DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY FOR BADMINTON 2009
The world famous Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials
celebrates its sixtieth anniversary from the 7th to 10th of May
2009 at the Duke of Beaufort’s Gloucestershire park.
Preparations as ever are well under way for the event inaugurated
by the previous Duke in 1949 as a springboard for future British
Olympic teams. It has since become the most prestigious event of
its type, and the one all the riders dream of winning. The
programme this year will have a special supplement to commemorate
this benchmark.
The Badminton Box Office opens on 12th January and nowadays the
great majority of bookings are made through the website at www.badminton-horse.co.uk.
Those booking early get a discount against the on the day admission
prices but, more importantly, access to the most favoured
grandstand seats &/or pitches on the caravan site, which
accommodated over 1200 sites last year.
In these uncertain financial times Badminton is delighted to
have the extended support of their long time sponsors Mitsubishi
Motors until at least 2012. This will of course be beneficial to
the continued intensive course maintenance programme. However
Badminton is also very happy to be linked to two other big prize
innovations in the sport. The Rolex Grand Slam, which incorporates
Badminton, Kentucky and Burghley on a rolling winner takes all
basis, which has been won by Pippa Funnell, almost won by Andrew
Hoy and if it had been framed for spouses would have gone to
Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks for her
Burghley and Badminton back to back wins, and his Kentucky, is now
well established.
The new incentive is the HSBC FEI Classics which adds to the list
results from the other northern hemisphere top grade events,
Luhmühlen in Germany and the end of season four star at Pau in
France. This is an accumulator for riders, which was won for the
first time by William Fox-Pitt. Badminton is a significant
part of these innovative series.
Badminton Director and course designer, Hugh Thomas is following
the long established tradition of reversing the direction of the
course, which, as his innovation, has for several years started and
finished in the main arena. The Italian Technical Delegate,
Giuseppe della Chiesa, who officiated for the first time at
Badminton in 2008 has already made a preliminary inspection of the
embryonic course, under construction, as ever, by the Willis
Brothers (and Sons).
This year’s Official Charity is the Army Benevolent Fund, a very
timely recipient of donations from the crowd at the event. They
will have a jump named in their honour and a team of volunteer
collectors during the Trials.
In some respects Badminton becomes even more important in a post
Olympic year, as the non European riders have no international
championship to aim at in the autumn and so are sure to see it as
their no. 1 target for the season.
** ENDS **
Press Accreditation Closes 17th April 2009
Further information:
Julian Seaman, Press Officer
41 Gastein Road, London, W6 8LT
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 385 0591
Fax: + 44 (0) 207 386 9820
j.seaman2@sky.com
Also:
Mitsubishi Motors Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1285 647200
Email: pressoffice@mitsubishi-cars.co.uk