It seems only yesterday that we were wrapping up Badminton 2024, having enjoyed a wonderful event, which included the attendance of HM The Queen, celebrating the 75th Anniversary, alongside a great competition with a very worthy winner in Caroline Powell. Our weekend of sunny weather was something to be envied by many events as the summer unrolled, it really was as though the weather gods came up trumps especially for the 75th Anniversary!
I was extremely lucky to attend the Paris Olympics and witness the British eventing team (consisting of Tom McEwen, Laura Collett and Ros Canter) winning Gold. How appropriate that, in our 75th year, two members of the team were past Badminton winners in Laura and Ros and well done to the former for also taking the Bronze individual as, as many of you will know, the 10th Duke of Beaufort started Badminton Horse Trials in order to help the British do better at the Olympics!
Now we are on the other side of Burghley and Blenheim and kicking on with the planning of the 2025 event. Having said this, we have not been sitting on our laurels through the summer. Lots of post Badminton 2024 meetings, to discuss what went well, not so well and where definite improvement is needed! The dry weather spells have given Andy Godwin and his team the opportunity to catch up with ground works that did not get done last autumn due to the exceptionally wet time. Eric Winter has the first draft of the cross-country course in hand, while Phil Cole and his team have scarified and overseeded the ground, which will help the grass get away quicker if we have another cold Spring.
This month we will be inviting our established exhibitors to return in 2025. Andrew Tucker is busy contacting contractors and I will start to be in touch with our wonderful band of officials and volunteers.
It goes without saying that we are incredibly grateful to Mars Equestrian for their continued support as our title sponsor.
Here’s to the beginnings of bringing together a spectacular Badminton 2025!!