Bubby Upton continues comeback from ‘turbulent year’ with super Maryland 5 Star dressage: ‘I owe Cola everything’

Bubby Upton has blasted into third place in the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage, having been the first rider into the arena on the second day.

The British rider and her mother Rachel’s Cola scored 26.7, which put her 1.3 penalties ahead of Thursday’s leader, Dorset-based US rider Cosby Green with Highly Suspicious. However, her lead was overtaken two horses later by the home side’s Tamie Smith (Mai Baum), who now holds the lead on 25.3, and then again by her compatriot Oliver Townend (Ballaghmor Class), who sits second at this stage on 26.5.

Bubby Upton demonstrated her trademark laser focus in her Maryland 5 Star dressage test and provided the ground jury – Sweden’s Christina Klingspor, the home side’s Valerie Pride and France’s Xavier Le Sauce – with a test which was accurate, energetic and elegant.

She and the 14-year-old Cola, by Catoki, started with punchy, accurate trot-work and then scored the first nines of the competition, from all three judges, for their mid-test halt.

Her marks did drop down with some errors in the first and third flying changes, both from right to left lead, although the rest of her canter work scored well.

“He was such a good boy – I know him inside out, I’ve had him eight or nine years now. He’s a horse I owe everything to, my horse of a lifetime, and it feels beyond special to be here,” said Bubby.

Bubby’s Maryland debut is part of her continuing comeback after suffering serious injury in a fall last August. She underwent major back surgery and initially had a very uncertain prognosis in terms of whether she would even walk again, let alone ride at the top level. She defied the odds to compete at Badminton Horse Trials in May, finishing 10th with Cola.

“We’ve had a turbulent past year and that makes it even more special and I’m so grateful to have a horse like him,” she added.

“After Badminton I created a plan in my head. I thought Cola has done Burghley and Pau – he was incredible at both – so if ever there was an opportunity to go to Maryland I’d do everything possible to make it possible. It was quite a lot of phone calls and hustling and it’s thanks to Howden Insurance Brokers and Brown Advisory that I’m able to be here.”

Bubby and Cola have been partners dating back to young rider days, when they won individual silver and team gold, and have since scored four top-15 placings at five-star together.

End of day update: Bubby still holds third place at the conclusion of the dressage phase. 

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