Badminton Horse Trials

The Badminton Horse Trials is a five-day event, one of only seven annual Concours Complet International (CCI) Five Star events as classified by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI). It takes place in May each year in the park of Badminton House, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort in South Gloucestershire, England.

History
Badminton was first held in 1949 by the 10th Duke of Beaufort in order to let British riders train for 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 Summer 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, 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, Badminton was held 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. In 1989, the current director and course-designer Hugh Thomas, who rode in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, took over from Francis Weldon, a former winner, who is credited with bringing the event to the pinnacle it is at today.

Badminton is held in the 6 km2 grounds of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire (UK), where the car parks, tradestands, arena and cross-country courses are located.

Badminton has been cancelled on several occasions. In 1966, 1975, 1987, 2001, 2012, 2020 and 2021 the event was cancelled completely, and in 1963 it was downgraded to a one-day event due to bad weather. In 2001 it was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease, in 2012 due to waterlogged ground, and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, Badminton celebrated it 75th anniversary with many of the worlds best competitors competing for a record prize money of £117,600. The event was won by New Zealand's Caroline Powell riding Greenacres Special Cavalier which is an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Chris Mann.

Status
Together with the five-star rated Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Burghley Horse Trials, Badminton forms the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. Only two people have ever won the Grand Slam; Pippa Funnell in 2003 and Michael Jung in 2015/16. Australian Andrew Hoy nearly took the title in 2007 but lost it when he had a pole down at Burghley. The remaining CCI***** rated events are the Luhmühlen Horse Trials, the Australian International Three Day Event, the Stars of Pau and the Maryland Five Star at Fairhill.

The cross-country day at Badminton attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million and is the second largest in the world for money made (after the Indianapolis 500).

Warnings and sanctions
Yellow Warning Cards are sanctions issued by the FEI to riders for abusive behavior, unsafe riding, or potentially dangerous practices such as excessively whipping a horse or pushing on with an exhausted horse. If a rider receives a second Yellow Warning Card within a year, they are suspended from competing in FEI sanctioned competitions for two months. More Yellow Warning Cards are issued in the sport of eventing than for other FEI sports.

Yellow Warning Cards issued at Badminton Horse Trials include:
 * 2011: Jrina Giesswein (SUI) for dangerous riding - continuing after three clear refusals, a fall, or any form of elimination
 * 2011: Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch (CAN) for dangerous riding - not following the instructions of the officials
 * 2013: Manuel Grave (POR) for dangerous riding - pressing a tired horse
 * 2016: Alice Dunsdon (GBR) for dangerous riding - continuing after three clear refusals, a fall, or any form of elimination
 * 2017: Elisa Wallace (USA) for abuse of horse - riding an exhausted horse
 * 2022: Mollie Summerland (GBR) for abuse of horse - excessive use of whip, bit and/or spurs
 * 2022: Maxime Livio (FRA) for dangerous riding - pressing a tired horse; and one for incorrect behaviour the prior month
 * 2023: Oliver Townend (GBR) for dangerous riding - series of dangerous jumps. After clipping a fence, rider was asked to pull up by the ground jury and was eliminated.
 * 2024: Florian Ganneval (FRA) for dangerous riding - series of dangerous jumps

Dangers
Eventing is considered one of the most dangerous of equestrian sports. In its history, there have been periods when there were many rider deaths. The FEI and advocates of the sport have been working to reduce the dangers including the use of protective equipment and redesigning jumps and courses to reduce falls and injuries to horses and riders.

An example of dangerous course conditions at Badminton happened in 2007 when after a long period without rain, the ground was considered to be too hard, resulting in 22 withdrawals. Another example was in 2011 when only seven out of 76 starters crossed the finish line without penalties on the cross country phase, and 11 riders fell.

Below are some of the serious injuries and fatalities that have happened at Badminton.

Rider injuries

 * 2003: Anna Hassö (SWE) broke her pelvis and was airlifted to hospital after her horse Son of a Bitch fell on top of her into the water.


 * 2008: Rider Dee Kennedy (GBR) was hospitalized for several days after falling from Big El during the cross-country portion of the event.


 * 2011: Ingrid Klimke (GER) was hospitalized when she fell off of Butts Abraxxas at fence 24.


 * 2011: Elizabeth Power (IRL) was hospitalized after she fell from her horse Kilpatrick River at fence 16, the Sunken Road, and was knocked unconscious. Power was airlifted to Bristol's Frenchay Hospital.


 * 2017: Rider Emily Gilruth (UK) suffered a traumatic brain injury during a fall from her horse Topwood Beau during cross country.


 * 2022: Rider Nicola Wilson (UK) suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury when she fell from JL Dublin during the cross country phase of the event. Initially paralyzed from the neck down, she spent four and a half months in hospital before returning home.

Horse casualties

 * 1976: Wideawake ridden by Lucinda Green died of a heart attack on his victory lap.


 * 1992: Face The Music ridden by Mark Todd (NZL) broke his leg in a fall and was subsequently put down.


 * 1992: Briarlands Pippin ridden by William Fox-Pitt (GB) broke his back after a fall and had to be euthanized.


 * 1992: Mr. Maxwell ridden by Karen Lende (USA) was badly injured at obstacle 12 and had to be put down. Mr. Maxwell had been crowned "Horse Of The Year" in 1991 by USEA (United States Eventing Association).


 * 1998: Last Of The Incas ridden by Erica Watson (GB) collapsed at the second-to-last obstacle and died of a suspected heart attack or massive internal bleeding. Last Of The Incas had won the "Best Mare"-prize at Badminton the year before.


 * 2007: Skwal ridden by Andrew Downes died of a suspected heart attack in the finishing ring


 * 2007: Icare d'Auzay ridden by Jean-Lou Bigot died after a fence flag marker pole pierced an artery.


 * 2010: Desert Island ridden by Louisa Lockwood, euthanised after breaking a fetlock.


 * 2011: Mandiba ridden by Karen O'Connor (USA) broke six ribs when he fell off the Outlander Bank during the cross country phase of the event, and went through a rehabilitation period for many months.


 * 2017: Shanghai Joe ridden by Shane Rose (AUS) was euthanized after fracturing his shoulder. The horse fell at fence 19 during the cross country portion of the event, got up and galloped back to the stabling area, where he slipped and fell once more.


 * 2018: Redpath Ransom ridden by Alexander Bragg was euthanized after suffering a major injury to a suspensory ligament during cross country, unrelated to a jump.


 * 2023: WSF Carthago ridden by Fiona Kashel was euthanized after sustaining an injury incurred while falling on the cross country course.

Falls

 * 1982: HRH Princess Anne (GBR) and her horse Stevie B fell into the water at The Lake fence.


 * 2008: Two horses fell during the cross-country portion of the event: Moonfleet ridden by Andrew Hoy (AUS) and Muschamp Impala ridden by Ruth Edge (GBR).


 * 2011: Louise Skelton (GBR) and her horse Partly Pickled fell at fence 16, the Sunken Road; Oliver Townend (GBR) and his horse Ashdale Cruise Master both fell at fence 27.


 * 2023: Izzy Taylor (GBR) and Graf Cavalier fell at the KBIS brush, Kitty King (GBR) and Vendredi Biats fell at the giant log pile, and Caroline Clarke (GBR) fell off her horse Touch Too Much at fence 11.