Badminton Reveal Fresh New Look for Organising Team

Following Hugh Thomas’s retirement from the helm at Badminton Horse Trials, long term Assistant Director Jane Tuckwell will now step up to Event Director. She will be supported by Andrew Tucker, who will take up the new full time position of Commercial Director, while the experienced office and box office team will continue unchanged, as indeed will the Site Management squad.

Hugh Thomas said:

I am really excited to be leaving Badminton in such good hands and I have every confidence in the future. I have agreed to remain available on a consultancy basis as needed at least until after the 2020 Horse Trials”.

Having worked at Badminton for most of her life, Jane has vast experience and knows all the stakeholders in the Horse Trials very well indeed – especially including the hundreds of volunteers without whom it would be impossible to stage the event. Andrew has been assisting Badminton in a consultancy role for nearly 15 years, principally working with commercial supporters, alongside his work for the Hurlingham Polo Association and the charity Sentebale, among other clients. He, of course, has also been part of the Horse Trials from a very young age, with both his parents Mike and Angela riding successfully at the event and then commentating and judging respectively.

The Duke of Beaufort said:

The Duchess and I are very grateful for everything Hugh has done for Badminton in his long tenure and we wish him well in his retirement; we are delighted that Jane will succeed him and we are sure she will be a great success”

The retirement of Hugh Thomas comes after a year of dramatic change for the Gloucestershire based 5* event. 2019 not only marked the 70th year anniversary of the event but it also saw in the retirement of Mitsubishi Motors from title sponsorship following a 28-year reign.