Badminton on new course (From Stroud News and Journal)

Badminton on new course

For this year's Mitsubishi Badminton horse trials on May 1-4, director and course designer Hugh Thomas has come up with another innovative cross-country course. Last year's move of the start box to the main arena is repeated - and there will be a big screen for the spectators' benefit.

Following tradition, the course is a mirror image of last time, with a lot of new fences. The Countryside Quarry comes early on and has a steep slope between fences 3 and 4, while at Hunts-man's Close there are five new obstacles in the trees, involving quite tight serpentine turns over a hundred yard stretch.

One of last year's influential fences, the Hunt Kennels, may prove easier now the riders have succeeded (or failed) at it once!

The most difficult section of the course is the middle third, where it winds across the Vicarage Ditch, with a revamped combination at the Vicarage Vee and a most unusual fence at the farthest end of the course, called Carisma Puzzle. Here there is a choice of hedges after a yawning ditch, but it is the tricky third element that is special.

Because of last year's change to the obstacle flagging rules, Hugh Thomas has devised a jump that can be approached in either direction. The direct route is a real test of accuracy.

The Shogun Field Hollow as fence 23 is one of seven where the 'frangible pins' first introduced in 2002 are in use. These are designed to collapse the jump if it is hit hard, and reduce the risk of somersaulting. With this safety measure available, Hugh has taken the opportunity to use slightly thinner, old fashioned larch rails instead of massive tree trunks, and this certainly makes the fence more of a test for the riders.

Jumping a car is now familiar at Badminton, but the Mitsubishi Warriors still provide a challenging introduction to the Lake complex.

This comes later in the course than for over 30 years, where it was once the final obstacle. The direct bounce in route is a little more difficult than in recent times, though there is a relatively soft long option for any tiring horses.

Cross country day, as always, is on the Saturday (May 3), with some advance tickets giving forward parking and presentations on the Sunday (May 4), when the Princess Royal will return to present the Mitsubishi Motors Trophy at the event where she rode successfully as a competitor.