Badminton Horse Trials

The Badminton Horse Trials is a 5 day event, one of only six annual Concours Complet International (CCI) Five Star ***** events as classified by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI). It takes place in April or May each year in the park of Badminton House, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort in South Gloucestershire, England.

Badminton Horse Trials
Begins6 May 2020 (Event Cancelled)
Ends10 May 2020 (Event Cancelled)
FrequencyYearly
Location(s)Badminton Park
Years active70
Inaugurated1949
Attendance200,000
Organised byJane Tuckwell
Websitehttp://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/
Gemma Tattersall and Jesters Quest jump the Open Ditch during the cross-country phase of Badminton Horse Trials 2007

History

Badminton was first held in 1949 by the 10th Duke of Beaufort in order to let British riders train for international events, and was advertised as "the most important horse event in Britain". It was the second three-day event held in Britain, with the first being its inspiration – the 1948 Olympics. The first Badminton had 22 horses from Britain and Ireland start, and was won by Golden Willow. Eight of the 22 starters failed to complete the cross-country course. Badminton was the home of the first European Championship in 1953, won by Major Laurence Rook on Starlight XV. In 1955, Badminton moved to Windsor Castle for a year, at the invitation of the Queen, in order to hold the second European Championships. Badminton was first televised in 1956.

In 1959, Badminton was held in two sections, called the Great and Little Badminton, due to the popularity of the event and the number of entries. The horses in the two sections jumped the same fences, but were separated into the two divisions based on their money winnings. This graded approach was abandoned after the 1965 event.[1] In 1989, the current director and course-designer Hugh Thomas, who rode in the 1976 Montreal Olympics,[2] took over from Francis Weldon, a former winner,[3] who is credited with bringing the event to the pinnacle it is at today.

Badminton is held in the 6 square kilometre (1500 acre) Badminton Park, where the car parks, tradestands, arena and cross-country courses are located.

Badminton has been cancelled on several occasions – in 1966, 1975, 1987, 2012 and 2020 the event was cancelled completely, and in 1963 it was downgraded to a one-day event due to bad weather. In 2001 it was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease.[4] In 2012 it was cancelled due to waterlogged ground. [5] In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic forced the concellation of the event.

Status

Together with the five-star rated Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Burghley Horse Trials, Badminton forms the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. Only two people have ever won the Grand Slam; Pippa Funnell in 2003 and Michael Jung in 2015/16. Australian Andrew Hoy nearly took the title in 2007 but lost it when he had a pole down at Burghley.[6] The remaining CCI***** rated events are the Luhmühlen Horse Trials, the Australian International Three Day Event and the Stars of Pau. It is also now part of the HSBC FEI Classics—a points-based system containing the CCI***** events.[7]

The cross-country day at Badminton attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million and is the second largest for money made in the world (after the Indianapolis 500).[8][9]

Winners
2011 winners Mark Todd and NZB Land Vision at the Quarry during the cross-country phase
Paul Tapner and Inonothing, the winning combination at Badminton Horse Trials 2010, at The Lake during the cross-country phase
Year Rider Horse Notes
1949 John Shedden (GBR) Golden Willow
1950 Tony Collins (GBR) Remus
1951 Hans Schwarzenbach (SWI) Vae Victis
1952 Mark Darley (GBR) Emily Little
1953 Laurence Rook (GBR) Starlight
1954 Margaret Hough (GBR) Bambi V
1955 Francis Weldon (GBR) Kilbarry Event held at Windsor
1956 Francis Weldon (GBR) Kilbarry
1957 Sheila Wilcox (GBR) High and Mighty
1958 Sheila Wilcox (GBR) High and Mighty
1959 Sheila Wilcox-Waddington (GBR) Airs and Graces Little Badminton
1959 Shelagh Kesler (GBR) Double Diamond
1960 Bill Roycroft (AUS) Our Solo
1960 Martin Whiteley (GBR) Peggoty Little Badminton
1961 Laurie Morgan (AUS) Salad Days
1961 Peter Welch (GBR) Mr. Wilson Little Badminton
1962 Anneli Drummond-Hay (GBR) Merely-a-Monarch
1962 Penny Crofts (GBR) Priam Little Badminton
1963 No Major Event Event Downgraded due to weather
1964 James Templer (GBR) M'Lord Connolly
1964 Sheila Waddington (GBR) Glenamoy Little Badminton
1965 Eddie Boylan (IRE) Durlas Eile
1965 Martin Whiteley (GBR) The Poacher Little Badminton
1966 No Event Cancelled due to weather
1967 Celia Ross-Taylor (GBR) Jonathan
1968 Jane Bullen (GBR) Our Nobby
1969 Richard Walker (GBR) Pasha
1970 Richard Meade (GBR) The Poacher
1971 Mark Phillips (GBR) Great Ovation
1972 Mark Phillips (GBR) Great Ovation
1973 Lucinda Prior-Palmer (GBR) Be Fair
1974 Mark Phillips (GBR) Great Ovation
1975 No Event Cancelled due to weather
1976 Lucinda Prior-Palmer (GBR) Wide Awake
1977 Lucinda Prior-Palmer George
1978 Jane Holderness-Roddam (GBR) Warrior
1979 Lucinda Prior-Palmer (GBR) Killaire
1980 Mark Todd (NZL) Southern Comfort III
1981 Mark Phillips (GBR) Lincoln
1982 Richard Meade (GBR) Speculator III
1983 Lucinda Green (GBR) Regal Realm
1984 Lucinda Green (GBR) Beagle Bay
1985 Ginny Holgate (GBR) Priceless
1986 Ian Stark (GBR) Sir Wattie
1987 No Event Cancelled due to weather
1988 Ian Stark (GBR) Sir Wattie Also came second on Glenburnie
1989 Ginny Leng (GBR) Master Craftsman
1990 Nicola McIrvine (GBR) Middle Road
1991 Rodney Powell (GBR) The Irishman II
1992 Mary Thomson (GBR) King William
1993 Ginny Leng (GBR) Welton Houdini
1994 Mark Todd (NZL) Horton Point
1995 Bruce Davidson (USA) Eagle Lion
1996 Mark Todd (NZL) Bertie Blunt
1997 David O'Connor (USA) Custom Made
1998 Chris Bartle (GBR) Word Perfect II
1999 Ian Stark (GBR) Jaybee
2000 Mary King (GBR) Star Appeal
2001 No Event Cancelled due to foot and mouth epidemic
2002 Pippa Funnell Supreme Rock
2003 Pippa Funnell (GBR) Supreme Rock Won as the second leg of winning the Grand Slam of Eventing
2004 William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Tamarillo
2005 Pippa Funnell (GBR) Primmore's Pride
2006 Andrew Hoy (AUS) Moonfleet
2007 Lucinda Fredericks (AUS) Headley Britannia
2008 Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) Hildago de L'Ile
2009 Oliver Townend (GBR) Flint Curtis
2010 Paul Tapner (AUS) Inonothing
2011 Mark Todd (NZL) NZB Land Vision
2012 No Event Cancelled due to weather
2013 Jonathan Paget (NZL) Clifton Promise
2014 Sam Griffiths (AUS) Paulank Brockagh
2015 William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Chilli Morning
2016 Michael Jung (GER) La Biosthetique-Sam Won as the final leg of winning the Grand Slam of Eventing
2017 Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Nereo
2018 Jonelle Price (NZL) Classic Moet
2019 Piggy French (GBR) Vanir Kamira First year of CCI5* designation
2020 No Event Cancelled due to COVID-19

Casualties

1976

  • Wideawake ridden by Lucinda Green died of a heart attack on his victory lap. [10]

2007

  • Skwal ridden by Andrew Downes died of a suspected heart attack in the finishing ring [11]
  • Icare d’Auzay ridden by Jean-Lou Bigot died after a fence flag marker pole pierced an artery [11]

2010

  • Desert Island ridden by Louisa Lockwood, euthanised after breaking a fetlock [12]

2018

  • Redpath Ransom ridden by Alexander Bragg, euthanised after suffering a major injury to a suspensory ligament during cross country, unrelated to a jump[13]

Criticism

In 2007, after a long period without rain, the ground was considered to be too hard, resulting in 22 withdrawals. [14]

References
  1. History Archived 2008-10-06 at the Wayback Machine History of Badminton
  2. 1976 Olympics 1976 Olympics
  3. Wheldon Winner Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine Previous Winners
  4. Dates of Cancellations Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine Cancellation Dates
  6. FEI Eventing Page FEI Eventing Page.
  7. HSBC Classics FEI Site HSBC Classics FEI Site.
  8. Visitor Numbers Badminton Visitor Numbers
  9. Daily Telegraph
  10. http://www.movietone.com/N_search.cfm?ActionFlag=back2ResultsView&start=1&pageStart&V_DateType&V_DECADE&V_FromYear&V_QualifySubject&V_TermsToOmit&V_ToYear&V_searchType&V_MainSubject&V_Year&V_resultsPerPage=1&V_storyNumber=76/66
  11. Horsetalk – Fredericks retains Badminton lead after cross-country, 6 May 2009
  12. Horsetalk – Horse killed on Badminton cross-country, 3 May 2010
  13. "Redpath Ransom Euthanized at Badminton Horse Trials - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary". Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  14. The Times – Phillips puts the welfare of her horse first and withdraws, 5 May 2007
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