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.
This story is from the May 02, 2018 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the May 02, 2018 edition of Country Life UK.
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