The countdown is on—less than two days until Badminton 2025! This year, Team GS is proud to have three incredible riders heading to the iconic Grassroots Championships, including first-time qualifier Becky Andrews.
Read on to find out her journey...
"I’m Becky Andrews, I’m 33 and I’ve just qualified for my first ever Badminton Grassroots! I’m riding my husband’s wonderful horse ‘Galopin B’, also known as Sam.
Sam is a 14yo, 16.3hh Dutch Warmblood. We’ve owned Sam for nearly 3 years, and in that time he’s taken my husband from wobbling around a course of 70cm to training at 90cm confidently!"
The day Sam qualified us for Badminton, finishing 5th at Blindley Heath BE
Back in the Saddle
"I had a huge break from eventing, and in 2023 decided we would do an UA ODE, to which I came 2nd in the 80cm! I was absolutely buzzing but equally terrified! The following year I decided it would be a fun challenge to try and qualify for Badminton. It wasn’t plain sailing and things didn’t go to plan... I was starting to lose a little confidence!
Sam is the most wonderful, generous horse, but you have to ride him and trust him. He likes direction and knowing that you can trust him to get the best out of him. I started to have lessons with a 5* coach in my area and we improved dramatically! I went from not being able to jump a DC to coming 5th in my Badminton Qualifier just missing a place by 0.4!
We got an email early December confirming I had indeed received that elusive golden ticket to Badminton! The fun was about to begin!"
Sam’s Tack & Training Routine
"Sam is ridden in an eggbutt snaffle grackle bridle from Henry James, and I do change his bit to a universal gag for jumping, because he really thinks jumping is just the best thing ever! He’s light and sensitive to ride, but with him being a big boy and myself being 5ft4, I do sometimes need some extra breaks!
We have done lots of show jumping training over the winter with my coach, which has really helped me know what buttons do what. Sam is a very clever horse, with heaps of scope, so it’s just reminding him that I’m not as experienced as him, and he has to help me! Which he always does!"
Sam training at Larkhill with my amazing coach, Jo Rimmer
Feeling Like a Team
"I do feel like we are a proper partnership. We’ve been doing lots of hacking weekly, as well as a weekly jump lesson, weekly treadmill session, and gallops if we aren’t competing. We try to do our canter work every five days, using our stopwatch to monitor how long Sam comes back to resting heart rate, and each time extending our canter sets by the minute."
Double Clears and BE100 Dreams
"We’ve also had two events in March, both of which we jumped double clears, and had competitive dressage scores. Sam also took me round my first ever BE100, which was absolutely amazing. He tries so much harder when the fences are a little bigger! I couldn’t have had a better experience—if I’m honest I’d love to go up the levels on Sam after the feeling he gave me! But it will be his job to get Dan to Badminton after I’ve completed it!"
Sam at his weekly treadmill session, Dorset Equine Water Treadmill
Keeping Sam Fit & Happy
"Sam is iced regularly after his gallop work and jump lessons—we also swear by our ice vibe boots before and after work—and I’ve changed my horse’s routine now that they’re a little busier. They’re out overnight for at least 17 hours. I find this a really important part of Sam’s routine when he’s eventing, and it ensures he’s constantly moving around after a hard day.
Sam is fed twice a day, with ad-lib steamed hay in his stable and out in the field with him. It’s important to us that whilst he’s busy eventing, he’s still getting the correct amount of feed and roughage to be able to maintain his muscle mass and have the energy for all of the extra work that’s required from him. We also make sure Sam is regularly fed his electrolytes, especially when he’s had very sweaty exercise sessions.
He will also receive a recovery mash after eventing days & intense gallop work."
The Big Goal
"My goal is to jump a double clear, anything else is a huge bonus! I’m just absolutely over the moon to even be at Badminton. It’s been a dream since I was a child! And to now be there, qualified, and competing is just amazing. Especially on a horse like Sam, who I know will try his heart out for me. I’m so excited to go and tackle it—we’re both feeling fit, strong and very ready! I have a feeling this is going to be something I want to keep aiming for in the future!"
Sam using our local gallops at Rishenda Ford Racing
Tackling Nerves and Mental Prep
"I manage my competition nerves by visualising myself riding all three disciplines. I walk both the Show Jumping arena and Cross Country course visualising myself riding every single fence. I also make sure I take time to ‘get in the zone’—whether that be listening to my favourite music/podcasts or having a few quiet minutes with Sam. I find it really helps me mentally if I take some time to really make myself feel ready and try and feel as relaxed as possible.
We also have a little whiteboard in the lorry where I write all my times down, and both Dan and I always put positive quotes of the day on the board to look back at. It makes me smile & I always seem to remember them whilst I’m out competing."
Prepping for the Badminton Atmosphere
"I’m trying to prepare Sam for the Badminton atmosphere by trying to recreate as best as possible some situations he may be in, and by doing lots of training to help really try and keep him focused. He can be quite a spooky horse, so I have to try and be very positive with my riding.
We’ve been very lucky and was asked to join my coach at Boomerang XC for an article that British Eventing are doing about preparing for championships. It includes all three disciplines with lots of people, cameras and banners, so I’m hoping this will be really good prep and training for the atmosphere at Badminton. I’ve never ridden with such a big crowd so I’m hoping by the time I’m out the start box and in my zone I won’t notice how busy it will be…!"
Sam jumping me around my first BE100 at Munstead BE
The Road to the Start Box
"Our competing timetable included four runs—2x at 90cm and 2x at 100cm—with lots of training in between, and galloping and the treadmill. It is, however, ‘horses’—so we’ve had to make Plan A, B, C and D! So far, Plan A hasn’t been plain sailing, and because of the hard ground, we’re saving Sam for Badminton. We’ve only actually achieved 1x 90cm run and 1x 100cm.
However, I’m doing the 100cm Combined Training at my local venue, 14 days before Badminton, and being asked to join my coach at Boomerang factors in another Cross Country lesson, so I’m not too worried he won’t have the final two runs. So far, we’re on Plan C, and it’s going okay so far.
A couple of days before Badminton, Sam will go to a local Cross Country centre to have a trot and canter through their water to ensure he’s not too spooky and he’s listening to me! He just sometimes needs reminding that he doesn’t need armbands and there’s no crocodiles in the water!"
Ready for the Ride of a Lifetime
"I’m really looking forward to tackling this Championship course with my partner in crime. It’ll certainly be the biggest event I’ve ever done, and there isn’t another horse I’d rather be riding!
I feel very lucky & honoured to be a GS Equestrian & Country rider at Badminton Grassroots!"
You can follow Becky Andrew's journey at Badminton on Instagram.
Good luck at Badminton to all Team GS riders!
