David Doels Mars Badminton ride, Ferro Point, is back competing at the top level after recovering from a tendon injury she sustained at Burghley in 2023.Consequently the 16-year-old mare arrived here light on competition runs due to David and her owner, Christine Lees, being cautious about the ground she runs on.Its one of the tricky ones shes a slightly older horse and shes come back from injury. Her owner loves the five-stars and didnt really want to go back to Pau, so we targeted Badminton, said David, who owns the ice-cream company Lacock Dairy.She missed the 2024 season and ran around a few four-stars last year, but then the ground got a bit firm for her and she didnt go cross-country again. We put her away and said well bring her out a little bit earlier [this year] to give her a longer, slower build up to this week.Shes not done as much galloping as she would have done in the past, but shes a real blood little mare, and were here to have a nice time. If she comes back with 20 time-faults, its really not going to be the end of the world. Were just grateful that shes still going.Shes like a sewing machineDavid has been campaigning this mare for 10 years and they have three five-star completions under their belts one at Luhmuhlen in 2023, where they finished 13th, and two at Pau in 2022 and 2020.Although there were a few tricky moments in the canter work, David said he is chuffed with the work the mare produced in the dressage test at Badminton, considering that this is the first time she has been in an environment of this scale for nearly three years.Shes like a little sewing machine; shes not really built to move and to do dressage and when I picked up canter she just shoved her head in the air, she said.There wasnt a lot else I could really do for about the first five or six movements in canter, and then she settled back down again.But you know, theyre horses and theyve got their own brains. We dont always know what theyre thinking. Yes, its a bit of a bugger, but shes still in the competition and she loves her jumping. Shell be looking forward to going out there and going galloping round on Saturday instead.Main image by Tim WilkinsonThe post Mare, 16, makes Badminton debut after recovering from tendon injury appeared first on Your Horse.