British rider Fiona Kashel has known she would be competing at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials for less than a week, having got the call to say she was in off the waitlist last Saturday (3 May).The phone call came just a few hours after she discovered that she had been practising the wrong test on her horse, Creevagh Silver De Haar, since February.Im going to blame my mother, who does all my scheduling, said Fiona with a smile, after she received a text from her at the beginning of the year stating which test she needed to learn.On January 28th I did screenshot her text to show it to her her answer was 2024B, added the 43-year-old rider.So Ive had a lesson every two weeks [riding test] 2024B and on Friday night I see Kirsty Chabert doing a Facebook run through of her test and [its] not the one Ive been going through. I looked at the schedule and its 2025c. I thought it doesnt matter because Im not in. Im not even going to say anything to my mum. And then I get the phone call on Saturday Im in.Fiona stated that she owes her 28.4 score a personal best to her trainer Damian Hallam. Damien drove up from the New Forest on Monday night because I was at Bovington on Sunday so I couldnt run through it then and [the horse had] already galloped on Saturday. He drove two hours to come and run through my test, said Fiona. Im just pleased I didnt go wrong. I think my mothers pleased I didnt go wrong as well.He failed every vetFIona, who runs a livery yard near Cranleigh in Surrey and has a five-year-old son, is competing at Badminton for the second time aboard Creevagh Silver De Haar. They completed both Pau and Luhmuhlen CCI5*s last year.To do [a PB] at Badminton, right in front of everyone, its nice to actually say that I can ride, said Fiona.It hasnt always been plain sailing, with the horse proving a tricky project when he was acquired from JP Sheffield at the age of six.I couldnt keep any showjumps up on him as a seven-year-old; I couldnt stay on him as he kept leaving legs, confessed Fiona. So I tried to sell him for a year and he failed every single vet, even though hes the soundest horse Ive ever had. So I kept going with him and hes just answered each question as Ive gone on. Actually, the last two years hes felt better than hes ever felt, so hes like a fine wine.I hate going cross-countryRather unusually, Fiona announced to the media in the mixed zone today: I hate going cross-country. If I never went cross-country again I think Id be very happy. I do quite like it once Im finished, but thats about it, she said. Hes not the biggest jumper and its a big, bold scopey course. Hes 17 years old and Ive said Im going to take one fence at time and if hes going well then Im going to keep going. If its too much for him well pull up. Im just going to enjoy the experience.Main image by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentAll the latest news from BadmintonHow to watch Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2025Full-time dentist is competing at Badminton after 18-year absenceHow riders health kick and new training regime has transformed horse owned by Downton Abbey starThe post British rider who learned the wrong dressage test pulls off a PB and confesses: I hate cross-country appeared first on Your Horse.