BADMINTON a celebration

Angela Rippon tells the story of The Bad-minton Horse Trials from their inception by the Duke of Beaufort in 1949 to their position today as the highlight of the event-ing year they have grown into a social phenomenon as 200,000 or more people flock to watch the annual Whitbread championship.

The author reveals how Badminton has helped to make British riders among the best three-day eventers in the world and interviews some of the more famous com-petitors such as Lucinda (Prior Palmer) Green, Captain Mark Phillips, Mark Todd and H.R.H. Princess Anne. She follows the year-long organisation from course build-ing, television coverage and finance to the setting up of the tented village of shops and stalls. Her account recreates the atmosphere of four outstanding and elec-tric days of world-class competition.

The book is full of fascinating details about the course history and personal anecdotes by those who have ridden it over the past 37 years. The spectacular colour and black and white photographs, many specially commissioned, highlight what makes this event the ultimate in championship com-petition for both riders and spectators.

Hardback, dust cover intact, good condition.