The ClipMyHorse Cord Piles are particularly big at max height and spread. Photo via CrossCountry App.
Simply put, Eric Winters’ course this year is “BIG”. Or as Will Rawlin so eloquently put it, “It’s bloody huge!”. But you don’t go to Badminton to jump cavalettis and a recurring thread throughout the riders’ responses to the test ahead of them is that it’s totally fair – clear for the riders and, most importantly, the horses.
“Evil Eric” – according to Sam Watson – has not made an appearance this time around, although he has been kinda ditchy.
But there’s no trickery around the track, and so long as the riders do a good job, the horses should read the questions and respond accordingly.
Initial thoughts from most of the riders were reassuring: “It’s Badminton,” they declared. Good to know.
All this, and more below:
▶️ Take a look at the track the riders are talking about with Tilly’s Course Preview and see each fence up close and personal, along with explanations from course designer Eric Winter, by clicking here.
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🇬🇧 Ros Canter – Lordship’s Graffalo – 1st
History-makers? Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“It’s definitely big. There’s plenty to jump.”
“The first time I walk it, it’s so often the case with me, I walk it and think, oh this is absolutely fine. But then I walked it again yesterday and thought, no, absolutely not.
Leader in the clubhouse Ros is thinking of the bigger picture:
I think the more you walk it, the more you start to relate to actually jumping it, and then you start to go, well actually, that has a knock on effect on that, that has a knock on effect, and the terrain here and the terrain there – suddenly it becomes a whole new question.”
🇺🇸 Tiana Coudray – Cancaras Girl – 2nd
Still making her mind up. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I always first time around think, oh yeah, that’s fine, we can do this.”
Second-placed Tiana’s talking herself into – and out of – it:
“The more times I walk it, I go, oh yeah, but this could happen, and that could happen. I’ve only had one walk so I’m still in the phase of thinking, yeah, it’s completely jumpable – that will progressively diminish over the next two days!”
🇧🇪 Lara de Liedekerke-Meier – Hooney d’Arville – 3rd
Up for it. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Lara’s in a great spot in third place going into the cross country and is ready to give it a good crack:
“I’m looking forward to the challenge – that’s what we all came for.”
“I like the flow. I think that going is fast, which we have to handle in a way that we shouldn’t go too fast from the beginning and empty the tank. I think we all have to ride our horses.
It’s hard to wait so long in the day and take the info you need, but not the info you don’t so.
I think there’s a lot to jump, I feel more about the accumulation factor than one fence in particular. Like a lot have said, the Vicarage field [which starts at fence 16 and ends with the iconic fence at 25AB], it’s quite intense, so you want to be on time there, but you shouldn’t try to catch up [while you’re in the thick of it].
I’m happy with the conditions and the weather is good and I’m off to a good start – so let’s go now.”
🇧🇷 Marcio Carvalho Jorge – Royal Encounter – 6th
Stepping into the unknown. Photo by Sophie Robins/Girl in the Field.
“I think it’s such a nice course – big as always.”
Marcio’s waiting to see:
“But the course is not one or two jumps, it’s all together to answer the question. I hope my horse will be okay with that and happy. Let’s see. It’s his first five-star, so let’s see what’s happens.
🇬🇧 Will Rawlin – Ballycoog Breaker Boy – 7th
If this tall guy thinks it’s big, then it’s big. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Not just big for Will:
“It’s bloody huge!”
“Big, big fences. I definitely think I prefer this way [round], having done both ways now. I just feel it gets you in the rhythm, gets you in the flow better, and it seems to be really inviting, really nice. Everything’s there for the horses to jump. Yeah, looking forward to getting out there.”
🇬🇧 Bubby Upton – Cola – 9th
Opting for “massive” over the more popular “big”. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Bubby’s not underestimating the challenge:
“Of course it’s massive and of course it’s really difficult.”
“It’s super intense. I actually prefer this way round and I think for my horse it will be a nicer way around for him. I felt last year when we got through the Quarry that he had done a huge effort up to there, and then it was like, oh my god, we still got so much left to do. Eric [Winter] is one of the best there is, and it’s going to be a huge test for us all, for sure.”
🇬🇧 Harry Meade – Annaghmore Valoner – =11th – Cavalier Crystal – 33rd – Et Hop du Matz =40th
Happy with the track. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Harry’s taking the thoughtful approach:
“I thought it was interesting.”
“The route is slightly different. It’s very easy to think geographically it covers the same ground, but actually for the flow of the horses, the intensity and the and the breathing gaps are slightly different, particularly where you where you jump the Broken Bridge [Fence 13] to the three brush fences [the KBIS Slalom at 14AB and 15]; you’ve then got a bit of a breather from there. Then the foot bridge [Waypoint] and then a long breather from there up to the INEOS fence [21AB, the INEOS Sunken Road]. I think there’s lots of questions but nothing that I thought was overly problematic.
I think it’s a good Badminton course. It’s presented beautifully. He’s [Eric Winter] done a great job with both the design and the flow of it. Would there be many five-star questions out there? Maybe not. But the cumulative effect make it a five-star course.
Often when you walk a course there’s normally, the first time you walk it, there’s sort of five questions where you think – head scratcher, I’m going to have to work that out on the next course walk, and you narrow it down from five, to three, to two. And then when you’re going out you still have questions. Whereas I’d say this was very much in front of them. I don’t think there’s any real head scratchers. There’s a massive asterisk on that – it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, it doesn’t mean there’s going to be loads and loads of clears, but there’s a fine line between what’s a four-star fence and what’s a five-star fence and sometimes there’s something a little bit unorthodox which you can’t make a plan for and you have to use the feel of what happens as you jump the A element. I wouldn’t have said there’s many of those.
I think overall he’s designed a very fair, horse-friendly galloping track and it should ride really well.”
🇬🇧 Emily King – Valmy Biats – =11th
No trickery involved. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“It’s amazing!”
“They’ve done a brilliant job out there, I think, a very clever job in that they’re not tricking the horses anywhere – if we ride it good and they want to jump it, it should go smoothly. It’s not a question that you think, how on earth can the horse do this? He’s [Eric Winter] being very clever with the corners, with everything, the angles. But if they want to jump it, they should jump it. It’s just up to us to do a good job.
Emily’s happy to have a little help from her friends:
Sammy [Emily’s partner and fellow Badminton competitor, Sam Ecroyd] always comes to the big ones and helps me with everything, but especially the cross country. So he’s got his work cut out, because he has to train me and then do his own thing – I’m like, Sam, I take priority! We’ll walk it lots and speak through the course with as many riders and trainers as possible, just getting their take on it. Sammy goes out pretty early on tomorrow, so hopefully, he can give it a good suss out.”
🇨🇭 Nadja Minder – Toblerone – =11th
Nothing like an old buddy at a 5*. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Nadja’s been ready since she was dreaming of her Badminton debut as a kid:
“Let’s go!”
“The course looks great. He [Toblerone] is super fit and we know each other inside out.”
🇬🇧 Fiona Kashel – Creevagh Silver de Haar – 14th
Planning to hang on tight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Fiona is that rarest of eventers:
“Cross country is not my favorite.”
“I quite like it where there’s not that many decisions for me to make, so when four strides has to be four strides. It’s when it’s a five or six or a four, that’s when I go into meltdown, because I just like to hang on and add everywhere – hence why I’m normally about a minute [over the] time.
I just get really nervous. I don’t actually mind jumping the big fences, that doesn’t bother me. It’s the silly whoopsies. I get really nervous to have a silly mistake, especially when you’re close to home and everyone’s come to watch you. It’s just, it’s just those silly little one – the if I miss ones, if I miss a flag ones, if I fall off!
I’m here with my good friend [and fellow competitor] Kylie Roddy. We buddy up at these events, and I hijacked her course walk with Andrew Nicholson, so I’ve got two thirds of Andrew’s thoughts on the course, I just need to get the first third and get a real plan in place.”
🇮🇪 Georgie Goss – Feloupe – =15th
She’s done the math. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“80% of it looks really nice and the other 20% looks really horrible!”
Georgie’s hoping familiarity will bring some comfort:
“I think the Vicarage line [23/24 and 25AB] is always a rider frightener, but that ditch they’ve got to the rail [Mike Weaver’s Farm Yard at 22AB] – I did that couple years ago when it was a ditch to the log and it never rode that well, so that will kind of be my sort of bogey fence. But hopefully the more I walk it, the smaller it’ll get.”
🇬🇧 Max Warburton – Deerpairc Revelry – 17th
Happy guy. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
“I’m happy with it.”
Max’s feeling confident in his horse:
“I think it’s everything’s in front of you to jump. He’s [Deerpairc Revelry] a fast horse. He’s another year older, he’s got a few under his belt now, so hopefully we can make use of that.”
🇬🇧 Tom Jackson – United 36 =20th – Hawk Eye – 29th
Tom knows where he’s at:
“It looks like Badminton.”
“It’s big everywhere. I’d say it’s maybe not the most technical Badminton I’ve ever walked, but there’s definitely plenty to do, and it’s fairly relentless in question after question – so that always takes its toll, especially with the younger horses.”
How’s the ground?
“Not as quick as I thought it might be, actually. Even when they had the Grassroots yesterday they had a decent cut, so hopefully, if it stays like that, then it should be near enough perfect come Saturday.”
🇬🇧 Tom Rowland – Dreamliner – =20th
A straight up kinda guy. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
“We’ll give it our best go, and I’m excited.”
Tom’s in a bit of a tizz about the turns:
I feel very lucky that he’s [Dreamliner] jumped around that direction once before. There’s a few twisty bits that won’t necessarily suit him, like turning back in at the Lake [to 10A]. He’s great on a straight line. The KBIS brushes [the Slalom fences at 14AB and 15], if they were off a straight approach, it’d be really easy, but off that tight turn – there’s a couple of places which don’t really suit him, the ditches and all that do though.”
🇨🇳 Alex Hua Tian – Chicko – 22nd
Happy there’s ‘baby’ steps working along to the mighty Vee. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“It’s just big.”
Alex is feeling ditchy:
“It’s a nice track. Obviously the Vicarage Vee [25AB] is in there. I’ve jumped it once, on Harbour Pilot in 2016 – always intimidating. But I think Eric’s been quite kind in that he’s given us quite a few chances to jump across the ditch in a similar kind of way before [they jump the ditch five times in total, culminating in the Vicarage Vee fence itself]. The bank [at Mayston Equestrian Hollow, fence 26ABC] is massive.”
🇬🇧 Kylie Roddy – SRS Kan Do – =23rd
Pony Club. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“We never like to say we like what’s out there, don’t we?!”
Kylie’s in the flow:
“It looks like it might have a bit more flow. I think it looks a bit more horse friendly. It looks like the horses can see what they’re about to jump – sometimes it can be a bit blind and a bit bouncy off the trees and stuff, whereas I think he’s [Eric Winter] found better flow for the ponies.”
🇬🇧 Daisy Berkeley – Diese du Figuier – =23rd
Thoughts of the finish flags. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Daisy’s here with a rookie horse – will it suit him?
“I certainly hope so – I’ll find out tomorrow!”
“I think tomorrow morning I’ll be wishing I was sitting in the commentary box!
If you’ve been around here, when you have a good ride, there is no feeling like it and coming through that finish – that is what I want from me and the horse, to have a lovely ride and get through that finish.”
🇬🇧 Laura Collett – Bling – =27th
Superstitious. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Laura thinks the track’ll suit Bling:
“Touch wood.”
“She’s a big jumping horse and there’s a lot of big fences out there. So I’m very happy with what I’m sat on.”
There’s a bit of rain forecast but that’s not worrying Laura.
“They’ve done an amazing job on the ground. It was walking really well. Any rain would go in and be a positive, but if we don’t get any, then it’s still good ground.”
🇬🇧 Gemma Stevens – Chilli Knight – 30th
That’s right, five times over the Vicarage ditch. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Gemma says it simply:
“Big jumps.”
“Really big, bold fences – a proper old fashioned Badminton. Great distances. I think it’s a really fair course. He’s [Eric Winter] set fantastic distances, which I really like – I like it when they don’t try and trick you. You’ve got to be on your A game from number 1 to very last fence – there’s not really a let up anywhere. The Vicarage ditch area, I mean, he’s making us jump that ditch five times! I feel like that’s quite mean, it’s scary enough just once!
It’s going to be that typical five-star cumulative effect of the whole round, I don’t think you can pick out one particular fence. I think it’s a typical Badminton where it’s non-stop the whole way – big jump after big jump. I think us as riders, we’ve got to be accurate, we’ve got to look after our horses, and we’ve got to balance them and make sure they’re confident.
The time will be tight. The Lake [9AB and 10AB] is so slow and round the Vicarage area [which starts at fence 16 and ends with the iconic fence at 25AB], you’re constantly being asked to change direction, go uphill, go downhill. [Right round the course] we’re asked to speed up and slow down a lot.
We’ve just got to get out there and get on with it.”
🇬🇧 Michael Owen – Monbeg Darwin – 31st
Not big enough. Photo by Eventing Nation.
Michael’s bucking the trend:
“There’s nothing out there that I think, well, that’s big.”
“He’s [Monbeg Darwin] a big scopey horse – almost the bigger, the better for him.”
🇺🇸 Cosby Green – Jos Ufo de Quidam – 35th
No fear here. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I’m very excited!”
Like a lot of the horses, Cosby’s keen to get the dressage done so she can get stuck into the best bit:
“I’m as positive as you can be. I have a lot of faith in my horse, he’s an amazing cross country horse, so I’m really excited to get [dressage] out of the way and go and give the track a go.”
🇬🇧 David Doel – Ferro Point – 57th – Midnight Rollercoaster – 37th
Bloomin’ “big” smoochies for David from Ferro Point. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
David’s dropping the ‘B’ bomb:
“It’s definitely big out there.”
“I think it’s one of the fairest tracks Eric’s [Winter] built for a little while here. I think the fences are just a little bit clearer for the horses. Don’t get me wrong, it’s big. But I think the combinations just come up a little bit more clearly for the horses, there aren’t quite so many blind turns like he’s had in the last few years, which I think should ride a bit nicer and be a bit fairer to the horses – but as I say, it’s still bloody big!”
🇬🇧 Simon Grieve – Autograf – =38th
Arguably the smiliest guy in the sport. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Simon’s up for the scare factor:
“It’s Badminton – it’s big and it’s bold and it’s quite scary, but I’d be a bit disappointed if it wasn’t.”
“I think the Lake [9AB and 10AB] is is pretty serious. I just can’t ever get away from the Viquid Vee [25AB], yeah, and the water at the top as well [Spillers Sustainability Bay at 20ABCD] is very technical.
It’s all the way around, and it’s one big fence after another, and a difficult fence after another, it makes it such a challenge. I’m looking forward to it!”
🇫🇷 Gaspard Maksud – Zaragoza – =38th
Wearing his cock on his chest. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Gaspard’s looking for a leaderboard climb with his zoomy mare:
“It won’t be a dressage competition – thank god for that!”
“Yeah, it’s a good track. I think it’s tough enough. Today [the dressage phase] is just one thing, tomorrow is another day, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
🇬🇧 Sam Ecroyd – Boleybawn Lecrae – 42nd
A man who gets straight to the point. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Sam’s stating the somewhat obvious:
“It’s Badminton.”
“Looks really good, I thought. Really, really well built, really fair, pretty massive.”
🇳🇿 Jesse Campbell – Cooley Lafitte – =45th
Smooth ride. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Jesse’s up for it:
“I’m quite excited about riding it.”
“It’s just very big and in front of you and there to be jumped. I’m not sure what the time will be like – it feels a bit smoother than in past years.”
🇮🇪 Padraig McCarthy – Lady Ophelia – 47th
Feeling bold. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Padraig’s switching out the B words:
“Looks brilliant.”
“I think it’s a good bold track. It looks like the fences are really there in front of you this year. I think if your horse is brave and doesn’t worry about ditches and has got a bit of experience, you should have a good ride around the ground. I’m very excited to get out there.”
🇬🇧 Tom Strawson – Public Address – 48th
Fun times. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
Tom’s abbreviated course preview:
“There’s plenty to jump. Looks very ditchy, good corners.”
“There’s lots of jump – there’s a very intense part in the middle. I’m right at the end, so I get to watch and see how the others do at first, which I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing – you might end up getting a load of nerves! Hopefully we’ll take some confidence from Burley and go out there and lots of fun.
🇩🇪 Arne Bergendahl – Luthien NRW – 49th
Appreciating the beauty. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
Arne’s got what it takes:
“I think it’s a beautiful course. It’s really big questions. I think you need a lot of scope and brave.”
Has he got that with Luthien NRW?
“Hopefully!”
🇬🇧 Alex Bragg – Quindiva – 50th
Anticipating reward. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I’m relishing the challenge.”
Alex has high praise for course designer Eric Winter and his team:
“The course looks good. I think the last couple of years, actually, Eric [Winter] has done a wonderful job. I think the courses are easier for the horses to read and if you ride well and keep them in balance, and you’ve got them well trained, you should be rewarded with a really smooth ride that brings confidence to them. I think this course should offer that, so I think he’s done an amazing job. The ground looks fantastic, testament to the organisers and the team that they’re working with.”
🇬🇧 Helen Bates – Carpe Diem – 52nd
The look of love. Photo by Laura Dupuy.
Helen has eyes for no other:
“I’m excited – there’s no other horse I’d rather be sat on.”
“It’s definitely quite intense down at that Vicarage area [between fences 16 and 25 the riders cross the Vicarage ditch five times]. I don’t think there’s any let up at all this year, from when you come down to the wiggly ones [the KBIS Slalom at 14AB and 15], and then I think you’ve got to be very much on it for a good few minutes after that.”
🇮🇪 Sam Watson – Ballyneety Rocketman – 53rd
Rocketman Sam gives a speech. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“It’s not an evil Eric track.”
Irish horses are known to enjoy the deep going, and Sam’s keen for more rain to give his enthusiastic horse an advantage:
“I’ve done a very powerful rain dance, so there’ll be more rain. You’ve got to just believe in it – it’s going to happen.
Fair play to Badminton, they presented a really nice course to us on Wednesday with the ground. I know there’s an unsettled forecast so you’ve just got to keep on top of it as well, like now, it is drying fast. But we were talking to him [Eric Winter] last night, they’ll aerate it if they have to aerate, if the rain comes then it’s fine.
For me, with him, the difficulty is that is what I have underneath me, and it’s that communication. He doesn’t mind the obstacles. He’s very brave. He’s very straight. It’s just about communication.
I think Ross Canter could make it look very simple.
Eric’s made it obvious to us, and now that could catch [people out]. I don’t believe in complacency – no one leaves the start box at Badminton complacent. It’s still big. You still got to jump all those fences. They’re big. Hard to see too many run outs and things like that, so we’ll see what happens.
Hopefully the beast is a bit more tamed than he’s been in the past [Ballyneety Rocketman is notoriously strong]. But he’s a working project, he’s still only 12. It’s his third big five-star, he’s got Badminton and Burghley under his belt, so hopefully, he’ll be a little bit more mature in himself afterwards.
And are there places where he can allow “Rocket” to run off some steam?
No, not really. He’ll be difficult coming down from Huntington’s Close [at 6AB], going downhill, it puts him off balance. I think anyone galloping those Thoroughbreds, it is all about balance – that’s what cross country is. That’ll be difficult enough, but then the Lake [9AB and 10AB] sets him up. Eric has placed his fences quite nicely. Then there’s a long run down to the fly fence [the World Horse Welfare Waterfall at 11]. I’ll just have to soften my hands and let him lengthen his frame. He will be flying going down there. But then there’s a turn at the bottom [soon after the fence].
It was very technical [last year]. This is the opposite – this is big, imposing, all those Vicarage jumps [running from 16 to 25AB], it’s very, very imposing. But it’s straight in front of you. I can see him growing up out there, and respecting it and us both enjoying it.”
🇬🇧 Emma Thomas – Icarus – 60th
Flying high. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“I think if you get stuck in, it will reward you.”
Emma’s got a plan:
“I think I’m going to go long at Huntsman’s [6AB] because I don’t think he’ll be quite settled by then. But otherwise, I think it’s a really horse-friendly, inviting track.”
So there you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Go eventing!
