Oliver Townend announced Tuesday, May 7, that he is withdrawing Ballaghmor Class from this weekend’s Badminton CCI5*-L (England). This means Townend, fresh off his win at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L with Cooley Rosalent, won’t have a third chance to try to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.

Ballaghmor Class, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, has already completed Badminton four times, finishing in the top five each time. “Thomas” won the 2023 Burghley CCI5*-L (England) in his last outing at the level.

“Absolutely gutted to withdraw Ballaghmor Class from this week’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials,” Townend wrote in a statement posted to Badminton’s Facebook page. “He had an abscess earlier in the season and consequently missed a couple of runs and gallops. This morning he went for his final gallop and with the 11.5 [minutes] cross country course combined with the possible soft ground we don’t feel he’s at his normal 5* fitness right now.”

“He’s fit and well, and knowing his huge heart he’d give us his all, but it’s simply not in his best interest to run this week and his welfare is our top priority,” the statement continued, noting the gelding has never previously missed a five-star. “Thomas will be rerouted to plan B but for now we’d like to give a huge thanks to his owners, our sponsors and our team who are all equally gutted but support us to make this call to look after our superstar.”

Only two riders—Great Britain’s Pippa Funnel (2003) and Germany’s Michael Jung (2016)— have ever earned the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing for winning the Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky CCI5*-L events consecutively, in any order. This was Townend’s third time in the position of having won two of the three jewels. In 2010, Townend’s bid ended with a serious fall on cross-country at Kentucky, and in 2018 he just barely missed out on taking the check, finishing second at Badminton, which was the third event in the series for him that year.