If you’re tackling either the BE90 or BE100 LeMieux grassroots championships cross-country course at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials, which kicked off today (5 May), or perhaps you are targeting it in future years, we have some great insight on the track from five-star event rider Kitty King and the course designer and builder, James Willis.
Find out what Kitty and James had to say as we take a walk around the track…
NB: 90 competitors jump the orange-numbered fences, while 100 competitors jump the pink-numbered fences.
Fence 1
Kitty: “A lovely inviting log to start to help both horse and rider settle into the course.”
Fence 2
Kitty: “Another very inviting fence to help horse and rider get into a rhythm.”
Fence 3
Kitty: “This inviting table comes off a turn, which will help riders set up their horses.”
Fence 4ab
Kitty: “This is the first real question on the course, but it shouldn’t cause too many problems.”
Fence 5
Kitty: “This is one for the photographers! A let-up fence in front of the house.”
Fence 6abc
Kitty: With the track running the opposite way around to last year, as it switches direction every year, The Lake comes up much earlier than it did in 2025. The only water complex on the course, it always attracts lots of spectators, so there is a lot for competitors to take in.
“This rail is followed by a run into and out of the water, with the final part being a narrow fence after a turn out of the water. Riders will need to keep their horses between their hand and leg and remain positive, while also riding with accuracy.”
Fence 7
Kitty: “A lovely let-up fence, which will be stuffed with more brush. A good jump here will give you a great feeling.”
Fence 8
Kitty: “Another let-up fence.”
Fence 9ab
Kitty: “This is a real accuracy test, with the 100 jumping the two right-handed fences, and the 90 jumping the left-handed fences. There are plenty of routes riders can take though, so all though it’s a technical question, there are options for riders to take.”
Fence 10
Kitty: “A lovely let-up fence before you head down towards the Beaufort Staircase.”
Fence 11
Kitty: “This fence is situated on top of a slight mound, so it should provide riders with a great feel as they jump it.”
Fence 12
Kitty: “This is a ‘mini Vicarage Ditch-type’ fence. They are rider frighteners but with a positive ride, they should provide a great jump.”
Fence 13
Kitty: “This is another fence where horses and riders can take a bit of a breather before they get into the most intense part of the track.”
James: “With the five-star track not running through the Beaufort Staircase area this year, it has provided us with much more room to play with the grassroots tracks, meaning this part of the course is by far the most intense in 2026. It will be a great place for people to stand and watch if they want to see plenty of action and horses and riders will have to remain on their A-game at this stage of the track.”
Fence 14ab
Kitty: “These white rails come off a turn and there is plenty of room in-between for riders to get organised. The 90 jumped the far left-hand gate, while the 100 jumps the right-handed gate.”
Fence 15abc
Kitty: “This log looks like it’s jumping into nowhere upon its approach and is followed by two fairly narrow log brushes, but there is enough time after the A element to get organised, so as long as horses are still listening to their riders, they should get a good jump through here.”
Fence 16abc
Kitty: “This combination always causes some problems, but as it comes in the latter stages of the track when the course runs in this anti-clockwise directions, horses should be warmed up to the task and happily jump through. There is an alternative to part A over the roll top, should riders need it.”
Fence 17
Kitty: “100 competitors jump this imposing trakehner, but there is an alternative route, which is also the direct route for 90 competitors over a nearby log. Although this fence looks big, horses won’t see the ditch until the very last second, so riders just need to keep their eyes up and keep riding positively.”
Fence 18
Kitty: “This is a lovely opportunity for riders to jump this iconic wall, which was part of the five-star track in years gone by.”
Fence 19ab
Kitty: “This is the final combination on-course and it will require horses to remain rideable. The 90 competitors jump up the step to the roll-top, while 100 competitors jump down the log drop to the roll-top on the right-hand side. Riders will need to react quickly to what is happening underneath them.”
Fence 20
Kitty: “The final fence is an inviting one and should provide some great moments for people to catch on camera.”
