In the lead-up to Badminton in 2007 a front page of Horse & Hound pictured a tractor trying to level the ground there a month later I got a call to get involved as a contractor to help.
The organisers had been caught out by a very wet March, followed by a really dry April, which meant the ground was poached and lumpy.
It was one of those perfect storms really, but I think it was good in the end because it gave everybody a wake-up call to say actually we do need to start paying attention to the quality of the ground.
I've been doing surface preparation for various sports grounds from racecourses to football pitches for more than 30 years.
Expectations for good ground have got higher in all sectors, but with Badminton being a signature course, people are much more critical.
Esta historia es de la edición May 02, 2024 de Horse & Hound.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 02, 2024 de Horse & Hound.
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'He's barely out of the county...'
Minutes into a trip abroad, Adam’s superstitions are realised when things go awry on the farm. It’s all hands to the grindstone, proving that there's never a dull moment for Tessa Waugh
The last Edwardian sportsman
Sporting paintings by Raoul Millais, whose life spanned the 20th century, are hanging in hunting homes all over the country. Liam Clancytells us about the artist and his life well travelled
Gangster steals the show
The area trial is won by a combination on their first attempt at this level anda daughter of clone Murka’s Gem shines bright
Charlotte's clean sweep
Olympic hopefuls in action while Natasha Baker makes a winning return and Carl debuts his latest superstar
Woodward is a class act
A complex character rewards his rider’s patience with a third international win, while a 17-year-old makes her mark
Student has the Upper hand
A former showjumper and an osteopath take top spots, while a corner question causes cross-country problems
All change
The leaderboard tips upside down, as the top two plummet and Caroline Powell rises to triumph
A super day
Eric Winter’s track provides a brilliant cross-country day, with Irish first-timer Lucy Latta delivering the outstanding performance
Spooky 'Isaac' holds it together
The defending champion pilots a rising star to lead the first phase
'We all hate doing anything badly'
As part of H€SH’s 140th anniversary this year, we are celebrating Britain’s great horsey families with a series of interviews. In our third instalment, we speak to the multi-garlanded showing dynasty of David Tatlow, his daughter Loraine Homer and her daughter Alice
