Jenny’s blog: ‘Bucking tradition at Badminton’

Jenny Rudall has been to the press preview at The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials – in her new blog post, she fills us in with some insights from the day…

“Working in the equestrian media industry does have its perks, and the press preview day at Badminton is one of them. Who doesn’t want a sneak preview of the course and a free lunch in a 17th century stately home?

Having failed to make it in the past due to work commitments, I was very much looking forward to having a nose round the house that offers a most spectacular back drop to one of my favourite events in the equestrian calendar.

The house does not fail to live up to expectations, it’s simply jaw dropping and it took every part of my being not to sneak off for a nose round the other rooms to admire all the works of art. We had lunch in the room where Badminton (the racket sport that is) was invented. Not everyone can say they’ve done that. Well I thought it was pretty cool anyway!

Once the initial welcome was done, we were ushered out to the huge Mitsubishis so we could drive to go look at the course. And yep we could drive – four to a car and there was no way I was letting anyone else behind the wheel. Now I not only drove the car, but I also sat next to the MD of Mitsubishi at lunch and I still can’t remember the type of the car I drove. Needless to say it was massive, red and very fun. If it had been a horse I could probably have recited its lineage and competition history to you, but four legs always trump four wheels.

So the course is still as epic as ever and this year it runs the same way round as last year. Course designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa said that he prefers the course this way round and wanted to break the tradition of alternating direction. He threw tradition out the window again by putting the Lake at the end of the course rather than in the middle. When asked by one keen reporter if the course looked softer than usual for a four-star track, Giuseppe defended his design by saying it was not as tough as two years ago but was stronger than last year. He also mentioned that it’s the weather that often dictates the course and if the conditions are difficult then only the best will succeed.

Trying to be the hard-hitting journalist that I am, always trying to bring the H&C fans the best insights, I asked Giuseppe what he considers the toughest question on the course. His response – “The question is the course, it’s a package”. So there you go, there is no one fence to look out for the whole course should keep you on the edge of your seat.

For me the middle of the course comes thick and fast from the Mirage Pond at 14 to the Outlander Bank at 22, the questions are tough and there are some huge tests for the horses.

For anyone questioning whether the trek up to the Gatehouse New Pond is worth it, well my answer is most definately yes. Not just for the view of the park and the house but to see the horses tackle a birch drop into water, followed by a spread in a pond (now I’ve not seen a spread in water before) and finished off with a corner I could fit my house in.

It seems to me that the competition this year has been left wide open with the retirement of some the equine greats and William Fox-Pitt’s withdrawal. Will that make it any less of a Badminton? Of course not, it just makes room for more of our four-legged heroes to shine. Will the unstoppable Michael Jung be able to take the crown? Now he would be a sensible bet but how cool would it be to see Andrew Nicholson lift the crown for the first time with Nereo, after the traumatic year he’s had… Now that’s a come back I would like to see.

This year the track maybe in the same direction as last year, but Giuseppe has managed to still produce a very different course. I for one can’t wait to see how it plays out in a few weeks’ time.”

Jenny

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