This year's Badminton Horse Trials are still slated to go ahead despite the growing coronavirus pandemic.

The prestigious event is set to take place from May 6-10.

However, the wider sporting world has virtually shut down with Premier League and EFL football on hold until at least April 3.

Following new government advice released on Monday more sporting bodies followed suit.

Among them were British Eventing, who cancelled all of their forthcoming events with immediate effect.

Badminton Horse Trials, however, remain standing.

A statement said: “Following the Government’s update on Monday, 16th March, the preparations for the 2020 Badminton Horse Trials are at present continuing, however we are monitoring the situation closely.

“Any updates will be posted here as they arise.”

Any cancellation of the event would be a huge blow to the local economy.

The trials brought in more than 180,000 visitors last year and with them tens of millions of pounds in the surrounding region.

Only twice since the turn of the millennium has the event been cancelled, most recently in 2012 due to wet weather.

That cost the rural economy as a whole an estimated £30million.