Do you want to have a sneak peek at the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course, for this year’s event presented by Mars Equestrian (4–8 May)? Of course you do!
Horse & Hound sent 2019 Badminton winner Piggy March on a mission to Gloucestershire to review Eric Winter’s track. You can read her thoughts on every fence in this week’s magazine (dated 27 April). In the meantime, check out these pictures of the course…
Fence three, the Tortworth Hotel Brush, offers riders their first choice on course, with a right- or left-hand side available to jump.
At the Savills Staircase (fence 4abcd), competitors jump a big oxer, two steps down, then another big oxer.
Piggy eyes up the big spread at fence 5ab, the Countryside Alliance Stick Pile.
Fence 6ab, the Joules Coronation Corral, consists of two upright gates.
Fence seven, the Air Ambulances UK Bullfinch, has an old-fashioned feel.
Riders jump rails, then bounce to a drop down and over a shoulder brush at the Lightsource bp Hollow (fence 8abc).
The landing side of the Isuzu 4 Bar 4 at fence nine.
This big log forms the jump into the first water complex, the Mars Equestrian Sustainability Bay (fence 10ab).
Fence 11, the Rolex T Bar, should be a let-up question for combinations at this level.
Piggy strides out the distance from the step up to the owl hole at the Holland Cooper complex (fence 12ab).
Piggy then checks out the KBIS Brush Boxes (fence 14abcd).
The Footbridge at fence 14 should provide some dramatic photos, but is unlikely to trouble horses at this level.
The Lightsource bp Pond (fence 15ab) offers a choice of routes over the solar panels.
Course-designer Eric Winter points out the route through the Lightsource bp Pond.
The obstacle into the Lemieux Mound complex at fence 17ab.
A view of Badminton House as Piggy checks out the Mars M Tables (fences 18 and 19ab).
Check out the route from the rails in to the corner in the Badminton Lake (fences 21abc and 22).
Course-designer Eric Winter and Piggy March assess the challenge.
A side view of the boxes at the Project Pony Splash (fence 23) – riders can choose which to jump.
The direct route through the Voltaire Design Huntsman’s Close (fence 25ab) consists of two inviting open corners.
Riders are on the home straight of the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course by the time they get to the HorseQuest Quarry (fence 27ab).
Pictures by Benjamin Clark
How to watch Badminton Horse Trials
If you are interested in watching Badminton Horse Trials live from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. To sign up, visit watch.badminton-horse.tv – click the “Sign Up” link in the top right corner of your screen, then follow the instructions. An annual subscription to Badminton TV costs £19.99 and gives you 365 days of access to all of the content in the Badminton TV library, the ability to watch the action live, and the option to replay all of this year’s action later.
You might also be interested in:
Upright gates and a ‘thumping great bullfinch’: Badminton unveils new-look cross-country course for 2023
Riding 15 horses a day, schooling racehorses and preparing for Badminton: spend a day with Laura Collett
‘I owe it to him to make the right decision’: defending champion withdrawn from Badminton
Full Badminton Horse Trials draw: find out when your favourite will start
Walk the Badminton grassroots cross-country course: ‘The BE90 is tough – the BE100 riders need to bring their A game’
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