The Badminton Tour Diaries: Saturday Morning With Diarmuid Byrne and Spike the Vet

It's cross-country day at Mars Badminton 2025 — and the tension is sky-high.

With the leaderboard wide open and the going nearly perfect, Diarm and Spike hit record en route to the showground and play a game of Tomorrow's Headlines Today. From potential game-changers to big questions for the favourites, they make their boldest predictions yet.

Will Graffalo rise to the occasion? Can Cooley Rosalent deliver under pressure? And how tight will that 11:40 time really ride? It's one of the most unpredictable Saturdays we've seen at a five-star in years — and the field is stacked with contenders.

Highlights:

• Who leads tonight? Dee and Spike pick their headline acts
• Dressage shake-ups: what we learned and who got shortchanged
• Course insights: the cumulative challenge of an Eric Winter track
• Riders under pressure: where history and headspace collide
• Bold predictions, bad traffic, and a van full of stats

Guests:

• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder
• Peter "Spike" Milligan – Vet and five-star analyst

The Eventing Podcast Badminton Podcast Diaries are brought to you by Eco Voltz, Voltaire Design, 247 Clothing Direct, and YETI — brands that support the sport and the stories that shape it.

• Eco Voltz – Makers of premium electric bikes for countryside life and competition days. Visit them at Stand 44 or explore the range at www.ecovoltz.co.uk.
• Voltaire Design – Handcrafted French saddles trusted by elite riders across the world. Find them at Stand 243 and online at www.voltairedesign.com.
• 247 Clothing Direct – Premium custom clothing designed with style, quality and performance in mind. They're not exhibiting this year, but you can browse the range at https://www.247clothingdirect.co.uk/
• Yeti - https://uk.yeti.com/

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