Lauren Kieffer and Landmark's Monte Carlo. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The order for the 2017 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI4* has been drawn! Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo landed the #1 spot, so they’ll be trailblazing not only for the six-strong U.S. contingent but for the entire 85 horse field in Gloucestershire, England.

Coming LIVE from the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials office in Gloucestershire, we bring you the drawn order for this year’s competition 3-7 May 2017
#MMBHT

The draw includes Multiple Horse Riders & Waitlisted Riders

Posted by Badminton Horse Trials on Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Waitlisted riders were included in the draw, bringing the total number of entries to 111 although only 85 will compete.The names of riders who will be competing two horses were drawn first.

View the complete official draw order here. This is where the U.S. contingent landed:

• #1. Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo, a 2006 16.2-hand Irish Thoroughbred cross gelding (Formula One X Glamour) owned by Jacqueline Mars
• #15. Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot, a 2003 16-hand ISH gelding (Cruising X Shanon, by Catch On Fire) owned by Jacqueline Mars
• #40. Katherine Coleman and Longwood, a 2002 16.2-hand ISH gelding (Limmerick X Cavale De Or, by Cavalier Royale) owned by KC Eventing Ltd.
• #50. Lynn Symansky and Donner, a 2003 17.0-hand American Thoroughbred gelding (Gorky Park X Smart Jane, by Smarten) owned by the Donner Syndicate
• #60. Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless, a 2001 16.3-hand Australian Thoroughbred gelding (Waterford Road X Faux Franc, by Twig Moss) owned by the Simply Priceless Syndicate
• #99. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica, a 2002 16.1-hand KWPN mare (Pacific X Kimbel, by Ferro) owned by Team Rebecca

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master were originally entered but have since withdrawn after a fall on the Advanced cross country at Burnham Market H.T. last weekend. Rebecca told Horse & Hound, “Riddle Master came into this season feeling super, but the eventing gods were not with us in the lead-up to Badminton. Skin infections and a foot bruise left us short of runs and then we had an uncharacteristic fall at Burnham Market. We are both fine, but sadly Badminton was not meant to be this year.”

Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against withdrew from the waitlist, as they’ll be heading to Rolex instead. UK-based Canadian Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee are presently #3 on the waitlist, so there’s a good chance we’ll see them in the starting lineup.

Fourteen nations will be represented in this year’s competition. Michael Jung’s sole entry La Biosthetique Sam FBW, with whom of course he won Badminton 2016, was 38th in the draw so will likely do his dressage test on Thursday afternoon. With Jung looking to defend his title amid an entry list stacked to the roof with the world’s best horses and riders, this year’s edition should be especially intense!

Badminton 2017 takes place May 4-7. Learn more or purchase tickets by visiting the website here.

[Badminton Draw Order]

‘Back to the Future’ the 2017 cross country #MMBHT course has been revealed! Read more & enjoy a virtual view here: https://t.co/IGlYgk82zr pic.twitter.com/oEZhGMGzvh

— Badm1nton H Trials (@bhorsetrials) April 12, 2017

Badminton Horse Trials has just unveiled a preview of its 2017 course, and we advise not having a look until your lunch has digested!

Eric Winter’s debut Badders track looks to have a distinctly old school feel: “It greatly resembles the swashbuckling tracks of the 1970’s, but with the advantage of 21st century safety technology. Unlike many modern courses there is a deliberate lack of superfluous decoration with most fences using massive rustic timber … If there was one word to describe the 2017 course it could be ‘chunky.'”

The fences are up and we can’t wait to see them being jumped in a few weeks time #MMCup pic.twitter.com/ujJzFGx7Ak

— Mitsubishi_Cup (@Mitsubishi_Cup) April 12, 2017

For the real-deal virtual course walk experience, be sure to check out CrossCounty App. In addition to photos and illustrations of each obstacle, its Badminton preview features audio, drone flyovers and video walkthroughs with Eric and British eventer Harry Meade. Check it out online here and be sure to download the app today!

If you’re pressed for time, here’s a 10-cent tour via press release:

Starting as ever in the main arena over the ASX Starter, this year riders head in a clockwise direction over an inviting roll top brush the Rolex Rolltop. There is a new look to the Keepers ditch with a large but inviting table Keepers Question and another single fence Mike Weavers Haywain.

The first real question comes with the four part Savills Staircase, rails, two steps down and an angled brush away. A gallop towards the House then introduces a very substantial table Countryside Birch, where the brave can angle it and save several seconds cutting inside a tree on landing.

Eric has put The Lake complex earlier than recently as he felt he could then make it a bit more of a challenge. First come the L200 Pickup Trucks, then a massive drop into the water, a right turn to a wooden cottage out and a brushed up log. (There are time consuming alternatives here).

Behind the scenes at @bhorsetrials press preview day. The 2017 cross country course designed by Eric Winter is going to epic #MMBHT pic.twitter.com/A6hYHyvb3k

— Mitsubishi Motors UK (@MitsubishiUK) April 12, 2017

Instead of pockets of relentless action there is a flow to the course which next takes in an uncompromising white parallel in front of the House, the Offset Oxer then ahead to the Shogun Hollow, two wide corners with a dip between.

A longish gallop follows down to the Vicarage Ditch where Eric has reintroduced an ’80s classic, the KBIS Bridge. It is then left to the Outlander Bank with an even choice of cottages on the top and right to another ’70s tribute act, a spectacular revamp of a thick rail over the ditch the Rolex Grand Slam Trakehner. 

It is up one of the few inclines in Badminton Park to the Hildon Water Pond with a single tree trunk in, another in the water and a sharply angled log away. Here again there is a very long ‘scenic route.’ Down the hill again to the let up Sheep Feeder and another place to make up a bit of time in the approach to the familiar Mirage Pond, two angled hedges with the pond between on quite a tight distance.

Another relatively simple, but maximum size rustic spread, the Devoucoux Oxer follows before coming back into the Deer Park through the Phev Corral, up the mound to a very upright set of post and rails then down into the ranch’s ‘yard’ where riders can choose either the left or right side of the post and rail funnel on a tight angle.

Back to the front of the House to the Event Mobility Dining Table (named for the event’s Charity of the Year) followed closely by the Joules Corner, a hedge to set riders up for a double of angled boxed brush corners.

Horses then get their feet wet for the last time, splashing through to an old type vast, ‘Burghley’ bullfinch, the Wadsworth Lakeside. 

Most of the serious questions have been asked by now and the two log piles in the Irish Horse Gateway Huntsmans Close are much kinder than in recent years but to ensure riders don’t just go flat out alongside the road Eric makes them go back and forward across the fence line over two upright World Horse Welfare Gates. The Horsequest Quarry starts with a big brush on the flat, down into the dip and over a choice of broom head ‘skinnies’ and up a steep slope to an upright wall.

The last few relatively ‘kind’ obstacles start with the double of FEI Classics Hedges, then the Rolex Trunk whose approach is through a spinney and back into the arena. And we finally come to the Mitsubishi Final Mount, for which on Eric’s instigation the design was put out to public competition. Of 13,000 votes on line nearly 4,000 went for Tots Hanson’s carved saddles.

Great to see the cross country course for @bhorsetrials today! Here is the last fence voted for by the public #MMBHT pic.twitter.com/n2IjubMQRi

— Eventing Worldwide (@EventingWWNEWS) April 12, 2017

The entry list for the 2017 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI4* was released in late March, and we’re excited for the opportunity to root for a big North American contingent this year, including six U.S. and one Canadian pair.

USA

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot
Katherine Coleman and Longwood
Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo
Lauren Kieffer and Veronica
Lynn Symansky and Donner
Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless

Canada

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master

The waitlist includes Bunnie Sexton (USA) and Rise Against, who are now five away from being accepted (although all signs point to them being Rolex-bound), and Kathryn Robinson (CAN) and Let it Bee, who are eight away from being accepted. Who knows …

I wonder if the Badminton waitlist will get some movement now that the course preview is out?! #BigKnickers #MMBHT

— Sarie Weaving (@SWeavie) April 12, 2017

Fourteen nations will be represented in this year’s competition. Michael Jung’s sole entry is La Biosthetique Sam FBW, with whom of course he won Badminton 2016. With Jung looking to defend his title amid an entry list stacked to the roof with the world’s best horses and riders, this year’s edition should be especially intense!

Badminton 2017 takes place May 4-7. Learn more or purchase tickets by visiting the website here.

[Badminton 2017 Cross Country Course]