The Badminton course and running order, plus other things the horse world is talking about

Badminton running order

With just a few weeks to go till the start of Badminton Horse Trials, which runs 4-8 May and is presented by Mars Equestrian, the draw for the running order was made yesterday morning (18 April). All the horses on the entries list at the time were in the draw, although this list is likely to change further before the start of the event, with Zara Tindall one of the early withdrawals. Harry Meade will be pathfinder, on Tenareze or Cavalier Crystal, depending on which two of his three horses he chooses to run, and Badminton first-timer Kylie Roddy will be last to go.

Find out when your favourite combination is set to start

The courses are revealed

This is also the week in which the cross-country courses for both the CCI5* showpiece and the grassroots Badminton championships were revealed. Eric Winter’s five-star track runs anticlockwise, as is traditional in a World Championships year, and it’s going to be tough. Mr Winter says: “It’s an attacking course and will suit bold horses with scope and agility, as there are a lot of big fences which befits a five-star competition.”

See taster pictures of some the fences the riders will tackle

Fascinating horseshoe facts

Whether you’re superstitious, religious, a history buff or up for a new game to play on your lawn, there’s a lot more to the horseshoe than simply protecting a horse’s hooves. We’ve amassed 12 fascinating facts about shoes, including the patron saint of farriers, what colour horse will provide the luckiest shoes, and why they’re considered lucky in the first place.

If you’re not superstitious, skip to point 7

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