With Badminton now merely hours away, swot up on your Badminton trivia with H&C's fascinating Badminton facts.
- Badminton, which was started in 1949 by the 10th Duke of Beaufort, is the oldest horse trials in the world
- 13 nations are represented: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and USA
- Three former winners are in the field: Rodney Powell (1991); Mary King (1992 & 2000); William Fox-Pitt (2004)
- Two other four-star winners, Ruth Edge (GBR, Luhmühlen 2007) and Clayton Fredericks (AUS, Kentucky 2007)
- Five medallists from the 2008 Olympics: Clayton Fredericks (AUS), team silver; Daisy Dick, William Fox-Pitt, Sharon Hunt, Mary King (GBR), team bronze
- All of the 2007 European gold medal team: Zara Phillips, Daisy Dick, Mary King, Oliver Townend (GBR), plus 2 of the bronze medal team: Susanna Bordone and Vittoria Panizzon (ITA)
- Bruno Bouvier (FRA) is the oldest rider (56)
- Georgie Spence (GBR) is the youngest rider (20)
- Andrew Nicholson (NZL), who rides the Spanish-bred Armada, holds the record for the most Badminton completions – 26; he first rode at Badminton in 1984
- Mary King, the oldest female rider at 47, first rode at Badminton in 1985
- Lucinda Green (GBR) holds the record for Badminton wins – six, all on different horses
- Sheila Willcox (GBR) is the only rider to have scored a Badminton hat-trick (three successive wins, 1957-59) – she is Badminton’s guest of honour this year
- Badminton’s host is the 11th Duke of Beaufort, who was second on The Queen’s Countryman in 1959
- Badminton offers the richest first prize for a three-day event in the world (GBP £60,000)
- Cross-country day at Badminton is one of the largest day’s sport in the world in terms of attendance
