Badminton to be held at The House
The Badminton Horse Trials 2021 event will be running behind closed doors due to the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus. However an exciting change is that the main arena for the event will be moved to the front of Badminton House.
Event Director Jane Tuckwell commented saying “I am very grateful to the Duke of Beaufort for giving over his golf driving range to the event for this very special one off occasion”. The cross country course designed by Eric Winter’s will start and finish in the centre of the park. The plan is that the course will follow a similar route to previous years.
The Duke of Beaufort is delighted and commented, “It is very exciting after last year’s cancellation that the horse trials will be going ahead next May”. The dressage and showjumping phases were originally held in front of the house for the first 10 years of the competition, before moving to its current location in 1960.
Pippa Funnell MBE (GBR) and triple winner of Badminton in 2002, 2003 and 2005 said “Badminton has a really special place in my heart and moving the main arena to the front of the house will make the event even more extraordinary if that is possible. I am thrilled the event is able to go in these most difficult of times and I cannot wait to get there in May”.
Although the 2021 5* competition will run behind closed doors, all live competition action will be available for viewers to watch on social media channels and TV/Live streaming.