The Badminton three-day event is now an established part of the sporting calendar. Hosted by successive Dukes of Beaufort on their country estate, the event attracts over 200,000 spectators. This book looks back over the last 50 years to tell the whole Badminton story from its faltering beginnings in 1949 to its position as the second largest sporting event in the world, after America's indy car final. The horse trials are seen through the eyes of the people whose skill, effort and enthusiasm have shaped the event. The book offers profiles of personalities, fascinating facts and figures and a glimpse behind the scenes.