It’s always an exciting week when the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials cross country preview video is released to the public, and this year we’re lucky to have Harry Meade joining Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes to take us behind the scenes for a sneak peek at Giuseppe Della Chiesa’s course.
England had a very wet winter and has also seen heavy rain in the past few weeks, but event director Hugh Thomas assured the media during Wednesday’s preview day that the competition will go on regardless of the weather. Considering the recent rain, it’s appropriate that Harry and Lizzie filmed the preview video while battling the elements, setting the scene for what very well could be the conditions come cross country day.
After the latest round of withdrawals from the event, North America currently has five combinations entered to represent Canada and the U.S. Boyd Martin is taking both Master Frisky and Crackerjack thanks to a Land Rover USEF Competition Grant. Buck Davidson has The Apprentice entered, and Libby Head will ride Sir Rockstar. Lynn Symansky confirmed this week she will forego Badminton to compete at Rolex with Donner.
Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee will compete as the sole pair for Canada. The U.S. has two combinations on the wait list who are also cross-entered at Rolex. Anna Collier and Gleaming Road are now sixth on the Badminton wait list, so there is a good chance they will get in to the competition. Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister are well down the wait list, but she confirmed to EN that they would compete at Rolex if they received a grant, which they did earlier this month.
Good friend of EN Pippa Roome published an excellent preview of the Badminton course on Horse & Hound, so be sure to check that out at this link. Leslie Wylie will be your boots on the ground for EN at this year’s event, teaming up once more with Lady Martha Sitwell to bring you gripping (and hilarious) coverage of Badminton.
