Eventing Greats to Lead Course Walks at Badminton Horse Trials

Tickets went on sale for two exclusive course walks around the famous cross-country course at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. The walks were arranged to raise money for Great Britain’s forthcoming World Equestrian Games campaign and the Olympic and Paralympic bids for Rio, with eventing figures sharing their insights, expertise and anecdotes during a leisurely stroll around Giuseppe della Chiesa’s four-star course.

The course walks were scheduled to take place on the dressage days of the horse trials, Thursday 8 and Friday 9 May, hosted by World Class Performance staff and riders. They offered participants the chance to learn about the course and talk with some of the most knowledgeable people in the sport of eventing.

Thursday’s Walk

Thursday’s event was to be jointly led by Zara Phillips, the London 2012 Olympic silver medallist and 2006 World Champion; Richard Waygood, a four-star eventing rider, international coach and World Class Programme Manager for Dressage; and Philip Surl, a four-star eventing rider and Assistant Eventing Performance Manager. The walk was set to begin at 1.30pm on 8 May 2014, with a suggested minimum donation of £30 per person going directly to support Great Britain’s international equestrian teams.

Friday’s Walk

Friday’s event was to be jointly led by Gary Parsonage, an Atlanta 1996 Olympic eventing team member and Chairman of Pony Selectors, and Laura Collett, an eventing pony, junior and young rider medallist and member of the senior 2011 European Eventing Championship team. That walk was scheduled for 10am on 9 May 2014, with a suggested minimum donation of £25 per person.

Places were limited to a maximum of 30 people per walk, and the course-walk ticket price did not include admission to the event, which had to be purchased separately from the Badminton ticket office.

All funds raised were earmarked to support equestrian athletes competing for Great Britain on the world stage, split between Equestrian Team GBR and the British Equestrian Federation Fund.