‘Numbers will drop more if we don’t act’: top eventer’s suggestion to boost Badminton and Burghley entries

50 Sam Watson riding Ballyneety Rocketman during the cross country phase at during the MARS Badminton Horse Trials at Badminton, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire in the UK between 6 - 10 May 2026A new five-star pathway could help combat declining entries for Mars Badminton and Defender Burghley, its proposer hopes. Badminton’s 61 starters this year was its lowest for more than 20 years, and from 2023 to 2026, it had 274 starters in total, compared with 333 in 2011 to 2015 (excluding 2012 when the event was […]