H&C is thrilled that the agonising wait is over, and Badminton’s 60th anniversary cross country course has been revealed. The course for 2009, which runs in the opposite direction from last year, has some challenging new fences included.

Hugh Thomas’ course, as in previous years, starts and finishes in the main arena.

After two inviting pipe-opener fences, comes the first real question: the Lancer Village, with three mock cottages on a curving path and undulating ground.

By the Beaufort Staircase - which is not part of the course this year - is a new combination, the Alterian Hillside - a big log pile with a drop onto a downhill slope followed by a very narrow ‘skinny’ fence with a lengthy alternative route for those with less than perfect steering.

The John Whitaker International Corral is in a new site next to Worcester Avenue, consisting of two oxer spreads on a turn, designed to stop riders going flat out to the next: the Puffa Shooting Butt, standing a whopping 4’ 9”, is the highest fence ever seen at Badminton.

The Shogun Hollow is a reworking of a familiar test. The potential problem here is that the first element encourages extravagance, but pin point accuracy will be needed to successfully negotiate the final corner element. As with nearly all the combination obstacles on the course, there is a long winded alternative.

Riders then go down to the Outlander Bank, a jump up, bounce to a log and down a slope, followed by a right turn to the Countryside Turn. The components are a ditch and brush, with the option of a narrow hedge with little room or more room but on an angle.

The next fences are along the feature known as the Vicarage Ditch. Last year’s narrow HSBC Hexagon Hedge worked so well that Hugh has now put in a second one, followed by a relatively lenient Colt Pond. The familiar Haycart is now the first element of the HS1 Farmyard where riders will jump then two corners on a full left handed circle. There is a bit of a gallop before jumping back into the deer park over the HSBC FEI Classics™ Sunken Lane.

Riders then tackelt the Mitsubishi L200s and continue on a left hand curve to jump into the Lake; a significant drop over the Brampton Willow ‘wave’, a fence in the water, a step out with a bounce over a narrow Willow. Again there is an optional long escape route. It is then along the side of the Lake, a splash back in and out over the inviting Wadworth Barrels, and on to the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Huntsmans Close. The quick route involves a log pile, a brush corner and out over a five bar gate – the light and shade contrast often plays a part here. There is a long stretch to the Mitsubishi Quarry where riders jump a big log drop and loop round over two more tightly angled logs, before exiting over a final tree trunk.

The Rolex Turn keeps the riders’ attention right to the end and then it is back into the arena for fence 28, the final test, over the Mitsubishi Garden and the finish line.

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