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The Badminton Horse Trials is a three-day event, one of only six annual four star, CCI****, events as classified by the FEI.
"Badminton" takes place in May each year in the park of Badminton House the seat of the Dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England. The event started in 1949. The current course designer and director is Hugh Thomas, who took over from one of the sport's most famous faces Frank Weldon, (himself a previous winner) in 1989. Frank is arguably the man who developed the event into the pinnacle of Three Day Eventing today. However, Hugh Thomas has recently come under fire following 2007's events, where poor organisation, outdated facilities and dreadfully hard ground resulted in 22 withdrawals, including World Champion Zara Phillips. Many have now stated that they want Hugh Thomas to resign, and that the event can no longer rely on its status as the World's Most Important Horse Trials, while others around it improve. Speculation is that Sue Benson, herself a runner up who is designing the London 2012 Olympic Course, may also design at Badminton soon.
The cross country day at Badminton attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million, which are the largest for any paid-entry sport event in the United Kingdom.
Together with the four-star rated Rolex Kentucky Three Day and the Burghley Horse Trials, Badminton forms the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The remaining CCI**** rated events are the Luhmühlen Horse Trials, the Adelaide Horse Trials and the Stars of Pau.
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Badminton was first held in 1949 by the 10th Duke of Beaufort in order to let British riders train for future international events, and was advertised as "the most important horse event in Britain. It was the second three day event held in Britain, with the first being its inspiration - the 1948 Olympics. The first Badminton had 22 horses from Britain and Ireland start, and was won by Golden Willow. Eight of the 22 starters failed to complete the cross-country course. Badminton was the home of the first European Championship in 1953, and was won by Major Laurence Rook on Starlight XV. In 1955, Badminton moved to Windsor Castle for a year, at the invitation of the Queen, in order to hold the second European Championships. Badminton was first televised in 1956. In 1959, it was decided to hold Badminton in two sections, called the Great and Little Badminton, due to the popularity of the event and the number of entries. The horses in the two sections jumped the same fences, but were separated into the two divisions based on their money winnings. This graded approach was abandoned after the 1965 event. Today's Badminton is held in a 6 square kilometer (1500 acre) area Badminton Park, where the car parks, tradestands, arena and cross country courses are located.
Over the years, only one rider from the European continent has won at Badminton: Switzerland's Hans Schwarzenbach on Vae Victis in 1951. Only two people, Australia's Bill Roycroft and Britain's Lorna Sutherland, have ridden three horses in the same competition. This can't be done today because the rules now only allow a maximum of two rides.
Badminton has been forced to cancel on several occasions for various reasons. In 1966, 1975 and 1987 the event was cancelled completely and in 1963 was downgraded to a one-day event due to bad weather. In 2001 it was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease.
Between 1961 and 1991, Badminton was sponsored by Messrs. Whitbread, one of the longest sponsorships for any sport. In 1992, Mitsubishi Motors took over sponsorship, initially for three years.
In 2004 there were approximately 100 entries from eleven countries, and 82 horses started the competition. The Mitsubishi Motors sponsorship has been extended through 2007, and riders winning the event are awarded the Mitsubishi Motors trophy, while riders who have completed the event five times are presented with the Armada Dish.
In 2007 there were two equine casualties during the competition. Andrew Downes' Skwal died of a suspected heart attack after the cross-country phase, and Jean-Lou Bigot's Icare d'Auzay died after impaling himself on a broken fence flag.[1]
The event has been won by the following people and horses:[2]
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In 1988, Ian Stark became the only rider to date to gain first and second places with Sir Wattie, first, and Glenburnie, second. Sheila Willcox (Mrs. J. Waddington) is the only rider to have achieved a hat-trick of wins with High and Mighty in 1957 and 1958, and on Airs and Graces in 1959. She almost set up a remarkable four-timer when, in 1956 on High and Mighty, she was runner up to Colonel Frank Weldon on Kilbarry. She did win a fourth Badminton title winning Little Badminton on Glenamoy in 1964. The smallest horses Our Solo (Australia) in 1960, and Our Nobby, ridden by Jane Bullen (now Mrs. Tim Holderness-Roddam) in 1968. Both were 15 hh. The biggest horses to take the Badminton title have been Durlas Eile, Major E.A. Boylan (Ireland) in 1965, Columbus, Captain Mark Phillips in 1974, Custom Made, David O'Connor (USA) and Word Perfect II, Christ Bartle in 1998. All were 17 hh. The youngest rider to win at Badminton is Richard Walker, aged 18 and 247 days, when he rode Pasha to win in 1969. The youngest horse winning at Badminton was the five year-old Golden Willow, ridden by John Shedden in the very first year of the competition. Nowadays 7 years is the minimum age for all competing horses. The oldest rider to win at Badminton is Andrew Hoy in 2006 aged 47. The oldest horse to win the Championship is Lynn Bevan's Horton Point, 16 years, ridden by Mark Todd (New Zealand) in 1994. Three grey horses have been successful since the start of the event - Columbus, Captain Mark Phillips, in 1974, Beagle Bay, Lucinda Green, in 1984, and Welton Houdini, Ginny Leng, in 1993.
Merry Sovereign, ridden by Clarissa Strachan, is the only horse to have completed the Badminton course six times in successive years, 1976 - 1981. Completed Badminton the most times - Andrew Nicholson (NZL) is the new holder of this record with 23 times. Previously Lorna Clarke held the record with 22 times. Lorna retired after the 1992 event. Riding three horses in the same competition at Badminton has been achieved twice. Bill Roycroft (Australia) rode Eldorado, Stoney Crossing and Avatar in 1965. Roycroft was second on Eldorado and sixth on Stoney Crossing which, the previous month was third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Arkle and Mill House. Five years later in 1970, Lorna Sutherland, now Lorna Clarke, also rode three horses on the same day - Popadom, Gypsy Flame and The Dark Horse. Riders are now restricted to riding no more than two horses in the same competition.