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RacingBetter News |
| Monday 6th March 2023 | |
Horse Racing Fans can't wait for the Badminton Horse Trials event
Horse Racing lovers know that there are only six yearly Concours Complet International four-star events, including the Badminton Horse Trials. The annual tournament is held in the park of Badminton House, the residence of the Duke of Beaufort in South Gloucestershire, England, in either April or May, and it runs for five days.
The 2023 Badminton Horse Trials will be held from May 4–8, 2023. Dressage will take place on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, rather than the usual Thursday and Friday. The Saturday morning dressage will begin early to prevent conflict with the King and Queen Consort's crowning.
2023 will mark the 74th time the trials have been held. With over 20,000 spectators, it was labelled the most glamorous sporting event of the season by Tatler magazine. You're on the right page if you look forward to this horse racing event and want to learn more about it. We have details about the Badminton Horse Trials events, its prize for the 2023 edition, and what it takes to win.
What are the Badminton Horse Trials?
The 10th Duke of Beaufort organised the first Badminton in 1949 to allow British riders to practice for international competitions. It was Britain's second three-day event, with the 1948 Summer Olympics inspiring. In the first Badminton, 22 horses from Great Britain and Ireland competed, with Golden Willow emerging victorious.
Badminton is part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, the Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Burghley Horse Trials. The event includes horse inspection, dressage, and the actual show jumping. For the 2023 Badminton Horse Trials, the event is scheduled to hold as follows:
- Thursday 4th, May: Horse inspection and the cross-country culmination of the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships.
- Friday 5th May: Dressage
- Saturday 6th May: Dressage
- Sunday 7th May: Cross Country
- Monday 8th May: Show-jumping
Since its inception, the horse race has been cancelled more than five times. Bad weather forced the organisers to halt the event in 1966, 1975, 1987 and 2012, while the foot and mouth disease caused a cancellation in 2001. In 2020 and 2021, the race was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
What is the Purse for 2023
Punters keen on horse racing will be pleased to learn about gambling sites that offer odds for the event. This isn’t surprising, considering it is one of the world's six four-star horse racing events. You can check out the legit alternatives by NonGamstopBetsites for online bookies with the best odds for every race.
The thrill of the event aside, the Badminton Horse Trials for 2023 are more appealing than previous ones because of their larger purse. The 2022 event distribute £360,750 among the top 20 riders, with the winner bagging £100,000. However, the 2023 edition's purse has been increased to £380,300, with the winner walking away with £105,000.
According to the badminton organisers’ announcement, this prize money increase goes to the 20th position. Jane Tuckwell, the badminton director, attributed the increased purse to an appreciation for those who finished in the top 20 of the event.
What it takes to win the 2023 Badminton Horse Trials
One of the most challenging and thrilling horse competitions in the world, the Badminton Horse Trials involve horses and riders completing trials for three days. Every day, a different discipline or phase occurs and each progression gets more complicated.
Before the actual race, dressage tests are carried out. Dressage tests require horses and riders to exhibit obedience, elegance, discipline, and accuracy. They must then complete a series of show jumps that are meant to test their agility.
Before the first phase, each horse is trotted in front of an inspection panel and the ground jury to ensure it is sound and capable of competing. Afterwards, the horses and riders go through three phases, which are:
Phase One (the dressage)
When phase one starts, three judges stationed at different points in the arena judge this test by grading each movement. Failure to perform these movements accurately earns the rider and horse penalties. Afterwards, there's a culmination of the three judges scores which are then expressed as good marks and penalties.
Phase Two (Cross Country)
The "cross country test" is the most challenging aspect of the Badminton Horse Trials. The course features around 45 "jumping efforts," and participants get 0.4 penalty marks for every second that exceeds the ideal time.
Phase Three (Jumping Test)
After the strenuous physical demands of cross-country day, horses and riders must exhibit speed, accuracy, and agility in the jumping test. They do this by completing a course of show jumps up to 1.30 meters high and as broad as 2.30 meters. Even at this stage, they may face penalties if they do not complete the courses in record time or if they crash into delicately balanced obstacles.
International horse races are graded based on how difficult they are to complete. As mentioned, there are different phases, and the higher they are, the more physically demanding and complex the race is.
The Badminton Horse Trials have four stars. Simply put, it is a very challenging race to win, so riders and horses must first qualify by finishing other similar-grade events. As a result, it may take several years for a horse and its rider to be eligible for the event.
Which were the Badminton Horse Trials 2022 winners
Laura Collett fulfilled a lifelong ambition when she rode London 52 to victory at the Badminton Horse Trials presented by Mars Equestrian. By adding a minor 0.4-time penalty for show jumping to her dressage mark, Laura finished with a Badminton record of 21.4.
With the 10-year-old Lordships Gruffalo, Ros Canter proved she had another global champion in the making by finishing in second place. Oliver Townend solidified his status as an excellent rider with third and fifth places in Swallow Springs and Ballaghmor Class, respectively.
There have been winners who made history at the event, including Lucinda Green, who topped the leaderboard six times. Another is Andrew Nicholson, who holds the record for completing the most badminton trials when he was 37.
