The Duke of Beaufort and Hugh Thomas, Director of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, have appointed a new Course Designer for the world famous Event. Giuseppe della Chiesa, Technical Delegate at the Event from 2008 to 2010 and assistant TD in 2011, has also been responsible for designing prestigious international courses, most well known being the Championship track at Pratoni, Italy where he was Show Director for the World Equestrian Games in 1998 and Course Designer for the European Championships in 2007.
Giuseppe was Technical Delegate for the Beijing Olympics 2008 and as a rider was Italian Champion in 1989 and Olympic reserve for Italy at the Barcelona Olympics 1992. He has designed both national and international courses in Italy and also at Windsor in Great Britain, Malmo in Sweden and in South Africa.
Della Chiesa’s course building philosophy is very much in tune with the way that Hugh Thomas worked in his 25 years as course designer in tandem with his role as Director. Giuseppe says: ‘It will be evolution, not revolution.’
Giuseppe has been initially contracted for a period of three years and will be designing the 2014 course. He knows the Park well from his TD days and will be having an early recce with his new perspective this summer.
Hugh Thomas said: ‘I am hugely looking forward to supporting Giuseppe in this new chapter of Badminton. 2013 was one of the most successful Events ever, with a record crowd and another competition that was resolved at the very last fence on the final day. We have never had such a high class field and the event will be difficult to match next year!’
With a new Course Designer, Badminton 2014 will no doubt become a great topic both within the sport and to the spectating public.
On his appointment Giuseppe remarked: ‘While I was surprised that Hugh was standing down as Course Designer, I am honoured to be asked to design at such a prestigious event, and looking forward to working with course builders the Willis Brothers and all the team at Badminton. ‘
The 2014 Event will return to the familiar Thursday to Sunday time frame culminating in the Jumping phase on Sunday 11th May.
