Helena Frye
The Badminton Horse Trials is an important event in the equestrian world, attracting crowds of up to a quarter of a million people. The event, held in the grounds of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire, UK, features a cross-country course that challenges both horse and rider. With a history dating back to 1949, the Badminton Horse Trials have become a prestigious competition, attracting competitors from across the globe. The event has a strict schedule, with specific start times for each pair of horses and riders, released in advance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 7 May 2023, 11 May 2024, 7 May 2025 |
| Location | Badminton Estate, South Gloucestershire, UK |
| Size | Six-square-kilometre (1,500-acre) |
| Start Time | 11:30 am |
| Interval Between Rides | Four minutes (2023), Five minutes (2024) |
| End Time | 3:42 pm (2023), 4:09 pm (2024) |
| Subscription | £19.99 annually (2024), £21.99 for a season pass (2025) |
| Tickets | Only available in advance through the online box office |
| First Aid | Available near the Event Organiser's Office and around the cross-country course |
| Dog Crèche | Available at £5 per hour/per dog |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Badminton Horse Trials schedule
The Badminton Horse Trials is a prestigious event with a long history, celebrating 50 years since Richard Walker's win riding Pasha in 1969. The event is not just about the horse trials, with over 500 retailers exhibiting, and spectators are encouraged to dress for the weather and expect traffic congestion. Well-behaved dogs are allowed on-site, but they must be kept on short leads, and a dog creche is available for a fee.
The 2023 event took place on Sunday, May 7, with the first pair, Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley, starting at 11:30 am. Horses and riders set off at four-minute intervals, with the previous year's winners, Tim Price and Coup De Coeur Dudevin, starting their round at 3:42 pm.
The 2025 event will take place from Wednesday, May 6 to Sunday, May 10. The schedule includes dressage, show jumping, and cross-country events. The full list of entries and start times will be available online, with individual start times released after the first horse inspection. The first horse inspection is a fashion-forward event, but horse welfare is the top priority, with ground jury members ensuring the horses are fit to compete.
The cross-country course will feature 32 solid fences and combinations, including ditches, water, gates, and brushes. Penalties will be added for jumping faults and seconds over the optimum time. Following a second horse inspection, riders will navigate a course of 11 to 13 showjumps in the main arena, aiming to jump clear within the time limit. The winners will be the pair with the lowest combined score.
The Year LeBron James Won His Third Mr. Basketball
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Start times for riders
The Badminton Horse Trials is an important event in the equestrian world, attracting crowds of up to a quarter of a million people. It is held in the grounds of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire, UK, and has a long history, dating back to 1949.
The start times for each rider are crucial and are released in advance, as seen in the 2023 and 2024 Badminton Horse Trials. In 2023, the first pair, Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley, began at 11:30 am, with subsequent riders setting off at four-minute intervals. The final competitors, Tim Price and Coup De Coeur Dudevin, started at 3:42 pm.
Similarly, in 2024, the first pair, Tom Jackson and Farndon, were scheduled to start at 11:30 am, with riders following at five-minute intervals. The last pair, Pippa Funnell and MCS Maverick, were expected to begin at 4:09 pm.
The full list of start times for each phase is usually available on the official Badminton website, and individual start times are typically released after the first horse inspection. Riders must present their horses to a ground jury to ensure their fitness to compete, with horse welfare being the top priority.
The Badminton Horse Trials is a prestigious event, and riders aim to navigate the challenging course within the optimum time to avoid penalties.
Fourier's Fantasy Basketball Hype: Sell High or Keep?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Course details and rules
The Badminton Horse Trials, first held in 1949, is an annual event that takes place in South Gloucestershire, UK, in the six-square-kilometre (1,500-acre) grounds of the Badminton Estate. The event attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million people and is the second-largest in the world in terms of money made.
The competition includes dressage, cross-country, and show jumping events. The cross-country course has 32 solid fences and combinations, including ditches, water, gates, and brushes. The course designer aims to balance providing a world-class test of the horse and rider's courage and skill while not making it too hard for those who are still developing.
Riders can choose to take alternative routes at certain points on the course. For example, at the Bloomfields Brush Boxes, they can go inside or outside the tree. Going outside the tree offers more flow between the fences but a more uncomfortable turn after the second element. Going inside the tree takes more time to set up and find the line but provides a nicer route.
At the Voltaire Designs Huntsman’s Close, riders must navigate a big open parallel bar followed by a turn through the trees to a left open corner and then a right open corner. Taking the angle of the middle corner makes the last corner easier. There is also a slower route that is less technically challenging but will cost time.
At the Wiltshire Brewers’ Drays, riders encounter a massive log pile or two smaller ones. The big log pile has the biggest top spread of any fence on the course. The Worcester Avenue Brushes has three brushes jumped on an acute angle downhill. Riders can play it safe and take more time to snake around the brush houses, but this will also cost time.
The Sound Gates is an upright gate on top of a small bump that riders should respect. A bad jump could break the deformable device and give them 11 expensive penalties. By fence 30ABC, Savills Keeper’s Curve, the riders are nearly at the end of the course.
There are first aid points around the cross-country course, and yellow warning cards are issued by the FEI for unsafe riding or potentially dangerous practices, such as excessively whipping a horse.
Cleaning Wooden Badminton Courts: Tips and Tricks
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Spectator information
The Badminton Horse Trials is an annual competition that attracts tens of thousands of spectators each year. The event is comprised of three disciplines: dressage, cross-country, and showjumping. The event takes place over four days, with dressage always coming first, followed by cross-country, and then showjumping. The 2025 event will take place from Thursday to Sunday, with dressage on Thursday and Friday, cross-country on Saturday, and showjumping on Sunday.
- Tickets must be purchased in advance and can be bought online or by phone.
- Every car will need a parking pass.
- Separate tickets are sold for showjumping on Sunday, and premier tickets for dressage.
- Spectators can walk the course but must stay outside roped-off areas and cannot get close to the jumps or fences.
- The BE Members' Pavilion (Lakeside number 9) is a popular viewing spot, offering lakeside viewing and free tea, coffee, and cakes. It is anticipated to get very busy on Saturday, so spectators are advised to bring a picnic blanket. Non-members can sign up for supporter membership at the pavilion.
- The Savills Staircase at 4 is another recommended viewing spot, where spectators can see competitors take on a log parallel at the top of two steps, followed by three strides to a parallel.
- The Outlander PHEV bank is another good location, where spectators can watch competitors jump up the big step, down, and over the brush at the bottom, and then fly over the Rolex Grand Slam Trakehner.
Badminton vs. Table Tennis: Which Sport is More Intense?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Event history
The Badminton Horse Trials were first held in 1949 by the 10th Duke of Beaufort, an avid horseman and supporter of equestrian sports, who wanted to create an event to showcase the skills of both horse and rider. The event was also intended to give British riders a chance to train for international events, and it was advertised as "the most important horse event in Britain". The first event was won by Golden Willow, a five-year-old horse, with 22 horses from Britain and Ireland taking part. Eight of the 22 starters failed to complete the cross-country course.
In 1953, Badminton hosted the first European Championship, which was won by Major Laurence Rook riding Starlight XV. The event was first televised in 1956. Due to its popularity, the 1959 event was held in two sections, called the Great and Little Badminton. In 1966, 1975, 1987, 2001, 2012, 2020, and 2021 the Badminton Horse Trials were cancelled, and in 1963 it was downgraded to a one-day event due to poor weather. In 2001, the event was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease, in 2012 due to waterlogged ground, and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Badminton Horse Trials have a history of dangerous course conditions and serious injuries. In 2007, after a long period without rain, the ground was considered too hard, resulting in 22 withdrawals. In 2011, only seven out of 76 starters crossed the finish line without penalties on the cross-country course, and 11 riders fell. There have also been several incidents of horses and riders suffering serious injuries and even fatalities at the event.
The cross-country day at Badminton attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million people, making it the second-largest such event in the world in terms of money made. The event has been held in the grounds of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire, UK, where car parks, tradestands, an arena, and cross-country courses are located.
Midwest Region Basketball Tournament: Where Will It Be Held?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The start time depends on the year and the day of the competition. For instance, in 2023, the first pair set off at 11:30 am, while in 2024, the first pair started at the same time but on a different day.
In 2023, horses and riders set off at four-minute intervals, while in 2024, they left at five-minute intervals.
You can watch the event live on Badminton TV by subscribing to their website or purchasing a season pass.
The trials are held in the grounds of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire, UK, spanning six square kilometres (1,500 acres).
