Badminton

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yorks

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I am getting a bit twitchy about Badminton. We are practically under water not too far from the course and I hear that the ground was already muddy even before this weather today.

We may need waders rather than wellies.
 
Sorry to say I think they should cancell as even if it stops raining the ground is sodden. We dont need any accidents and surely safety should come first.
 
The rain isn't forecast to go away all week. I should think it will be cancelled you know... I hope the shopping stays though. I'm happy to wade around the stands in my muckboots and cape :)
 
Really?! I'm intending to go sat and sun, but perhaps I should hold off booking my hotel (even though I doubt there are rooms free).
They won't leave it til last minute to call of will they?
 
We bought our tickets months ago and booked the hotel room too. We would get the Badminton tickets refunded, but be left with the hotel tickets.
 
Ugh that sucks, got 2 days off work for it too :( but must be gutting for everyone who was meant to be doing the grassroots! Wonder if they'll hold it somewhere else later in the year?
 
There is standing water in my fields, we are not on the escarpment but below so the ground is clay and doesn't drain the same. Although it has a good grass cover up there, it's still going to be wet, and there are places on the course that are always wet, evident by the reeds that grow there. Even if it dries up from wed onwards (there doesn't seem to be a let up until then), I can't see the ground drying that quickly unless we get a real drying wind with sunshine all day long. The parking is going to be horrendous by sunday, I'm having second thoughts about going even if it does go ahead. I've had enough of mud for the time being!!

To be honest, I can't remember it ever being so wet and flooded everywhere!
 
I think that this year, of all years, what with the olympics looming, they will do their upmost to run it...

We were going to go, but don't think we will bother. It will be the carparks and tradestand areas that will be worst. Someone was saying that it took hours to tow everyone off the carparks last time it was bad weather.

Blimmin shame though.
 
Its a real shame for those that had qualified (hopefully they will run it there later??) but they said in their statement earlier in the week that they were trying to keep traffic and access to the grass at a minimum in the run up to the event, so it didn't get damaged and meant that it wasn't a factor in the running of the big event... I guess they have now sacrificed the grass roots too due to this. It does seem unlikely that it will run, surely!
 
I wouldn't be suprised if they cancel/postpone the GR, but think they are doing their utmost to preserve the ground for the 4*. Had hoped weather was meant to improve next week but maybe not... I've got a shopping list and bought tickets so going regardless- but might buy wellies BEFORE as opposed to when I get there! :o
 
There is a lady on our yard who has qualified for the Grassroots, she is going to be so disappointed is it doesn't go ahead, but I can see why they would cancel it if it uses parts of the same track, as their priority has to be to the main event. Still think it could well be cancelled though. I can remember one year when it was abandoned after the dressage, although not sure if some did go x-country on the morning, and then it was abandoned.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/?tab=fiveDay&locId=350611
 
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I should think that it is unlikely to be cancelled. I have been to Badminton in truly awful weather, so long as the horses can compete, I would expect it to go ahead. Of course, if they start it then cancel part way through, I'm thinking they won't have to refund tickets... and we have shelled out for camping and SJ tickets, at over £200 that would be a bitter pill to swallow...
 
I live close by Badminton, and I've also heard that Grassroots may be cancelled. I'm sure they'd hold it at another venue because its a championship.

Badminton was just as wet 2 years ago & it ran. They did take some fences out on the XC though. The staff do a great job working on the ground whether its wet or dry. Badminton is certainly on the best ground in this area.

I think the main problem though is public car parks and getting people in and out. Everybody will have an opinion on whether it should go ahead but the organisers are the only ones who have all the facts and they will make the best decision.
 
It was wet 2 years ago, but the ground was not anywhere near as bad as we had a very dry spring, so although it did rain on the day, the ground held up. I think the problem lies with the fact that we have had such a dry winter that the ground underneath is rock solid so won't absorb the rain quickly enough, hence the top foot is saturated. We have had a months worth of rain in a week, and unless it lets up now, which doesn't seem likely with the forecast, that water is not going to get the chance to drain away. The lane to my yard is a river this morning, I have rarely seen it that flooded in the 20 years I have been there.
 
I think the issue is going to be access for emergency vehicles more than anything else. The footing on the course should hold up with the ground works done in the past - it certainly shouldn't be hard underneath as that would be part of the preparation, so it should drain better than unprepared ground.

Issue will be ambulance/vet/horse ambulance access BUT it is at least fairly flat IIRC, so there's no issue going up hills.

Landrovers can do all sorts of things in wet fields - OH vetted at a P2P that was marginal on weather - and had the loan of a disco for the day. Could get everywhere at the P2P (which was a couple of fields on the side of a hill). Would have struggled towing though, but obviously the horse ambulance could get around (tow vehicle would have been a disco if it's the one I think it was).

Conceivably tractors could be used to tow the horse ambulances - they wouldn't be hampered by the tractor's lack of speed - and there are a fair few off road ambulances around (military and/or private - also seen at P2Ps in Devon) and they'd just need to put proper off road tyres on official Mitsubishi 4x4s for the vets. Issue might well be damage to the course if a tractor towing a horse ambulance has to go onto the track.

Blenheim cancelled a few years ago because the emergency vehicles couldn't get around. Having been there, I can see why as there are quite a lot of narrow, steep bits of the course, with very limited vehicular access at the best of times, so it would quickly cut up.

Suspect most of the rain will be heading to north Wales next week, as I have been "convinced" to go camping - which should keep it off Badminton and drop it all on me!
 
Apparently, the run down to the sunken road is practically standing water, so I've just been informed! And that was on thursday, so it'll be worse now.
 
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I've been hoarding pennies to go with a few from the yard on Sunday and wondered if there's a likelihood of partial or full cancellation...
 
Me and a friend was hoping to go to Badminton on Sunday was really looking forward to going. If it is still on then I will be going but obviously I would be disappointed if it got cancelled fingers crossed we will get some nice weather to dry it out.
 
This is sad, there is no way to forcast the English weather is there? The only thing to be sure of is that the days are longer in the summer!

I can understand that they might cancel the Grassroots to save the main event - but hopefully it would only be postponed, and run it later - although that would be hard for competitiors who have to book time off work.

Still, we will have to wait for an offical announcement.
 
Someone has queried the cancellation of the grassroots on Badders facebook page, so I'm waiting to see the response!
I am supposed to be coming down to watch this year :(
 
A couple of times in heavy ground they've taken parts of the course out to allow the running - 2000 ( I think) they took out part of the steps, IIRC .....

Would be a nightmare if they cancel ......
 
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