when many combinations floundered.

  Double Olympic medallist Tom McEwen described the stamina-sapping going as “horrific”, and none of the starters threatened to jump clear inside the optimum time.

  Canter collected 11.6 time penalties for an overnight score of 33.7, putting her nine penalties clear of Irish challenger Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, with McEwen’s Olympic team gold medal-winning colleague Oliver Townend third aboard Ballaghmor Class on 45.9.

  Canter, who won the world crown in North Carolina five years ago, can afford to have two fences down in Monday’s showjumping finale and still land the £105,000 top prize.

  Thirty combinations completed the cross-country test, with almost half the field either being eliminated or deciding to retire.

  “It felt hard work in terms of galloping,” 37-year-old Canter said.

  “He had to dig deep, but he is so honest and is a fantastic jumper. He is economical with his jumping, and you can’t get much better.

  “A horse like him should be celebrated – I have not sat on anything like him before. Tomorrow is another day, but whatever happens, he is a star.”

  O’Connor rocketed 32 places up the leaderboard after dressage, adding just 10.8 penalties to his score in pursuit of a crown that has not been won by an Irish rider since Major Eddie Boylan in 1965.

  Cork-born O’Connor, who is based in Oxfordshire, said: “The horse was amazing. He is the real deal.

  “It was the hardest he has had to try in a five-star event, but he is full of class. I’ve got a great team at home and they have kept him very fit.

  “He is one of the best horses in the world, and I am a lot older than I look! I have ridden a lot of cross-country courses in the wet before.”

  McEwen, meanwhile, lies fifth on Toledo De Kerser, just behind world number one Tim Price, with Gemma Stevens in sixth and Canter holding seventh spot aboard her second ride Pencos Crown Jewel.

• Tahlia Richardson takes positives away from performances at XXIV Yonex Pan American Individual Championships

  Jamaica’s Women’s champion Tahlia Richardson, despite not making it past the quarter-finals in any of her events at the recent XXIV Yonex Pan American Individual Championships at the GC Foster College in her home country, remains positive and grateful for the experience.

  Richardson, who played in mixed doubles, women's doubles, and singles events, faced tough competition from players around the world. Speaking about her mixed doubles match with partner Samuel Ricketts, where they lost to Canada’s Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Rachel Honderich, Richardson said, "It was a good match. We don't usually get to play people of that calibre; these people are playing in England and on the other side of the world. There were some things we could have capitalized on more."

  While disappointed with not progressing further in the tournament, Richardson remains grateful for the opportunity to compete against top players and is looking forward to continuing to grow as a player. "I am not too disappointed because I see where I have grown, especially from previous games just in this tournament so I am really grateful that we were able to play and get to the quarter-final match where we showed that we were able to play these top countries and in few months’ time we will be able to compete against them better," she added.

  In the opening round of mixed doubles, Richardson and Ricketts beat the third seed, Johnathan Solis and Diana Corleto Soto, in a closely contested match. Richardson said, "For Mixed Doubles we drew the third seed that was a pretty tough match that went to three sets but it showed what we were capable of doing. Our second round against Mexico was easier than the third seed that we had played, so we were pretty confident going into play the quarter-finals. Sometimes players are better and they were better than us."

  In singles, Richardson made it to the second round before losing to Mexico's Vanessa Maricela Garcia Contreras. Despite the loss, she remains pleased with her game play and sees areas for improvement. "I have seen my growth but my legs need to get stronger so I need to work on that. I am not disappointed in my game play because based on what my coaches were telling me tactically I was playing well so I am pleased with that I am able to absorb the information that my coaches give me," she explained.

  In women's doubles, Richardson and partner Kathryn Wynter lost to Fatima Beatriz Centeno Fuentes and Daniela Hernandez in a closely contested match. Reflecting on the game, Richardson said, "For the Women’s doubles, it was a winnable match but I didn’t step into the role that I need to play and I didn’t realize that until I reflected on the match and seeing that where my strength is and where my partner Kathryn Wynter’s strengths are."

  Overall, Richardson remains optimistic about her future as a badminton player and is looking forward to continuing to work on her weaknesses to improve her game.

   

   

  
  
  

• Hulburt-Yu/Honderich defeat Ricketts/Richardson 21-11, 21-15 to set up Canada vs Brazil MD semis at XXVI Yonex Pan Am Individual Championships

  Jamaica’s top mixed-doubles pair of Samuel Ricketts and Tahlia Richardson bowed out at the quarter-final stage of the XXVI Yonex Pan Am Individual Championships which in its penultimate day at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town, St Catherine on Friday.

  The Jamaican pair lost 21-11, 21-15 to Canadian pair of Joshua Hulburt-Yu and Rachel Honderich in a match that lasted 26 minutes.

  Ricketts and Richardson were the second Jamaican pair the Canadians have beaten in the tournament having eliminated Bradley Evans and Rihanna Rust 21-2, 21-4 during the round of 32 on Wednesday.

  The Canadians will face the Brazilian duo of Davi Silva and Sania Lima who defeated the USA’s Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai 21-16, 26-24 in their quarter-final match up.

  Another Canadian pair, Alexander Lindeman and Josephine Wu also advanced to the Mixed Doubles semi-finals after they defeated Mexico’s Luis Armando Montoya Navarro and Miriam Jacqueline Rodriquez Perez 21-12, 21-19.

  It will be a Canada vs Brazil semi-final after Fabricio Farias and Jacqueline Lima bested Perus’ Jose Guevara and Ines Lucia Castillo Salazar 21-14, 21-10 in their quarter-final encounter.