Badminton Horse Trials has increased its total prize money by almost £20,000 for 2023 – with a £5,000 boost to the winner in 2023.
The Gloucestershire five-star, presented by Mars Equestrian, is upping its purse from £360,750 to £380,300. Next year’s winner will take home £105,000, compared to £100,000 at the 2022 event.
The announcement from the Badminton organisers added that prize money will increase all the way down to 20th place.
“We are very keen to reflect the huge accolade of winning such a high-level five-star competition, as well as the great achievement of finishing in the top 20,” said Badminton director Jane Tuckwell.
The ground jury will be Angela Tucker, Andrew Bennie and Xavier Le Sauce, with Andrew Temkin serving as technical delegate, assisted by Marcin Konarski.
Badminton has also revealed its 2023 charity of the year will be Air Ambulances UK, which champions and supports the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK.
Air Ambulances UK chief executive Simmy Akhtar said the charity is “extremely proud and honoured to be chosen”.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to showcase the lifesaving work of the UK air ambulance charities who work tirelessly to bring the emergency department to the patient, no matter where they are, often including unfortunate riding incidents,” she said. “We look forward to welcoming and engaging visitors, participants, supporters, and suppliers to our stand during the event.”
The 2023 event coincides with the coronation of The King and Queen Consort, and Badminton has adjusted its timetable so everyone can watch the historic moment on the big screens.
The first day of dressage will be on the Friday (5 May), and there will be a break in the middle of the second dressage day (Saturday, 6 May) for the coronation. The cross-country will run on Sunday (7 May) and the showjumping finale will be held on the bank holiday Monday (8 May).
“It should be a really celebratory occasion, which we hope will be fun for everyone and a great atmosphere,” said Mrs Tuckwell.
Tickets will only be available in advance, with no option to buy on the gate, and the box office opens in January. The system ran for the first time in 2022 and organisers said it was “successful in helping to ease traffic congestion”.
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, then 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:
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Badminton changes 2023 dates to avoid coronation cross-country clash
Which stable did she request? And why was Sunday like a Bushtucker Trial? Nine things you didn’t know about winner Laura Collett’s week at Badminton
Celebrating Badminton Horse Trials winners: 1949 to current day
It's the event that everyone wants to win, but who is already on the Badminton Horse Trials winners list? H&H
Keep up to date with all of the breaking news, behind the scenes insight and the best of the action throughout Badminton Horse Trials with no limit on how much you can read from as little as £1 per week with a Horse & Hound unlimited website subscription. Sign up now. Plus enjoy our full 22-page magazine report on Badminton, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comments from Nick Burton and Mark Phillips, in Horse & Hound magazine (on sale 11 May).