The first pair, Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope, will enter the dressage arena at 9.30am tomorrow.
Pippa has chosen Billy Walk On as her second horse, from her four entries, and he will be one of the last to start at 4.36pm on Friday.
Oliver Townend was the other rider who had to make a final choice between his entries this week and he will start on Cillnabradden Evo (9.54am on Thursday) and Ballaghmor Class (3.56pm on Friday). After his win at Kentucky last week, Oliver is the live contender in the Rolex Grand Slam, the big-money bonus given to any rider who can win Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley consecutively.
Combinations numbered up to 53 will do their dressage tomorrow, with the rest of the field following on Friday, when the dressage again starts at 9.30am.
Among the home side favourites, Laura Collett and Mr Bass will trot down the centreline at 11.42am on Friday, while Piggy French and Vanir Kamira’s time is 2.16pm on Thursday. Nicola Wilson and 2017 European individual bronze medallist Bulana will head into the arena at 11.26pm on Thursday.
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New Zealand’s Tim Price has 10.18am on Thursday (Bango) and 3.48am on Friday (Ringwood Sky Boy) as his times, while compatriot Andrew Nicholson will kick off his campaign with Swallow Springs at 10.10am on Friday.
H&H’s first-timer blogger David Britnell will begin his Badminton on Friday, at 10.42am, with Continuity.
The guinea pig rider, who is not competing but performs a dressage test before the first horse to help the judges get their eye in and test the event systems, will be double young rider individual medallist Alex Kennedy, with new ride Global Milchem JJ at 9.10am.
Find out how the first horse inspection unfolded at the first horse inspection at Badminton
Read our full Badminton form guide in this week’s issue ofHorse & Hound(issue dated 2 May 2019).
Our bumper 25-page Badminton report will be in our 9 May issue, including opinion from Mark Phillips and Peter Storr.
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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.
