The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials is one of Britain’s greatest sporting traditions. Kate Green provides a preview
Badminton is not the only ducal seat to host a horse trials, but it can claim to have the oldest, richest and most influential one. With its illustrious roll-call of winners— Richard Meade, Capt Mark Phillips, Sir Mark Todd and William Fox-Pitt among them—a vast, loyal crowd on cross-country day and a £100,000 first prize, Badminton is to eventing
what Wimbledon is to tennis: the most coveted title in the world.
Only three dukes of Beaufort (a title created by Charles ii) span the event’s 69-year history: the 10th duke—‘Master’—founded Badminton Horse trials in 1949 to prepare British riders for future Olympic Games after the flop in 1948; his cousin, the art dealer David Somerset, who died in August last year, and now the 11th duke’s son, formerly Harry, Marquess of Worcester.
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