The excitement was palpable at Badminton Horse Trials as riders, owners, spectators and officials returned to the historic venue for the first time since 2019.
Founded in 1949, Badminton is the world’s oldest horse trials, representing the pinnacle of the sport with a total of 83 horses from 12 nations this year, presented by Mars Equestrian.
The Cotswold Life Trophy for a local rider was won by David Doel, who lives just 20 minutes down the road, and had a dream debut, finishing in sixth place on Galileo Nieuwmoed with a double clear, and Kitty King, a member of last year’s winning European championships team, was seventh on Vendredi Biats.
After a gap of three years, support for the event was huge. One hundred and eighty thousand visitors attended over the four days, and the many trade stands did a roaring trade, delighted to be back.
'It was everything I could have wished for,' said Event Director Jane Tuckwell. 'Bring on 2023.'