The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials imposed a new qualification this year, requiring horses and riders to have finished in the top 50% of a CCI**** or the top 25% of a CCI*** to enter.
Despite this, entries have not dropped significantly — there were 134 in total, compared to 151 in 2010, 130 in 2009 and 153 in 2008.
Badminton has accepted 94 entries this year at this stage. The maximum starting field is 85, but the extra nine take into account that seven riders have more than two horses accepted and they can only start on two.
The other 40 horses have been wait-listed, and will replace horses which are withdrawn up until 6pm on Tuesday, 19 April. Last year 31 horses were eventually accepted from the waiting list, 43 were accepted in 2009 and 38 in 2008.
Horses are accepted into Badminton on the basis of which have won the most FEI points at three- and four-star level in the past two years, so the horses with most points are accepted and then the others are wait-listed in points order.
This is the fourth year that entry to Badminton has been free and that this waiting list system has been used.
Early Olympic qualificationss
Badminton this year also offers riders an early chance to get their horses’ individual Olympic qualifications under their belt — all horses at the London Olympics in 2012 must have achieved either an FEI qualifying result at four-star, or qualifying results at both a CCI*** and a CIC***, between 1 January 2011 and 17 June 2012.
An FEI qualifying result consists of not less than 50% good marks (penalty score of 75 or less) in the dressage, not more than 20 jumping penalties across country and not more than 90sec over the optimum time (120sec at four-star) and not more than 16 jumping penalties in the showjumping.
