The Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course runs clockwise for the 2025 event (7 to 11 May).
The track is designed by Eric Winter and featured 32 numbered fences, including iconic Badminton questions and fresh obstacles for this year’s competitors.
Take a peek at the course below…
Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course 2025
Fence 1: Spillers Starter
Fence 2: Bloomfields Horseboxes Keeper’s Table
Fence 3: Tortworth Court Brush
Fence 4abc: Savills Staircase
Competitors will pass through this archway, before popping down the staircase and over a fence at the bottom.
An overview of this question from the landing side. The direct route is down the steps and over the hay cart at the bottom.
The direct route (hay cart) and the alternative “c” element at the bottom of the steps
Fence 5: Countryside Alliance Parallel
Fence 6 & 7: Agria Corners
Two big corners, each with a greenery “roof”. These are on a related distance. The bottom image shows the carved horse’s head in more detail.
Fence 8: World Horse Welfare Waterfall
Fence 9 & 10abc: Mars Lake
The direct route here is over a big roll-top (fence 9), followed by one punchy stride to a second roll-top (fence 10a) with a drop into water on landing. From here, there are four strides to an arrowhead in the water (fence 10b), then another four strides up a bank to another arrowhead (fence 10c).
The Mars Lake at fence 9 & 10abc.
The alternative route at the Mars Lake takes competitors over a roll-top on dry land (alternative fence 9), before sweeping around the edge of the lake to another roll-top (alternative 10a), then down a slope into the water and over an arrowhead brush (alternative 10b), followed by a left-handed curve out of the water and over another arrowhead on dry land (alternative 10c).
Fence 11ab: Guide Dogs Cord Pile
One large log pile (pictured, right), or two slightly smaller log piles (pictured, left)
A close-up of the larger log pile.
Fence 12ab: Ineos Grenadier Sunken Road
The direct route is over the rails, followed by the dip and then out over the far set of rails
The alternative 12a and 12b (pictured, below) avoid jumping into the hollow
Fence 13: Strides Copse Rails
Fence 14ab: Mars Equestrian Sustainability Bay
Competitors can choose whether to take the right or left side of this hedge. The element in the water (14b) can be jumped from either direction.
Fence 15abcd: KBIS Chasm
The final element on the direct route is labeled 15cd (the tree stump covers the letter d in the image below)
A side-on angle, to show the size of the ditch
Another angle, to show the final element on the direct route
There is an alternative, comprising separately numbered “c” and “d” elements (pictured, below)
Fence 16: Lime Tree Tables
Fence 17 & 18: Holland Cooper Corners
The ditch and the corner are numbered separately at this fence. The direct route over the ditch (fence 17) and this big corner (fence 18) in one jumping effort.
The ditch and corner are numbered separately, but the direct route is to jump them together in one jumping effort.
There is an alternative, whereby competitors can jump the ditch (fence 17) slightly further to the left, and then jump an alternative corner (alternative corner pictured, below)
The alternative corner at this fence.
Fence 19abc: Lemieux Eyelash Brushes
An angled brush (19a) to a ditch (19b), followed by another angled brush (19c)
The ditch at 19b, pictured on the landing side
There is an alternative at 19c, pictured below
Fence 20: Pedigree Kennel
Fence 21ab: Mayston Equestrian Sunken Road
Competitors have a choice of any of the four arrowhead brushes after jumping off the drop
Fence 22: Wiltshire Brewers Brush
Fence 23ab: Project Pony Brush Buckets
Competitors can choose to turn either inside or outside the pagoda to get to the second of these brush fences
A closer image of the second bucket brush
Fence 24: Chatham Eyelet
Fence 25: Back British Farming Hay Rack
Fence 26ab: Equidry Huntsman’s Close
The direct route is two corners on a related distance
There is an alternative route (pictured, below), comprising a parallel followed by a different corner
Fence 27ab: Antech Brush Mounds
Fence 28abc: Horsequest Quarry
The direct route at the Horsequest Quarry
Fence 29 & 30: Joules Double Gates
Two upright gates on a left-handed turn
Fence 31: Pheasant Log
The wooden fence in front of this jump will be moved in time for Saturday’s cross-country
Fence 32: Mars M
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:
‘We’re delighted to bring loyal readers this benefit’: H&H magazine subscribers get free website access
‘There’s plenty out there’: watch Olympic medallist Tina Cook analyse key cross-country fences on the 2025 Badminton course
How to watch Badminton Horse Trials 2025 live from anywhere in the world
Three horses out of Badminton Horse Trials 2025 at first trot-up – including Paris Olympic medallist
