Equestrianism: Badminton loses Arakai after injury
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Your support makes all the difference.THE New Zealand-bred Arakai, who was ridden by Ian Stark in Britain's winning European Championship team last year, has been withdrawn from next month's Badminton Horse Trials after knocking himself.
Mary King's Star Appeal is also out with a minor injury and William Fox- Pitt has decided to give Cosmopolitan II a spring rest, leaving Chris Bartle and Word Perfect as the only remaining Badminton entries from the victorious team.
Fox-Pitt, who rides Mostly Mischief at Badminton, intends to take one of his younger mounts to the Chubb Insurance Windsor Three-Day Event from 21 to 24 May. The Berkshire contest, which carries two stars in comparison with Badminton's four, will be running two international sections for the first time this year.
The national section, which would no longer qualify horses for international three-star contests, has been dropped. This will be a cause of regret to those whose ambitions extended no further than Windsor, since they will now have to fork out pounds 118 for their horse's passport to compete there. But it does help the stars of the future to make their way up the ladder.
"Windsor is special because it encourages the younger horses," the Princess Royal, who is president of the three-day event, said yesterday.
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