There will be less prize-money on offer at the first two five-star events of the year, and a shorter run-up to them, but organisers say they are on track to deliver. H&H finds out more about how organisers are doing, a year into the pandemic
PREPARATIONS for Badminton continue apace as top events grapple with uncertainties and financial hits owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
Badminton made the call in October that the 2021 event (5–9 May) would run behind closed doors.
The Gloucestershire CCI5* is the first European top-level international horse trials of the year and organisers are working to ensure both the 2021 fixture and future events are viable, given the unique circumstances.
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"}
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H&H senior news writer
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
