Course designer Eric Winter walks the line at the KBIS Brush Village. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Heading to the Cotswolds for Badminton Horse Trials this year? You lucky duck – not only will you get to be on site for the first Badminton in three whole years, you’ll also get to see arguably its best-ever field of competitors in action. And even better? Course designer Eric Winter has put together a course that’ll make that long absence feel worthwhile.
Of course, there’s nothing quite like getting out into the parkland yourself to get a sense of how big and tough these fences are – and if you’d like a bit of expert insight to accompany your hike around the estate, you’ll find plenty of great options for celeb-helmed walks throughout the week. We’re rounding up all the offerings so you can make your plan of attack on this big, bold, faintly terrifying track – and we’ll be updating it as more walks are announced, so keep it bookmarked as your handy guide to the week to come.
Note: coursewalk tickets do not provide entry to the site. You’ll need to purchase your passes directly through Badminton’s website – and all tickets must be purchased in advance. There will be no ticket sales on the gate this year.
TUESDAY, MAY 2
- Grassroots Walk with Andrew Williams and Vicky Tuffs – 4.00 p.m.
Tackling the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championship this year? Take a spin around the course with professional insights from Andrew and Vicky, who can help you unpack the challenges presented on this exciting course.
This is a free coursewalk that’s open to all. Meet at the grassroots star box near Huntsman’s Close.
THURSDAY, MAY 5
- Voltaire Design Walk with Andrew Williams and Vicky Tuffs – 11.00 a.m.
Fancy breaking up a morning full of dressage tests with a jolly stomp around this year’s five-star track? Join in with a free coursewalk with Andrew Williams and Vicky Tuffs for expert insight and plenty of fun. There’s no cost to join in and the walk is open to all. Meet at fence two.
- Walk with Georgie Spence — 2.00 p.m.
A popular and prolific name on the British circuit, Georgie is back at Badminton this year with the excellent Halltown Harley – and before you get ready to cheer the pair on over the weekend (you’ll be able to spot them by Georgie’s signature pink colours!), get some tips on how she plans to tackle Eric Winter’s tricky combinations with a tour around the course.
The coursewalk is open to all, but must be prebooked as numbers are strictly limited. Tickets are £15 and booking information will be released shortly – watch this space!
- Emily King Eventing Club Coursewalk (time TBC)
Emily King, daughter of eventing legend Mary, returns to Badminton with her impressive debutant Valmy Biats – and you can find out all about how this talented young pro has prepared an up-and-coming horse for the greatest challenge of her career in an exclusive coursewalk.
This coursewalk is open to members of The Eventing Club and their guests only. You can join The Eventing Club for an annual fee of £25, and book your tickets for the walk, which are priced at £10 for members and £20 for guests, here.
- Nick Turner BHS Coursewalk (time TBC)
Nick is one of the trainers to the stars, and his coursewalk with the Association of Fellows and Instructors of the British Horse Society will lend some incredibly interesting insight to Saturday’s action. This will be a particularly good option for coaches and trainers, who’ll likely glean some fascinating tips on preparing riders for tough tracks.
This coursewalk is open to all. Members of the Association of Fellows and Instructors can book on for £15; non-members can book on for £20. To reserve your spot, click here.
FRIDAY, MAY 6
- William Fox-Pitt Eventing Club Coursewalk (time TBC)
Join two-time Badminton winner Lanky Will on Friday for an in-depth and entertaining tour of the course. He’ll be riding two horses around it on Saturday, so expect plenty of insight into how top-level questions can be answered differently depending on the kind of horse you’re on.
This coursewalk is open to members of The Eventing Club and their guests only. You can join The Eventing Club for an annual fee of £25, and book your tickets for the walk, which are priced at £10 for members and £20 for guests, here.
- Event Horse Owners Syndicate Walks with Emily King and Ben Hobday
The friendly folks at EHOS will have two exclusive course walk opportunities available on Friday. The walks are open only to members of the Event Horse Owners Syndicate, but both Ben and Emily are competing horses that are syndicated with the group, so if you buy your annual membership, you won’t just get the chance to go on these seriously fun walks – you’ll also have be able to legitimately tell people you’ve got a horse competing this year! Annual membership costs £95 for a share in either Ben Hobday’s Shadow Man or Emily King’s Valmy Biats. Click here for more info and to join the club.
ENTER TO WIN EXCLUSIVE COURSEWALKS
This year, several brands and charities are offering money-can’t-buy coursewalks with some of the sport’s biggest legends. Put your name in the hat for a chance to see Eric Winter’s tough track up-close-and-personal with your heroes.
- WEDNESDAY, MAY 4: Win a coursewalk with Lucinda Green and PetPlan Insurance
It takes a special kind of gumption to win Badminton, but what about winning it six times — on six different horses? There’s a reason Lucinda Green is every top rider’s heroine, and the insight she’ll give you into this course will be second to none. She’s also bloody funny, too, which certainly helps when you’re peering into the Vicarage ditch line. Click here to submit your free entry before the April 28th deadline.
- THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023: Win lunch and a coursework with Ginny Elliott and Spinal Research
We can’t stress enough that this one will take place next year – but it’s well worth getting an entry in now, because not only will you get to walk the Badminton course with this absolute legend of the sport, you’ll also get to enjoy a VIP lunch with her and find out all about life in the golden era of eventing. There are four pairs of tickets up for grabs, plus a tonne of other great prizes including gin hampers, clothes, and bougie handbags. Entries cost £5 each and all proceeds go to Spinal Research.
‘WALK’ THE COURSE ONLINE
Can’t make it to Badminton this year, or want to get to grips with the track before you arrive? You’ve got plenty of options .
EN headed to the estate to walk the track with course designer Eric Winter – dive into our long-read preview, packed with images and insights, here.
Prefer to watch? Sign up to Badminton TV for a video preview with Eric and 2017 winner Andrew Nicholson, hosted by presenter Nicole Brown. The subscription fee is a one-off payment of £19.95, but you’ll need this to access the livestream this year, which is being exclusively shown behind the paywall.
If you want to brush up on minute markers and alternative routes, the Cross Country App has released a guided walk with Eric and Lucinda Green that leaves no stone unturned. You can access this for free via their website, or for free with optional, purchasable extras, via their app.
Finally, Horse&Hound has posted a sneak peak of their course photos online, ahead of their in-depth walk with Andrew Hoy, which will be in the April 28th edition of the magazine and will be accompanied by video content on their website on the same day. You can find the magazine at your local newsstand (if you’re UK-based!) or access it digitally here.
Badminton Horse Trials: Website, Entries, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, Course Preview, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram
