Fair distances but “mean” to make us jump that ditch five times – that was Gemma Stevens’ assessment of Eric Winter’s Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course for this year’s competition.
The course comprises 32 numbered fences, with an optimum time of 11min 30sec.
“I think it’s a really fair course. I think he’s set fantastic distances, which I really like – I like it when designers don’t try and trick you,” said Gemma.
“You’ve got to be on your A game from number one to very last fence. There’s not really a let up anywhere. He’s making us jump the Vicarage Ditch five times – I feel like that’s quite mean, it’s scary enough just once.”
The Vicarage Oxer at fence 16 is another of the times horses and riders cross the Vicarage Ditch. Credit: Lucy Elder
Gemma added: “It’s going to be that typical five-star cumulative effect of the whole round. I don’t think you can pick out one particular fence. As riders, we’ve got to be accurate, we’ve got to look after our horses, and we’ve got to balance them and make sure they’re confident.”
Georgie Goss was another to mention the area around the Vicarage Ditch, saying: “I’d say 80% of the course looks really nice and the other 20% looks really horrible.
“I think the Vicarage line is always a rider frightener, but my bogey fence at the moment is the ditch to the rail [Mike Weaver’s Farm Yard at 22ab]. I did that a couple years ago when it was a ditch to the log and it never rode that well. But hopefully the more I walk, the smaller it’ll get.”
Mike Weaver’s Farm Yard (fence 22ab) on the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course for 2026. Credit Lucy Elder
Harry Meade said after his first dressage test that he’d only had an initial look round in the dark last night, but he felt the route was slightly different from the horse’s point of view.
He said: “It covers the same ground, but actually for the flow of the horses, the intensity and the breathing gaps are slightly different. I didn’t think there was anything that was overly problematic, but I’ll have a better look this afternoon.”
Bubby Upton said she prefers the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course running this way round – anti-clockwise.
“Of course it’s massive and really difficult, but I think for my horse Cola, it will be a nicer way around for him,” she said, adding that the five-star stalwart doesn’t have a lot of thoroughbred blood (48%).
“I felt last year when we got through the Mayston Equestrian Hollow [fence 26abc this year] that he had done a huge effort and then I was like, ‘Oh my god, we’ve still got so much left to do.’ Whereas I hope this year we’ll jump that fence and feel like I can then ease him back a little bit more to get home.”
Kylie Roddy also said the track is more horse-friendly and has more flow than sometimes.
“It looks like the horses can see what they’re about to jump,” she said. “Sometimes it can be a bit blind and a bit bouncy off the trees, whereas I think they have found better flow for the ponies.”
The Spillers Sustainability Bay at fences 20abcd on the Badminton 2026 cross-country track. Credit: Lucy Elder
Simon Grieve said he’d “be a bit disappointed” if the course wasn’t big, bold and quite scary.
He said: “I think the Mars Lake [fences 9ab and 10ab] is pretty serious and I just can’t ever get away from the Holland Cooper Vicarage Vee [fence 25ab]. And the water at the top [Spillers Sustainability Bay – fence 20abcd] as well is very technical. It’s one big fence after another, and that’s what makes it such a challenge.”
How to watch and listen to Badminton Horse Trials
To watch Badminton Horse Trials live or via catch up, including the trot-ups, from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world, you need a 2026 Badminton TV Pass. Badminton TV is once again powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £22.99. Go to badminton-horse.tv to sign up. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. Also check out the Badminton app, which provides free live results and much more this year. Sign up for Badminton Plus membership for £4.99 to access the live Radio Badminton broadcast and receive exclusive offers from on-site exhibitors. Search for Badminton Horse Trials in your app store.
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