F&I Badminton XC Course walk with Nick Turner
The F&I Badminton XC Course walk with Nick Turner, kindly organised by Ann Bostock, report written by Charlotte Tarrant BHS Stage 5 Performance Coach.
This year the XC at Badminton ran in reverse to last year however it still started in the main arena with the traditional flower box. It’s not a challenging fence but horses and riders must stay focussed. As the horse and riders exited the arena they went left, through the collecting arena and across the road to fence 2, the “Rolex Feeder” which was a decent sheep feeder. This is where the group met Nick where he explained that the ground has been wet and as it dries at Badminton it becomes tacky and holding so riders seeing long strides might find their horses do not jump out. We were then off and were hot footing it across the course!
We went past fence 3, “Horsequest Hump” and walked straight to fence 4ab, “Horsequest Quarry” here we paused for Nick to explain the fences. At fence 3 which is a new jump at Badminton the combinations are given a bit of a wake-up to help them set up for things to come. It was a mound with a lovely tree on the top and a bold forward approach was needed. Fence 4a was over the upright wall which dropped down into the quarry followed by a turn left and up the steep incline over another upright wall for 4b. Nick liked this as it was a confidence building combination. The striding wouldn’t be a problem as horses jump so well off the rising ground.
Off we went again to fence 5 the “Rolex Grand Slam Skinny”. This fence could be ridden with various approaches, but Nick suggested hugging the rails around the tree and jumping the jump (a narrow-curved brush with a ditch in front) on the angle – easy!
Fence 6abc, the “Irish Sport Horse Huntsman Close” here we had a look from both sides to see just how acute the angles were for these tree trunks. To get to Huntsman’s close there was a bit of a run down from the previous fence, here Nick said riders would need to set up to break their speed and jump “A” on the angle to help take time to jump “B” and “C” the real acute angled logs on two strides. There were options here, but Nick said these would take seven hours to do however he could see it causing issues later on.
We very quickly marched off and passed fence 7 on the way to fence 8 to get ahead of the enormous group that were on William Fox-Pitt’s walk. Fence 7 the “Traders Table” was a BIG table, Nick said this was a decent 4* fence and that it has a bit of a kink in it and a downhill approach, so riders need to get horses heads up!
Fence 8, the “Wadworths Water” was a hanging log on the angle over water. Here we were told that as you come up the hill it is smaller than you think but anything that’s a little cautious here you should kick on. It sets the tone for things to come next at the lake and that a left of centre approach was best.
On landing into the lake riders would come out and canter around the edge to the main water complex at the lake, fence 9abc.
9a was a decent log dropping into the lake, Nick said riders will have to ride positively on a ¾ turn in to help keep the hind leg underneath the horse. Recover on landing from “A” get the engine going, five strides and pop the brush in the water for “B” then 3 to 4 strides to an acute angled skinny house for “C” which was up the bank out of the water. Nick emphasized that is the plan, but riders should expect anything, and you always go for “plan a” unless you feel it isn’t right and then you take the options. Always ride the line and power rather than stride and if you can keep them connected you’ll be fine. From landing over element “C” riders curved right and headed towards fence 10, the “Mitsubishi L200’s” these aren’t difficult but need concentration.
Riders then go back along the lake and must set up a left turn and over the “world Horse Welfare Gates” for fence 11. In Eric Winters report he says, “if they can’t jump a 1.20m vertical at any place on the course than they aren’t a 4* horse”.
Horses and riders then head up the incline past Badminton house towards fence 12 “Formulate! White Oxers” here there are two to chose from, Nick said jumping the one that comes up a bit earlier on the right would offer a better jump as horses can read them.We continued our march along the course to fence 13 the “Stick Pile” this jump in itself is lovely however nick said it is in the wettest part of the course so if riders see a long stride they may not make it out of the ground. On landing the ground gently slopes away down towards fences 14-16 inclusive, the “Outlander PHEV Mound”.
Fence 14 were two corners together where you could either jump the left corner or the right corner. Nick said at this fence there are rocks strategically placed and the right gives you a feeling its bigger when in fact the left is bigger! Nick said he has told his rider “Will Furlong” (both Will and his horse were at Badminton for the first time) to take the left-handed corner as this gives a better set up on approach but that the ground does run a little away on the left so riders must keep the shoulders right by applying a bit of left bend.
On landing from 14, the ground slopes away into the dip and then up the bank to the rails on top which is fence 15. Again, here you have the option to jump either the left rails or the right. Nick has said to Will to stick to the left route. After fence 15 on the bank there are four strides to fence 16ab which was another corner made from rails (this looked pretty much like the front and back rails were at a 90’ angle!!). To Nick he thought the right corner lacked clarity to the horse, the left is clearer but that the riders will need to be quick thinking. There was an alternative at 16 too, if a horse left a leg at 15 Nick said to pull out to the ropes, jump some rails at 16a and then turn right to the “B” option, riders will ride a full circle, but it’ll save 20 penalties!
After this the ground runs down to the big quadruple rails at fence 17 the “Devoucoux Quad Bar” this is a huge fence and riders will need to be forward thinking but not too forwards as there is a drop on landing. From this fence the ground continues downhill towards fence 18abc, the “Eclipse Cross Pond”. Here Nick informed us that these are a good example of airy fences that require clean jumpers. Riders had to jump over the slim, upright silver birch rail on the edge of the pond, on a brave and positive coffin canter through the pond up to a whopping oxer of silver birch rails on the top of the bank for 18bc. The front rail of the oxer had a MIMS clip and the back had a frangible pin. Riders must not be tight in the hand as the horse need to make the back rail out.
Fence 19, the “Vicarage Rolltop” or as Nick called it a “ramp up brush” was a nice let up fence and just keep a good canter to the fence.
Fence 20abc, the “Hildon Water Pond” was a combination of fences we all got the feeling Nick wasn’t too keen on! He informed us here it would be very influential. There was a left and right option for all jumps, right for A & B was the direct route. On landing over the direct route for A (a log pile) Nick walked what he called “a lovely two and a half strides” to fence B which was just behind the water’s edge. This fence was a hanging log with water gently cascading down into the pond. Nick then said riders had to wrestle around the alternative part B fence which was exactly the same but further into the water and up the bank and over the acute angled brush. To take the alternative riders would do the left A-B fences and curve right to another brush fence on the far side of the pond. Nick has encouraged Will to jump the alternative route here as its about confidence.
From here the course goes down over fence 21, the “National Star Trakehner” here Nick thought it’s a lovely fence and great for getting that photo. The fence looks big but is more like an intermediate fence that should just get the horses to sharpen up before the next fence, no 22 & 23, the “KBIS Vicarage Vee”.
We were informed that this year the ground has been built up on the approach and the strategically placed posts with rope guide you in. Riders should set up like a triple bar, you’ve got to keep a forwards trajectory!! The alternative route here was to go pretty much halfway between the vicarage vee and the eclipse cross pond, over the narrow bridge, curve right and over a Trakehner and ride half a circle left to jump across the ditch next to the vee.
The course then continues up hill to the “Shogun Hollow” at 24abcd. Through the trees and over the rails for A, down the hollow and over a new, skinny ditch for B and up to a very upright skinny house for C-D. Nick said the ditch is an innocuous width but because its narrow and needs to be jumped on the angle left to right it’ll encourage horses to look down, but they will need to keep looking up the make the house.
After here there’s a little stretch to fence 25, the “Countryside Haywain”, a nice haycart that should jump fine. After jumping this Nick said he would do three gear changes before the next jump to check you get a reaction. Fence 26abc, the “Jules Corners” are what Nick called the last real question on the course as they’re sapping and you’re still two and a half minutes from home. The first element is a decent 4*box brush, curve right to jump B, the huge brush corner and a forwards three strides to the C element, another huge corner with brush.
A good stretch to fence 27, the “BHS Table”. Here we all posed for photos next to the new BHS lorry. Nick thought it’s a great fence and will be a good jump for the horses.
The ground slopes down and then hack up past last years steps and up to fence 28, the “Crooked Bullfinch” this shouldn’t cause a problem. Fence 29abc, the “Savills Escalator” Nick walked these and said they’re not necessarily big but on a tired horse you’ll lack pliability. A is a brush oxer, down turning right to an angled skinny brush at B and a curve right to another skinny brush with a ditch in front on an angle for C.
We continued to hot foot it past fence 30, the “Fischer Brush” this is a vast hedge with a ditch in front. Nick said to keep riding them on. The course then heads up towards the road crossing where there is the innocuous looking tree trunk and you think your home, but the little raised ground can knock your stride. Continue back through the collecting ring and into the main arena to the last, fence 32, the “Shogun Sport Saddle”. Here riders must still ride balanced and help the tired horses. On landing they curve to the finish flags. Nick stressed he severely tells his riders off if they drop the contact and smack the horses necks to celebrate! One of his riders did this and it incurred them .4 time penalties which cost them £5,000!! All riders should pull up gradually and in balance, there is plenty of time to celebrate and bruise the horse’s necks once you’re through the finish flags and the horse is in walk.
At the end Nick explained that he thought Eric Winter had been clever in his designing this year and that the course is the longest 4* in many years, approximately 30 seconds longer and whilst this doesn’t seem much he anticipates seeing more tired horses. He believed from the start riders need to grit their teeth and set out positively and from the big bullfinch riders should be switched on and could nurse the horses home. Nick tells his riders to walk the XC Course at least FIVE times.