Zara Phillips enters Toytown for Badminton Horse Trials

Reigning world champions Zara Phillips and Toytown are among the accepted entries for this year’s Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (7-10 May).

Zara has also entered Ardfield Magic Star, who finished 19th at the event last year.

Many spectators will be particularly eager to see Zara and Toytown (pictured) tackle the famous cross-country course for the first time. The chestnut, European champion in 2005 and world champion in 2006, started at Badminton in 2007, but was one of a number of horses withdrawn before the cross-country due to the ground.

Other stars entered for Badminton include William Fox-Pitt (Idalgo and Macchiato), 2007 winners Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Britannia, and last year’s runner-up Lucy Wiegersma, who will hope to go one better this time with Shaabrak.

Eighty-six horses have been accepted for Badminton, with a waiting list of 44. The ballot is done on the basis of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) points horses have won at three- and four-star level over the past two years.

Combinations on the waiting list replace those who withdraw up to 6pm on the Monday before the event starts (4 May).

Read Tina Cook’s thoughts on the Badminton entries in her column in next week’s Horse & Hound, out 2 April

Badminton accepted entries

Badminton waiting list

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.