The Queen, then Duchess of Cornwall, presents the Badminton trophy to Michael Jung in 2016, alongside Lance Bradley, from former event sponsor Mitsubishi Motors.
Her Majesty will watch the final showjumping phase on Sunday, 12 May and then present the prizes for the winners.
The Queen at Badminton Horse Trials: royal history
Badminton celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and the event has long had ties with royalty, with members of the royal family frequently spectating there.
Both the Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Tindall have been placed at Badminton. Zara will ride at the event this year on Gleadhill House Stud’s 15-year-old chestnut Class Affair. Zara’s father Mark Phillips, then the Princess Royal’s husband, won Badminton in 1974 on Queen Elizabeth II’s Columbus.
Badminton final scores
Queen Elizabeth ll presented the Badminton trophy at the event’s 50th anniversary running, in 1999. The winner on that occasion was five-time British Olympian Ian Stark.
This week’s event has been given an extra edge by Oliver Townend’s victory at Kentucky Three-Day Event last month as he is now in the running to claim the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, a big-money bonus given to any rider who can win Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials consecutively. Having taken the Burghley title last year, Oliver will win the Grand Slam if he triumphs at Badminton this week.
How to watch Badminton Horse Trials
If you are interested in watching 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. To sign up, visit watch.badminton-horse.tv – click the “Sign Up” link in the top right corner of your screen, then follow the instructions. An annual subscription to Badminton TV costs £19.99 via the website and gives you 365 days of access to all of the content in the Badminton TV library, the ability to watch the action live, and the option to replay all of this year’s action later. Find out more…
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
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 16 May.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
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.
