7 Fascinating Facts you never knew about Badminton Horse Trials
A key date in any equestrian’s calendar, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trails are back again this May. Running from 2rd to 6th May 2018 at Badminton Park, Gloucestershire, Badminton Horse Trials is the World’s Premier 3-Day-Event and one of only six annual FEI Concours Complet International Four Star (CCI ****) events. So whether you are visting the event yourself, or just watching on the tv, impress your friends with these facinating facts about one of the world’s most famous horse trial events…
10th Duke of Beaufort - Badminton
1) Badminton Horse Trials was started by the 10th Duke of Beaufort, who having being a spectator at the 1948 Olympics decided that his home, Badminton Park, would be an ideal training ground for British riders wanting to compete at an international level.
2) Today, including the car parks, trade-stands, arena and cross country courses, the event covers an area of approximately 500 acres (200 hectares) of Badminton Park.
Michael Jung with La Biosthetique-Sam FBW (image: Steinfurth)
3) The oldest horse to win Badminton is ‘Nereo’, who won the event last year with Andrew Nicholson. Both Anderw and Nereo, and last year’s runner-up Michael Jung and La Biosthetique-Sam are competing at Badminton again this year. Should either win, they will take the title of the oldest horse to win the event at the age of 18. The previous record holder was ‘Horton Point’ who was 16 at the time (1994).
4) The Mitsibishi Motors Badminton trophy features three horses representing each phase of the competition; dressage, cross country and showjumping, and was designed by Wiltshire based sculptor Judy Boyt.
William Fox-Pitt on Chilli Morning at Badminton 2015 (image by Owain Davies)
5) Chilli Morning has been the only stallion in the history of Badminton Horse Trials to win the event. He took the title in 2015 with rider William Fox-Pitt.
6) The smallest winners of Badminton Horse Trials stood at just 15hh – Our Solo (Bill Roycroft, 1960) and Our Nobby (Jane Bullen, 1968).
7) New Zealand rider Andrew Nicholson holds the record for most completions at Badminton. However he only got his first win last year (2017) on his 37th completion of the event.
