Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s high time to start rolling those team announcements for next month’s Agria FEI Eventing Championships for Seniors. This year’s championship will take place t Blenheim Palace, September 18-21. Great Britain is the latest to announce its definite squad, and the announcement comes on the heels of defending European Champion Ros Canter’s announcement that she would be excusing herself from selection as she expects her second child.
With that being said, we talk often of the depth of the British, and there were plenty of pairs waiting in the wings to fill a spot that we all but knew would be granted to Ros and Lordships Graffalo. Here’s a look at the six-member squad (a team of four and two individuals will be designated at a later date) selected for Europeans. The list is in alphabetical order.
- Laura Collett (35) from Salperton, Gloucestershire, with Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and her own London 52 (bay, gelding, 16yrs, 16.3hh, Landos x Quinar, Breeder: Ocke Riewerts GER, Groom: Tilly Hughes)
- Caroline Harris (35) from Stroud, Gloucestershire, Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle’s D. Day (bay, gelding, 11yrs, 16.1hh, Billy Mexico x Dilum XX, Breeder: Fiona Olivier GBR, Groom: Nellie Smith)
- Yasmin Ingham (28) based in Nantwich, Cheshire and originally from The Isle of Man, with Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund’s Rehy DJ (bay, gelding, 15yrs, 16.2hh, Tinarana’s Inspector x Big Sink Hope, Breeder: Noell Russell IRL, Groom: Alison Bell)
- Piggy March (45) from Maidwell, Northamptonshire, with Jayne McGivern’s Halo (grey, stallion, 12yrs, 16.2hh, Humphrey 61 x Contender, Breeder: Bernard Hobe GER, Groom: Hannah Chowen)
- Tom McEwen (34) from Stroud, Gloucestershire, with James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin (dark brown, gelding, 14yrs, 16.2hh, Diarado x Cantano, Breeder: Volker Göttsche-Götze GER, Groom: Adam Short)
- Bubby Upton (26) from Newmarket, Suffolk, with the Five Time Syndicate and her own Its Cooley Time (grey, gelding, 10yrs, 16.1hh, Quality Time TN x Heartbreaker, Breeder: Ishennisnag Stud IRL, Groom: Kirsty Campbell)
Piggy March and Halo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“This is a really exciting group of horses and riders, which combines experience alongside new talent – both human and equine,” Eventing Performance Manager Richard Waygood said in the announcement press release. “We’re fortunate to have Laura and Tom returning with their accomplished Olympic rides, it’s a new championship ride for Yaz, while Piggy brings forward her next generation championship horse. Both Bubby and Caroline have been in outstanding recent form and are worthy debutants – it’s exciting for our sport to have new faces in the squad. Overall, the line-up is ideal for current and future performance as we look toward next year’s FEI World Championships and LA28, while still being competitive at Blenheim. I’d also like to thank all of our owners for their support and the faith they put in our World Class Programme.”
As Great Britain prepares to defend the team title earned in 2023, this home soil showdown looms large. If you’re interested in attending, you can find information on tickets here. Further team announcements are anticipated this week ahead of the Definite Entries deadline of September 1. You can learn more about this year’s Championships here.
