Work is well under way on the innovations that Giuseppe della Chiesa is bringing to the 2014 Badminton cross country course. The most spectacular change will be the incorporation of a new water complex, using a large pond at the top of the small hill next to the Luckington Lane – not far from the well know jump site, the Vicarage Vee.
Who drew the short straw to head out onto the pond and discover how deep it was?
The pond was discovered when Giuseppe spent two days at Badminton in September, taking a fresh look at the whole area used for the cross country and was then ‘surveyed’ by Alan Willis and his team as Giuseppe watched – to see just how deep it is! Vegetation has now been cleared and work started to make a firm underwater surface and to install pipework to enable the level of water to be controlled. This pond is naturally fed by springs and has never dried out in the memory of the Duke of Beaufort or anyone else on the Estate.
The 2014 course as a whole is now essentially planned. Groundworks have been completed to introduce landscaping features at several of the well known fence locations while the course will visit all the traditional spots in Badminton Park, such as The Quarry, Huntsmans Close, The Lake, the Bank and the Vicarage Ditch. As normal, the direction will be reversed from 2013 and so runs in a clockwise direction with The Quarry close to the end of the track.
Badminton House in the snow makes us think of Christmas
Talking of Badminton … are you stuck for a Christmas present for your eventing mad wife, husband or friend? Well Make Christmas shopping easy and give your family and friends something that they really want! Badminton Gift Vouchers are available from the Badminton Box Office and can be sent out ready in time for Christmas. The voucher can be redeemed when the Box Office opens at the beginning of January and no payment will be taken from your card until the Voucher is returned in January.
Of course if you are buying for one of our Australian readers you might also have to throw in the air fare …
If a ticket to the great event isn’t going to be a possibility why not let your friends relive those Badminton moments by watching the 2013 DVD or go back a little further in history with a new book that tells the Badminton story: Little Book of Badminton.
