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Badminton Park is NOT OPEN to the public now or over the coming weekend.  We regret that conditions are such that we cannot allow anyone to walk the course.

Cancelling the Horse Trials is the most depressing thing I have had to do in all the time I have been at Badminton; the only saving grace was that it was in a sense an easy decision, or at least the only possible one! We have had another 15 – 20mm of rain since Monday evening, so conditions are now even worse.  The weather forecasters were right when they said there would be no chance of the ground drying out this week.

The Park is totally waterlogged, with standing flood water in many places.  Ironically, the cross country course and the main arena are probably the best ground here. However, it would have been completely impossible to have got cars in or out of the car parks, tradestand lorries into position, toilets serviced, horse or human ambulances around the courses…….

While the organising team is pretty devastated to see a year’s work go to waste, we really feel for all the people who were so looking forward to Badminton. The riders first and foremost, but then all the trade stands, the spectators, many of whom would have travelled miles and even across oceans, the local businesses for whom this week means so much.

Of course we considered a postponement. Putting things back by a day or even two is conceivable – but wouldn’t have been enough to make the difference. Putting this event on later in the summer is sadly impossible. It takes 2 months to build up the site and a month to take it down. The event has so many ‘stakeholders’ all of whom have to be in place to make it work. Riders, trade stands, grandstand, tentage  and all our other contractors and of course spectators. To find an alternative date when all could come together again is inconceivable.

When we wake up from this bad dream we will start planning for 2013!

The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded.  Further rain is due this week leaving no chance of the ground drying out.  Very sadly therefore the 2012 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials has been cancelled.

Purchasers of advance tickets, exhibitors, Sponsors and riders will of course be refunded as soon as is practical.

The organisers of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials are delighted to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the final day of this year’s Event, Monday 7^th May. The Duke and Duchess will watch the final Jumping Test section before presenting prizes to the successful competitors.

The big names are sprinkled throughout the start list, bearing in mind that all riders with 2 horses go at the beginning and end.  The last 3 World Champions, Michael Jung, Zara Phillips and Jean Teulere will all probably start on the second morning of dressage while the sports favourite grey, Lenamore, goes for his 8th consecutive completion here near the end of the Draw.

There are still 30 horses on the Waiting List.  They have been included in the Draw in case anyone else withdraws.  The most noticeable withdrawal to date is that of all three of Pippa Funnell’s entries – Pippa saying that they are just not quite prepared for Badminton.

Hardly an obstacle remains unchanged in Hugh Thomas’ fresh looking cross country course for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2012. After the ASX Crossover (1) in the arena and a left turn over the Deer Feeder (2) on the main track, the first real test is at the HorseQuest Quarry (3,4,5) a sweep of three massive logs, making use of the undulating ground, where, for the first time there are no alternatives. A long gallop follows to the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Huntsman’s Close (6,7,8ab), a spread into the copse onto a bounce of hedges to a log on a left turn with a time consuming longer route for those who this early in the course have elected to go for a completion not a prize.
Up in front of the House to the familiar Wadworth Barrels (9) and then the crowd favourite Lake complex (10 abc). The direct way is over a big drop before two narrow hedges in the water and out, turning right to the backed up L200s (11). The Countryside Brushtop (12) is a welcome let up about halfway round, before competitors head out of the Deer Park over the Swindon Designer Outlet Sunken Lane (13 abc), a choice of lozenge boxes in and out.

The HSI Farmyard (14 ab) is the attractive Mike Weaver Hay Cart with a corner away, or two corners for the longer route. The Colt Pond (15 ab) now has a wide solid spread followed quickly by a brush screen, with daylight underneath, as the drop into the water. The Team GBR Footbridge (16) is a good old massive leap over the Vicarage Ditch before the Outlander Bank (17 ab), which now has the jump through brush hoop on its top.

Looping right, the next jump to come is the HSBC FEI Classic Beam (18) and up to the Shogun Hollow (19 abc) an upright rail to drop with a double of hedges back into the Deer Park. Another long stretch takes in the Rolex Grand Slam Shooting Butt (20) and the KBIS Table (21). The HSBC Market Place (22 abc) starts with a white gate with a direct line which takes in a right then left corner. Going up Savills’ Staircase (23 abc) with its ‘skinny’ at the top is a stamina test towards the end of the course and the revamped i-MiEV Village (24 abc) is a treble of houses, with a choice of two as the middle option.

By the John Whitaker Keeper’s Brush (25) riders will be feeling they are nearly home, but after the World Horse Welfare Branch (26) the double of brushes at the Rolex Crossing (27, 28) demand respect before the relief of the Mitsubishi Motors Finale (29).
As Hugh Thomas remarked, ‘ There are new questions all around the course, which should provide a thrilling competition in this Olympic year,’

VIEW THE VIDEO COURSE WALK WITH HUGH THOMAS & DAISY BERKELEY: