Wednesday, 08 May 2024
It’s finally here – one of the biggest and best weeks in the sport of eventing! MARS Badminton Horse Trials is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year, taking place in the glorious surroundings of the Duke of Beaufort’s estate in Gloucestershire from 8–12 May. To get you in the mood for what promises to be another top-quality edition of the event, we’ve gathered everything you need to know – whether you’re there in person or following along at home.
This year’s competition promises to be another showcase for eventing excellence. There are plenty of World Class Programme combinations in the mix, including last year’s winner, Ros Canter, who brings forward Badminton debutant Izilot DHI. She’ll be joined by the likes of Tom McEwen, William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell, Gemma Stevens, Tom Jackson, Harry Meade, Bubby Upton, Wills Oakden, David Doel, Kristina Hall-Jackson, Kirsty Chabert, Emily King, Laura Collet and Max Warburton.
The full list of entries can be found online. Individual start times will be available following the first horse inspection.
Fashion might be at the forefront of the first horse inspection, but horse welfare is the utmost priority. Riders will present their horses to the ground jury outside of Badminton House, who will watch them trot up to ensure they’re fit to compete. Visitors also have the option of spectating and cheering on their favourite combinations when they’re accepted.
Combinations take it in turns to ride a set test of movements, with each movement scored out of 10 and an additional collective mark given for the harmony of horse and rider. The combined marks are converted into penalties using a coefficient – the fewer penalties earned, the higher the placing.
Running in the same order as for dressage, combinations head out into Badminton’s parkland to tackle a course of 30 solid fences and combinations – including, ditches, water, gates and brushes. Penalties added to their dressage score for jumping faults and seconds over the optimum time to create a two-phase total. You can find out more about this year’s cross-country track, including an interactive map, on the Badminton Horse Trials website.
Following a second horse inspection and riding in reverse order of merit, combinations navigate a course of between 11 and 13 showjumps in the main arena. The aim is to jump clear inside the optimum time – penalties are earned for poles down or additional seconds over the time allowed. The winner is the combination with the lowest combined score at the end of this phase.
The full list of results and start times for each phase are available on the Badminton website. We'll also share updates on our World Class Programme athletes on our social media throughout the competition.
Tickets for Badminton Horse Trials are only available in advance through the online box office – there will be no sales on the gate. Tickets can be bought up until midnight one day prior to your chosen day of competition. There are daily ticket options, or you can spoil yourself with a season pass, which covers all four days of competition, plus the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championship and first horse inspection on Wednesday 8 May. If you’re planning to attend the showjumping phase on Sunday, you’ll need to purchase separate grandstand seats to watch in the main arena.
Yes! Here’s where you can find them…
Alternatively, why not stop by one of our member bodies’ trade stands…
The British Equestrian Federation Fund is the official fundraising partner for this year’s event. The Fund supports our four equestrian teams heading to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, helping them be the best prepared, supported and equipped that they can be so they’re able to concentrate on performance and bringing home medals.
Visit us at stand 257 on Beaufort Way to enter our fantastic Path To Paris Prize Draw, where the top prize is a bespoke Stevenson Brothers rocking horse of last year’s Badminton winner and current European champion, Lordships Graffalo – which can be previewed at the Stevenson Brothers stand at 86 Deerpark Drive. There are also great prizes from British Equestrian suppliers Fairfax & Favor, Dodson & Horrell, Bates, Lotus Romeo and NAF.
Also on the stand, you can pick up a free pocket guide to concussion or one of our great kids colouring sheets.
Not able to be at the event? You can enter the prize draw online – tickets are £5 – or by sending us a free entry via post (one entry per household).
The entire event is being streamed live on Badminton TV, powered by Brightcove. A Badminton TV 365 subscription costs £19.99 and lasts for a full year – alternatively, you can sign up using the Badminton TV app for £24.99. During this time, you’ll have access to the full competition, plus the horse inspections, prize-giving ceremony, interviews with the top three riders each day, and a range of special features. You can also replay this year’s action and access the archives to relive previous editions of Badminton Horse Trials.
There will be a highlights programme on BBC2 at 2pm on Sunday 12 May, which will also cover the top 10 showjumping rounds in real time. The programme will be available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website shortly after the broadcast, then repeated on the Red Button on Sunday night and throughout Monday. For viewers in the UK, this is the only way to watch the event’s climax – these final rounds won’t be shown on Badminton TV for domestic subscribers.
Radio Badminton is available online throughout the event or on 87.7FM and will include full coverage from 8:30am each morning, including technical insight and post-round interviews with riders. If you’re on site, you can purchase an ear piece from sellers around the showground.
We’ll be posting regular competition updates on our social media channels, and British Equestrian supporter members can access daily competition reports for each phase. It's completely free to sign up as a supporter member and, in addition to exclusive Badminton content, you'll also get lots of other benefits such as discounted tickets for equestrian events, access to special offers and discounts, our monthly newsletter straight to your inbox and copies of our digital magazine.
British Eventing will also be posting updates on their Facebook and Instagram channels, and on their website.