WILLIAM Fox-Pitt has taken a very well-earned victory for Great Britain in the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, toppling Andrew Nicholson in a tight-fought battle in the show-jumping ring.

Fox-Pitt, who started the day in second place on 39 pens - just 1.2 behind Marlborough-based New Zealander Nicholson - managed a clear round on Chilli Morning. However the pressure was too much for Nicholson on Nereo, who was the very last rider of the day, and he had three fences down. This left Nicholson in sixth place despite having led since the first day of dressage on Thursday.

Fox-Pitt, who comes from Dorset, last won the coveted Badminton title in 2004, riding Tamarillo.

“It’s been a long time since I last won here,” he said, “which makes you realise how hard it is and how many things have to go right. When you’ve got Andrew Nicholson going ahead of you it’s easy to think it’s all over, but it was my lucky day,” he said.

A clear round from Germany’s Ingrid Klimke enabled her to rise from fourth to second place on Horseware Hale Bob, and former winner Jock Paget moved up a place from fourth to third despite having one rail down with Clifton Lush.

“I’ve had a good feeling from Lush all week and he did his maximum for me in all three phases,” said Paget.

A clear round from veteran eventer Mark Todd, riding Leonidas II, put him into fourth place.