Get the lowdown on this fixture from Eventing magazine's horse trials guide — including what riders say about the event, plus vital statistics
Date: Thursday 7 — Sunday 10 May 2015
Director: Hugh Thomas
Event office: Jane Tuckwell
Contact: 01454 218272; info@badminton-horse.co.uk; www.badminton-horse.co.uk
Location: Gloucestershire
Entries open: 1 January
Entries close: 19 March
Link to Badminton entries: www.badminton-horse.co.uk/entries
How to get there
Signed from M4 junctions 15, 17 and 18, Stroud, Tetbury, Cirencester and Chippenham.
What the organisers say
Sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors since 1992 and voted best event in the world in a L’Année Hippique poll in 2014.
The course will as usual be reversed in 2015 and will incorporate the new features designed by Giuseppe della Chiesa, but with significant different challenges.
Badminton Horse Trials is part of both the Rolex Grand Slam and the FEI Classics series and offers by some way the highest prize money in eventing.
The entries are usually heavily oversubscribed, but the event is intended to be suitable
only for top-class international horse and rider combinations.
What the riders say
Dressage & showjumping — “Last year was a tough one — how much longer before we have an all-weather surface for the dressage, showjumping and warm-ups?” “This is a top-class event and yet last year more than ever the showjumping ground and dressage was variable and had a big impact on many of the riders’ performances.”
Cross-country — “A fantastic event with a top-class course — back to Badminton at its best.” “A very welcome change of course-designer in 2014, who answered many riders’ requests of bringing it back to the ‘big and bold’ Badminton of old.” “Sadly, sticky ground conditions, a bit too strong a course and horses not prepared made for some disappointing viewing.”
Percentage of cross-country clears 2014
BE100: 45%
BE90: 44%
Download part one of the horse trials guide for just £1.49: Eventing horse trials guide part one
Buy Eventing magazine’s March issue for our full horse trials guide detailing every event from March to June 2015 or purchase a digital copy of the guide here. The second half of the guide will be in our April issue (on sale 20 March) and online to buy digitally after publication