Badminton Horse Trials 2022: can I still get tickets, live stream details, prize fund & show jumping explained

Badminton Horse Trials - the event which has the highest prize fund in eventing - has arrived to the South West.

The second day of the four-day event has already come and passed, but there is so much left in store from the event.

Kitty King, Tom McEwen and Mollie Summerland are three examples of the most impressive riders so far.

But with two more days left - the huge cross country and show jumping contests - here is everything you need to know.

What are the Badminton Horse Trials?

Badminton Horse Trials is one of seven five-star events worldwide.

Five-star events are the highest level of eventing competition, attracting the elite horses and riders to compete against each other in dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

The same number of horse and rider combinations will take part in each of the three stages.

Each one will have their penalty scores added up, with the horse and rider that had the lowest amount of penalties at the end being crowned the winner.

When and where is it?

Badminton Horse Trials makes its long-awaited return after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The eventing competition is held from Wednesday, 4 May to Sunday, 8 May in 2022.

It is held at the grounds of Badminton House in Gloucestershire, located approximately 15 miles from Bristol in the South West.

Can I still get tickets to the Badminton Horse Trials 2022?

Despite this year’s Badminton Horse Trials gaining mass amounts of popularity, there are still tickets available to be purchased, but only for one of the remaining two days of the event.

Anyone hoping to attend the cross country event on Saturday, 7 May will be left bitterly disappointed as tickets have completely sold out.

However, tickets remain for Sunday’s show jumping and presentation of prizes (8 May).

Tickets can only be purchased directly from Badminton Horse Trials, costing those interested £22 per person for general admission, as well as £17 for car parking.

For more information and to reserve your place for the grand finale of this year’s Badminton Horse Trials, visit the official ticketing page.

*Please note that tickets must be purchased in advance of attending the event.

How can I watch the Badminton Horse Trials on TV or via a livestream?

If for whatever reason you are unable to attend this year’s event, options are very limited when it comes to watching from the comfort of your own home.

The only way to watch the Badminton Horse Trials live or on-demand is through Badminton TV.

Badminton TV is a subscription-based internet service that you must pay for.

The 2022 pass will set you back £19.99 and is for 2022 streams only and it will last one whole year.

Highlights will be available on BBC 2 on the Monday following the event.

For more information and to purchase a Badminton TV subscription, visit the official website.

What will happen at the show jumping event on the final day of the Badminton Horse Trials 2022?

The Badminton Horse Trials’ show jumping event usually brings the curtain down on the competition, taking place on the last day which is Sunday, 8 May.

Last of the three main stages, show jumping tasks each horse and rider to tackle a course of 11 to 12 showjumps.

The course normally involves the following:

• A double - which is two fences close together
• A treble - which is three fences close together

The aim is to jump over all the fences without incurring any penalties, such as knocking a fence down, within the time limit.

As Badminton is one of the five-star eventing competitions, these jumps are highly tasking, with the show jumps having a spread of either 1.45 metres or 1.65 metres.

The riders will tackle the show jumping element of the competition in a reverse order, so the horse and rider that sit at the top of the standings will run the course last.

A horse will receive four penalties for each fence it knocks down or refuses to jump over, as well as 0.4 of a penalty for each commenced second over the time limit.

As this is the last competition of the Badminton Horse Trials, the horse and rider with the lowest amount of penalties following the show jumping section will be crowned the winner.

The presentation of prizes will then follow.

What is the prize fund of the Badminton Horse Trials 2022?

Hereford Equestrian confirmed that the total prize fund for the 2022 event will total to £360,750 - the highest in eventing.

The winner will take home £100,000 home with them, with the remaining money being spread out amongst other placed horses and riders.

In an offical statement, Event Director Jane Tuckwell said: “We are delighted to be able to maintain the level of prize money, which as well as rewarding the winning owner, recognises those owners whose horses finish at least in the top 20.”