THERE are big changes afoot at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials this year, with new course designer Eric Winter taking a very hands-on approach to one of the world’s most demanding cross-country courses.

The event itself is taking on new technology to enable spectators to make the most of the big day with the launch of a new ‘CrossCountry App’ and increased WiFi capability.

The horse trials, held in the grounds of the Duke of Beaufort’s ancestral home, has always been regarded as a challenge.

But this year, Eric - who hails from Chepstow - has taken inspiration from the enormous tracks of the 70s and 80s, eschewing superfluous decoration for massive naturalistic obstacles to test the skills and bravery of both horse and rider.

This has been made possible through the massive advances which have been made in safety technology in recent years.

Says Eric: “When I watched the old videos of Badminton there were lots of fences where you could go left or right, and although one route may have been two or three seconds longer it didn’t make a substantial difference to the result at the end of the day.

“It was about the relationship between the horse and the rider and knowing what it did best. To me, this is what’s at the absolute heart of eventing.

“A lot of event riders start their horses off as babies and they really get to know them; they know how to get the best out of them. There’s a lot on this course that helps them do that.”

One of the big crowd pleasers is always the lake complex, which has the magnificent Badminton House as a backdrop.

By making the Lake one of the earlier obstacles in the course, this has enabled Eric to make the complex more challenging than in recent years.

“The horse really does have to make a shape over the fence to jump it properly,” he added. “They perhaps can’t run to it quite as much."

And the flowing course also allows for a few blasts from the past, with the reintroduction of both the KBIS bridge, and the Rolex Grand Slam Trakehner over the ditch.

Another of the interesting new fences for 2017 is the PHEV Corral, which is sure to cause maximum interest and is, event director Hugh Thomas puts it: “A rather old fashioned rails in a more modern configuration.”

Eric says: “It looks difficult, but it’s just a really old fashioned, hunting sort of fence.

“We don’t meet this very often nowadays, but it’s just your way of picking your way through it."

Speaking ahead of the course launch, Hugh added: “We have got very, very good entries. The competitors who wanted to come are absolutely top class and obviously looking forward to the challenge.

“I must mention that they are headed up by last year’s winner, double Olympic Champion Michael Jung, who is also entered for Kentucky. I wouldn’t take many bets against him leaving here with another Rolex Grand Slam. He is the outstanding rider of this - and indeed any - generation.”

Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials will take place from Wednesday, May 3, starting with the Mitsubishi Motors Cup, and continues with Dressage on Thursday and Friday, Cross-country on Saturday and concludes with the show jumping element on Sunday, May 7.

For more information and tickets, visit badminton-horse.co.uk.