Badminton Horse Trials 2025: Dates, Results, How to Watch

The Gloucestershire countryside transforms every May as the world’s top eventing riders descend on the Badminton estate. This year delivered the full drama — Olympic medallists, a record prize fund, and a cross-country day that had spectators on their feet. Whether you caught the livestream or missed it entirely, here’s everything that mattered from the 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials.

Event Dates: 6–10 May 2025 · Winner: Rosalind Canter on LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO (25.3) · Prize Money: £125,000 · Streaming: ClipMyHorse.TV · Next Edition: 6–10 May 2026

What date is the Badminton Horse Trials 2025?

The 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials ran from Wednesday 6th May to Sunday 10th May 2025, with gates opening daily at 8:00 am for tradestands. This made it the first British five-star event of the season, attracting Olympic medallists, World and European Champions, and 15 of the world’s top 20 ranked riders.

The event follows a tried-and-tested format across four days of competition. The First Horse Inspection kicked things off on Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 pm, where veterinary officials assess each horse’s fitness before the action begins.

Event schedule

• Wednesday 6th May: First Horse Inspection — 4:30 pm
• Thursday 7th May: Dressage Day 1 — 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Friday 8th May: Dressage Day 2 — 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Saturday 9th May: Cross Country — 11:30 am to 5:00 pm (Shetland Pony Grand National at 10:30 am)
• Sunday 10th May: Final Horse Inspection & Show Jumping — 8:30 am start

The Cross Country phase on Saturday delivered the traditional centerpiece moment, with riders navigating the legendary Badminton fences that have challenged the sport’s finest for decades.

How can I watch the Badminton Horse Trials in 2025?

For viewers wanting live coverage, Badminton TV powered by ClipMyHorse.TV was the go-to platform. It streamed all phases of the competition worldwide without geo-restrictions, making it the only way to watch every dressage test, cross country round, and show jumping round as it happened.

Live streaming options

The official Badminton TV Season Pass cost £21.99 and went on sale on 15 April 2025, giving buyers a head start before the event. If you already held a ClipMyHorse.TV premium membership, Badminton TV access was included at no extra charge.

For those preferring highlights over live action, BBC2 aired a post-event package on Sunday 11 May at 1:45 pm in the UK — a condensed wrap-up rather than full live coverage.

TV broadcast details

Badminton TV is the only platform to watch all action live worldwide, according to Horse & Hound equestrian publication (established equestrian publication). The service covered every phase from the comfort of your home or on the move via the ClipMyHorse app.

Who won the Badminton Horse Trials in 2025?

Rosalind Canter and her 10-year-old gelding LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO claimed the 2025 Mars Badminton title with a final score of 25.3. The result vindicated a careful, consistent run across all three phases — dressage, cross country, and show jumping — where the margin for error at five-star level is razor thin.

Final results

The winning score of 25.3 reflects how the event rewards precision across all three phases. With £125,000 on offer — the world’s richest prize fund in eventing — the financial stakes match the sporting ones.

Past winners history

Comparing to previous years, Caroline Powell won the 2024 edition on Greenacres Special Cavalier. Rosalind Canter’s 2025 victory adds her name to a roster that reads like a who’s-who of British eventing, with the win coming on a horse she has brought up through the grades.

Who is in the lead at the Badminton Horse Trials today?

The 2025 event has concluded, with Rosalind Canter and LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO taking the top spot. Oliver Townend on COOLEY ROSALENT finished second with a dressage score of 26.3, receiving a +1.0 time penalty that affected his final standing. Tom McEwen on JL Dublin reportedly led after the first dressage day before the final results reshuffled the order.

Current standings

Beyond the podium, the final standings showed depth across the field. Harry Meade’s double finish — fourth on CAVALIER CRYSTAL and sixth on SUPERSTITION — demonstrated his versatility across multiple horses. Lower finishers included Tayla Mason on CENTENNIAL (19th, 53.8), Jérôme Robiné on BLACK ICE (20th, 54.0), and Sammi Birch on FINDUSS PFB (24th, 62.0).

Top riders

The entry list lived up to expectations: Olympic medallists, World and European Champions, and 15 of the world’s top 20 ranked riders all took part, per the Badminton Horse Trials Official Site entry announcement. This concentration of talent is typical of a five-star event, where points and prestige converge.

Will Badminton Horse Trials be shown on TV?

For 2025, full live television coverage wasn’t available — the BBC opted for highlights rather than a broadcast feed. Badminton TV via ClipMyHorse.TV filled the gap as the sole provider of live, uninterrupted coverage across all phases and all days.

BBC coverage

The BBC2 highlights slot on Sunday 11 May at 1:45 pm gave UK viewers a curated summary rather than a live window. This is a familiar pattern for equestrian events, where live rights often prove too costly for mainstream broadcasters to justify against their audience share.

Free viewing options

Free live access wasn’t available in 2025. The Badminton TV Season Pass at £21.99 was the entry point for uninterrupted coverage. Some ClipMyHorse.TV premium members may have had access bundled into their subscriptions, but no fully free livestream existed. For anyone wanting real-time access rather than delayed highlights, the Season Pass remained the practical route.