EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

By Saturday night at Mars Badminton Horse Trials, the leaderboard looks different, and so does everyone who's been part of it.
On today's Badminton Diaries, we start the day with Simon Middleton from Zebra Products and the team behind Simon Grieve's Autograph, sharing the emotional story of a homebred who has gone all the way to five-star.
Then Marcus from Fairfax & Favor reflects on 13 years at Badminton, how far the brand has come, and why some stands become part of the fabric of the week.
Out on course, Sarah Bullimore joins us after one of the rounds of the day, a brilliant clear inside the time with the 10-year-old Corimiro.
Then, as the sun starts to drop over the lake, Laura Collett, Sam Watson, Georgia Patrick, and Diarmuid sit down to unpack a cross-country day that delivered everything, history, heartbreak, homebreds, and one combination that still looks untouchable.
Highlights
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo hold the lead after cross-country
Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro deliver one of the rounds of the week
The emotional story behind Simon Grieve's Autograph, from foal to five-star
Marcus from Fairfax & Favor on 13 years at Badminton
Laura Collett and Sam Watson break down the pressure, the partnerships, and the performances that shaped Saturday
The movers, the heartbreaks, and who still has it all to play for on Sunday
Guests
Nicole Brown
Diarmuid Byrne
Simon Middleton, Zebra Products
Marcus from Fairfax & Favor
Sarah Bullimore
Laura Collett
Sam Watson
Georgia Patrick
This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by:
Fairfax Saddles Scientifically designed saddles, bridles, and girths, built to help horses move freely, comfortably, and at their best. Visit Fairfax Saddles
EcoVoltz Built for life on the move, from walking cross-country tracks to covering every corner of the showground. ecovoltz.co.uk/— please use your existing partner link if you have a direct landing page.
Uvex Trusted by top riders worldwide for premium helmets and gloves, combining protection, comfort, and performance. Explore Uvex Equestrian
Zebra Products Supplying world-class equestrian brands, from performance tack to rider essentials, trusted across every discipline. Visit Zebra Products
US Equestrian Open A new era of championship sport across jumping, dressage, and eventing in the United States. Website: usequestrianopen.org
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
👀 Want more insights, picks, and data-driven takes? Follow @equiratings_eventing for your ultimate Badminton companion.

Nicole and Diarm preview the biggest day of the week before being joined by British Performance Manager Dickie Waygood for one of the most insightful conversations of the week. From Ros Canter's record-breaking dressage lead to what separates great cross-country riders from good ones, Dickie breaks down the art of riding Badminton.
This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by:
Fairfax Saddles Scientifically designed saddles, bridles, and girths, built to help horses move freely, comfortably, and at their best. Visit Fairfax Saddles
EcoVoltz Built for life on the move, from walking cross-country tracks to covering every corner of the showground. ecovoltz.co.uk/— please use your existing partner link if you have a direct landing page.
Uvex Trusted by top riders worldwide for premium helmets and gloves, combining protection, comfort, and performance. Explore Uvex Equestrian
Zebra Products Supplying world-class equestrian brands, from performance tack to rider essentials, trusted across every discipline. Visit Zebra Products
US Equestrian Open A new era of championship sport across jumping, dressage, and eventing in the United States. Website: usequestrianopen.org
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
👀 Want more insights, picks, and data-driven takes? Follow @equiratings_eventing for your ultimate Badminton companion.

Before the first horse leaves the start box at Mars Badminton Horse Trials, Nicole Brown sits down with the man behind the questions, Eric Winter.
From the lake to the Vicarage Vee, from camera angles to ground conditions, Eric opens up on what really goes into building a Badminton cross-country track, and why obvious doesn't always mean easy.
He talks inspiration from places like Luhmühlen International Horse Trials, why he wants riders to bring their very best cross-country horses here, and the balance between education, sport, and entertainment at the highest level.
There's also a fascinating look at how the course is wheeled, where seconds are won and lost, and why this year's track might look straightforward... right up until you try to ride it at 570 metres a minute.
Highlights
Eric Winter on designing Badminton since 2017
Why "obvious" and "easy" are not the same thing
The story behind this year's lake complex and Vicarage questions
How terrain, footing, and camera angles all shape the final track
Why Badminton should reward true cross-country horses
Eric on pressure: "Pressure is an honour."
Guests
Nicole Brown
Eric Winter
This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by:
Fairfax Saddles Scientifically designed saddles, bridles, and girths, built to help horses move freely, comfortably, and at their best. Visit Fairfax Saddles
EcoVolts Built for life on the move, from walking cross-country tracks to covering every corner of the showground. ecovoltz.co.uk/— please use your existing partner link if you have a direct landing page.
Uvex Trusted by top riders worldwide for premium helmets and gloves, combining protection, comfort, and performance. Explore Uvex Equestrian
Zebra Products Supplying world-class equestrian brands, from performance tack to rider essentials, trusted across every discipline. Visit Zebra Products
U.S. Equestrian Open A new era of championship sport across jumping, dressage, and eventing in the United States. Website: usequestrianopen.org
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
👀 Want more insights, picks, and data-driven takes? Follow @equiratings_eventing for your ultimate Badminton companion.

In a special live edition of the podfrom the Ramsbury Gin Pavilion, Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Sam Watson to break down what a 23.7 from Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo really means, and whether we could be watching history in the making.
Then two five-star winners join the stage. Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett talk nerves, routines, start box moments, and what really goes through your mind the night before Badminton cross-country. 
Highlights
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo head into Saturday on a record 23.7
Nicole Brown, Diarmuid Byrne, and Sam Watson break down the numbers behind the week so far
Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett on nerves, routines, and what makes a true Badminton horse
Rider reactions to Eric Winter's cross-country track
Live crowd questions, plenty of laughs, and a few predictions before the biggest day of the week
Guests
Nicole Brown
Diarmuid Byrne
Sam Watson
Gemma Stevens
Laura Collett
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
👀 Want more insights, picks, and data-driven takes? Follow @equiratings_eventing for your ultimate Badminton companion.

In a special live edition of the Badminton Diaries from the Ramsbury Gin Pavilion, Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Sam Watson to break down what a 23.7 from Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo really means, and whether we could be watching history in the making.
Then two five-star winners join the stage. Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett talk nerves, routines, start box moments, and what really goes through your mind the night before Badminton cross-country. 
Highlights
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo head into Saturday on a record 23.7
Nicole Brown, Diarmuid Byrne, and Sam Watson break down the numbers behind the week so far
Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett on nerves, routines, and what makes a true Badminton horse
Rider reactions to Eric Winter's cross-country track
Live crowd questions, plenty of laughs, and a few predictions before the biggest day of the week
Guests
Nicole Brown
Diarmuid Byrne
Sam Watson
Gemma Stevens
Laura Collett
This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by:
Fairfax Saddles Scientifically designed saddles, bridles, and girths, built to help horses move freely, comfortably, and at their best. Visit Fairfax Saddles
EcoVolts Built for life on the move, from walking cross-country tracks to covering every corner of the showground. ecovoltz.co.uk/— please use your existing partner link if you have a direct landing page.
Uvex Trusted by top riders worldwide for premium helmets and gloves, combining protection, comfort, and performance. Explore Uvex Equestrian
Zebra Products Supplying world-class equestrian brands, from performance tack to rider essentials, trusted across every discipline. Visit Zebra Products
U.S. Equestrian Open A new era of championship sport across jumping, dressage, and eventing in the United States. Website: usequestrianopen.org
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
👀 Want more insights, picks, and data-driven takes? Follow @equiratings_eventing for your ultimate Badminton companion.