Harry Meade lives just minutes from the Mars Badminton Horse Trials, where he finished fourth and sixth this year – but revealed to H&H that he doesn’t sleep in his own bed during the event.
“I used to sleep at home during Badminton and the reason why I don’t now is because it’s quite healthy to be in the event bubble and in the zone,” said Harry.
“As soon as you step out of that – even if it’s opening a letter, or someone in the yard wants to chat about something, or you talk to a neighbour – it takes you out of that and you start getting quite a lot of distractions. It becomes almost like a normal week, on top of the extra pressures of competing in a five-star.”
Badminton final scores
Two weeks before Badminton, Harry Meade competed at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, where he finished third and fourth. It was his second trip to Kentucky and he’s also competed at the other US five-star, Mars Maryland 5 Star, three times.
He said: “I really enjoy the American trips because you’re very much in a bubble. You’re away from your home turf, you haven’t got the same level of commitments and responsibilities, and you’re not being pulled in so many different directions. You can actually really focus on the horses and on their performances and it feels like you’ve got a lot more time.
“So I try and do the same with Badminton, but it’s hard when you know pretty much every volunteer and probably 30% of the people in the crowd. I’ve lived here all my life, and everybody tends to be either something to do with eventing or the local area or contractors who are collecting the bins and things – you end up knowing half of them. So it is a very different feel.”
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Nonetheless, the fact Harry is local to Badminton and his family’s close ties to the event – his father Richard won there twice – mean he has a deep appreciation of the event’s importance and its place in the sport.
“I think that sort of history and tradition is something which once you lose, you can’t get back, and for the events that don’t have it, it’s very difficult for them to try and instil it,” he said.
“It’s very special and there are little things which are really meaningful, like the Armada Dishes given for five completions – it means a lot, those kind of things. The event has been going a long time, and it’s something that resonates with everyone in the eventing world, but also locally.
“I’ve been to Badminton every year I’ve been alive and it’s always been a special place in my heart.”
Hear more about Harry’s success at Badminton and Kentucky this year and his insight into his team of five-star horses by tuning in to episode 165 of TheHorse & HoundPodcast here, or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
