The Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course for next week’s event has finally been unveiled and we’re all buzzing to see what Eric Winter has devised for this year’s challenge.
Horse & Hound sent multi-medallist and experienced Badminton competitor Tina Cook along to check out the track and you can read all her thoughts in the magazine out now (dated 1 May). Meanwhile, check out the pictures below for a sneak peek at the course…
Early pictures of Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course 2025
Please note that the fences were not fully dressed during this early preview walk.
Fence 3: Tortworth Court Brush
Tina shows the line at this brush fence on a mound (which had yet to be trimmed to size when H&H visited).
Fence 5: Countryside Alliance Parallel
Tina and Eric eye up the option of angling this big silver birch spread fence.
Fences 6 and 7: Agria Corners
Two big corners, with a “roof” on each – this is one of the first serious challenges on the Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course this year.
Fences 9 and 10abc: Mars Lake
The direct route comprises two big rolltops into the water and then two arrowhead brushes in the water and on the way out.
Fence 12ab: Ineos Grenadier Sunken Road
Upright rails either side of a hollow – riders will need to set up well here to minimise the risk of penalties for breaking frangible devices.
Fence 15abcd: KBIS Chasm
Two sets of narrow logs, with a ditch in the middle.
Fence 16: Lime Tree Tables
Riders can choose which of these two tables to jump.
Fences 17 and 18: Holland Cooper Corners
The first of these big corners is set in the imposing Vicarage Ditch.
Fence 19abc: Lemieux Eyelash Brushes
The ditch questions come thick and fast in this section of the course.
Fence 21ab: Mayston Equestrian Sunken Road
Competitors can pick which of the four arrowheads to jump as the second element.
Fence 22: Wiltshire Brewers Brush
A nice big straightforward brush – which will also give great pictures.
Fence 23ab: Project Pony Brush Buckets
Riders can go inside or outside the pagoda to the second of these brush buckets.
Fence 26ab: Equidry Huntsman’s Close
Riders will be pleased to put these challenging corners behind them on the way home.
Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course pictures by Nico Morgan Media.
How to watch Badminton Horse Trials
If you want to watch the live action from Badminton Horse Trials from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. This year, Badminton TV has teamed up with ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch Badminton – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £21.99. Go to clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/badminton to subscribe or to activate your account as an existing Badminton TV subscriber. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. As part of Badminton TV, you can enjoy the documentary programme Legends and Legacy, a fly-on-the-wall insight into the 2024 event and preview of 2025.
Enjoy the best of Badminton with Horse & Hound
To ensure you keep up to date with all the breaking news, behind the scenes insight, and the best of the action throughout Badminton Horse Trials with no limits on how much you can read, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website from as little as £1 a week. Sign up now. And don’t miss our bumper 22-page magazine report on Badminton, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comments from top names, in the issue of Horse & Hound dated 15 May.
You may also be interested in:
‘There’s plenty out there’: watch Olympic medallist Tina Cook analyse key cross-country fences on the 2025 Badminton course
Title contender withdrawn from Badminton: ‘It’s just truly terrible timing’
Find out who is first to go at Badminton Horse Trials as draw revealed
‘It looks quite amazing’: watering well under way as Badminton ‘on course’ for 2025 event
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
