Red Mills Documentary Chapter 3: “They make us want to be better”
Release Date: 02/20/2026
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast
Nicole and Diarm preview the biggest day of the week before being joined by British Performance Manager Dickie Waygood for one of the most insightful conversations of the week. From Ros Canter’s record-breaking dressage lead to what separates great cross-country riders from good ones, Dickie breaks down the art of riding Badminton. This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by: Fairfax Saddles Scientifically designed saddles, bridles, and girths, built to help horses move freely, comfortably, and at their best. EcoVolts Built for life on the move, from walking cross-country tracks to...
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Before the first horse leaves the start box at Mars Badminton Horse Trials, Nicole Brown sits down with the man behind the questions, Eric Winter. From the lake to the Vicarage Vee, from camera angles to ground conditions, Eric opens up on what really goes into building a Badminton cross-country track, and why obvious doesn’t always mean easy. He talks inspiration from places like Luhmühlen International Horse Trials, why he wants riders to bring their very best cross-country horses here, and the balance between education, sport, and entertainment at the highest level. There’s also a...
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In a special live edition of the podfrom the Ramsbury Gin Pavilion, Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Sam Watson to break down what a 23.7 from Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo really means, and whether we could be watching history in the making. Then two five-star winners join the stage. Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett talk nerves, routines, start box moments, and what really goes through your mind the night before Badminton cross-country. Highlights Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo head into Saturday on a record 23.7 Nicole Brown, Diarmuid Byrne, and Sam Watson break...
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Dressage is done at Mars Badminton Horse Trials, the leaderboard is set, and now all eyes turn to cross-country. On Friday’s Badminton Diaries, Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo head into Saturday with the biggest dressage lead at Badminton in modern history, but behind them, it feels as open as ever. We catch up with Austin O'Connor on bringing Sixmilewater back to Badminton, what it takes to build future five-star horses, and why Colorado Blue is still firmly part of the bigger picture. Then Vanessa from Fairfax Saddles takes us behind the scenes, sharing the science, detail, and precision...
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On Day 2 of the Tour Diaries, we catch up with riders and familiar faces around the park as the first centre lines are ridden. Tom Jackson talks pressure, preparation, and why Badminton still gives him goosebumps. Lucy Jackson joins us ringside with her take on the first day of dressage, the judging, and what Eric Winter’s track could bring later in the week. Bubby Upton opens up on the emotional reality of returning for a fifth Badminton with Cola. Away from the interviews, Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl set the early standard on 28.1, with Will Rawlin and Ballycoog Breaker Boy...
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Badminton is officially underway, and if day one is anything to go by, this week is going to deliver. From the buzz of the first horse inspection, to honest post-trot-up debriefs in the car with Sam Watson, behind-the-scenes chats with riders, vets, and some of the sport’s biggest names, this first edition of the Badminton Tour Diaries has a bit of everything. There’s a special catch-up with Cassie Sanger on her rise through the five-star ranks, insight into the cross-country from Piggy March and Tina Cook, plus a special live moment with defending champion Ros Canter, balancing life with...
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At Badminton, it’s easy to focus on what happens inside the ropes. But some of the biggest stories this week are happening beyond the start box too. In this special episode of the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast, Nicole and Sam catch up with Laura Collett and Will Rawlin on the Holland Cooper stand, talking Badminton nerves, five-star preparation, dressage expectations, and what it really feels like to arrive at one of the sport’s biggest stages. Plus, Jade Holland Cooper reflects on building a brand that started at Badminton with a tiny stand and has grown into a global luxury business,...
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Sam Watson sits down with world number three player Ali Barrett, to build their Badminton teams live, debate the biggest calls in the game, and work through the strategy behind building a five-star team that can actually score. From whether you still spend big on Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, to doubling up on Harry Meade, finding value with Caroline Powell and High Time, and uncovering the under-the-radar picks that could separate your team from everyone else, this is full of strategy, second guesses, and a few picks Ali maybe shouldn’t have shared. Play Eventing Manager here: ...
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One of the biggest contenders is out and suddenly this year’s Badminton looks very different with the spotlight now firmly on Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne, Sam Watson, and Ali Barrett to react to the late withdrawal of Oliver Townend’s Cooley Rosalent. They dig into what this means for the competition, from Graffalo’s win chances to the unpredictability of five-star sport, and why this still isn’t a foregone conclusion. From pressure and performance to the reality of flags, pins, and fine margins, the team explore how quickly everything...
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A shot at history. A rival ready to challenge it. And one of the deepest Badminton fields in years. Can Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo become the first horse-and-rider combination to win Badminton three times? Or is this the year Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent go one better after leading Badminton for almost all of last year’s competition? Nicole Brown, Diarmuid Byrne, Sam Watson, Catherine Austen, and special guest Adam Short break down the head-to-head everyone is talking about, the horses building behind them, and the names that could blow this wide open, from Harry...
info_outlineWhat happens when you look beyond the feed room door?
Across three episodes, this series takes listeners inside Connolly’s Red Mills. From the grain stores of rural Ireland to world championship warm-ups, it follows the journey of a brand built on one idea: better performance through better nutrition.
In this episode, top riders including Tom Rowland, Kirsty Chabert, Alex Bragg, Aoife Clark and Sam Watson step inside the mill to see the process for themselves. They talk about clean sport, confidence in testing, the scale of the operation, and what it means to stand behind the product you feed your horses every day. There are surprises along the way, yes, including camel feed, but the consistent theme is attention to detail and a culture built around solving problems for horse performance.
From grassroots riders to five-star champions, the message is the same. Quality matters. Trust matters. And the details count.
Highlights
- Inside the Red Mills story, from 1908 to today
- Riders reflect on clean sport and laboratory testing
- How nutrition impacts performance at every level
- The scale of a global operation rooted in rural Ireland
- Sam Watson on performance, marginal gains and long-term partnership
- Why attention to detail keeps coming up in every conversation
Guests
- Tom Rowland – British international event rider and producer of horses through the levels.
- Cameron Beer – British event rider and coach producing horses and riders through the grassroots and performance pathways.
- Kirsty Chabert – Five-star British event rider with experience producing horses from youngstock to championship level.
- Alex Bragg – International event rider known for producing competitive horses through to five-star.
- Aoife Clark – Irish Olympian and five-star event rider based in the heart of horse country.
- Sam Watson – Irish Olympian, performance analyst and co-founder of EquiRatings.
- Gareth Connolly – Director of Connolly’s Red Mills and fourth-generation member of the Connolly family.
Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here.
Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs.
If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.