Whilst we’re still coming down from all the awesomeness that was Kentucky, we’ve got another big one coming up – Badminton week is upon us!
The Badminton schedule is a little different this year as the first 5* of the British season coincides with the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III. Badminton will be celebrating both, with a break in the competition and the royal shenanigans shown on big screens at the event.
It all kicks off a day later than we’re used to – on Thursday rather than the usual Wednesday start – but that gives the horses, riders and grooms an extra day to prepare, and, as we’ll be one day further into spring, perhaps there’s a chance that the weather will have made a turn for the better after a very soggy start to the season – optimism and all that!
Thursday is the day we’ll see the riders dressed to impress as they trot their horses up in front of Badminton House. It all begins at 4:30pm BST / 11:30am EDT / 8:30am PDT. Who will win the best dressed awards and, more importantly, who’ll take home The Golden Chinch? We’ll have a full write up of both the serious nature of the Horse Inspection and Tilly’s alternative view, so watch this space.
The competition begins in earnest on Friday this year, with the first day of dressage beginning at 9am BST / 4am EDT / 1am PDT. For those of you Stateside who tune in live – respect! All hail the eventing superfans. It’s a full day of dancing on Friday before it all starts again on Saturday at 8am BST / 3am EDT / Midnight PDT.
That’s right – Saturday is NOT cross country day. I repeat – Saturday is NOT cross country day!
We start off Saturday with the second day of dressage, then there will be a break in the proceedings at 10:15am BST / 5:15am EDT / 2:15am PDT for the Coronation. The pony action gets back underway at 12:45pm BST / 7:45am EDT / 4:45am PDT.
In another shake-up to the scheduling – Sunday IS cross country day!
Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley are first into the start box as pathfinders – they’ll get their Badminton cross country underway at 11:30am BST / 6:30am EDT / 3:30am PDT. American riders Katherine Coleman – with Monbeg Senna – and Lillian Heard Wood – with LCC Barnaby – go out 42nd and 46th respectively. Canada’s hope lies with Michael Winter and El Mundo, who’ll go 62nd.
We’re back at the jog strip on Monday morning for the Final Horse Inspection at 8:30am BST / 3:30am EDT / 12:30am PDT and then it’s onto the first part of the show jumping at 11:30am BST / 6:30am EDT / 3:30am PDT. The top 20 after the first and second phases will conclude their competition at 2:55pm BST / 9:55am EDT / 6:55am PDT.
And then we’ll have our Badminton 2023 winner.
With last year’s winner – Laura Collett’s London 52 – sitting this one out, it’s all to play for.
If you’re lucky enough to be at Badminton, there’s a course walk with Olympic, World and European gold medallist Tina Cook, and Gill Watson, former GB Junior and Young Rider Team Trainer. This is a ticketed event and there are limited spaces, so don’t delay. A proportion of the proceeds will go to Air Ambulances UK, the official charity for this year’s Badminton. Book your space here.
If you can’t be there in person, the next best thing is watching all of the action on Badminton TV. This is a paid-for service and, as well as the live event and the option to watch on playback, you get a year’s access to all of the other brilliant Badminton content on the platform. Sign up here.
And whether you’re on site, at home, even at work (if you insert a sneaky earphone), keep up with all things Badminton on the event’s dedicated radio station. Headsets at the ready. Tune in here.
If you just can’t wait ’til Sunday (I repeat, SUNDAY) to get all up in cross country business, get up close and personal with all the fences on Eric Winter’s course here and read about Tilly’s course walk with the man himself here.
It’s National Get Caught Reading Month and so we suggest you get caught up with all the riders and horses tackling Badminton by reading EN’s Form Guide – coming soon!
And once you’re up on all the stats and facts and form, use it to your advantage when picking your Eventing Manager team. The team at EquiRatings is giving you $10,000,000 to splash on 5* horses and the chance to top the leaderboard in your own right. Find out how to get your hands on the cash (virtually, anyway) here.
What will Chinch think of the British weather? Will he wangle an invitation with the King? Keep it locked onto EN for all of our Badminton coverage and follow @goeventing for all the news, frolics and stories from the event.
Let’s go eventing!
Badminton Horse Trials (Glos. UK)
[Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Live Stream] [Badminton Radio] [EN’s Coverage]
U.S. Weekend Preview
Catalpa Corner May Madness Horse Trials (Iowa City, IA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Riga Meadow at Coole Park Combined Test (Millbrook, NY) [Website] [Scoring]
Stable View Local Charities H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]
The Event at Skyline (Mt. Pleasant, UT) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring] [Volunteer]
Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (Tyler, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Waredaca H.T. (Laytonsville, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
WindRidge Farm Spring H.T. (Mooresboro, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Wednesday News and Reading
There’s a whole bunch of Badminton videos available to watch for free on the website. From the 2019 highlights program and winner’s interviews, to a virtual ride round the cross country and a short history of the event, there’s everything you need to get your Badminton fix while you’re waiting for this year’s action to kick off. [A Ride Round the Archives]
There will be access to on-site mental health and wellbeing support for all riders and grooms at Badminton this year. Provided by Riders Minds – a charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of equestrians – there will be a wellbeing hub and on-site counselor for the duration of the event. [Let’s Talk Mental Health]
Competing at Badminton is a dream come true, but for many of us it’s a dream that’s just a bit out of reach. Well, until now. As Dr. Seuss said, “Reading can take you places” and this personalized book takes you to the Badminton cross country, where you get to be the protagonist of your own 5* as you make your Badminton debut! OK, so it’s meant to be for kids, but hey ho – it’s launching tomorrow and I’ll be first in line to star in my very own Badminton adventure. [Take a (Fictional) Ride Round Badminton]
Last year’s Badminton runner up, Ros Canter’s been doing something a little different for her Badminton prep this year. On the advice of event coach Caroline Moore, Ros has taken to the skies for the ultimate adrenaline rush. Badminton will feel like a walk in the park after this! [Up, Up and Away!]
Meanwhile, Britain’s Harry Meade has been taking a more grounded approach to his run-up to Badminton. Here’s Harry out hacking with Badminton bound 5* horse Away Cruising – with his wingmen alongside. [We All Need A Wingman, Or Two]
Felicity Collins didn’t think her horse RSH Contend Or had what it takes to be an eventer – but now he’s off to Badminton. He’ll spook at rocks, get upset at colors, is sensitive about spurs – but point him at a ditch and brush and off he goes! Find out more about this spooky, scatty, sensitive horse who’s ‘like an eel’ to ride. [Point Him at the Flags and Watch him Go]
Looking for something to listen to while you’re whiling away the time ‘til Badminton starts (or in the line of traffic waiting to get into the event)? Horse Journals has helpfully gathered together a list of horsey podcasts. [Listen Up]
Video Break
The Shetland Pony Grand National is as much a feature of horse shows here in Britain as the big classes. It sounds like fun – and it really is! – but many a jockey has come through the ranks of this horse race in miniature and the organization raises a lot of money each year for a nominated charity – this year it’s the Bob Champion Cancer Trust.
The jockeys will be under starter’s orders in the Main Arena at Badminton at 10:30am, but if you’re not there to witness the spectacle that is a bunch of shetlands galloping over steeplechase fences as the crowd cheers for their favorite, here’s a video of last year’s Shetland Pony Grand National at Badminton.
