PREPARATIONS are underway for the 2016 Badminton Horse Trials which see Mitsubishi Motors celebrate 25 years as the event’s title sponsor.

Celebrating the longevity of their commercial relationship, the partners have unveiled new trophies for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup.

A national championship in the British Eventing calendar, the cup involves two levels of competition, BE90 and BE100, and took over from Badminton’s Grassroots Cup.

A pinnacle event for amateur riders from across Britain, it is run ahead of the Badminton Horse Trials in early May, and following the final event in the qualifying series, British Eventing has confirmed the list of horse and riders who have qualified for the 2016 competition.

Winners of each Mitsubishi Motors Cup classification receive a new Mitsubishi Shogun vehicle for a year and prize money as well as the trophy and a commemorative plaque.

Badminton Horse Trials director Hugh Thomas said the interest in the competition from around the country was ‘extraordinary’.

“To ride here in these finals has become the aim of every amateur rider in the country,” he added.

Details have also emerged about Guiseppe Della Chiesa’s third cross country course for the Badminton Horse Trials.

It will not change direction in 2016, however visitors will see new fences and a change of route down in the Vicarage Fields.

The Willis Bros, James and Tim, have been hard at work preparing Badminton’s courses ahead of their six-week departure to Rio to work on the Olympic course for next summer’s games.

As the Badminton team looks ahead to 2016, their thoughts are with William Fox-Pitt, Andrew Nicholson and their families as they recover from major injuries.

Both riders have given great performances at Badminton over the years and the team hopes to see many more from them both.

World Horse Welfare have been chosen as Charity of the Year for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2016.