Zara Phillips and Toytown have a late draw for Badminton Horse Trials

Zara Phillips and Toytown will start as number 106 at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (7-10 May) this year.

This means the world champions will do their dressage at the end of the final session on Friday and will be one of the last combinations to run across country on Saturday.

Zara’s other ride, Ardfield Magic Star, is number 10, but will be the eighth (or earlier, depending on withdrawals) to start as Georgie Spence and Paul Tapner both have double entered horses in the early numbers — these horses are both allocated numbers, but the rider can only actually start on one of them.

One hundred and eleven horses have been given numbers, but only 85 will actually start the event — as well as the extra double entered horses, all 19 horses still on the waiting list are in the draw, but they will only participate if others are withdrawn.

William Fox-Pitt is the pathfinder on last year’s Luhmühlen winner Macchiato, while his other ride Idalgo is number 104.

Emily Llewellyn, the youngest rider at 20 years old, is number 89 with Society Spice, while New Zealand’s comeback king Mark Todd has an early draw — he is number 28 with NZB Gandalf.

Don’t miss H&H’s full Badminton preview in the issue on sale 30 April, including course walk with Ian Stark, great Badminton horse heroes, shopping and more.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.