Badminton Cross Country Course
Eventing Horse News 2013

From: April Equestrian and Horse News 2013

See also: Badminton Horse Trials • Rolex Kentucky Horse Trials • Burghley Horse Trials

Horse Picture

Badminton Cross Country Course
The prestigious Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials cross country course has been revealed and looks like Hugh Thomas has set horse and riders a challenging course with plenty of both big and bold fences as well as some real accuracy questions which as usual come thick and fast early on in the course.

The course starts in the main arena over the ASX crossover and then heads out into the glorious park to the large Deer Feeder at fence two which is followed by the first big test on the course, the Quarry complex of fences 3, 4 and 5 which is then immediatly followed by the infamous Huntsman's Close fence 6 and 7 reminding horse and riders early on that there at Badminton. Huntsman's Close features a large open parallel fence followed by a three part combination fence of a bounce of brushes to a narrow angled log.

The next fence is the classic Wadworth Barrels which sits in prime position at the edge of the lake which is the next challenge on the course. This years water complex is a large and solidly built fir pole fence that is jumped directly into water followed by two hedges within the water itself testing the accuracy of horse and riders. The ever popular Mitsubishi jump is this year made up of two L200's and flows on nicely from the direct route out of the lake.

The Sunken Road at fence 12 has had a change from previous years and has had the step removed in favour of slopes with three narrow fences carefully positioned to test the skills and agility of horse and rider and is then followed by the Rodney Powell Products Farmyard which again features infamous corners and Mike Weaver's Haycart.

The Mirage Pond also has a completely new look with two hedges to be jumped on an angle directly after the pond which is followed shortly afterwards by the big and bold jumping World Horse Welfare Footbridge. Then its on to the Outlander Bank at 16, which has the same impressive and enormous step up and bounce fence as previously although this time with the addition of an owl hole.

After the Outlander Bank riders come to the imposing HSBC FEI Classics TM Beam and the challenging Shogun Hollow followed by the enormous Grand Slam Shooting Butt followed by the KBIS Table.

The HSBC Market Square at 21 is another super accuracy test and features both gates and corners which is then followed by fence 22 Savills Staircase with its challenging bounce of steps followed by a narrow accuracy question at the top.

Fences 23, 24 and 25 the PHEV Village have again been wonderfully positioned on undulating ground and will again test control and accuracy which is followed by the very large and imposing John Whitaker's Keepers Brush at 26 and is followed by a slight let up fence of the Alzheimers Research Log before the next question of fences 28 and 29, the Rolex Crossing which features two fairly narrow jumps designed to look like Rolex watch boxes which have been positioned on an angle to keep testing horse and riders right up until the last fence which is waiting in the main arena along with hundreds of enthusiastic spectators.

Badminton Horse Trials List Of Jumps

22.04.2013


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