The box office for the eagerly awaited 2013 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials opened on January 9. The horse trials, the oldest and richest in the world, were cancelled last year due to wet weather-not only a blow to the sport, but to the rural economy. They take place this year on May 3-6 (in 2014, they will revert to the traditional Thursday to Sunday running), with Alhzeimer's Research UK as the official charity. A bumper field is anticipated, including William Fox-Pitt, who is trying to win the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam for three consecutive four-star victories, world number one Andrew Nicholson, Fox-Pitt's only challenger for the lucrative jackpot, and double Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung from Germany, who could easily thwart the pair of them.
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Advance admission prices are the same as last year, with tickets starting at £10.50 and car-parking at £10 -seats for Monday's showjumping finale usually sell out. For tickets, telephone 01454 218375 or visit www.badminton-horse.co.uk.
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Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
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Playing the fool: The rich history of tarot and how it satisfies our desire for transcendenceOnce an elaborate art form that entertained 15th-century Italian nobility, tarot cards have evolved into a tool of divination. A new exhibition shines a light on their history.
