What will happen here this year? Photo: Mitsubishi Motors/Kit Houghton
The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials is always special but this year it is extra special. To start with, we have all desperately missed the iconic event as it was cancelled in 2012. Then there is the drama of Andrew Nicholson winning at Rolex Kentucky only one week before Badminton to put him in a fierce battle with long time rival William Fox-Pitt for the Rolex Grand Slam (for anyone who has been hiding under a rock and can’t work out how this came to pass, read this). Added to this, the Olympic, World and European champion Michael Jung has thrown his hat into the ring with his Badminton debut.
The Twitterverse is trembling with excitement and Facebook fans are, well, you know .....
And what is happening at An Eventful Life? Well, we’re definitely in the swing of things and have all sorts coming up in the next few days including ................
Libby hasn't washed since NZ HOY
Let’s start with the one and only Libby Law aka Little Black Ninja (someone asked me the other day, with a concerned frown, if I was allowed to call her that. Political correctness is not my strong point, she’s a Kiwi who wears black lycra and could outmanoeuvre any Ninja warrior so yes, I think I can call her that). Libby will be zipping around and providing photo galleries every day with her inimitable reports to get you ROCKING with the MEGA STARS!!! You need to read the introduction to one of her galleries if you don’t get that
Emily Penney, our roving UK reporter during her exchange stint at Bristol University will be at Badminton every day to provide reports and hunt down the Aussie riders. Having done her apprenticeship with AEL at various events in Australia, Emily can’t wait to cover the comings and goings at Badminton and nearly had kittens when her media pass was delivered
Kate Mckenzie, AEL blogger and also reporting for The Eventer magazine, will be lending a hand and blogging about her experiences at Badminton
Phil Diacono (seen here with eventing daughter Helen) will be our UK eventing foodie blogger during the next few months
Cross country app founder, Jose Diacono and her husband Phil have returned to Badminton as a part of a grand tour. While Jose will be glued to the horses and working on virtual guided course walks at Badminton, Houghton, Tattersalls, Bramham and Luhmuehlen, Phil will report on the food for us at and around horse events…from Hog Roast (as ubiquitous as our sausage sizzle, which is roast pork, crackling, apple sauce in a crusty roll) to Proper British Sausages, fish, chips and mushy peas and strawberries and clotted cream.
Can Murray and the other Ninja repeat their 4* Adelaide form at Badminton?
And then of course there are our fabulous Aussie riders (ah yes, nearly forgot about the riding bit with all the excitement). We’re very lucky to have Murray Lamperd, recently arrived in the UK to contest Badminton on Under the Clocks, providing almost daily updates while Chris Burton (competing now only on Holstein Park Leilani) and Bec will hopefully have their blog to us soon after the big event.
Emily and Kate will be trying to catch up with them as well as Sam Griffiths (riding Paulank Brockagh and Happy Times) and Paul Tapner (riding Kilronan and officially retiring Inonothing at the scene of his 2010 victory)
Chris Burton says that Leilani was ' made for Badminton' - this could be a combination that upset the apple cart
Meanwhile Alison and I will be putting our feet up, having a cup of tea and catching up on our knitting in Australia but you can hear what Lucinda thinks of Michael Jung and Sam in our interview with her here
As Wendy Schaeffer would say, bring it on!
You'll find all of our coverage on our Badminton page in the Events section under HSBC Classics and photos on the Photo Gallery page starting with the First Horse Inspection
