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What’s Happening? Your Guide to Horse Shows, Schooling, Clinics & More on STRIDER [Updated 12/4]

By Eventing Nation on Dec 3, 2023 9:00 am - 10,397 views

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“What’s Happening?,” presented in partnership with Strider, is your guide to horse shows, schooling opportunities, clinics and other riding and educational opportunities.

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A Party in the Pyrenees: Your 2023 Pau CCI5* Form Guide

By Eventing Nation on Oct 25, 2023 5:55 pm - 1,386 views

And so we arrive at the end of all things — or, at least, the end of the 2023 line-up of five-stars. Our final hurrah at Les Etoiles de Pau sees us in the not-quite-so-sunny south of France, where 55 horses and riders from ten nations will tackle this most technical of Pierre Michelet tracks in the shadow of the Pyrenees — and to help ease you into this week’s competition, which begins tomorrow with the first horse inspection, we’ve got all the intel you need on each and every single one of them, thanks to our British trio of writers.

So, without further adieu, let’s get down to business and meet the partnerships who’ll be vying for a great result to cap their year off. Allons-y!

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau links: Website | Entries | Live Scores | Live Stream | EN’s Coverage

AUSTRIA

Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line

Sixteen-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Stalypso x Pia, by Laretto Diavolo). Owned by Marianne Mühlböck. Groomed by Julia Öhner.

Lea Siegl may be young, but she sure is mighty. With an Olympics, World Championships and two CCI5* starts under her belt — and a string of seven horses competing internationally — it would be naive to underestimate her chances here this week. She comes to Pau with DSP Fighting Line, her Tokyo and Pratoni ride, for a second crack at 5* with the gelding. They’re rerouting from Luhmuhlen, where they retired out on cross country; they hadn’t picked up any penalties but Lea knows the horse best — truly, she’s brought him right through the levels — and decided to save him for another day. So here they are at Pau.

We cannot have a form guide about this rider without mentioning Tokyo. She went there as the youngest competitor in the field at just 22, and although that garnered a lot of attention, Lea told Horse and Hound at the time that it didn’t phase her in the least. Despite her young age, she wasn’t there to make up the numbers; she finished 15th individually with ‘Fighty’, adding just 2.4 cross country time and a pole in the show jumping to her dressage of 32.6. What a feeling it must have been to compete at the Olympics with her Junior and Young Rider horse, and to do so in such fine style. They were called up to represent Austria again when the World Championships in Pratoni came around, where they finished 25th.

Although this is Lea’s third official 5* start, she’s still looking for a completion, after retiring at Luhmuhlen this year with Fighty and withdrawing Cupido P at the second horse inspection there last year on her debut at the level. She comes here with Fighty in great form though, with a win in the 4*-S Nations Cup at Montelibretti this season – where they very nearly finished on their PB dressage score of 24.5, adding just 0.4 cross country time – and a third place finish in the 4*-S Nations Cup at Arville in August, again almost finishing on their dressage, but not quite – they added just 0.8 time penalties to their first-phase of 28.9 there. They can clearly put down sub-30 results in the dressage at 4*, but at their only 5* run it was a 39.9 for them. But eventing isn’t a dressage competition and Lea says herself, the horse is very fast and a good jumper. She’s not wrong. There are no cross country penalties on Fighty’s record since 2020, and you have to go back another two seasons to find any others. They’re speedy, too. Any time penalties the do have are generally single figures, and often just a decimal place. They carry their cross country jumping accuracy into the show jumping, almost. It’s probably about a 50/50 between one pole or none, but they’ve been clear in their two international runs this season, so let’s hope for more of the same as they aim to put not only a 5* completion on their record, but a competitive one.

BELGIUM

Julien Despontin and Honeyblue

Ten-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Rosenprinz D x Annie, by Dutch Capitol). Owned and bred by Didier Hergot.

This is a first five-star for sweet Honeyblue, but not for Julian, who last rode at the level in 2016, when he piloted Waldano 36 to nineteenth place at Luhmühlen. He’s also been to Pau before, with the same horse, finishing 14th in 2014, and so he’ll be delighted to return to have another crack at the whole shebang with this exciting young horse.

This is a relatively new partnership: Julien took the reins in early 2021, after the horse had been produced to CCI2*-S by fellow Belgian competitor Julia Schmitz. He’s taken his time to really get the measure of the gelding, and that’s been paying dividends this year; their first-phase scores are dropping from the high-30s to the low-30s, they’re getting more reliable and quicker across the country, though they’ve not yet made the time at four-star, and their showjumping… well, that bit’s still a work in progress, but they’ve had some smart clears.

Pau will be Honeyblue’s first long-format event since 2021, when he finished fifth in his CCI4*-L debut at Strzegom, and so this’ll be largely an educational and fact-finding mission for Julien, who’s here to give his horse experience and exposure as Belgium heads into a very exciting 2024. They’d be outliers for a shot at the team in Paris next year, but if they can deliver the goods this week and record a smart finish, they could rocket themselves into contention.

FRANCE

Luc Chateau and Troubadour Camphoux. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Luc Chateau and Troubadour Camphoux

Sixteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Idem de B’Neville x Gold In Blue, by Veganum). Owned by E.A.R.L. Haras des Chateaux and Laure Sudreau.

France’s Luc Chateau comes forward with Troubadour Camphoux for a second go at their home-soil CCI5*. The gelding was originally produced by Spain’s Alexis Gomez before being brought up the levels by fellow French rider Didier Dhennin, with Luc taking the reins in early 2018. He made his top-level debut at Pau in 2020, and came away with a top-20 finish; the following season he placed fourth at Luhmuhlen, where he finished on his dressage of 39.8.

It’s not likely that we’ll see this combination at the business-end of proceedings after the dressage – at 4* they’re generally mid- to high-30s; at 5* it’s securely at the higher end of the scale. But at Le Pin au Haras in 2021, ‘Troubadour’ showed that he’s got it in him to be closer to the 30-mark, putting down a career best of 32.5 in the 4*-S there. Whilst he may seem average in the dressage ring, he’s far from it out on the cross country. In 25 FEI runs, he’s had cross country jumping penalties on just three occasions, and a missed flag once. He’s pretty speedy too, generally adding just a few time penalties, if any. This is certainly a combination that should be a leaderboard climber on Saturday. And the climb probably won’t stop there as his careful jumping style continues over the colored poles – their clear round rate is truly enviable; in seventeen FEI runs as a combination they have rolled just a single pole. So it’ll be ‘allez’ all the way for this home crowd pair as they race their way – hopefully – to another excellent 5* finish.

Based in Cour-Cheverny, Luc and his wife Caroline run Haras des Chateaux, a riding club and school from which they also run their breeding program. The stallion at the center of the enterprise, Propriano de l’Ebat, who Luc competed until 2018, has done them proud this year with a foal out of Michael Jung’s famous Kentucky-winning mare, fischerRocana.

Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour

Twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding (Diamant de Semilly x Macy Van Leut, by Elanville). Owned by the rider. Bred by Eric Levallois.

There’s a few heroes in this field for the amateur rider, and full-time farrier Florian — say that three times fast — is one of them. This is his fourth five-star start with Blue Bird de Beaufor and his third Pau; they finished just outside the top ten on their debut in 2021, having picked up 11 penalties for activating a safety device, and were eliminated last year after being pulled up on course when the horse began to tire. They completed Luhmühlen this year with a steady clear, and did the same in the CCI4*-S at Lignieres that they used for prep last month.

Florian, who spent part of 2022 in the UK, refers to Blue Bird de Beaufour as a “good student” who aims to please in his work. On the flat, he works to keep the horse engaged and in front of the leg, naming him as a bit on a lazy side in this phase. While this pair has squeaked into the 20s in the past, at the 3* level, they’re more likely to earn a low-to-mid-30s mark at this level to start off their competition. Luhmühlen proved to them that they can deliver the goods on Saturday, so a steady clear will be their aim. Showjumping is something of a bogey phase for them; they’ve never had a clear round in an FEI competition, and Pau’s showjumping is notoriously tough, so if they can repeat the one-rail round they had in 2021, they’ll be delighted.

Camille Lejeune and Dame Decoeur Tardonne. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Camille Lejeune and Dame Decoeur Tardonne

Ten-year-old Selle Français mare (Lando x Soade Tardonne, by Contender). Owned by Sarah Gospodnetic and the rider. Bred by Gilbert Galliot.

We last saw charismatic Frenchman Camille at a five-star in 2019, when he brought his seasoned former top-level horse Tahina des Isles to Badminton, though they retired on course after some issues, despite having previously jumped classy clears there, at Burghley, and at Pau. Now, his post-pandemic return to the top sees him partnered with a much less experienced partner — but one who’s been seriously impressive since we first saw her at Le Lion d’Angers as a seven-year-old, when she finished fifth in the world.

That was in 2020, and in 2021 and early 2022, she got an education at four-star, which saw some blips added to her record — the same thing we saw when she first stepped up to three-star, and so she’s evidently a horse who learns a lot from mistakes, which isn’t a bad thing to have at all. Since establishing herself at four-star, she’s been on a serious streak of great results, first picking up two consecutive top-ten finishes when moving, briefly, back down to three-star to consolidate, then immediately nabbing herself three consecutive top tens at four-star when stepping back up. One of those, a second-place finish in the Nations Cup at Jardy in July, saw her add just 0.4 time to her first-phase score, proving that she’s got all the makings of a very, very good competitor. She had a slightly steadier run — though still a clear one — in last month’s CCI4*-S at Lignieres, and now, she’ll make a step up to the top that could be very exciting indeed — or, it could be another foundational learning experience that helps her come out in 2024 as a seriously smart five-star horse.

Expect, in any case, to see her start the week in the 30s — low-to-mid, rather than high — and end it, quite probably, on a clear, though she did have two uncharacteristic rails at Lignieres. She’s naturally very speedy, and Camille will need to decide whether it’ll do her more favours to run her at her naturally high cruising speed or intentionally slow her down to give her more thinking time, and that decision-making process is, to us, anyway, as interesting as anything else.

Maxime Livio and Carouzo Bois Marotin at Kentucky. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Maxime Livio and Carouzo Bois Marotin

Eleven-year-old Selle Français gelding (Kannan GFE – Orchidee de Mai, by Flipper d’Elle). Bred by Ophelie Mouflet. Owned by S.C. Soixante Seize Et Compagnie, Gilles Saiagh, and Celine Fronteau. Groom: Mathilde Montginoux.

This will be a third CCI5* for the supremely talented and gusty Carouzo Bois Marotin, who stepped up to the level last fall at Pau, finishing seventh after rocketing up the leaderboard nearly 30 places following cross country. They then crossed the pond to Kentucky this spring and finished sixth, this time adding nothing to their dressage score.

Dressage would be the phase the French Olympian is hoping to crack with this excellent two-phase performer, and he remarked at that Pau debut that he knew the gelding was well-capable of a sub-30 score at this level – but so far, he’s been on a 35-point-something at both appearances. On cross country, you wouldn’t want to bet against Maxime on the clock — and having the experience at Pau and Kentucky, where he felt the gelding still pulling on the bridle as he came through the finish, he’ll know he can really test the mettle and go for a competitive finish again. This is another chance to prove the horse’s worth before Paris, and if they can whittle away at that dressage score, they should be well worthy of consideration — so expect to see them working towards a top-five finish this week.

Cedric Lyard and Unum De’Or. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Cedric Lyard and Unum De’or

Fifteen-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding (Yarlands Summer Song – Fee du Logis, by Prince Ig’Or). Owned and bred by Marie-Christine Duroy-de Lauriere and the rider.

Still owned by breeder Marie-Christine Duroy-de Lauriere, Unum de’Or is a veritable member of the Lyard family, having been produced for the majority of his eventing career by the French Olympian.

This Anglo-Arab gelding made the step up to the 5* level in 2021, with Cedric opting for Pau as the horse’s debut. It was a successful first trip – the pair finished ninth overall. While an early 2022 trip to Badminton would eventually end up in retirement on cross country, the pair rebounded nicely to contest Burghley later in the year. Unum de’Or made good on that bet, finishing inside the top 20. He would have finished higher, would it not have been for a couple of unfortunate poles down on the final day of competition.

This summer, they added another new 5* venue to their CV with a start in Germany at Luhmühlen. They began the week with a 35 – basically their average at the level — and then ran clear and quick-ish, adding just 7.2 time penalties on Saturday. Sunday’s showjumping saw them knock two rails, as they had at Burghley, but this time, it was with good reason: as they picked up the canter in the ring, a spectator opened an umbrella (no, it wasn’t raining…) just feet from the horse’s nose as he was cantering towards the rail, and he was so panicked that he spent tens of long seconds rearing and spinning on the spot while Cedric struggled to calm him. He then regrouped to jump around the tough course, but was visibly unsettled and lacking in focus. This week’s course will be no less tough, but hopefully, the crowd at the ringside will be a bit more conscious of horses’ flight reactions.

Gaspard Maksud and Kan-Do 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gaspard Maksud and Kan-Do 2

Nine-year-old British-bred gelding (breeding unrecorded). Owned by the rider.

Just to make everything really confusing this week, there are two horses in this field called ‘Kan-Do’ – though quite helpfully, this one, a five-star debutant piloted by British-based Frenchman Gaspard, has helpfully been dubbed the sequel. This is an exciting, though green, horse, and this week’s trip will be more about garnering valuable experience over a bigger, tougher course — both for the gelding and for Gaspard himself, who was sixth at last year’s World Championships but hasn’t yet contested a five-star.

Kan-Do ran in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim last month, which was his four-long debut, and he picked up 20 penalties on course, so will be looking to consolidate the experience he gained there and finish the season on a positive, educational note. He’s a high-30s horse, not super-fast, yet, and is prone to a couple of rails, but this week isn’t about being competitive — it’s about laying foundations for the future.

Gaspard Maskud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza

Ten-year-old British-Bred mare (Cevin Z x Saracen’s Pride, by Saracen Hill). Owned by Martin Thurlow and Jane Young. Bred by Jane Young.

Debutant Zaragoza, or Zoe, might be tackling her first five-star this week, but she’s nevertheless one of the most exciting horses in this field, having finished best of the French at last year’s World Championships in a final sixth place. That championship debut for both horse and rider came just months after Gaspard’s first appearance on the French team, which came at CHIO Aachen with this excellent mare. They were very competitive in the dressage and looked great for 95% of the cross-country, but an exuberant leap into the water in sight of the finish line saw them end their weekend early. They learned a lot from that and came back strong at Haras du Pin, finishing fourth in a seriously hot field of over 110 entries, before heading to Pratoni and showing everyone what they’re made of. This year, they’ve had three FEI runs: in incredibly tough conditions in Chatsworth’s Nations Cup, they finished fifth; in Aston le Walls CCI4*, they were second, and then, at the European Championships a couple of months ago, they finished eighth individually and team bronze medallists, once again in seriously tough conditions. This week might be a bit damp at Pau, but the sandy going means that no matter what, there’ll be great ground to run on — not that Zoe needs it, evidently. Look for them to start the week in the high-20s — though they did move into the 30s at the Europeans — and impress across the country on their level debut. Showjumping will likely see them tip a pole, but this should be a great debut and another strong effort in the books ahead of a bid for a spot at Paris next year.

Gaspard has been based in the UK for a decade, and first came over to work for Andrew Nicholson before going on to Sam Griffiths’s place. Now, he has his own spot in Surrey, near Pippa Funnell, but eventing wasn’t his first sporting dream — he was initially keen on playing rugby, but “I didn’t really have the size and when the other players started to think I was the ball, it was time for me to change sports!”

Arthur Marx and Church’Ile. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Arthur Marx and Church’ile

Eleven-year-old Selle Français gelding (Grafenstolz – Ile d’Ohe, by Apache d’Adriers). Owned by Philippe Marx. Bred by Phillippe Marx.

It’ll be a third five-star for both Church’ile and 30-year-old Arthur, who’ll have lots of trot up photos taken of him this week for EN’s social media, if you pick up what we’re putting down. They completed their debut at Pau last year in 23rd place despite an educational 20 penalties across the country, and this spring, they headed to Badminton, though had a rider fall in those extraordinarily tough conditions. That 20 here last year was actually their first whoopsy in an international since 2019, but it kicked off a bit of a string of them, with the Badminton fall followed up by a 20 and a missed flag at Aachen. Now, though, they’re back on better form, with a clear inside the time at Arville’s CCIO4*-S in August. They won’t lead the first phase, with their typical mid-to-high 30s dressage, but if the third time can be the charm where the clear is concerned at five-star, they’re generally achingly good at staying on that come cross-country day: in 22 FEI runs, they’ve made the time thirteen times. Allez, allez! Showjumping can be a bit of a bugbear for them, though, and their two rails down at Pau was a good day in the office for them — we’ve seen them take as many as six before, although they’re usually averaging more like three.

Church’ile is actually a Marx family homebred: Philippe, Arthur’s father, rode both his dam and grand-dam. He’s also one of a number of Grafenstolz offspring in this field, which makes him a half brother to the likes of Ros Canter’s Lordships Graffalo, among others. Not a shabby family reunion, this.

GREAT BRITAIN

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem

13 year old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro – Elfi by Escudo I) Owned by Christine and Helen Bates. Groomed by Lydia Swan.

Helen Bates will be living her dream this weekend at Pau when she and Carpe Diem make their 5* debut. “It means the world to even be here, we’ve been dreaming about it for so long,” she said in the days before the event, referring to Carpe Diem – ‘Diego’ – as her “horse of a lifetime.” Helen and Diego are accompanied on their French adventure by Holly Woodhead’s former groom, Lydia Swan, who has taken a holiday from her ‘normal’ non-horsey job to make the trip. Helen has had Diego since he was a 4 year old, though they had a less than rosy start to their relationship. He tried to dump her not once, but twice, when she first sat on him, but she still found something she liked and bought him anyway — a decision that’s paid dividends since.

They soon put their differences aside, as a scroll through their results demonstrates. He has finished in the top 25 in all but 2 of his starts this season, pulling off a double jumping clear every time. Last season, he had just one rail down – hist first since 2017 – and made the step up to CCI4*-L in fine style, finishing in the top 20 at Millstreet off the back of yet another double clear. His step up to CCI3*-L was even more impressive back in 2021 when he finished 2^nd in Lignières with a double clear. So the jumping phases this weekend should be a piece of cake to Diego, though the dressage may be a different story– “he loves the jumping phases, but he finds flying changes tricky,” Lydia admits.

Still, his recent marks have shown an improvement from last season, and are now averaging at the lower end of the 30s. Indeed, he even broke that much coveted barrier into the 20s on his last outing at Oasby — though that was at Intermediate, where there aren’t any changes required — proving that he’s got a lot the right stuff for the first phase. That combined with his usual prowess in the jumping phases should mean that not only will Helen be realising her dream of starting at a 5*, but also finishing it, and in fine style too. We love a fairy-tale ending, so here’s hoping that Helen and Diego get theirs this week!

Alex Bragg and Ardeo Premier. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Alex Bragg and Ardeo Premier

Ten year old Irish Sports Horse gelding (Hold Up Premier – Playgirl by Cruising) Owned by Debbie and Neil Nuttall. Groomed by Sarah Whatley.

Alex has had the ride on Ardeo Premier – or Eddie, as he’s known at home – since he was a fresh faced four-year-old. However, their competition career didn’t get off to the best start – Alex fell off between fence 3 and 4 in his first event as a five-year-old, after a child jumped out of tree next to the track. Still, they soon put this early blip behind them and have a roster of solid results together, right the way through the levels. As Alex says, “he’s an unassuming character, who doesn’t really stand out, but he has always quietly ticked along and kept performing, pulling in some consistent result.” This includes a top 10 placing in his first CCI2*-L, 4^th in the Seven-Year-Old World Championships in Lion d’Angers with a double clear inside the time, and a top 20 placing in the 8/9 year old CCI4*-S at Blenheim.

He stepped up to CCI4*L last year in similar style, pulling off yet another top 20 result at Millstreet with another double clear. Consistent is Eddie’s middle name, it would seem, and he’s fast too, rarely picking up more than a few time faults — and his show jumping record is equally impressive. Rarely does he have more than one down, something which will certainly stand him in good stead on the final day at Pau. This will be the first 5* for Eddie, but given his previous form, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for this impressive young horse. Still only 10, he was named as direct reserve for the Nations Cup team in Jardy last year and came home in 12^thplace.

Owned by long term supporters of Team Bragg, Debbie and Neil Nuttall, he is as fond of a nap as he is of cross country: “He can often be found snoozing after his lunchtime feed, head buried in the banks of his bed, fast asleep,” Alex says. Hopefully dreaming of his future successes! He won’t be at the top of the leader board after dressage – his scores tend to average mid to high 30s, though they are ever improving and indeed, he has broken the 20 barrier on the odd occasion, too. Given his speedy turn of foot and propensity for a double clear, we could see him climb the leaderboard after the jumping phases to add yet another solid result to his record. Perhaps this unassuming chap could be the next big thing — Eddie just doesn’t know it yet.

Phil Brown and Harry Robinson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Phil Brown and Harry Robinson

Fifteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Laytender x Jodie, by Ontario). Bred by W.E. Robinson. Owned by Orbit Electrical Services Ltd.

This is a reroute from a sophomore Burghley for Phil and Harry, who have recently relocated home to Yorkshire after spending years based so close to Burghley that Phil could see the house from his arena. Talk about motivation on those tough days! They made their debut there last year, delivering a steady clear for 27th place and enjoying the week perhaps more than anyone else, but this year, they retired after picking up 40 penalties on course — perhaps a knock-on effect from a tough final prep run at Hartpury CCI4*-S, where they picked up 20 penalties. Now, they’ll both make their Pau debut instead, which is about as different a track to Burghley as you could possibly find.

Phil very nearly made his five-star debut years prior to 2022 with another horse, but an injury put paid to those plans. He’d never have guessed that his biggest career moves would have come with the splashy-faced and charmingly-named Harry Robinson, a horse who was sold earlier in his career but ultimately found his way back to Phil because he wasn’t very easy to get on with. In hindsight, it looks a bit like fate that the pair found each other again, and lovely Phil’s army of supporters are certainly backing that bit of kismet all the way to the finish line. He now rides Harry for family friends Nigel and Susie Bushby, and you’ll no doubt hear their voices among the cheers of the enthusiastic French crowd.

They won’t be fighting for the win here – they’ll start in the high-30s, though delivered a high-40s score in their final FEI run at Hartpury CCI4*-S this month and a 41.1 at Burghley. But a steady clear run is totally within their wheelhouse, and Phil, who’s an admirably horse-first rider, will only be worrying about cutting down on the clock if he feels his ‘not very blood’ horse is capable of doing so comfortably.

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI

Ten-year-old KWPN gelding (Zavall VDL x Un, by Cavalier). Owned by Alex Moody and the rider.

Talented Isaac, who makes his five-star debut this week, is an odd soul — he’s incredibly spooky, and so Badminton winner Ros has taken a horse-first, analytical approach to keeping him happy and on-side.

“It’s certainly not about drilling him with hours and hours of work,” she told us at Blenheim last month, where Isaac won the CCI4*-L. “It’s just gradually getting him in the right place. Some days I just get off him and he goes back in the field, and when he comes back in we do another 15 minutes. He came in on Tuesday, and the weather was bad and it was much colder, and his eye was much sharper. When we were tacking up, he was on edge. When I rode him, he was on edge. And so I decided I’d come here on Wednesday via cross-country schooling, because out in a field, he tends to be more settled and I can just give him a pop and play with him. You maybe wouldn’t do that with most horses on the day the competition starts, but it wasn’t a cross-country school to train him, it was a cross-country school just to let him relax, to jump, to settle his mind so he stops spooking at silly things. So it’s just all about understanding him, and everybody on the floor, as well, has quite a job to do with him. If he’s in a bit of a sharp, feral mood, there’s no point getting frustrated. You’ve just got to give him all the time in the world. And if it takes two hours, it takes two hours. It can’t be, ‘we’ve only got 20 minutes, so that’s all we’ve got’ with him.”

That win came after she made an effort to school him near the spooky zebra wings in the warm-up — but Isaac being Isaac, he still pretended he’d never seen them in his life when he spotted them in the showjumping arena, but Ros ably rode him through his lookiness. It was a big step forward for the horse, who’d led Bramham’s CCI4*-L after the dressage earlier in the summer, but then had a run-out just three fences into the course when he took offence to a jump that looked like a colourful line of ice-cream cones. Ros reckons those moments will still come — “this time of year is much easier for me, once he’s run a bit, the sun’s been on his back, and he’s been out in the field all the time — things like that. I think the spring will be difficult again next year, when he could easily go out to his first Open Intermediate and run out of something because there’s a wooden duck or something in the wrong place. That’s Isaac for you, and I’m not sure that’s going to change anytime soon. But I’m starting to get the hang of how to build him up for a big one where I really need his brain in the right place. I don’t think that’s something that I can have every week of his life.”

Pau is a pretty looky, spooky, atmospheric track, which might not seem, at first glance, like it would suit a horse like Isaac — but we reckon that’s exactly why Ros has chosen it. She knows he’s at his most rideable later in the year; she knows, too, that his confidence will have been boosted by Blenheim. Now, she’ll want to give him more exposure to scenes outside his comfort zone, as she did at spooky Boekelo in late 2022, where he ultimately finished sixth. This tactic is so interesting to watch unfold, and the time and diligence she’s put into unpacking this oddball horse is well worth it, because on his day, he’s one of the great talents in the sport right now: he’s already got eight wins out of fourteen FEI starts, he’s a low-20s scorer that has gone as low as 18 at four-star, and he’s only ever had one rail in an FEI event, and that was his very first international. He should lead the dressage, and he could well win this whole thing — he just needs to not bat an eyelid at ten million screaming French people, the occasional water rat sighting, or the random brightly-coloured fences that can pop up here and there on the Pau course. Simples.

Ros Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ros Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel

Fourteen-year-old British-bred mare (Jumbo x Cornish Queen, by Rock King). Bred by Pennie Wallace. Owned by Kate James and Annie Makin.

Another exciting horse from Ros Canter’s yard, Pencos Crown Jewel – better known as “Jasmine” – is actually a half-sister to Ros’ other mount, Lordship’s Graffalo. The two horses share a dam, Cornish Queen, who is a daughter of CCI5* mare Cornish Faer. Top-level talent certainly runs in this family of horses.

This year’s Badminton will be Jasmine’s third start at the 5* level, and her first go at this venue. She finished fifth at Bicton in 2021 in her first start at the level, and eleventh at Burghley last fall after an uncharacteristic three rails dropped her down the leaderboard in the last phase. They were ninth at Badminton this year in tough conditions — and with two down on Sunday — but reroute here after a shock elimination late on course at Burghley, where Ros got popped out of the tack at the Dairy Mound while running on a 26.9 dressage score. If they can begin their week on that kind of score again, they’ll put themselves in a very, very good position for the mare’s first Pau, which is much more technical course than some of the bold, galloping ones she’s excelled over.

Heading into the second phase, we know that Jasmine is a tenacious mare with an efficient gallop – just the type to potentially make a big move up the leaderboard after cross country. She did just that at Bramham last year, which pushed her up to an eventual second place finish in the world’s toughest CCI4*-L. This is a very, very good horse who often remains in the shadows of her big-winning stablemates, but it’s easy to imagine her lining up for her own major victory before too long.

Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI

Fourteen-year-old Anglo European Sport Horse mare (Calvaro F.C – Indian Summer). Bred by Peter Charles/Pembers Hill. Owned by Carole Somers, John Johnston, and Kate Ward. Groomed by Sarah Jane Tetlow.

Last season didn’t get off to a particularly good start for these two; their Badminton debut ended agonizingly close to the cross country finish, with an elimination after accumulative run outs at the double of corners, three quarters of the way round. This was frustratingly reminiscent of Aachen 2021, where they led after dressage only to drop out of the placings after a late run out.

Determined as ever, Kirsty sought help from Dickie Waygood and Christopher Bartle, spending an intensive three days cross country schooling with the latter at his base in North Yorkshire. It paid off: the pair notched up a win in the CCI-4*S at Millstreet just a month later. They then headed to Luhmühlen 5* just a few weeks later, notching up an impressive second place and earning them a spot on the World Championships long list for Great Britain.

Kirsty, who hails from strong equestrian stock – her father rode around Badminton and her mother competed in Grand Prix dressage – has made no secret of the fact that “Betty” is one quirky mare. Bred by Peter Charles, she rarely does any work with her in the arena. Instead, she spends her time hacking around the New Forest, with as little pressure as possible, in order to keep her happy and sane.

They started off their 2023 season with similarly good form, finishing 4^th in the CCI4*-S at Thoresby in March, before heading to Kentucky, no doubt hoping for a repeat performance of their 5* run at Luhmühlen last season. Alas, this wasn’t the case, and after a promising start, they picked up 20 jumping penalties on cross country day. They still finished in a credible position – 21^st place – largely thanks to a clear on the final day, as is typical of Betty. They soon put their disappointment of Kentucky behind them too, coming 2^nd in the CCI4*-S at Millstreet, before winning the CCI4*-S at Lisgarven, finishing on their dressage score of 26.

As that result demonstrates, Kirsty has worked hard to bring that first phase score down even further this season, and this, combined with Betty’s usual attacking form in the jumping phases means that there is no reason why they can’t end their season back on top form. Admittedly, they did pick up 15 penalties in their last run before their trip to France – in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim last month – but as they have shown in the past, they are more than capable of putting such hiccups firmly behind them, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t see them pull off a similarly impressive result to Luhmühlen last year, finishing their season in the same fine style with which it began.

Kirsty Chabert and Opposition Heraldik Girl. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kirsty Chabert and Opposition Heraldik Girl

Ten year old mare (Fleetwater Opposition – Heraldik Girl W by Heraldik XX) Owned by Caroline Caines, John Johnston and Kate Montserrate. Groomed by Sarah Jane Tetlow.

The second of Kirsty’s rides here in Pau, Opposition Heraldik Girl, or ‘Rocket’’ has yet to tackle a 5* – unlike her stablemate and travel buddy – Classic IV. At just ten years old, she will be one of the youngest horses in the field this week, too, but she has already notched up several impressive results, so it’s no surprise that Kirsty thinks she is ready to make the step up. Carefully produced by Kirsty throughout the levels, it’s hard to believe that Rocket is just 15.2hh, having jumped clear around several huge, tough tracks thus far, including Blair Castle in 2021, where she was 7^th in the CCI2*-L.

She has excelled in the jumping phases since her early days in the sport, jumping double clear throughout her first season, and to this day, it is rare that she has more than one down on the final day, so Kirsty will no doubt be hoping that this is a trend that continues in her 5* career, too. Her cross country record is not impeccable, but any faults are still few and far between, and such is Kirsty’s talent that she is usually able to smooth out any problems quickly, before asking Rocket to move up another level.

The tiny Fleetwater Opposition mare made the step up to 4* just last year, but did so in fine style, with 7^th in the CCI4*-S at Mallow. Unusually for her, though, the wheels came off shortly afterwards and her following two runs at Ballendensik and Boekelo were not as successful, with an elimination at the former and a further 20 penalties at the latter. Still, as is typical of Kirsty with all her horses, she has spent the off season righting any wrongs, and this season has been a different story altogether: they have finished in the top 20 in all of their starts thus far. This includes Bramham in the CCI4*-S, and again at Mallow in the CCI4*-L, where they finished 5^th.

Their dressage score has shown remarkable improvement too, even since the start of the season, when it had been hovering around the high 30s. Now though, it tends more and more to the lower end of the 30’s, and Kirsty will be hoping to maintain that this weekend. If Rocket can propel herself around the jumping phases in her usual style (and leave the blips of last season firmly in the past), then this weekend in France could see Kirsty add another strong 5* campaigner to her team – another string to the bow of one of the sport’s most hardworking and talented individuals, and one who is certainly deserving of a very good run on both of her horses this week in Pau.

Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On

Fourteen-year-old AES gelding. Owned by Barbara and Nicholas Walkinshaw. Groomed by Emily Gibson and Lily Wilson.

Pippa Funnell MBE – multiple Olympic, European and World medalist, first (and only in the long format) winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, Wesko Equestrian Foundation mentor, patron for World Horse Welfare, children’s author, and video game star – comes to Pau double-handed. The first of her rides, leggy and elegant Billy Walk On, is a product of Pippa and her husband’s Billy Stud. He’s got a bit of a mixed bag of CCI5* results behind him as he comes forward for his seventh top-level start, with three Badminton non-completions on his record. But don’t let that fool you – he came eighth at Burghley last season, where he added just cross country time to his excellent first phase score of 26.2, and he was runner-up at the pop-up 5* at Bicton in 2021, adding just 4.3 time penalties on the Saturday to his very impressive 23.9 dressage. In 40 FEI starts, the pair have had 24 top-10 results; for the first two seasons of his international career he never finished outside the top ten, including coming second in the 2016 Seven-Year-Old World Championships.

This is for sure a horse who shines between the white boards, with 5* scores in the mid-20s and nary a hoof in the 30s since stepping up to 3* in 2018; he could well be in the mix as he sets out on cross country. Barring Badmintons, across his career the gelding has only had cross country jumping penalties on five occasions; in his last 14 FEI starts, there are only Badminton faults on his record, except a 20 at Blenheim a last month, which he followed up with a second place in the 4*-S at Little Downham a fortnight later, where he added just four cross country time penalties and a show jump to his first phase score of 26.7. That pole on the final day was the first time he’d added penalties in the show jumping ring since 2021; he’s very much more often clear than not. It’s the cross country time which has been most inconsistent for the horse, but his run at Bicton proved that he can keep the 5* time faults to a minimum on his day.

This will be Billy Walk On’s first trip to France since his superb result in the Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers. Pippa credits the horse with having a very good memory when she reflects on his aversion to the water at Badminton – will that memory stand him in good stead as he takes on France’s 5*? Only time will tell!

Pippa Funnell and MCS Maverick. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell and MCS Maverick (GBR)

Ten-year-old British Sport Horse gelding. Owned by Sarah Ross. Groomed by Emily Gibson and Lily Wilson.

From experienced CCI5* mount Billy Walk On, to top-level first-timer MCS Maverick, Pippa’s second ride at Pau is a relatively new partnership for her, having been produced through the levels by British eventer and Billy Stud stable jockey Helen Wilson with Pippa taking over the reins at the beginning of this season. They showed their mettle at 4*-L when they won at Bramham in June – a class Pippa’s won four times across four decades – adding just 1.2 cross country time to their dressage score of 29.3, and followed up that success in their latest run in the 4*-S at Little Downham, where they finished fourth on a three-phase score of 39.7.

We’re likely looking at a dressage score in the low- to mid-30s for the gelding’s first time at 5*, but he hasn’t had a a cross country jumping penalty with Pippa, and has rolled just a single pole on the final day in their five FEI outings together this season. They’re yet to make the time on cross country day, but they showed they can get mighty close in the long-format at Bramham and have kept the penalties to single figures in their last two runs at 4*-S.

This is for sure an interesting one to watch as ‘Eric’ tackles his first 5*. Pippa describes the gelding as “very, very hot” and spends a considerable amount of time settling him at events. Will he be a hot prospect at Pau (in the best possible way)? We can’t wait to find out!

Bella Innes Ker and Highway

Eleven-year-old KWPN gelding (Baltic VDL x Voltara x Voltaire Pref) Owned by Milly Soames, Benjamin Chan and Roxburghe Eventing. Groomed by Izzy McKeeman

Pau will mark a 5* debut for both horse and rider, although it seems hard to believe that Bella has yet to tick that box, such has been her consistency within the sport. At just 29, she has already achieved an incredible amount, including becoming the youngest ever winner of Blenheim CCI4*-L in 2018 with Carolyn, the fantastic little mare with whom she also achieved many Junior and Young Rider successes, too, including European team gold in 2012 as a Junior, and 2015 as a Young Rider.

Originally from deepest, darkest Scotland – ‘home’ is the beautiful Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders – Bella relocated to William Fox-Pitt’s yard in Dorset in 2018 to hone her skills, before setting up on her own in 2022. Since then, she has collected an enviable string of horses, including her partner in France, eleven-year-old Highway. Bella has ridden him from the very beginning of his eventing career, and together they have built up a solid record across all the levels, including several decent 4* completions and a Nations Cup team appearance. This came at the end of last season at Boekelo, and although they picked up a green 20 on the cross country, they seem to have come out all the better for it this season. Although Bella has only had him out four times this year– no thanks to the spate of cancellations that marred the beginning of the British Eventing season – he has jumped clear cross country on each occasion, and added a top 20 finish in the CCI4*-S at Little Downham last month in his final run before the big one at Pau.

Indeed, Highway’s record shows more clear cross country rounds than anything else, proving he has the courage to tackle a 5*, and Bella’s own experience – which extends much further than most riders her age – means that together they are more than ready to make the step up to the top level. They may not hit the big time on their first attempt – Highway is unfortunately prone to tapping a pole or two in the final phase – but Pau should see them pull off a solid result and set them up well for big things next season. A pair worth watching, even just to admire the strength of their partnership and their unwavering belief in one another.

Tom Jackson and Farndon. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom Jackson and Farndon

Thirteen-year-old KWPN gelding (Hemmingway x Silvanda, by Marlon). Owned by Anne and Lain Slater. Bred by S and N Burton.

Farndon made his five-star debut at Luhmühlen this year, after two solid seasons at the Advanced and 4* level under his belt that included top ten finishes at Bicton CCI4*-S this year, and Burgham CCI4*-S last year. Previously campaigned by Marcus Roberts and Francis Whittington, Tom first took the reins and began competing this son of Hemmingway in 2021, stepping right into competition at the 4* level. Tom has been notably pleased with the gelding’s work on the flat as he’s come on this season; the pair has begun to achieve mid- or high-20s marks more consistently, compared to scoring more steadily in the low- or mid-30s in previous seasons, and though they did still earn a 34.9 at Luhmühlen, they added nothing to it through the weekend and finished sixth. Since then, we’ve seen him win his Pau prep at Little Downham CCI4*-S — his first international victory, and one in which he added just 1.6 time penalties to his very good first-phase score of 25.4. Little Downham’s course is intentionally set to act as a prep for twisty, technical Pau, and Tom, who’s been in the spotlight lately for his string of excellent five-star results with Capels Hollow Drift, is an exceptionally talented, gritty competitor. We should see this pair fighting for another placing this week – and if they can pull a mid-20s score out of the bag? Well, they could be a not-so-dark horse contender to walk away with the whole thing.

Piggy March and Coolparks Sarco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March and Coolparks Sarco

Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Coolpark Lady Diamond, by Coolcorron Cool Diamond). Bred by Michael Burke. Owned by Jo and James Lambert.

The former Nicola Wilson ride Coolparks Sarco, or Jeremy, makes his five-star debut this week with Nicola’s great friend, Badminton and Burghley winner Piggy, who took the reins after Nicola’s fall at Badminton last year. Their first major competition together was Bramham CCI4*-L, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when they threw down an excellent 23.3 in the first phase. They did end up picking up a 20 on cross-country, which was symptomatic more of a new partnership and relative inexperience on the horse’s part than anything more sinister, and since then, they’ve really learned about one another. Their next FEI event was the CCI4*-L at Millstreet a year later; they won that handily, and then won their next outing, the CCI4*-S at Burgham. They ran a steady clear around Hartpury’s CCI4*-S in August, then were much faster to finish third in the Little Downham CCI4*-S a few weeks ago, which traditionally serves as a Pau feeder. Now, they’ll be an exciting combination to watch as they make the next step in the talented gelding’s career, in which we should see them put a respectable mid-to-high 20s score on the board, a swift, confident round across the country — notwithstanding any of the green mistakes that can pop up in a move-up run — and then, they look pretty likely to jump clear on Sunday. There’s plenty of question marks to keep in mind when a horse tackles its first five-star, but on paper, it’s not hard to see these two being contenders for a top ten finish.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin

Twelve-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado x Zarinna, by Cantano). Bred by Volker Göttsche-Götze. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. Lambert and Mrs. D. Johnston. Groomed by Adam Short.

If you had to put your money somewhere safe this week, we’d say you’d be wisest to go with this pair, who come forward for their second five-star start as a partnership after finishing second at Kentucky this spring.

This is the gelding’s third 5* start – his first was at Badminton last year with the wonderful Nicola Wilson, which sadly ended in disaster after Dubs had an uncharacteristic fall, leaving Nicola with life-changing injuries and ultimately resulting in her retirement from the sport. Together, Nicola and “Dubs” had amassed an incredible roster of results, not least of which a fifth place in the Seven-Year-Old World Championships in Le Lion D’Angers in 2018, a win in the notoriously tough Bicton CCI4*-L in 2021 (on only his second start at the level), a victory at Hartpury’s CCI4*-S, and most impressively of all, becoming European Champion later that same year in Avenches – as a ten year old.

Now, in the interest of being totally fair in our analysis, we do have to talk about the topsy turvy season that Tom, who won here in 2019, is having as a rider. This is all part of the sport — who can forget, after all, Tim Price’s 2016 — but this year has definitely been a downer for Tom, who heads straight off to his stag do after Pau finishes, and so will be supported on site this week by a raucous group of his bachelor party buddies, lord help us all. Yes, Tom’s year began spectacularly with that Kentucky result; yes, it’ll end spectacularly with, like, probably a keg stand and a face tattoo, but what of the in-between bits? After a very good top-five finish at Badminton with Toledo de Kerser, there was an Aachen trip with JL Dublin in which he was vying for the lead by the time he left the start box, but picked up a shock 20 penalties late in the course — something that happens to many Aachen leaders, actually, but an enormous surprise with this hugely reliable horse, nonetheless. They rallied from that and were still chosen for the European Championships, though as individuals, not as team members, and then came to grief there with a rider fall at the influential final water, which is also where Michi Jung and fischerChipmunk ended their day. They’ve since had a good, regrouping round in the CCI4*-S at Little Downham, and now they’ll return with renewed vigour, especially because Tom himself had such a rubbish time at Burghley that he’ll be hot in pursuit of redemption and a happy final chapter for the year.

Their dressage scores tend towards the bottom end of the 20s, their showjumping record is nearly pristine, and we know that they’re exceptional across the country, even if this year has been a downer. Don’t take your eyes off them this week.

(Fun fact: The JL prefix to his name stands for the first initials of his owners’ – Jo and Jamie Lambert and Deirdre Johnston – surnames. You learn something new every day.)

Harry Meade and Red Kite. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Harry Meade and Red Kite

Twelve-year-old Westphalian gelding. Owned by Giles Fallan, Kate Fallan, Harry Meade and Alexandra Robinson. Groomed by Jessica Errington and Molly Parkin.

Harry comes to Pau with CCI5* first-timer Red Kite after the lovely chestnut gelding didn’t make the cut when Harry had to choose just three to start from his four Burghley entries. The horse, and Harry, proved they’re game for any going when they took second in the 4*-S at a particularly wet edition of Thoresby Park in the spring, but Harry’s a believer in taking his event horses hunting and point-to-pointing as part of their education, so they get a feel for different conditions and ground. There were only two rounds quicker than Red Kite’s at Thoresby on the day, where they added just 11.2 cross country time penalties to their solid sub-30 dressage score of 27.3.

In the first phase, Red Kite is proving to be a high-20s to low-30s kind of guy; as Harry says, “He’s got loads of ability, but he’s quite spunky – if he was a pupil in a class, you’d say that if he stopped mucking about, he could be a scholar! He’s got lots of capability.” Will he see the dressage ring at Pau as a place to show off or knuckle down? Only time will tell!

Although Harry acknowledges that the gelding isn’t naturally predisposed to cross country, Harry’s traditional style of producing horses has stood Red Kite in good stead as he’s progressed through the FEI levels. In his 19 runs, he’s completed on all but two occasions, and, apart from those two falls (one horse, one rider), he’s had cross country jumping penalties only once, back in 2018, and a frangible pin in the 4*-L at Millstreet in 2021. He does tend to add time, although he was double clear ‘round the tough Bramham track in the 4*-L in June. Show jumping is the most patchy of the three phases for Red Kite – he can certainly jump clear over the colored poles, as he’s proven twice this season, but in his other 2023 run he rolled two; his final run of the season last year saw him have four down. There’s no denying that this is an exciting prospect in Harry’s string, but it’s a case of waiting for everything to fall into sync. We’ve seen it come together twice this season, will he show up for his first 5* as the scholar Harry knows he can be?

Selina Milnes and Gelmer. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Selina Milnes and Gelmer

Twelve-year-old KWPN gelding (Carosso VDL – Rhytm by Ahorn). Owned by Mr and Mrs William Rucker. Groomed by Sarah Towler.

Based in North Somerset, Selina Milnes is no stranger to 5*, and she already has some excellent form here in Pau; she was 8^th in 2021 with Iron IV, the horse she has had many of her recent top results on. This’ll be the first run at the level for Gelmer – Tommy to his friends — and despite his relative inexperience, his previous results are impressive enough, so there’s no reason why Selina shouldn’t have another successful run here this week.

Ridden by Selina throughout his entire eventing career, Tommy certainly excels in the jumping phase: he has yet to have any cross country jumping faults at internationals, and he rarely has more than two poles on the final day either. Selina, who trains with Ian Woodhead and Dickie Waygood, has been chipping away at his dressage too, and if recent scores are anything to go by, we can expect to see a mark in the mid to low 30s heading into cross country.

Tommy finished 8^th in his first CCI4*-S at Millstreet with a double clear and showed similar form at Blenheim last year in his first run at CCI4*-L, rolling a couple of poles on the final day to finish comfortably within the top 25. Such understated excellence is typical of this horse, he just keeps on pulling it out of the bag at every level, and this season has been no different. He finished in the top 25 at Hartpury in August with another double clear and added a 10^th place in the OI at Oasby last month, his last run before Pau. Such consistency is necessary in a top-level campaigner, so this could well be the start of a very successful 5* career, and although he and Selina seem to have flown under the radar a little thus far, his knack for jumping clear around most of the tracks he is presented with may well see their name up in lights very soon. As is the case with many of this week’s 5* first timers, his dressage may see them a little off the pace but it will all still be to play for ahead of the cross country, so a skip up the leader board — despite his inexperience — wouldn’t be all that surprising.

Wills Oakden and A Class Cooley. Photo by Athalens.

Wills Oakden and A Class Cooley

Eleven year old Irish Sports Horse gelding, (Heritage Fortunus x New Years Clover). Owned by Bridget Mazdon and Frances Hay Smith. Groomed by Sarah Murray.

Wills Oakden has had quite a spectacular year; he finished in the top 20 at Badminton with Oughterard Cooley and went on to finish with two in the top 10 at Burghley in September. Add to that a win in the CCI4*-L at Blair with A Class Cooley, the horse he brings forward this weekend, and it’s safe to say that his form has never been better. The latest FEI World Rankings prove just that – he sits in 8^th place, behind several legends of the sport, including Ros Canter, Oliver Townend, Boyd Martin and Tim Price. Such success is long overdue for this incredibly talented rider, who cut his teeth at the legendary Ian Stark’s yard, before setting up on his own in Perthshire, where he has remained ever since. His quiet horsemanship has seen him impress on various occasions over his eventing career; he won team gold as a Young Rider, before riding as an individual on the Senior team at Blair in 2015. Since then, he has had numerous Nations Cup appearances and is slowly but surely building an incredible team of horses.

Pau marks the first run at 5* for ‘Felix,’ and as is typical of Wills’ thoughtful and considered approach to the development of all of his horses, he’s not necessarily coming here to be competitive. Rather, he’s setting out on a fact-finding mission ahead of next year, so the main aim of this weekend is to pull off a solid first run at the level, before hopefully heading to Badminton in the spring. Recent form shows that Felix is more than ready to make this step up: along with his win at Blair, he also took second in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk – only his second run in a 4*L. His has an incredible cross country jumping record – other than 20 penalties in his first CCI4*-L at Blenheim last year, you would have to go back to 2020 to find his last cross country jumping penalties.

His show jumping is only slightly less reliable – he never has more than two poles, if that, but he will want to keep those to a minimum this week, as rails fall easily here and are expensive, too. Though Wills won’t be setting out to break any records this weekend, his prowess as a cross country rider coupled with Felix’s natural ability will no doubt see them finish well, and hopefully set them up well for the challenges of next year. Not to mention adding yet another 5* horse to Wills’ ever increasing string!

Kate Rocher-Smith and HHS Dassett Class. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kate Rocher-Smith and HHS Dassett Class

Eleven-year-old Irish Sports Horse gelding (Can Ya Makan x HHS Riverdance). Owned by Lesley Rocher and Dassett Eventing. Groomed by Sue Tomlinson.

Kate Rocher-Smith and her team at Dassett Eventing have sourced and produced some of the best horses in the sport – both past and present. However, Kate has also enjoyed various successes herself, and was long listed for the Junior teams, before setting up Dassett Eventing in 2005. Remarkably though, Pau will mark her first start at 5*. HHS Dassett Class will be making his debut, too, so Kate and her team will no doubt be thrilled to even be at Pau in the first instance, before they even make their long awaited start.

HHS Dassett Class – or “Matt” as he is charmingly referred to at home =- came to Kate’s yard from Ireland, having been bred and produced as a show jumper by Marion Hughes. He’s got quite exceptional jumping breeding; his sire, Can Ya Makan, won the Hickstead Derby with Shane Breen last year. Matt was originally intended for the same career, but made the change to eventing as a fresh faced six-year-old and has never looked back, moving up to CCI2* in his second season with Kate, and taking a top 20 spot in the British Young Horse Championships at Osberton that same year. He would go on to finish in the top 30 in the 8/9 year CCI4*S at Blenheim two years later in 2021, shortly after making his 4* debut at Blair where he pulled off a top twenty finish. Quite a mean feat for his first run at the level, and over a challenging course at that. Still, Matt enjoys an atmosphere – the more the better – and Kate describes him as a confident jumper, perhaps a throwback to his youth as a showjumper.

He made a successful return to Blair last year, bettering his previous result to finish 15^th, and repeated that result again this year, proving his consistency and aptitude for the sport. Usually a “relaxed dude,” Matt is not altogether without flaw, and has been known to deposit Kate at various events when out for a hack – hopefully he won’t leave her lost in France this weekend and will earn himself a banana or two (his favourite treat).

Kate, who trains with Robert Snaddon and Lisa White, credits the whole team at Dassett Eventing with getting Matt to this level, and while it is Sue Tomlinson who accompanies her this week in France, Hayley Wright has also played an integral part in his fitness prior to the event. With a dressage averaging mid to low 30’s and having shown excellent form over some of the toughest tracks in the sport to this point, there is no reason why all of the hard work at Team Dassett – not least that of Kate herself – shouldn’t be rewarded this weekend, giving Kate a 5* debut to remember for all of the right reasons, and earning Matt his beloved bananas.

Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do

Thirteene-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Arkansas x La Vie En Rose, by Touchdown). Bred by Michael Dooner. Owned by the Fox Family.

One of Kylie’s first jobs as a teenager was making tea and coffee for clients in her mom’s hair salon, but it was manes and tails rather than bobs and mullets that Kylie dreamed of. She began working with horses when she left school aged 16, shortly afterwards making the move to work with Olympic gold medalist, Britain’s Leslie Law. Whilst working for Leslie she produced her first horse to 3*, which she made the difficult decision to sell in order to continue with her eventing dream. Kyrenejenellas Boy went on to compete at Badminton and the Athens Olympics with Czech Republic rider Jaroslav Hatla.

It’s great to see SRS Kan Do, or George, back at this level: he was sixth at Luhmühlen last year, and then, after one further run, was out until August of this year. That Luhmühlen run was a reroute from Badminton, where they’d looked excellent across the country (and had started the week on a 29.4), but lost shoes on course, which meant that Kylie put her hand up when she felt the horse couldn’t quite get the purchase he needed on the ground.

She describes George, with whom she finished 20th at Blenheim CCI4*-L in 2021, as the most talented jumper she’s ever ridden, and that confidence was proven well-founded when they headed to Pau that October for their five-star debut. They ultimately finished eleventh there in good company, adding just 5.6 time penalties across the country and 1.6 on the final phase to their impressive 29.1. Their scores have been trending upwards a bit recently, with tests more consistently in the low-to-mid-30s, but they should be well capable of a great result this week — they’re quick, consistent, and a one-or-none pair on the final day, and they suit this technical course well.

Starch your collar and make sure your silverware is polished, because this horse is owned by Michael C. Fox, an actor best known for his portrayal of footman Andy in the Downton Abbey series and films, and his family. George was actually Michael’s own competition horse originally, and the pair competed to BE100 together before Michael’s burgeoning career meant that he had far less time to ride, and his insurance prevented him from partaking in risky sports. So he handed the reins to local pro Kylie, who had been successful as a Young Rider, competing at two European Championships, and has since built up a business producing event horses and retraining racehorses.

Izzy Taylor and Happy Days. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Izzy Taylor and Happy Days

Eleven-year-old British-bred gelding (Cevin Z x Vale Brook, by Tudorville). Bred by Emma Humphrey. Owned by Alex Colquhoun, Lavinia Taylor, and Caroline Wilson.

Izzy comes to Pau fresh off the back of a big win with another smart grey: her youngster, Barrington Alice, won last week’s Six-Year-Old World Championship at Le Lion d’Angers. Her ride this week, Happy Days, made his CCI5* debut at Pau last season, finishing 21st after a reasonably slow clear across the country and a three-rail final round. Since then, we’ve seen him out at a very wet Thoresby — where Izzy withdrew her whole string after dressage — and a rather dryer Burnham Market, where he finally got a run in and finished fourth in the 4*-S, his best four-star result yet, before heading to a pretty grotty Badminton, where they began their week on a 29.6, but then suffered a technical elimination on cross country for jumping two B elements at the KBIS Brush Boxes.

Now, after a frustrating 20 at his Bramham reroute and a smart clear at his CCI4*-S prep at Little Downham, Happy Days returns for a crack at moving into the top twenty. He’s become a pretty consistent 20s scorer, including a very good 25.9 at Burgham CCI4*-S in 2022. Though he won’t be a big winner this week, it could be a big milestone in his career – this is just his third full season eventing, and it’ll be great fun to see the prodigious young gelding tackle such a big challenge.

Tom Rowland and KND Steel Pulse

Twelve year old Irish gelding (Tinarana’s Inspector – Lady Lux by Olympic Lux) Owned by Michael Wilmshurst and Alison Sharpe). Groomed by Georgie Dobbin.

This will not be Tom Rowland’s first trip to Pau; he first made the trip here back in 2015. That was his first time at a 5*, so it seems particularly appropriate that he is bringing not one, but two horses here for their first crack at the level, too. The younger of these two horses, KND Steel Pulse, or Dermot, has been with Tom from the very beginning of his eventing career, way back in 2016. Despite an inauspicious start, with 40 penalties on his first run cross country, it would be another three years before he faulted on the cross country again, and to this day, they remain a rarity.

The same cannot be said for his show jumping though: despite a commendable number of clear rounds, he is also prone to knocking a pole, or two, or three, or even four, as he did a few times back in 2021. Still, recently he has proved more consistent – he has lowered a maximum of two rails at a time this season, testament to the dedication of his rider in constantly working to improve every phase, and eke the most he can out of his horses.

Tom initially trained with Angela Tucker, who he went to work for straight after leaving school, before going on to spend time at the yards of both Pippa Funnell and Nigel Taylor, so he’s certainly learnt from the best in all disciplines. Dermot’s ever improving dressage scores also reflect this – bar the odd blip here and there, his first phase score is usually at the lower end of the 30’s and has even broken into the 20’s in the last couple of years.

Dermot has jumped clear around both Blenheim CCI4*-L and Blair Castle CCI4*-S, and indeed, finished comfortably within the top 20 at the latter, so he has certainly proven himself ready and willing to tackle the kind of questions demanded at 5* level. So while these two won’t be troubling those at the very top of the leader board on this occasion, they are more than capable of a safe and steady completion in their first 5* at least, and perhaps if Dermot produces his usual clear cross country round, a top 30 placing to boot.

Tom Rowland and MGH Maybe A Mission

Fourteen-year-old Irish Sports Horse (Jack of Diamonds – Merry Kate by Able Albert) Owned by Robin Patrick. Groomed by Georgie Dobbin.

Tom is perhaps best known for his partnership with another ‘Mission’ horse – Possible Mission – with whom he has completed both of the big B’s (Burghley and Badminton, of course) multiple times. His other ride at Pau though, is MGH Maybe a Mission, also an Irish Sport Horse, like Possible Mission, and also owned by Robin Patrick. Similarly, Tom has had the ride on him from the word go, which was way back in 2015, so it’s safe to say they know each other inside out. This shows in their ever-improving form at the top level.

Although ‘Mark’ was ultimately spun at the second horse inspection, he did jump clear around the cross country at his first CCI4*-L at Blenheim in 2021, after posting an impressive 29 dressage score. Since then, these two have gone on to show an ever-increasing consistency right across the board, jumping clear cross country on all but one occasion and holding their own in the first phase, too, rarely straying above the low 30’s, and breaking into the 20’s on the odd occasion, too. Mark has jumped around the CCI4*-S at Chatsworth twice now, finishing in a notable 6^th place on the latter occasion, and also jumped clear around another CCI4*-L at Millstreet in June, to finish in the top 15. So he’s more than ready to make the step up to 5*, and in pretty good style too. A top 20 wouldn’t be out of the question for these two, and we wish him and Tom the very best of luck for making it two out of two ‘Missions Completed.’ We’re here all week, folks.

Libby Seed and Heartbreaker Star Quality. Photo by Leszek Wójcik.

Libby Seed and Heartbreaker Star Quality

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Boswell Mr Heartbreaker x Killard Quality, by OBOS Quality 004). Bred by Cora Horan. Owned by Jonathan Seed and the rider.

Amateur rider Libby and her beloved mare return to the top level after making their debut at Badminton last year, where they finished in the top 30 after jumping clear around the biggest track they’d ever faced. They jumped clear on Sunday, too, making it a very happy week indeed for the dynamic duo.

Libby works full-time as a medical sales executive, continuing on an impressive balancing act that she honed while juggling eventing and a degree in Medical Sciences at Exeter.

Libby has a sparkling career as a young rider behind her: she rode on the British team at the Pony European Championships in 2013, where the team took gold, and in 2017, she rode as an individual at the Young Rider Europeans, earning herself a top twenty result. That’s certainly not to say that she’s stepped it down a notch as a senior competitor, though: she took her first international win in 2021 in the CCI4*-L in Strzegom with Heartbreaker Star Quality, adding just 2.4 time penalties across the country and 0.8 in showjumping to their first-phase score of 34.7.

This year, they’ve notched up three FEI runs — and three FEI top tens. Those came in the CCI3*-S at Burgham, which was a return to international competition after a year out, and then at Blair and Little Downham’s CCI4*-S classes.

They’ve only got ever faulted across the country at one FEI event, and that was the very tough CCI4*-L at Bicton in 2021, which they followed up with that Strzegom win. They’re a pretty quick pair, and their dressage is constantly getting better, so they’ll be aiming to hit the very low 30s — their Badminton test earned them a 33.4, and they’ve improved on the flat since then. On Sunday, they’ll really be laughing: Pau’s showjumping is notoriously tough, but they haven’t had a rail in two years. Expect another exciting week.

Oliver Townend and Tregilder. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Oliver Townend and Tregilder

Thirteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Royale Concorde x Trewins, by Hand In Glove). Bred by Preci Spark Ltd. Owned by the Hazeldines & Mitchell Fox Group. Groomed by Francesca Gorni.

Hot off the plane from Maryland, Olympic team gold medalist, 2023 Badminton runner-up and Burghley winner, and current World No. 1, Oliver Townend touches down in Pau with Tregilder for the gelding’s fourth CCI5* start. It would be fair to say that the gelding’s 5* form doesn’t do him justice; he (almost inexplicably) fell at the penultimate fence at Burghley last year on his top-level debut after a truly superb round up to that point, then at this year’s Burghley edition, he emerged from the woods at a walk, broken rein swinging and 5* disappointment once more. He did have a good run ‘round Luhmuhlen in June however, adding just 1.2 cross country time to his dressage of 29.9, before uncharacteristically rolling two poles on the final day – it was still good enough for ninth place though.

At 18hh, ‘Gizmo’ is pretty enormous and has, according to Oliver, “taken a long, long time to mature.” He showed he’d grown into himself when he won at Burgham in July, finishing on his dressage of 27.1. In the first phase, this is a horse that consistently scores sub-30, there’s a toe into the 30s occasionally, but these are perhaps times when dressage scores have been on the high side across the board. When bad luck forsakes him, he’s a speedy clear across the country kind of guy, one you can see totally relishes his job as he eats up the track. The final phase is his least consistent, but this is a horse who does not have a weak phase. Sometimes he rolls a pole, often he jumps clear. Very occasionally he’ll lower two.

Here’s hoping that ‘Gizmo’ gets the trip he deserves and adds a second 5* completion to his record this week, potentially even a top placing. Oliver’s team will need to keep one eye on the weather forecast in case of rain, and make sure they remember that daylight saving time ends in the UK this weekend, we don’t want ‘Gizmo’ inadvertently being fed after midnight. And a shout out to photographers at the event – no flash photography, please!

India Wishart and Diamond Sundance

Seventeen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sunny Boy x KEC Costello Diamond, by Glidawn Diamond). Owned by Cindy Onslow. Groomed by Shelley Allen.

It’s a second trip to Pau for Diamond Sundance, this time piloted by five-star debutant India Wishart. He made his debut at the top-level in 2020 with Rosa Onslow in the irons, who took on the ride in 2017, competing at the Young Rider European Championships in 2019 with the gelding, where they finished 12th, before going on to a second place in the CCI4*-L at Blair Castle the following month.

‘Sunny’ has partnered a few riders as he’s moved up through the levels, originally being produced by owner Cindy Onslow, before Emily Orpwood took over the reins; he had a brief stint with China’s Alex Hua Tian in 2016, before Cindy’s daughter, Rosa, continued his progress up to 5*. Riding for Australia after switching to her father’s nationality, Lissa Green (daughter of British eventing legend Lucinda Green) had the ride for the 2021 season, with India taking over in 2022.

His recent form at 4* with India suggests a mid- to high-30s score in the dressage – they put down a 37 in the 4*-L at Blenheim last month and a 34.4 at Millstreet this season; the last time he competed on French soil, at Pau with Rosa, he scored 32.2 in the first phase. This horse is for sure a cross country horse, with 21 consecutive clear rounds – including at Pau in 2020 – at international competitions under his girth. Will he add to his impressive record this week? It would be very cool if he did. He will add time, but a steady clear round for India’s first time at the level would be a job well done. He lowered two poles on the final day last time out, and had one at each of his two runs before that, but he jumped clear in the 4*-S at Blair Castle last season on the way to finishing in 12th place; it was twelve faults in the final phase when he went to Pau with Rosa. Realistically, we will be looking at him adding penalties in the show jumping ring on Sunday, India will be hoping to keep it to a minimum though and to come away with a solid top-level completion.

India’s had some influential support as she’s made her way into her eventing career, after gaining a degree in Geography before switching to eventing full-time. She was based with with fellow Pau competitor Pippa Funnell at The Billy Stud in 2020 and was part of the Wesko Equestrian Foundation program in 2020/21. With everything she’ll have gained from such top-class mentorship, as well as being sat on a seventeen-year-old cross country machine, she should be coming into her first 5* full of confidence, which must be a very nice feeling indeed.

IRELAND

Daragh Byrne and Kilcannon Ramiro

Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B x Flick Princess, by Kildalton King). Bred by Mary Bolger. Owned by James Byrne and Daragh Byrne. Groomed by James Byrne.

Ireland’s Daragh Byrne and Kilcannon Ramiro are coming forward for their first attempt at CCI5* this week. The gelding’s been brought along slowly through the levels, partly because he’s pretty enormous and so needed the extra time as he matured. He’s stepped up a level each year and is now here for his first 5*.

‘Kilcannon’ is owned by Daragh and his dad, James Byrne. They bought the gelding as an unbroken three-year-old from the Goresbridge sales. A steadfast supporter of both his son and his “pride and joy”, James has never missed a competition, in fact, he’ll be right in the thick of things at Pau as he’ll be grooming for Kilcannon at the event.

He’s for sure a horse to get excited about. He won on his first attempt at the 4*-L level at Ballindenisk last season, and comes to Pau off the back of a fourth place finish in the same competition this year. He’s generally mid- to high-30s in the first phase, but he’s pulled out a couple of low-30s results, namely a 32 on his way to winning at Ballindenisk last year. He’s certainly no slouch across the country; in 19 FEI starts, he’s had jumping penalties only once, back in 2021. He had an unfortunate fall on the flat in the 4*-S Nations Cup at Millstreet earlier this season, but aside from those two blips, his record is impressively clean. He’s reasonably speedy too, generally keeping time faults to single figures. Based on form, it would be fair to say that show jumping is something he’s still working on, with faults in each of their runs bar a 1* in 2018. More often than not, it’s one or two poles, but sometimes they tip one or two more. The rolled four last time out in the 4*-L at Ballindenisk, but a solid first-phase score and speedy cross country round meant they still finished fourth. Daragh – and his dad – will no doubt be delighted with a 5* completion on their debut at the level, however it plays out.

Ian Cassells and Master Point

Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Pointilliste x Chikari, by Kings Master). Bred and owned by Bridget McGing.

It’s a five-star debut for 29-year-old Ian, who has been quietly proving himself to be something of a master (see what I did there? Sorry) of producing top-class young horses over the last few years. His is a last-minute entry, and comes with the exciting Master Point, who he rides for owner and breeder Bridget McGing, who’s a busy vet at Troytown Greyabbey equine vets in Ireland, and a member of the Eventing Ireland board, too. Master Point made his CCI4*-L debut this summer at Millstreet, where he finished sixteenth after a 34.8 dressage, a reasonably steady clear cross-country, and two rails down; he then contested the Blenheim CCI4*-L last month, where he was a top thirty finisher with another, slightly swifter, clear across the country, this time with a 30.2 dressage and just one rail down.

Master Point has previously won at both CCI2*-L and CCI3*-L, both times at Ballindenisk, and while Ian won’t be coming here to push for a win, he’s very aware that he’s sitting on a horse who has all the right stuff for the future. Master Point can be very quick, he’s super reliable with just a frangible activation on his FEI cross-country record, and those dressage scores are constantly improving — it’s the showjumping that needs the most work, with a tendency to two or three down (or more, at Burgham this year), but all of that will come in leaps and bounds from the educational experience he’ll have at Pau. It’ll be really exciting to see Ian on the world stage, too — he’s a beautiful rider to watch.

Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Clover Brigade x Winning Lass xx, by Right Win xx). Bred by Caroline Widger. Owned by Peter Cole and Susanna Francke.

After missing the 2021 European Championships, three-time European Championships competitor and Tokyo Olympian Sarah Ennis returned to the major stage at this summer’s European Championships, riding the relatively inexperienced Grantstown Jackson, for whom it was just a second CCI4*-L start, after taking second place in the CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk. The pair ended up taking the pathfinder role for the week — and boy, did they smash it. In incredibly tough conditions, they delivered the second-fastest round of the day, zipping home clear and with just 2.4 time penalties. They ultimately finished fourteenth.

Now, we get the joy of seeing the twelve-year-old step up to the topmost echelon of the sport, and if he delivers as he did in his last French adventure, he’ll certainly establish himself as a serious contender for the Irish team at next year’s Olympics. He’s still green for his age, and there’s some fine-tuning to do — he’ll score in the high-30s, or perhaps even the low-40s, for one, and his showjumping can be a bit of a wild card, but he’s an exceptional little cross-country machine and should be great fun to watch on Saturday as he whizzes around Pau’s tight turns.

Joseph Murphy and Barrichello

14-year-old British-bred gelding (Balou de Rouet x Madon’s Even Wiser, by Matinee du Madon VII). Bred by James Dyer. Owned by Sarah Hughes.

This isn’t a first five-star for Barrichello, who has previously contested Badminton last year with Ireland’s Cathal Daniels, but had an unlucky fall late on course — but it’s his first with Joseph Murphy, who took the reins this season and becomes the fifth rider to partner Sarah Hughes’s gelding internationally. He began his FEI career with Britain’s Caroline March, who is Piggy’s sister in law; then, he briefly moved to William Fox-Pitt before doing a year with Alex Bragg. After that, he had 2019 out, and then he went to Cathal, who kept the ride from 2020 to 2022, though the horse didn’t compete in FEI events at all in 2021. Now, he’s with Joseph, who rode him to a sixth-place finish in Kilguilkey’s CCI4*-L this summer and a top twenty finish in the inaugural CCI4*-S at Lisgarvan in August. They did a test and showjumped at Ballindenisk CCI4*-S last month, but withdrew before cross-country. He’s a talented horse, and should do a low-30s dressage, a quick cross-country, and, realistically, will have one or two rails on Sunday, but the pair are still very much getting to know one another and Barrichello is once again having to adapt to a new rider, so this is something of a fact-finding mission this week.

Joseph brings a huge amount of experience to the table, though, to help him through: he’s ridden at countless five-stars and been part of the Irish team at the London Olympics, the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and four European Championships, plus has ridden as an individual at a fifth. His best result here was fifth in 2014 with Sportsfield Othello; he’s also had great results with the former Laura Collett ride Calmaro, with whom he was ninth at Kentucky in 2022 and 14th here in 2021. This pair won’t be vying for the win this week but they should be able to deliver a great result, as long as they’re on the same page at this early stage of their partnership.

Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Orestus x Edge of Reason, by Senang Hati xx). Owned by James O’Callagham. Bred by Miriam de Feu.

Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty, barn name “Cuba,” have hit the ground running this season. After one run around the E110 level at Lisgarvan House, they quickly jumped up to the FEI level and have so far completed the Ballindenisk CCI3*-S, the Marbach 4*-S, and the CCIO4*-NC-S at Millstreet International Horse Trials. The 2023 season also marks their highest placing in international competition, which occurred at the Ballindenisk 3*-S where the pair came in second place, with a score of 33.9, adding just 0.8 time faults to their dressage score. Over the summer, the pair contested the CCI5* at Luhmühlen for the second time, once again finishing fifteenth. They then headed to the European Championships, though their weekend ended early when they suffered their first ever horse fall. This’ll be their third five-star, and it’ll be exciting to see them over a track that’s quite different to Luhmühlen’s.

Felicity took the ride on the 16.2-hand black gelding from Andrew Kavanaugh before the 2017 competition season. Since then, she has produced Cuba from the EI110s to the five-star level. They’re seriously solid across the country, generally: their only two non-completions in FEI competitions come at this year’s Europeans and at last year’s World Championships, where they retired on course. Besides that, Felicity and Regal Bounty have completed every single cross country course they’ve ever taken on, with only a reasonably slim number of time penalties being the norm. Dressage scores for the duo typically land in the mid-thirties. Show jumping is their bogey phase, which means they’ll need to be really on the ball at Pau, with its notoriously tough final phase — but they did tip just one rail at Luhmühlen last year, which bodes well.

LITHUANIA

Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Aistis Vitauskus and Commander VG

Twelve-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Viegaard’s Come Back II x Nione Fortuna, by Abantos NRA STB 83 4). Bred and owned by Mogens and Birgitte Kloeve-Mogensen. Groomed by Helene Stenshoj Vitkauskas.

With seven previous CCI5* starts under their belts, Aistis and Commander VG are certainly not new to the level. This was the site of the horse’s level debut back in 2020, when he was a nine-year-old, and he returns this year having finished eighteenth last year — and having already run at Badminton, Luhmühlen, and Burghley this season, though he retired after a 20 at the German event and suffered a non-injurious horse fall at the Dairy Mound at the latter. His best finish thus far at five-star was just outside the top 10 at the 2021 edition of Luhmuhlen. To add even more depth to their resume, they’ve also competed at the 2022 World Championships and in 2021 finished 25th in the European Championships in Avanches.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll find this pair near the top of the leaderboard after dressage – their scores tend to hover in the high 30s to mid 40s, because Commander, who was bought as a five-year-old from a dressage farm, had suffered some early mental trauma in the ring, and as Aistis explains it, if the horse makes a mistake in the ring, his immediate response is defensive anger – they have a whole lot of clear XC rounds on their record. They’ve had a couple pins here and there at the four-star and five-star level, but are certainly more than capable of a clear round to wrap up a bit of an up-and-down year. This is one of those horses who is SO fun to watch across the country: he’s game, straight, and genuine, and tends to top our list of ‘Five-Star Horses We Reckon We Might Actually Have Fun Riding’. He’s had a big change to his fitness regime over the last year or so, and now swims a lot, which Aistis says has really changed his strength and build.

When he’s not running around some of the biggest tracks in the world, Aistis also competes in FEI showjumping, and his wife Helene (who usually grooms for him, accompanied by their sweet little girl) is a competitive dressage rider. Aistis’ operation is based out of Denmark, which is the home country of Commander VG, who is still owned by his breeders Mogens and Birgitte Kloeve Mogensen of the Volstrpgaard Stud. When he’s not busy producing horses, you can find him building cross-country fences, which he then sells around Europe, or at his ‘church’ — waist high in the local river, that is, going fishing.

NEW ZEALAND

James Avery and MBF Connection

Ten year old Irish Sports Horse gelding (Luidam – Traditionally Aloof) Owned by Hazel Livesey. Groomed by Tori Morris.

James describes MBF Connection – or Louis, as he is known at home – as ‘a laidback character, who is passionate about good food and wine.’ Thus, it seems very appropriate that he should head to France for his first 5*, where the finest of both will no doubt be in abundance.

This has been a year of firsts for Louis: he also tackled his first CCI4*-L at Bramham in June. Unfortunately, he picked up 20 penalties cross country, but went on to show jump clear on the final day. 20 penalties aside, that run at Bramham will serve as excellent preparation for Pau, renowned as it is for being one of the toughest 4*L tracks on the circuit. Since then, he has pulled off a top ten finish in the Nations Cup in Arville, adding just a smattering of time faults to his dressage score, and showed similar form in the Intermediate at Oasby earlier this month, where a steady double clear saw them finish 8^th.

That 20 penalties that Louis picked up at Bramham marks his first cross country jumping penalties since 2021, although his show jumping record is less reliable – he is prone to tipping a pole or two. However, as his recent form shows, he is capable of a double clear, so let’s hope he pulls one out of the bag this weekend, too.

Louis was previously campaigned by Matthew Heath and then Harry Horgan, and James (who is based with his fiancée Holly Woodhead at Honington Grange Wellness and Rehabilitation Centre in Lincolnshire) took over the reins in 2021, recording a win on his very first outing with Hazel Livesey’s chestnut gelding. Another good result here will no doubt put James and Louis on the radar for Paris next year, and will cement James’ place as a rising star within Team New Zealand’s ever-growing arsenal.

Jesse Campbell and Cooley Lafitte. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Jesse Campbell and Cooley Lafitte

Eleven-year-old Irish Sports Horse gelding (Je T’aime Flamenco – Graf Shenanigans x Scirocco Delle). Owned by Jay Jaffar. Groomed by Frankie Dunn.

Jesse Campbell is one of a few riders bringing forward multiple horses this week in Pau, and also one of many using this competition to step a horse up to the level for the first time. Cooley Lafitte – or Henry as he is known at home – is certainly ready for the challenge, jumping double clear at both Bramham and Blenheim last year – the latter his first run in a CCI4*-L – and he pulled another double clear out of the bag at Bramham again this summer to finish in the top 20 in the CCI4*-L. His early days were not quite so illustrious though; he was almost sent back to Ireland, such was his lack of appetite for the sport.

However, his owners recognised some promise in him, sending him to Jesse as a last resort – a plan of action that has paid off. It’s unsurprising really, that Jesse was able to turn the horse around. Arriving here as part of the New Zealand Eventing High Performance Squad at the tender age of 21 (the youngest of the 9 riders selected to train here that year), he spent 18 months working for the legend that is Andrew Nicholson, before setting up on his own in 2012. Since then, he’s become renowned for his natural talent and ability, something that’s reflected in his extensive list of achievements, including several Nations Cup appearances, and a trip to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as part of Team New Zealand. Even his 5* debut at Luhmuhlen in 2015 was impressive – he was awarded the cross country prize for finishing bang on the optimum time – so who better than to take a tricky horse like Henry and turn him around?

Jesse and Cooley Lafitte represented New Zealand on the Nations Cup team at both Houghton and Haras du Pin last year. In their final prep run for Pau at Little Downham last month they finished comfortably within the top 20, with yet another double clear in the CCI4*-S. While Henry’s dressage is yet to become consistent – his scores range from high to mid to low 30’s – his jumping record is almost immaculate, save for a smattering of poles here and there on the final day. His last cross country jumping faults were way back in 2020, proving he has the bravery to step up to the top level. This, coupled with the experience of his rider, means that Henry’s first time at 5* will surely be a positive one, and add yet another solid result to his record. Not bad for a horse who wasn’t wholly convinced he even liked eventing to start with!

Jesse Campbell and Diachello. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Jesse Campbell and Diachello

Thirteen year old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado – Visser Cholin x Chello I) Owned by Kent Gardner and Jesse Campbell. Groomed by Frankie Dunn.

Pau will be the second 5* start for Jesse and his Olympic partner Diachello, or Danny, who he has taken right through from BE100 level. Their first run at this level was at Kentucky in 2021, where they finished a credible 11^th, adding just a smidgeon of jumping time faults to their first phase score of 29.1. Little wonder then, that they were selected as part of the New Zealand Olympic team later that same year.

They finished 22^nd out in Tokyo, pulling off a respectable score of 30.1, to which they again added just time faults – indeed the last time Danny incurred any cross country jumping penalties was back in 2019, on his CCI4*-L debut at Millstreet. He made up for it the following year, with a 3^rd place in the CCI4*-L at a Lignières and has never looked back since. His first phase score is similarly consistent – it is not often that these two score higher than 30, and are usually comfortably within the top 20 heading into cross country. His show jumping record is a little bit more erratic – last season he had at least a pole on all but one of his 6 starts, although he has managed to leave them all standing on both of his starts this season.

Yes, you read that right: Pau will be only Danny’s third start this year, but given his extensive – and impressive – experience thus far in his career, it’s not as though he needs the prep in international runs. 6^th in the CCI4*-S at Little Downham in his last run before Pau, his second crack at 5* should be another successful one, especially if he can make it three out of three double clears this season. With Jesse in the saddle he has every chance of pulling off a top ten finish, something that his rider is more than deserving of. Jesse is as hard working as he is talented, and it’s about time that he added a top 5* result to his already impressive list of accolades.

Samantha Lissington and Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Samantha Lissington and Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ

Twelve year old gelding (Caretino – Quantum Flash by Tristaking). Owned by Samantha Lissington and Pip McCarroll. Groomed by Fran Dakin.

Another rising star for Team New Zealand, Samantha will have had a busy few weeks by the time she and Sooty get to Pau. She and long term groom Fran loaded the truck up with not one, but two horses, when they left home a few weeks ago, stopping off at Le Lion d’Angers to compete in the Seven Year Old World Horse Championships with rising star Quantas, first.

Quite a whirlwind, then, but Sam is more than used to such adventures – she arrived here (along with Sooty, and a few other horses) from New Zealand back in 2020, with no real fixed accommodation, no car, no lorry…nothing. Since then – in between pulling off several great results – she and husband Brayden have managed to find a permanent base, Sam has built up a very good string of horses, and this year they finally made the decision to stay in the UK long term. Lucky for us! Oh, and yes, they did buy a car.

This will be Sooty’s first 5*, though his form since his arrival in the UK has been very promising so far. He and Sam pulled off a top 30 in the 8/9 year old class at Blenheim in their first season over here, and their form has continued to show further promise since then – they were 7^th in the same class at Burnham Market the following year, and finished in the top 25 in their first CCI4*-L at Millstreet last year, before taking the top spot in the CCI4*-L at Mallow just a month later. This season they have come out fighting again, adding just cross country time faults to their first phase score to win the Advanced at Chatsworth in May. Since then, they finished in the top 30 at Aachen, before another podium finish – 3^rd, this time, – in the CCI4*-L at Mallow.

They should find themselves in good stead after dressage: their first phase score often breaks into the 20s (their win at Mallow came after posting a 29 in the first phase, a score they bettered there by almost two marks this year), and they should confirm this position after cross country. Other than 20 penalties at Millstreet this year and last, Sooty is generally very consistent in this phase. His show jumping form is less reliable – he has had a rail or two as often as he has jumped clear this season. Still, he has proven himself more than capable in this phase on several occasions, not least at Mallow last year, and again this spring in the infamous quagmire that became the show jumping at Chatsworth in May. Here’s hoping he pulls off another double clear in Pau; he and Samantha seem to have flown slightly under the radar in recent years, but it is more than time that their reliable and consistent form is recognised.

Muzi Pottinger and Just Kidding. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Muzi Pottinger and Just Kidding

Seventeen-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding (Fusaichi Pegasus – Gypsy Princess, by Sadler’s Wells). Owned by The Pottinger Family. Groomed by Amy Bliss Bennett.

Muzi and the diminutive ‘Ferg’ – 15.2hh on his tippy toes – flew around their first Badminton last year, although four down on the final day dropped them down the placings. Previous CCI5* form includes a fourth at Adelaide back in 2018, and second just a year later – maybe they could have topped the podium in 2020, had the dreaded C word not hit.

It’s a great string of results for a horse who’s among those elite ex-racehorses leading the charge for his brethren: Muzi – herself the daughter of Olympic bronze medallist Tinks Pottinger – bought the son of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus off the track as a five-year-old, and he has picked up plenty of notable results in his second career, including thirteenth in the notoriously tough CCI4*-S at Bicton in 2021. They are capable of a very good first phase score – they posted a 25.9 at Badminton last year, though it was admittedly not as polished this year, where they scored 31.3. But then Badminton this year was not their finest hour – they were eliminated cross country, albeit in particularly heinous conditions. However, they quickly re-routed to Luhmuhlen where Ferg showed a return to top form, bettering his Badminton dressage score by a mark and shooting round the cross country with just 0.4 time faults to sit within the top 10 ahead of show jumping. Sadly five poles on the final day saw them drop back down the leader board, but they still pulled off a top 20 placing, proving that Badminton was naught but a blip for this little pocket rocket.

Historically, it’s the show jumping that has proved to be the Achilles’ heel of this partnership – they had four apiece at both Badminton and the World Championships last year. But the reliability that this special little Thoroughbred shows in the first two phases will no doubt leave him in an enviable position heading into the last day, so there’s certainly a shout that he could deliver the top ten finish that both he and Muzi deserve. If nothing else, give this brave little dude’s cross country performance a watch – he jumps with such enthusiasm, throwing himself over jumps that are almost twice his size with much more gusto than many of his taller counterparts. It’s a joy to behold, and a reminder of why so many of us fell in love with eventing in the first place.

Muzi Pottinger and Good Timing

Twelve year old NZ Thoroughbred (Nom Du Jeu x Baloushe) Owned by Muzi Pottinger. Groomed by Amy Bliss Bennett.

Four of the six Kiwi riders entered here at Pau are bringing two horses across the pond for the final 5* of the season, and Muzi Pottinger is one of them. Alongside her seasoned 5* campaigner, Just Kidding, she will also be riding Good Timing, another Thoroughbred, and a debutant at the level. Johnny or ‘The Shark’ as he is, ahem, affectionately known at home, is ‘a groom’s nightmare’, according to Muzi. As she tells it, it’s just as well he’s good at his job, and his form this season backs that up. He’s finished within the top 20 in both of his international competitions this year.

Muzi brought the twelve-year-old gelding over to the UK in 2022, having previously campaigned him to 3* level in their native New Zealand. Before leaving their homeland, they recorded several top results, not least a second place in the CCI3*-L at Puhinui. They burst onto the European scene at Pratoni last spring as part of the New Zealand Nations Cup team, finishing within the top 20 and confirming their place on the world stage. They rounded off that first season on the European circuit with a double clear at the Nations Cup in Boekelo last October, once again part of Team New Zealand, and once again finishing in the top 20.

Although Johnny didn’t make it on the track, his natural speed has proved an asset thus far in his career – he finished with just 0.8 time penalties in Millstreet earlier this year, earning him third place on the podium, and displayed similar turn of foot in Arville, too, where he added 1.6 time to his first phase score. His jumping record is, quite simply, impeccable – he has had just four poles since his arrival from New Zealand which, when combined with his enviable speed, makes him a very exciting prospect indeed. His dressage shows promise too, though it has yet to become consistent, and can range from low to high 30’s. Still, as we’ve seen this season, the first phase score isn’t always that important come cross country day, and the leaderboard can be shaken up right up until the last show jump — so a top 20 finish on their 5* debut is certainly not out of the question and no matter the result this weekend, ‘The Shark’ is a serious horse for the future – even if he is a tad aggressive at times. The best ones are all ‘quirky,’ right?!

Jonelle Price and Hiarado

Eleven-year-old KWPN mare (Diarado – Ubiloa, by Ekstein). Owned by David and Katherine Thomson. Groomed by Kerryn Edmans, Kiera and Rosie

Fun fact for all you breeding nerds out there: Hiarado, the less experienced of the two rides that the formidable Mrs Price — she of that famous eventing power couple, who together topped the FEI World Rankings at the end of last season – has out in France, is by the same sire as fellow Kiwi rider Jesse Campbell’s Olympic mount, Diachello, who can also be seen here this week. That is where the obvious similarities end though, for while Diachello has several high profile events under his belt, Hiarado, or Jools, is relatively new to the upper levels of the sport, and Pau will, in fact, be her first run at 5* level.

She is also pretty new to Jonelle’s string; she joined Team Price just last year, having previously been campaigned by British-based US rider Grace Taylor. With her former rider, Jools jumped clear around several four-star shorts, notching up some impressive results along the way, including 14^th place in the 8/9 year old showcase class at Blenheim in 2021. She has continued to show similar promise and aptitude for the sport since Jonelle took the reins: they were third on their first competitive outing together, and this classy mare has jumped double clear on all but two of her outings since then.

They finished in second place in the CCI4*-L at Mallow in the summer, adding just a fraction of cross country time to their first phase score – a result made even more impressive when considering that it was only the mare’s second run at the level. Since then, Jonelle has run her just three times, taking it steady on each occasion, but still managing to finish within the top 10 on two of those three outings. In fact, on their final run before Pau, they took 3^rd place in the Open Intermediate at Oasby, despite 12.8 cross country time faults, thanks to their immaculate first-phase performance which earned a 25.9.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Jonelle and Jools (their names even go well together!) towards the top of the leader board on day one. Though Jonelle is famed as one of — if not THE – fastest cross country riders in the world, she will be mindful that this is Jools’ first run at the level, and will likely want to have a steady but clear run on this occasion. Nonetheless, they have had just one pole down in their time together, so even with time faults, they could well climb back up the leader board on the final day. Watch this space: the genius of Jonelle could see them finish within the top 10, even with the mare’s inexperience.

Jonelle Price and McClaren. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Jonelle Price and McClaren

Sixteen year old Holsteiner gelding (Clarimo – Toni I by Landjunge). Owned by Katherine and David Thomson. Groomed by Kerryn Edmans, Kiera and Rosie.

Jonelle’s other ride at Pau is the tiny McClaren, former ride of the great Sir Mark Todd, with whom he went to the Tryon World Equestrian Games in 2018. His owners gave Jonelle the ride when Toddy retired at the end of 2018, though it would be 2020 before they made their first appearance together. They hit it off immediately, and rounded off that first season together with 3^rd place in the CCI4*-L at Strzegom. They hit the ground running again in 2021, where they were 2^nd in the CCI4*-S at Millstreet, and 6^th in the CCI3*-S at Barbury Castle before making their first trip to Aachen for the CCI4*-S. The wheels came off ever so slightly on that occasion, and Mac picked up 20 penalties on the cross country, but redeemed himself just a few months later when he finished 3^rd in his first run at 5* level, right here at Pau. On that occasion he added just a smidge of both show jumping and cross country time faults to his smart first phase score of 24.4, demonstrating that what he may lack in stature, he more than makes up for in guts and ability.

Add to that Jonelle’s widely renowned prowess as a cross country rider, and it’s easy to see why these two have proven themselves quite a force to be reckoned with on more than one occasion, despite Mac’s occasional propensity for naughtiness. Part of the bronze medal winning Team New Zealand at last year’s World Championships in Pratoni last year, they also finished 10^th individually, adding just 6 time faults to another smart dressage score of 26.1. However, as talented as this little guy undoubtedly is, he can have a little bit of an attitude problem at times, picking up 20 penalties when it takes his fancy – as was seen on his second appearance at the 5* level in Kentucky last spring. There, he took a dislike to a ditch, and although he still finished within the top 20, he could easily have been far higher in the placings had he just done as he was told. Still, he chose the wrong rider to mess with, and Jonelle made sure to nip any problem he may or may not have had with ditches right in the bud, by taking a makeshift ditch jump everywhere they went afterwards. Including Pratoni, hence their excellent result there.

The decision to return to Pau with Mac was almost certainly made with the intention to repeat, if not better their previous result here, and he is more than capable of doing that – especially with Jonelle in charge. This season he has jumped double clear on all but one occasion – back at Aachen, though this time it wasn’t an issue that came as a result of any cheekiness – and finished 7th in both the CCI4*-S at Millstreet in the summer, and in the Open Intermediate at Oasby last month, his final run before his trip to France. With a flair for dressage as well as ample jumping ability, and one of the world’s best — and fastest — cross country riders in the saddle, Mac could easily pull off the win here this weekend, though he’d be a bit of dark horse to do so. In doing so, reigning Pau champion Jonelle would add yet another 5* title to her ever growing tally, which currently sits at 3 – just two behind husband Tim, but a gap she will nevertheless be keen to close.

Tim Price and Happy Boy, 2022’s Boekelo winners. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Price and Happy Boy

Eleven year old KWPN gelding. (Indoctro – W.Amelusina 17 by Odermus). Owned by Susan Lamb and Terry Miller. Groomed by Kerryn Edmans, Kiera and Rosie

Team Price are out in force for the last 5* of the season, bringing two rides apiece to Pau. Happy Boy, arguably the better-known ride of Tim – former holder of the FEI World Number One spot — has had just one international start since winning the CCI4*-L at Boekelo last October. On that occasion, he added nothing to his 25.6 dressage score, which meant he finished on the same score as Tom McEwen and JL Dublin — but because he was closer to the optimum time on cross-country day, he took the win. Tim ran him a lot slower on his next outing at 4* at Millstreet this year, but ‘Happy’ still earned himself another tidy dressage mark, before putting in two clear jumping rounds, as is customary for him. Described by Tim as ‘the consummate all-rounder for eventing,’ he has had just one pole down so far this season, and finished up 2022 having had just two down.

Winner of the Seven-Year-Old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers back in 2019, it’s hard to believe that this will be Happy’s first tilt at a 5*. He was due to make the step up at Luhmühlen earlier this year, but Tim made the decision to withdraw him at the last minute — not something he will have done without good reason. Since then, he has run him in several national classes, delivering steady double clears on each occasion, and shown ever-increasing consistency in the first phase too, with marks straying no higher than 32.1. Second and fourth on his last two outings, Happy Boy lines up with a fairly good chance of taking a podium place here this weekend, not least because of the skilled horseman who will be riding him.

As Tim says, “he’s really nifty and comes out and does his best in each phase,”a helpful habit which earned him a top ten finish in all of his FEI runs last year, before topping that podium in Boekelo. Happy certainly has all the credentials to make a very good impression at his first 5*. His dressage score may not be quite good enough to disrupt the very top of the leaderboard (although on his day, it certainly is), but he should still be well within contention heading into the jumping phases — and given his penchant for a double clear, another top ten placing here in Pau would not be out of the question.

Tim Price and Viscount Viktor

Nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Viscount – Nova EH) Owned by Barbara Cooper, Ginny Rusher and Glynn Norcutt. Groomed by Kerryn Edmans, Kiera and Rosie

The other ride of Tim Price out in Pau will be Viscount Viktor, who has only been eventing since 2020, and at just nine years old, will be one of the youngest starters this week. Tim describes him as his ‘next big star,’ and for him to be stepping up for his first 5* after just three years in the sport, it would certainly seem that this is the case. He’s has rocketed up the levels right from the word go, making his first international start in his second season in the sport, in the CCI3*-S at Keysoe. It wasn’t necessarily the most remarkable entry onto the international scene – he had both jumping and time faults to add to a smart enough dressage score of 30.4. However, he then jumped clear across country in all of his international starts since the following year including in his first CCI4*-L at Lignieres, where he also show jumped clear to pull off a top 20 finish.

Hence the promise that double World bronze medal holder Tim sees in him – he showed his talent once again in the CCI4*-L at Mallow earlier this season, where he finished in 4^th place with a speedy double clear, his best international result to date. He repeated his jumping clears in both of his following two runs, though he blotted his copy book again at Blenheim last month in the 8/9 year old CCI4*-S with another 20 penalties after a glance off in the second water and a pole down in the show jumping, too. Still, Tim described it as a ‘half naughty but half green’ run out, a necessary part of his ongoing education.

With this in mind, Tim won’t necessarily be bringing Viktor to Pau for an especially competitive run. Rather, he’ll be keeping the future of this talented young horse in mind, and instead just aiming for a steady and safe run across country, and hopefully a clear round on the final day. The latter is something that Viktor is more than capable of; he’s not always the tidiest of jumpers, but he has jumped clear more often than not this season, so it’s certainly possible for him to put in a stellar performance on the final day. Add to that a dressage score that is unlikely to be much higher than mid 30s and he should pull off a reasonably smart 5* debut and prove himself as yet another bright young star in the Price stable – and for Team New Zealand too, for that matter. An LA Olympic hopeful, maybe? You heard it here first…

SPAIN

Eduardo via Dufresne and Maribera Pomes 15.6. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Eduardo Via-Dufresne and Maribera Pomes 15.6

Ten-year-old Spanish-bred Anglo Arab mare (Bonaparte 81 x Ibera Pomes, by Fuerst Nymphenburg). Bred by Santiago Forn. Owned by the rider.

This five-star debutant mare might be a bit of a ‘whodat?’ to anyone who doesn’t follow European eventing with an eagle eye, but I, Tilly Berendt, holder of opinions, am here to tell you that I have spent the last three years thinking, every time I see her, that I need to make a bid on her. Not for myself — I have no notions that suggest I’d stand a chance riding one side of this little fireball — but firmly with my agent hat on my head. She is, in short, very, very cool: she’s bold, and brave, and clever with her footwork, and genuine as all get-out, and while her performances can often look a little rough around the edges, I think there’s a real diamond in there — and no fence too big for her to find her way to the other side of, even though she’s quite a petite stamp.

This’ll be an experience-gaining outing rather than a competitive one; her dressage scores aren’t going to put her in a position to fight for a top spot, as they fluctuate through the 30s and sometimes into the 40s, and even though there’s a huge amount of potential for her to become a seriously fast cross-country horse, she does tend to have a fair amount of time on the clock, probably because she can be strong and she and her rider don’t always totally agree on the approach to a fence. That carries through to showjumping, too, and while she’s very capable of going clear, she also sometimes scatters the poles when they don’t seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. But daddy, I love her — and I think you will too. It’s also very exciting for Spain to have a horse and rider both stepping up to this topmost level.

SWITZERLAND

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Nadja Minder and Toblerone

Fifteen-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding (Yarlands Summer Song x Medelyne). Bred by Eric Attiger. Owned by Nicole Basieux.

Nadja might be one of the youngest riders here at just 23, but she rides like a much more seasoned pro – and despite a truly uncharacteristic tumble from Toblerone at last year’s World Championships, she can be relied upon to keep forging on ahead and fighting for her goals. She has a palpably close bond with all her horses, but Toblerone, particularly, is special: they’ve come up from Young Rider Europeans to the big leagues together since 2020, and together, they earned Nadja’s first four-star win, taking the CCI4*-L at Baborowko last spring. Nadja was also enormously impressive at last spring’s Pratoni test event, where she rode two horses and lodged two of the just seven clears inside the time of the week. This year, they’ve represented Switzerland at the European Championships, finishing just outside the top twenty with two solid clear rounds.

This will be a first five-star for both horse and rider, and one they’re well primed to make. They’ve been eking their dressage scores down from the mid-to-high 30s to the consistently very low 30s this year, though in a five-star test we may well see that mark sneak back up again, but then you can count on them to deliver the goods over the weekend. They’re very reliable and tend to be quick, and their final phase has gotten really solid, too, so they should do themselves proud this week — and Switzerland, too, which doesn’t often have many competitors at five-star.

Oh, and if you tend to pick your favourite horse of the week based on personality alone, look no further: Toblerone might have a sweet (and very Swiss!) name, but he’s actually a very cheeky chappy – he’s the resident joker of Nadja’s yard, with a real sense of humour and a tendency to keep things rather interesting for everyone on a daily basis.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Phillip Dutton and Z

15-year-old Zangersheide gelding. Owned by Z Partnership: Evie Dutton, Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacy, Caroline Moran, Thomas Tierney, David Vos and Patricia Vos. Groomed by Joe Bowersox and Grace Harris.

Multiple-time World Championship rider, seven-time Olympian and Pan-Ams medal winner Phillip Dutton comes to Pau with his Tokyo Olympics partner and 2019 USEA Horse of the Year, Z.

Born in Australia, Phillip made the trip to the States in 1991, changing nationality to ride for the US in 2006, not before he won two team gold medals for his native country at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. He added to his collection with an individual bronze for the USA at Rio in 2016.

Z started out in Portugal with Francisco Seabra before Duarte Seabra continued the gelding’s education up to CCI2*. Phillip took over the ride in 2015, bringing him through the levels to the very top of his sport. On the lead up to the World Championships in Tryon in 2018, they won the test event, finishing on 28 after adding just 0.4 cross country time to his first phase score. They followed their victory up by finishing best of the Americans at the Championships, in 13th. At Tokyo in 2021, they just outside the top-20. The gelding has finished in the top-10 in four of his five CCI5* starts, and top 5 in two of them, with a fifth place finish at this season’s Kentucky where he added just 0.4 cross country time to his first-phase score of 31.9, and coming in fourth at Maryland last year, finishing on his dressage score of 30.5. He comes to Pau in great form, having won last time out in the 4*-S at Stable View, where he proved he can be sub-30 on the first day with a 28.1. He’s already had a trip to Europe this year, with a sixth place finish at Aachen.

A 5* he tends to have a toe in the 30s in the first phase, but we really are talking just a smidge. At the 4* level he’s for sure a sub-30 guy, and it would be nice to see him pull that off at the top level this time around. Follow up his solid dressage form with the fact that the gelding has jumped clear across the country in his last sixteen runs – in his 41 FEI completions he has just one jumping penalty (a 15 in the 4*-L at Maryland in the fall of 2019) on his entire record – and we just know that Z will be looking for the flags the whole way round the course, and is sure to be climbing the leaderboard come cross country day. He sometimes adds a breath of time, but not always. Naturally a bit of a perfectionist, he’s a careful show jumper on the whole, with more clears on his score sheet than penalties; he’s jumped clear in all but one of his runs this season. All in all, based on his form, experience and recent excellent performance at Kentucky, Z is for sure one to watch at Pau.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach

Seventeen-year-old Irish Sports Horse gelding (Radolin – Cloverballen). Owned by Cosby Green. Groomed by Ryan Warden.

When 23-year-old Cosby came to the UK earlier this year to base with Tim and Jonelle Price at their base at Chedington, she was achieving a life-long dream, for the pair had long been her idols. When she starts at Pau this week, she will be achieving another: to compete at 5* with her long term partner, Copper Beach. This will be his second trip to the South of France, though – he first came here in 2017 with his previous rider, Buck Davidson. He finished in the top 30 on that occasion, so Cosby will surely be hoping to repeat, if not better, that form this week. She has had the ride on ‘Sean’ for the last three years, and they have enjoyed several successful runs at 4* level, both in the States and since coming to the UK.

Amongst these are top 10 place in the CCI4*- L at Tryon in 2022, as well as a win in the CCI4*-S at Morven Park earlier that same year. They came out all guns blazing on their frst international start on European soil, claiming a top 15 spot in the CCI4*-S at Mallow before taking 8^th place in the CCI4*-S at Little Downham in September, adding a few time faults to their first phase score. A nice boost to their confidence ahead of their trip to Pau, no doubt.

They have jumped clear across country on all their starts thus far this season, with a maximum of one pole on the final day. Indeed, they have jumped double clear as often as they have not this year, so fingers crossed Pau sees them pull this off again. With a dressage score hovering around the lower 30’s, it wouldn’t be surprising to see these two finish well within the top half of the field, ending Cosby’s season here on the same high with which it began, and adding to a list of accolades this season that includes earning the best-placed rookie prize at Boekelo earlier this month with another ride.

Sean actually started his eventing career on UK soil, way back in 2011 with Gemma Stevens, and even then, he showed promise, finishing in the top 10 on all but one of his starts in that first season, before stepping up to Novice at the end of that first year. When he was sold to the US, he continued to rack up the results, and has jumped around several high profile US events with Buck, including Kentucky. 23-year-old Cosby has an experience beyond her years, too, so together they are more than ready to tackle the challenge at Pau this weekend. Still, it must be comforting for Cosby to know that her old mate has already had one successful trip around here – hopefully he remembers the way, and gives her a positive spin around her first 5*, too. Who knows what they have planned for next season, be it Kentucky or another European 5*, but one thing that is almost certain is that Cosby’s is a name you should remember, and this weekend could well be the start of a long – and successful — 5* career for this talented young rider, not least as a result of her time with Mr and Mrs Price.

Allie Knowles and Morswood. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Allie Knowles and Morswood

Fifteen-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding (Ricardo Z – Princess in Arms, by Present Arms xx). Bred by John Doherty. Owned by Katherine O’Brien. Groomed by Katie Hagerty.

This weekend will be Morswood’s fifth CCI5* with Lexington-based Allie Knowles. Morswood was originally produced through the 2* level by Great Britain’s Piggy March before the reins were handed to Piggy’s then-stable jockey, Ireland’s Susie Berry. With Susie, the gelding contested the Young Rider European Championships in 2017, proving there how quick and competitive he could be across the country.

Since pairing up with Allie, who’s also known for tackling the biggest courses in the world with her OTTB Sound Prospect, Morswood has picked up some exciting results. They went to Maryland in 2021 for Morswood’s first 5* after some of his best performances at CCI4*-S in Unionville and the CCI4*-L at Jersey, ultimately finishing eleventh in that debut at the top level.

The duo then threw their hat in the ring for Kentucky in 2022, cutting their trip short after an unfortunate fall for Allie at the Mighty Moguls. However, the team bounced back for an eighth place finish in the Maryland 5* in 2022. They didn’t complete Kentucky this year, and this autumn, rather than tackling another Maryland, they decided to try their hand — or hoof — at a new venue for the horse, though not the rider. Allie finished 21st here in 2017 on ‘Sounder’.

As if riding at the 5* level wasn’t impressive enough, Allie doesn’t just produce horses and compete – she’s also a USEA ECP trainer, helping her students achieve their own goals, and a young mom. Typical multitasking that we see in a Pony Clubber – she’s an A graduate of Sierra Gold Pony Club.

We’ll look to Morswood to start his week with a low-to-mid-30s score, though he has gone sub-30 at five-star previously. Then, they’ll aim for a clear — and a reasonably quick one, as is their tendency — and they’ll hope to repeat that clear final phase that they delivered on their Maryland debut.

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B

Thirteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Clooney – Paulien B, by Fedor). Owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate. Bred by G and G.F. Brinkman.

Boyd rides in honor of the late Annie Goodwin, who was ‘Bruno’s’ previous rider. Annie’s family asked Boyd to take over the ride after her death in 2021 in what he describes as “a massive honor to continue Annie’s work with Bruno.” Boyd describes Bruno as a ‘one-person horse’, and the pair had to take time to grow roots in the partnership, but it has certainly blossomed in the time since. Their top finishes include winning the Tryon CCI4*-L in May of 2022 as well as their 4*-S earlier this year. They also were seventh at Boekelo last year in addition to winning the Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce’s Field at the start of 2022, and when Bruno made his five-star debut at Luhmühlen this summer, he thoroughly impressed with an eighth-place finish — a hugely poignant moment for his family of supporters.

Now, we’ll look to them to repeat or even improve upon that finish, and aiming for a win really isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, either. Bruno’s not going to lead the dressage; he’s a high-20s to low-30s scorer, which will put him in a position to hunt his way to the top throughout the weekend. He’s very reliable and naturally swift across the country, and he’s only had one rail since 2020. Boyd ran both his FEI starts since Luhmühlen as combined tests, but there’ll be good reason for that approach — not least that Bruno has been beautifully produced for cross-country, and doesn’t need to put miles on the clock to confirm what he already knows. In any case, they’ve never been out of the top ten in their seven FEI starts in which they have left the start box. Watch them closely this week.

ZIMBABWE

Julia Norman and Ardeo Berlin

Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by Keith Norman, Bruce Fraser, and Julia Norman. Groomed by Cara Bexton and Sophia Covey.

With most of the horses at Team Norman now on their winter holidays, it will be all eyes on Ardeo Berlin (Bertie) this week – Julia is accompanied by not only her competition groom Cara, but head girl too Sophia too. This will suit Bertie just fine, though; he’s a big fan of VIP treatment and thrives with the one on one treatment that he receives at these top events!

Pau will be a chance for redemption after he and Julia were sadly pulled up achingly close to home at Burghley in September when officials spotted a speck of blood from a tiny bite on his lip. They had looked full of running until that point, so hopefully they will be able to replicate that performance in France this weekend. This will be the third 5* start for Julia and Bertie – “our little pocket rocket” – and Julia’s 5^th. Based at the Windmill Stud where she also breeds event horses, Julia actually qualified as a Quantity Surveyor before ultimately choosing to pursue a career with horses.

She has partnered Bertie throughout his entire eventing career, taking him right up through the levels. Together they were 4^th at Ballindenisk earlier this year, despite having a grand total of zero prep runs before hand, and were 34^th here at Pau this year, despite 20 penalties on cross country day. Bertie, who Julia admits is “not the easiest on the flat” (we can expect to see a mark in the high 30’s or low 40’s in the first phase) lives for the cross country. This was clear for all to see at Burghley: the tiny Irish gelding attacked Derek di Grazia’s track with an enthusiasm and determination that belied his tiny stature. He jumped clear in all but one of his cross country starts last season, and before that his last cross country jumping faults were back in 2019.

This season, Julia – who transferred her nationality to Zimbabwean over the winter – has only run Bertie four times – largely due to the cancellations of many of the spring events she had entered. Still, after a successful spin around the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk, an almost-completion at Burghley and a jaunt around the OI at both Aston-le-Walls earlier in the summer, and then at Oasby last month, Bertie will certainly be raring to go, and hopefully improve on his 34^th place here last year. Fingers crossed for Julia and her pocket rocket; they certainly deserve to make it to the final day, and Bertie will no doubt give this week’s tough course his all as he did at Burghley.

Pau begins tomorrow at 10.00 a.m. CET/9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST with the first horse inspection, while dressage will begin at 2.30 p.m. CET/1.30 p.m. BST/8.30 a.m. EST. You can catch all the action via Horse&Country TV — and keep it locked on EN for all the news, views and updates from each and every day. Go Eventing!

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau links: Website | Entries | Live Scores | Live Stream | EN’s Coverage

The Belles of the Burghley: Team EN Picks The Winners (and More!)

By Eventing Nation on Sep 1, 2023 2:29 pm - 1,292 views

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

TILLY BERENDT

Winner: For me, it’s Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, through and through, and I am so sorry for jinxing them if it doesn’t pan out this weekend. This pair just deserve a British five-star victory on their record so much; Toledo is one of the greatest event horses of the modern era, in my humble opinion, and he’s already won at Pau and been a silver and gold medallist at Tokyo, among his enormous roster of accolades. There are few horses who can succeed at both Pau — on the tight, twisty, technical far end of the 5* spectrum — and Burghley — the huge, bold, terrain-heavy other end of that spectrum, but Toledo adapts himself to any course so admirably. He was fourth here on his last appearance back in 2017 as a ten-year-old, and I can’t wait to see what he makes of his return this week.

Best Foreign Entry: It’s a bit of a ‘cheat’ for me to say Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, because they’re British based, but still, it counts — and who’d want to bet against this extraordinary little horse, who delivered by far the fastest round of the day in incredibly tough conditions at Badminton this year? He finished looking like he could have done another minute, ultimately finishing third, and this week, the conditions are far more favourable, so even with the tougher terrain, I think he’s going to be one of the most noteworthy rounds to watch come Saturday. This is his first Burghley, but I have faith we’ll get more of the ‘Salty’ magic this week.

Best Mare: Well, Liberty and Glory, naturally — more on this below — but also, Ros Canter’s excellent Pencos Crown Jewel. She’s been incredibly successful in her own right, finishing top ten at Badminton this year, Bicton 5* on her debut in 2021, and eleventh here last year, but she’s always rather overshadowed by her maternal half-brother, Lordships Graffalo. This is her week to prove that she’s every inch as good as Walter, and I think she’ll be a right in her wheelhouse doing so.

Dark Horse: Surely they don’t count as dark horses anymore, but speaking of competitors who seem to get overshadowed in the wider conversation, I have to give the nod to David Doel — the kindest man in eventing — and Galileo Nieuwmoed. This is such a cheat pick for me, because they’ve been in the top ten in their last three five stars (Badminton, Pau, and Kentucky), AND they led Pau after cross-country, but I still feel like they’re often being missed out in the chit-chat because of the major names in this line-up. I’ll be looking at them to finish in the business end again and for everyone to finally realise that they’re a truly world-class combination.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will: I’ve liked the look of Matt Heath’s Askari ever since he was an Intermediate being taken around by British team head honcho Dickie Waygood — he’s got the sweetest splashy face and a tonne of talent. He’s impressed me on both his runs around terrain-heavy Bramham CCI4*-L — he’s bold, and game, and clever with his feet, and Matt is one hell of a cross-country jockey. I think a lot of people will find a new favourite here as the gelding takes on his first five-star.

Highest Climber After Cross Country: It’s a tough one for me to call between 21-year-old Alice Casburn and her homebred Topspin, who climbed from 30th to eighth after cross-country last year, ultimately moving up to fifth on the final day, and flying firefighter Tom Crisp and his own homebred, Liberty and Glory, who climbed from 39th to fifteenth on cross-country and then moved up to ninth in the showjumping. But after that unlucky dunking at Badminton this spring in the lake, at which point Tom and ‘Lori’ had been giving one of the performances of the day — Tom’s unseating came when she twisted a bit in the air, and as he was due an operation on a hernia, he was slightly short on his usual core strength — I want to give this one to Tom. Everyone will be rooting for him as, even in the throes of heartbreak, he put on a show, ‘swimming’ in the lake before taking a bow, and there are few horses more fun to watch than the tiny, feisty mare he’s mounted on. I’m gunning for another top ten for them this week, and even though the first phase isn’t Lori’s forte, the pair are so capable and quick that it’s totally within their wheelhouse to put themselves at the business end again when it counts.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CHEG DARLINGTON

Winner:
There’s going to, rightly, be a lot of talk about Toledo, but Swallow Springs is totally on my radar – and EquiRatings’ too, who have him down as favorite to win. So, I’m going to play the numbers game. Oliver has ridden at Burghley every year since 2006 (except, of course, the Covid years) – he won it the third time of trying (and the first time he completed, in 2009), and has since won again, as well as coming second, third and fourth – he’s going for his third win this weekend. Swallow Springs comes forward for his third go at Burghley – he was third on his first attempt, with Andrew Nicholson in the irons, when he finished on his dressage. He’s certainly shown he can be there or thereabouts after the first phase, and was sitting in third after dressage at Badminton in the spring. According to EquiRatings, Swallow Springs is the third fastest horse in the field and there’s no denying his cross country jumping ability. He may have a pole on the final day, but so could a lot of the other horses, and if all three phases show up for him, I think he could be onto a winner. All these threes are talking to me and whispering that maybe it’ll be third time lucky for this lovely horse.

Best Foreign Entry:
I’ll kick on with my head choice – and stick with my three theme – and put Tim Price and Vitali in here. They were third at Burghley last year and have had top 10 finishes in all three of their top-level outings together – in fact, their last three runs have been 5*s. We all know that Burghley’s not a dressage competition, but last year they put down a 21.3 in the first phase – the fourth best Burghley dressage score of all time, and, according to EquiRatings, Vitali is the second best dressage horse in the field this year, based on their 6RA stats, (OK, so my threes theory runs out of gas here). You have to go right back to his first FEI outing (with former rider James Avery) to find cross country jumping penalties on his record, and he’s shown he can be close to the time at the level, although he hasn’t quite been inside it, yet. Vitali’s show jumping can drop him down the order – although Tim has the most Burghley show jumping clears in the field – but the twelve he added on the final day in the Burghley Main Arena last year only saw him drop one place. If they’re to be up there at the end of proceedings, this will be a real team effort – starting out like they mean business, Tim putting his foot down on the cross country, and Vitali holding it together in the show jumping – just as eventing should be.

In case you’re wondering, my heart choice is Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF. I could run the stats and come up with a very similar argument to the one above, but sometimes it’s nice to just follow your heart, and Thomas is a horse that I get heart-eyed-emoji about. I’d love to see him have a great Burghley, and I think he just might.

Best Mare:
Boyd’s back in my picks, with On Cue – a mare that I am very much looking forward to seeing on her first trip overseas. She comes forward for her third 5*, having placed third in her debut at the level at Kentucky, and then winning on her second attempt – at Maryland, where she posted a 25 in the dressage and then finished on that score. She probably won’t win the dressage in present company, but for sure she’ll be in the hunt as we go into the cross country, and she’s amongst the most reliable cross country horses in the field, with no jumping penalties on her record since a 2* in 2018. She’s not always the fastest, but she can be if Boyd decides to go for it, so we’ll just have to wait and see how she’s feeling on the day. She’s an exciting talent, that’s for sure.

Dark Horse:
I’m actually backing David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed for the win, but as I needed a combination for the dark horse category, and Galileo is literally a dark horse, I’m putting him in here. As an eight-year-old he tackled his first 4* at Le Pin au Haras in 2019, adding nothing to his dressage of 33.3 for second. At his first 5* – Pau in 2021 – he was 15th, with a double clear cross country but a couple of poles on the final day. Last year, the pair burst onto the Badminton leaderboard, finishing 6th with David the highest-placed Badminton first-timer. It was jumping clear all the way, adding just 1.2 cross country time to their dressage of 32.4. He returned to Pau last season to finish 4th, jumping clear inside the time on cross country day – one of only four to make the time and coming in 9 seconds under – and missing out on the win by just one show jumping pole. He followed that up with eighth place at Kentucky this spring, finishing on his dressage with a score of 35.6. This is a bold, scopey horse who’s as fun to watch as he is talented, and I won’t be at all surprised if he’s right up at the top once all’s said and done.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:
When you hear Kristina Hall-Jackson talk about CMS Google, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the excitement she has for their partnership. They’ve completed at all but one of their 26 FEI starts together (withdrawing at the only one they didn’t complete), and their cross country round at Badminton in the spring was, for me, one of the rides of the day. Yes, they had a couple of green refusals, but it was only their second time at the level – Google is still gaining mileage – and, if your horse tells you she’s having the time of her life, it’s totally commendable to kick on and finish the thing, gaining enormous experience and building your partnership along the way. They finished 29th and were the highest-placed British Badminton first-timers. This is for sure a combination that is up-and-coming, and, whilst I don’t think they’re going to win Burghley this time around, if you love seeing a horse digging deep and a partnership that’s truly a team, then this exciting prospect is one to watch. Also, best Christmas present ever! That’s right, Kristina got Google for Christmas, excuse me while I get all dreamy-eyed for a second.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG is my sensible choice for this category, but I just have to add Francis Whittington’s DHI Purple Rain in here. It’s a bit of a game of two halves based on his stats – on recent form, he’s likely to be at the bottom end of the hunt after the first phase – but that’s very much down to mood and atmosphere rather than talent for the test. More often than not, he’s in the low-30s in the first phase, and therefore in the mix, but he can get hot, hot, hot – as he did at Badminton in the spring – and when that happens, despite Francis being brilliant under the pressure, those scores just slip away. But it’s the cross country that’s really important for this category. I was incredibly taken by how this horse took on all that the Badminton track threw up this year. One thing you’ll notice about this guy is his extravagant and flamboyant action – he really is a sight to see. You’d have thought he was totally unsuited to the sticky, difficult going, but no – he ate that course up and looked like he relished every single second. He was quick that day – he isn’t always, but Francis has been spending time patiently producing this lovely horse and so doesn’t always have his foot down. After his gutsy performance at Badminton though, perhaps he’ll feel that ‘Prince’ is ready to run – we’ll have to wait and see. In terms of highest climber, it’s more likely to be Commander VG if you look at form alone (he’s one of the fastest horses in the field for a start), but based on circumstantial evidence and my own observations, there’s a real possibly it’ll be DHI Purple Rain.

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

DIANA GILBERTSON

Winner:
Well, I always find this hard, and this time is no different. I honestly haven’t a clue – I could jump on about ten different horses (figuratively speaking that is – I doubt any of the top jockeys would let me get on their finely tuned partners in crime), including 5* stalwart Ballaghmor Class, his stablemate Swallow Springs, the recently crowned European Champion Ros and Pencos Crown Jewel, (who also happens to be half sister to Ros’ European ride, and Badminton champ, Lordships Graffalo), Tokyo Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist Tom McEwan….the list goes on. But I am going to go with my heart here, and say FEI World No. 1, Tim Price with Vitali, who was third here last year. We all know Vitali, who can easily dance his way to the top of the leader board on dressage day and follow it up with a speedy clear across country has a major Achilles heel in the show jumping. Three down here last year dropped him down from second, while another three at Badminton this spring dropped him from fourth to seventh, but STILL! This is eventing, the sport where anything can – and does – happen, and I would love to see Vitali and Tim have their day. If I was to have a back up, I’d say Tom McEwan and Toledo. In fact, in all honesty, they’re a more likely candidate, as they are pretty infallible in all three phases, but no. I shall go with my heart, and stick on Tim. An utter genius in the saddle and an all round super human in general, it would make me very, very happy to have him add another Burghley title to his ever growing list of major wins, and with such a lovely horse, too. GO TIM! And Vitali, pick your bloody feet up!

Best Foreign Entry:
Is it cheating to say Tim again? Ok, yes…he may be a Kiwi but let’s face it, he’s part of the fixtures and fittings over here now. So instead, I’ll venture to America, and pick Boyd Martin, with On Cue. She has had just 20 cross country penalties across her six year FEI career, and is the definition of girl power. This is her first trip to Burghley, but with a cross country record like that, the tough track that lies ahead on Saturday shouldn’t cause her too much trouble, and her consistency in the dressage should stand her in good stead, too. Unfortunately, her show jumping record isn’t as squeaky clean; she has tipped rails in almost all of her starts this season, and as such she may struggle to make the podium. Having said that, if she can pull her usual sub 20 dressage mark out of the bag as well as another magical cross country performance, she may earn herself enough leeway to drop a few poles and still stay in the mix. Either way, she will no doubt make Boyd’s trip across the pond more than worthwhile, even if it is just to show us all how it is done over one of the toughest tracks in the world.

Best Mare:
I could be really lazy and simply say, see above (On Cue), but then I’d feel guilty…I really, really wanted to say Luna Mist, only so I could talk about the incredible upside down half moon on her forehead. She’s so pretty! But I don’t think that would pass as a good enough reason to back her as the best mare. So instead let’s talk about Jasmine – Pencos Crown Jewel. Piloted by this season’s golden girl, Ros Canter, and half sibling to the Badminton and European Champ Lordships Graffalo, all eyes will be on her this weekend. Rightly so, it must be said. She may not have quite as long a list of accolades to her name as her (half) bro, but she is still a mare worthy of much celebration. Second in the CCI-4*L at Bramham last June, she then made her Burghley debut and came in eleventh, and bettered that with ninth at Badminton this Spring. She isn’t quite as careful as Walter on the final day – she had 3 down here last year, and 2 at Badminton – which may keep her off that coveted top spot, but that’s not to say she can’t pull a clear out of the bag. In fact, she did just that at Bramham last year, despite a whole jump blowing over beside her mid-round. So it won’t be surprising to see her finish top 10 – nay, top 5, nay, top THREE! – this weekend, especially considering she is partnered by Ros, Queen of Absolutely Everything (in my world, anyway).

Dark Horse:
Um, this is awkward, but I am going for a literal dark horse here. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Admittedly, they were eliminated at their first 5* at Bicton in 2021, but they have put that far behind them and not only completed, but smashed every 5* start since. Sixth at their first Badminton in 2022 with a double clear, fourth at Pau later that year with one show jump, eight at their first Kentucky this Spring with another double clear, this is not a horse that will be under the radar for very much longer. Nor does it seem fair that he is still an eligible contender for this category – or that he hasn’t yet made it on to a Championship team. But that, lads, is a conversation for another day. Today we are here to talk about Burghley, a tough cross country test that requires a brave, fast horse, and guess what, we have one right here. Add to that a pretty snazzy show jumping record – not a single pole all season thus far – and an ever improving first phase score, and you have a dark horse about to put his best foot forward into the light.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:

Burghley 2023 sees one of the most competitive line ups since well, a long time. Up against several major players from overseas — including Boyd Martin from the US with not one, but two rides (one of which is already a 5* winner) — are a veritable feast of UK based superstars. We’re talking Olympic, European and World Medallists, the FEI World Number , and of course, this year’s Badminton Winner. However, as exciting as it is to see all of these legends in action, there is also a multitude of lesser known faces making their 5* debut this weekend. One such debutant is nine year old Shanbeg Cooley, ridden by Northumberland-based Harry Mutch who is, in his own right, a rider to keep your eye on. This will be Harry’s fourth 5* start but the very first for ‘Jager.’ Some might say that Burghley is quite the challenge for such a young and relatively inexperienced horse, but Harry has a lot of faith in him, especially after a successful romp around the equally trying CCI-L4* at Bramham in June, to finish inside the top 20. Harry calls him a ‘freak,’ who could easily have been a pure showjumper – this will certainly stand him in good stead on the final day, as will his preference to run fast across country. His dressage is a work in progress, but with 3 double clears from 5 international starts this season, this is a horse that could well fly up the leader board after the jumping phases, putting himself firmly in the spotlight, and proving himself as one to watch for the future.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
Austin O Connor and Colorado Blue. I do not need to say much to justify this, the stats speak for themselves. Although he is usually well down after dressage, he is just as likely to be back in the top 10 – or 5 – after cross country. Need evidence? 34^th to 3^rd at Badminton this Spring, and similar scenes the year before, climbing way up to finish eighth at only their second 5*. They were best of the Irish in Tokyo in 13, thanks again to a game of leader board leap frog after cross country and I won’t be alone in predicting the same happens here. Hopefully Salty can maintain his position on the final day, as his tendency to knock a few poles has seen him go back down a few spots too – he would have been second at Badminton had it not been for two rails on the final day – but it is still oh so fun to see him skip so far up the leader board after cross country! I feel a new bet for all the gamblers out there….how many places can Austin go up this time?

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

ALLIE HENINGER

Winner:
The odds are against anyone who isn’t Oliver Townend this weekend, who will enter the ring three separate times on very competitive horses. Swallow Springs currently has the highest probability scoring from our friends at Equiratings, and his record shows a typical expert-level challenge to the rest of our field of competitors. After taking a silver at Badminton thanks to his ridiculously low dressage score – with over 7 points between him and the third-place finisher – another similar test could give them a nice comfortable cushion should time be lost on cross country.

Ballaghmor Class, however, may be the more suited horse for this particular competition, with a much higher tendency to produce the kind of confident cross country ride that will be needed this week. This gelding hasn’t been out of the top five in any of his eight five-stars – with just a pole or two in show jumping keeping him from shining success, though he does have two wins at the level to his name. I am never very successful in my attempts at predictions (so don’t quote me on any of these!), but I definitely look forward to seeing how these two – as well as Oliver’s third competitive entry Tregilder – duke it out for the finish.

Best Foreign Entry:
Our Kiwi friends Tim Price and Vitali took Burghley by storm last year post-dressage on the lowest score in the field at 21.3 – one that managed to secure them in third place despite three show jumping rails and 5.2 time faults on cross country. They took a seventh place finish at Badminton this year with nearly the exact same story – a 27.1 dressage score that was added to with three rails and an understandable amount of time on cross country, crossing the finish as the fourth fastest even given the field conditions. Experience will prove itself in challenging competition, and I don’t think this weekend will be an exception for this well-seasoned pair.

Best Mare:
Always my favorite will be the beautiful queen that is On Cue – winner of this year’s Bromont CCI4*-S and also of my heart. Cue’s only two 5*s thus far have seen a win and a fourth place finish, with very few deviations outside the top ten – or top five, for that matter. While certainly not the fastest horse in the field, her first Burghley outing will call for technique and bravery, which she certainly has in hand with only one cross country refusal in her entire history. If she can keep the rails up in the final phase, she’s sure to give a very competitive score.

Dark Horse:
While not exactly a typical dark horse, one pair that I feel may be overlooked is the Irish duo Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. The two have been slowly decreasing their average dressage score over the years, and have seen top ten finishes at the only two 5* completions they have under their belt. Most importantly, however, is “Salty’s” tendencies for a fast and clear cross country – the gelding put in the fastest time on this year’s very wet and difficult Badminton course, earning them a spot on the podium. They also added only one dropped pole in the Tokyo Olympics for a 13th place finish, so a competitive dressage score could mean a huge advantage for this pair.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:
Julia Norman sent me on a research journey this week when I learned that she had recently switched nationalities to her late mother’s homeland of Zimbabwe. This previously-British competitor’s entry brings a first for Burghley’s records, and while Julia has a Burghley run under her belt, this will be Ardeo Berlin’s only second run at the CCI5* level. “Bert” is not to be discounted, however, after taking a quick fourth place finish at Ballindenisk this spring. His dressage scores aren’t typically star-studded, but this rider’s story will surely be the talk of the town this week.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
The ever-talented Shanbeg Cooley always catches my eye, and while he’s known for not always being able to put down the best scores in the sandbox, he is known for being an absolute freak on cross country. Earning double-clears more often than not, this fast and strong stallion seems made for Burghley. This will be his 5* debut piloted by the young but experienced Harry Mutch, who has mentioned quite a bit about the difficult young horse’s work to make it to this field. If the hot-headed “Jaeger” truly is fitter than he’s ever been, we are certainly sure to see quite the show from this pair come Saturday.

EN’s coverage of Burghley is presented by Kentucky Performance Products. Click here to learn all about their full line of science-backed nutritional support products, including Neigh-Lox Advanced for digestive support.

Defender Burghley Horse Trials Links: Website | Live Stream | Entries | EN’s Coverage

Ready, Steady, Go: Your Guide to the Horses and Riders of the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships

By Eventing Nation on Aug 11, 2023 7:50 pm - 2,220 views

In just a few hours we’ll be officially underway with competition at the 2023 FEI Eventing European Championships for Seniors, held this year at Haras du Pin in France. It’s an important trial on all accounts, and we can’t wait to see how things shake out by the end.

As is tradition here at EN, we’ve compiled everything we know about each combination competing this weekend into one comprehensive Form Guide. You can also learn more about this weekend’s competition in our Ultimate Guide and our Team primer. Use the link list below for more information on #Euros2023.

Want to jump straight to a specific nation? Click the links below to jump directly to their section. They nations are listed in drawn order in the list below:

1. Ireland
2. Belgium
3. Germany
4. Netherlands
5. Italy
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. Poland
9. Denmark
10. France
11. Great Britain
12. Austria
13. Denmark
14. Finland

Daniel Dunst and Chevalier 97 – TEAM

Thirteen-year-old Westfalian gelding (Cürten – Laola, by Falkenhof’s Lancer). Owned by O. St. Auto-Pichler Autovermietungs u. Handels GmbH.

4* dressage average: 38.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: It’s been since 2015 that Austrian individual representative Daniel Dunst competed at the European Championships, and for this cycle he’s paired up with the 13-year-old Chevalier 97. Daniel acquired the full-time ride on Chevalier 97 from fellow Austrian Peter Pichler ahead of the 2021 season. To that point, the horse competed in pure show jumping — save one 2*-S event in 2019 with Daniel — through the CSI2* level. Showing talent for the versatility test that is eventing, Chevalier 97 easily stepped up to the 4* level last spring, and this year Daniel’s come out with the intention of now asking for more competitive performances. They’ve turned in two clear and inside the time cross country rounds this year so far.

It’s a must-succeed weekend in many ways for the Austrians, who have not yet achieved qualification for the Olympics. The pathway through the Europeans is likely the most realistic option they have to qualify a team. The Austrians finished sixth in the 2021 Europeans, and doing this or better this weekend could keep them in play for Paris.

Fun Fact: Chevalier 97 is the third horse with which Daniel has been selected to compete at the European Championships.

Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Oklahoma 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Oklahoma 2 – TEAM

Thirteen-year-old Trakehner mare (Sixtus – Osterfreude V, by Donaumonarch). Bred by Herald Riedl. Owned by Nico Hauf and the rider.

4* dressage average: 37.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This will be a third Championship appearance for seasoned Oklahoma, who was part of the Austrian team at 2021’s European Championships in Avenches and then went to Pratoni last season. She was 38th at the Euros in 2021, and the Austrian team finished sixth – but the World Championships proved a touch trickier, and she and Katrin were eliminated on course. They began this year with another disappointing run at Montelibretti, but Katrin has since put the wheels back on the bus, and seasoned Oklahoma — who has 17 four-star runs to her name — has had three good, steady clears at the level since. She’s not here to fight for a medal — her first phase isn’t quite in the mix — but she can deliver a solid round and help the Austrian line-up aim for a completion. With just three combinations on the team this year, that’s exactly what they need.

Fun fact: Katrin has historically chosen not to work with a trainer, but instead to self-educate and focus on the production of her horses without outside influence.

Austria’s Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P – TEAM

Thirteen-year-old German Sporthorse gelding (Van Gogh – Carisma P, by Carismo). Bred by Pfitzmann Gbr. Owned by Harald Siegl.

4* dressage average: 32

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: At the 2021 Europeans, Lea and Van Helsing P finished best of the Austrian contingent, taking individual 16th place after delivering a 28.7 on the flat, cruising around for eight time penalties across the country, and jumping clear on the final day. They’ve got course form at Haras du Pin, too; they came here, as most of Europe did, for last year’s CCIO4*-S, which had over 100 entries and was the final prep run for Pratoni for the majority of the entered horses. They jumped clear, adding 7.6 time penalties — but in that seriously high-calibre field, that was only enough to put them in 44th. Still, don’t underestimate them: they’ve won at CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L this year (Strzegom Nations Cup and Montelibretti, respectively), their dressage scores have improved considerably over the last few seasons, and Lea is a gutsy, fierce rider who crosses the country with a maturity beyond her years. They come here having not been out of the top ten in any international in a year, and she’ll be looking to carry that trend on. If she can do it, that’ll be an enormous moment for Austria – but in this field, she’ll have to hope for a good, strong course to exert plenty of influence.

Fun fact: At just 22, Lea was the youngest rider in the Tokyo field – but only by the tiniest of margins: Switzerland’s Robin Godel was born one day before her. She managed to qualify an impressive three horses for Tokyo, but opted for top horse DSP Fighting Line. She’s trained by her father, Harald, who rode for Austria at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and she and Katrin were just the second and third women ever to represent Austria in eventing at the Olympics.

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Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville – TEAM

Ten-year-old Belgian Sporthorse mare (Royaldik – Kyra du Relais Pachis, by Kashmir van Schuttershof). Bred by Larga sprl. Owned by Five Star Eventer sprl and Larga sprl.

4* dressage average: 31.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Lara has been a stalwart of the Belgian team since her teens, when she first represented the country at the Pony Europeans. In total, she’s ridden in eleven Europeans across the Pony, Junior, Young Rider, and senior levels, and made her World Championships debut in 2010 riding Nooney Blue, her Young Riders partner. Nooney is now a lynchpin of Lara’s extensive breeding programme, and some of her offspring are moving up to the top levels now. Hermione isn’t a daughter of Nooney, but she’s an integral part of the production line at Arville, the Belgian castle estate at which Lara and her husband, German eventer and Belgian chef d’equipe Kai Steffen Meier, base their operation and run an international horse trials, too. She’s also on excellent form this year, as is Lara, who comes to Haras du Pin off the back of a top ten placing at Aachen with Ducati d’Arville, top ten placings in Luhmühlen’s ultra-competitive CCI4*-S with Hermione and Hooney, and a fourth place finish in the CCIO4*-S at Jardy last month with Hermione. Belgium leads the way comfortably in the Nations Cup series, but is hoping to clinch their Paris qualification here, and the tangible confidence within the ranks will help them. They’re ready to put a tough few years – which culminated in a first-fence freak fall at Pratoni for Lara and Hermione — behind them, and so we should too.

Fun fact: Lara, who has a Master’s degree in Commerce, was raised by eventing parents: “For as long as I can remember, there have always been horses around me. I got my first pony when I was eight years old. It wasn’t a very easy journey from the start [of her competitive eventing career]. I was often eliminated. I was told that I lacked fighting spirit to get to the top level. There were a lot of pitfalls but I think it forged my character.”

Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof. Photo by William Carey.

Karin Donckers and Fletcha van’t Verahof – TEAM

Eighteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Vigo D’Arsouilles – Southern Queen xx, by South Gale xx). Bred by Peter Van Dame-De Smedt. Owned by Joris De Brabanderer, Carl Bouckaert, and the rider.

4* dressage average: 27.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: There’s no horse and rider combo in this field that’s amassed the breadth and depth of experience that Karin and her stalwart partner Fletcha have. This will be their eighth championship together; they’ve previously competed at the 2015, 2017, and 2019 Europeans, the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Championships, and the 2016 Olympics. The 2014 World Championships is, perhaps, the most interesting one to look at here: it was also held at Haras du Pin, in a horrendously wet year, and Karin and Fletcha gritted their teeth and finished fifth individually. Now, in what is probably the horse’s last hurrah as a team mount (though he’s so tough that we can’t really rule out a Paris bid, if this week’s efforts to qualify as a nation go to plan), he brings 35 four-star runs and three five-star runs’ worth of experience to the table, and is ready to be a banker combination that can seal the deal if the going gets tough. Expect to see them in one of the most highly-pressurised roles, working as pathfinder or anchor — and expect them to make it happen, too, as they haven’t had an FEI cross-country jumping penalty since 2018.

Fun fact: It’s not in any way fun, but Karin, who made her Olympic debut back in 1992 after a successful Young Rider career, is one hell of a tough cookie: in 2000, her barn burned down, and while most of the horses were saved, three — including the Olympic-selected Better Times — were killed on a nearby motorway. Through the tremendous heartbreak of the loss, Karin regrouped, qualified another horse for the Games — and then broke her back on the steeplechase. By 2003, though, she was back on the Belgian team, and together, they won a medal at the European Championships that year, and has since been a lynchpin for her country and regularly found in the top ten at the Championship level.

Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo de Gasco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo de Gasco – TEAM

Nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Dollar de la Pierre – Waldbluete, by Baloubet du Rouet). Bred by Johan Nicolas. Owned by the rider.

4* dressage average: 33.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This will be a first Senior Championship for Cyril, who has ridden for Belgium at two Junior and two Young Rider European Championships previously. Over the last year or so, young Elmundo has stepped up to the plate as a four-star horse: he had an educational, rather than competitive, run at the Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S in 2022, but has since finished in the top ten in three CCI4*-S runs and in a CCI4*-L, too. He made his four-star debut here last year in a huge field of over 100 competitors, many of whom were in their final prep run for Pratoni, and finished fiftieth after adding romping home clear and just one second over the optimum time. That’s particularly exciting – and the two rails and 36.7 dressage score are both limiting factors that have been improved upon substantially since that debut run. This is still an early career moment for the nine-year-old, but one that’ll be very exciting to watch as we consider the upward trajectory of the Belgian eventing front.

Fun fact: The 31-year-old, who’s currently ranked 100th in the world, set up his training base in Saint Aubin de Medoc, France, two years ago; previously, he studied at the Cadre Noir in Saumur and then did a stint working for William Fox-Pitt before managing a much larger riding school. He’s got his sites firmly set on the next two Olympics, and has successfully utilised crowdfunding to help him achieve some of his goals along the way.

Tine Magnus and Champagne Pia Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tine Magnus and Champagne Pia Z – INDIVIDUAL

Fifteen-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chablis I – Qurieuze-Pia Z, by Quinar). Bred by Lenaerts Wilfried. Owned by Maessen – Geurts.

4* dressage average: 31.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Current Belgian National Champion Tine makes her Senior Championship debut after having represented Belgium at the Junior and Young Rider levels in 2009 and 2012, respectively, and her partner for the week is the horse with whom she won that CCI4*-S national title — a horse who himself has appeared at Junior and Young Rider European Championships for Belgium with former pilot Laurine Thijs. Tine and Pia have been together since mid-2020; a year later, they moved up to four-star, and have had some promising results beyond that Arville win. Their final prep run, a seventh-place finish in the CCIO4*-S at Strzegom, will give them confidence in what is just their third CCI4*-L start — their first, at Boekelo last year, ended with an uncharacteristic elimination, but they began the year by putting that to bed with a smart, steady clear at the level at Montelibretti. This will be their first introduction to the pressures of a Senior call-up, but sunny Tine has always been good at maintaining a healthy dose of perspective and keeping her eyes on the prize.

Fun fact: Tine balances her eventing career with working for her family’s farm, which is one of two farms in Belgium that grows mini chicory — or endives — to supply to supermarkets. Tine’s roles on the farm are varied; she’s part of the administrative team, can be found driving tractors and getting stuck into the physical labour of the job, often transports goods, and works in processing, too.

Senne Vervaecke and Google Van Alsingen. Photo ©FEI/Massimo Argenziano

Senne Vervaecke and Google Van Alsingen – INDIVIDUAL

Twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Watch Me – Pinot Brun van het Pannehof, by Forever). Bred by T. Magnus. Owned by BVBA Alsingen.

4* dressage average: 39.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This is Senne’s Senior team sophomore appearance: he made his debut riding longtime partner Google at Pratoni last year, finishing 36th individually after a mid-30s dressage, a clear cross-country with 10.8 time penalties, and a frustrating three rails down on that achingly tough showjumping course. Senne’s no stranger to championship pressure — he’s represented Belgium at six Junior and Young Rider European Championships, and at just 26 years, he’s a great prospect for the future of Belgian eventing.

Fun fact: Senne is so deeply entrenched in Belgian eventing that it would be fair to say the whole community is basically family: his father, Kris, is also a team competitor, and Belgian rider Maarten Boon, who has been on recent teams, used to babysit a young Senne. Now, it’s gone full circle, and Senne is Maarten’s child’s riding coach.

Jarno Verwimp and Mahalia. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Jarno Verwimp and Mahalia – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Elvis ter Putte – Cohiba, by Condrieu xx). Bred by Luc de Busser. Owned by the rider.

4* dressage average: 31.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: When Jarno made his Senior championship debut last year at Pratoni, he did so as the youngest rider in the field at just 21 – and Mahalia was one of the youngest horses, too, at just ten. But you’d never have guessed their relative inexperience from their performance, which saw them put a competitive 30 on the board in the first phase, come home clear with 8.4 time penalties, and then — frustratingly — take two poles in the tough final phase for an overall top 30 placing. It becomes even more impressive when you consider the journey that the pair has been on together; he’s produced the smart mare throughout her international career, taking her to an eleventh-place finish in the 2019 Seven-Year-Old World Championships and then partnering her at the Young Rider European Championships two years later. Since Pratoni, they’ve had third and second place finishes in the CCI3*-S and CCIO4*-S Nations Cup at Montelibretti, respectively, helping the Belgian team to the win in the latter, and they were tenth in the Nations Cup at Chatsworth, too, where conditions were seriously tough and few people made it around. Keep an eye on them this week – for one thing, they’re well capable of scoring significantly lower than their dressage average suggests, and we’ve seen them go down to the mid-20s at four-star.

Fun fact: We love a good international eventing friendship, and Jarno’s bestie is in this field representing another team: Nadja Minder of Switzerland is one of his nearest and dearest, and when he finished second to her at Baborowko last year, one of the highlights of the week was seeing them share a cuddle on the podium. They’ll no doubt be cheering one another on from the sidelines this week, as they did at Pratoni.

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Hanne Wind Ramsgaard and Amequ Torino. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Hanne Wind Ramsgaard and Amequ Torino – INDIVIDUAL

Eleven-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Toulouse – Flying Colors, by Cosmeo). Bred and owned by rider.

4* dressage average: 42.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: When Hanne made her Senior Championship debut at Pratoni last year as one of two individual competitors, she did so off the back of a significant personal effort – she and fellow competitor Mia Hastrup did all the fundraising themselves at both the corporate and grassroots level, as no federation funding was available to them. And the pride in what she’d done was palpable: even though she confesses that dressage isn’t homebred Amequ Torino’s favourite phase, and they scored a 45.1 in the ring there, she never stopped beaming. That’s the easiest way to spot her on cross-country, too – just look for the person having the most fun, and that’s probably Hanne. They nailed down an all-important clear round at the World Championships, and though they sadly didn’t proceed to the final phase, they certainly made progress on their big mission: promoting the sport across Denmark. “Eventing is not the biggest sport in Denmark, but it’s growing,” she said to EN. “And if we want the sport to grow… we’re not coming here to win the medals. We need to show that this is actually possible. If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Fun fact: Hanne is an amateur rider – though a high-flying one, having previously competed to five-star with her former top ride, Vestervangs Arami. Her day job? Maintenance of kindergartens. She trained as a carpenter originally, and there’s not much she can’t mend or build. Perhaps a stint dabbling in course design and building could be in her future…

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Veera Manninen and Sir Greg

Thirteen-year-old Oldenburg mare (Sir Gregory – Raffinesse, by Royal Diamond). Bred by Regina Wriggers. Owned by Equisport Tolmu Team & Nuuttila Pia & Tolmunen Petri.

4* dressage average: 34.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 23-year-old Veera makes her Senior Championship debut with her 2021 Young Rider Europeans mount, with whom she finished seventh on that occasion. They might feel like a bit of a ‘whodat?’ entrant, but don’t make the mistake of underestimating them – they’ve picked up some serious results in their career together, including fourth place at both Strzegom CCIO4*-S and Sopot CCI4*-L (where they finished inside the time, too) this year alone. They’ve also had another seventh in a CCI4*-S at Strzegom, and an eleventh, so Poland is a particularly happy hunting ground for them. They’ve had a couple of wobbles, too, mind you — they began their year with a very uncharacteristic 20 in a CCI3*-S at Kronenburg, and their last FEI run saw them fall at Jardy last month, which is the only time that’s ever happened to them. With any luck, the experience will have sharpened them up, just as that 20 did at the start of the season, and they can go back to their usual form, which has seen them finish in the top ten in 18 of their 26 FEI starts.

Fun fact: Veera’s parents run a riding school, Teitillä Stables, and it was there that Veera fell in love with horses – and with eventing, in which her mother also competed. The family remains a huge part of Veera’s mission to get to Olympics next year.

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Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine – TEAM

Sixteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Gentleman IV – Grenouil Fontaine, by Nightko). Bred by Sophie Pellisier. Owned by Phillippe Lemoine, Guy Bessat, S.A.R.L. Ecurie Karim Laghouag, and Camille Laffitte.

4* dressage average: 32

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: It’s difficult not to wish you were besties with the effervescent Karim Laghouag, whose zest for the sport and, well, for life in general, is always palpable even in high-stakes competition. He’s been tapped with his tried-and-true partner, Triton Fontaine, for this year’s home turf Championships and are a solid pick for a leaderboard-climbing pair.

At 16 this year, Triton Fontaine is contesting his first European Championships, having finished on the team podium and in individual 12th with Karim in Tokyo as his sole championship to date (2021). But as I said, he’s a tried-and-true partner, very nearly taking the win at Pau last fall and competing in numerous Nations Cup and 4*-L competitions throughout his international career.
This will be Karim’s fourth time heading to Europeans, and he brings forward what looks to be his best horse thus far with a strong shot at helping France to a banner weekend to set them up well for a home Olympics in just under a year’s time.

Fun Fact: Karim kept it in the family early on, training with his uncle Pierre Defrance for 15 years.

Stephane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Stéphane Landois and Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Top Berlin du Temple – Cocagne des Pins, by Narcos II). Bred by E.a.r.l. Ecurie du Montceau. Owned by S.C.E.A. Ecurie du Cerisier Bleu.

4* dressage average: 28

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Stéphane Landois gets his first senior squad call up this year but brings forward championship experience, having competing in Junior Europeans in 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2015. He’s also got a slew of strong results on his more recent record with this week’s partner, Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau. This pair delivered a resounding win in Nations Cup competition at Chatsworth this spring, besting a handful of 5* winners while he was at it.

Stéphane and Chaman Dumontceau have amassed multiple wins at the 4* level, in fact, and will have relished their time in training camp ahead of this week to put the finishing touches on. Earmark this one as a potential to make their mark, and with excellent timing as we’ll certainly be seeing multiple pairs that will also be in contention for the Olympic squad. Stéphane has done his part thus far, earning a spot on the French long list. A competitive finish here would necessitate consideration for a first Olympics appearance next summer.

Fun Fact: Stéphane previously trained out of Saumur and then trained with fellow Frenchman Thomas Carlisle. Less of a fun fact, but crucially important to the Chaman story, is the tragic passing of his former pilot, Thaïs Meheust, who passed away following a fall on cross-country in the national young horse championships with Chaman at Haras du Pin in 2019. Her big dream was to ride at the Paris Olympics, and now, her friend Stéphane is helping her live her dream in spirit – and her family are very much still involved, having set up the Ride for Thaïs Foundation to raise money for safety devices in eventing. Their Senior Championship debut is as much Thaïs’s debut as it is their own.

Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gireg Le Coz and Aisprit De La Loge – INDIVIDUAL

Thirteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Quppydam des Horts – Image de la Loge, by Dollar du Murier). Bred by S.C.E.A. Elevage de la Loge. Owned by Augustin and Frederique Grand.

4* dressage average: 29.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Gireg le Coz and Aisprit De La Loge burst onto the top level scene last year with an impressive debut at Badminton, finishing in the top 20 at this first effort (Gireg’s first completion at the level). They followed that up with a 13th place finish this year, all but stamping their ticket to Haras du Pin as a result.

This pair’s record at the 4* level is slightly mottled with a few blips, and they’ll be ruing an early ending to their competition at Aachen last month — a missed fence on cross country would be the culprit of their elimination. But despite this, the pair have shown multiple times that they can equally be competitive when it matters, and that’s the side of the coin they’ll be aiming for this week. Their run in the CCIO4*-S here last year was impressive – but for a missed flag penalty, they were nearly immaculate in all three phases.

Fun Fact: Aisprit de la Loge came to pair with Gireg after his owners, Augustin and Frederique Grand, watched the eventing competition at WEG in 2014, held in Caen, France. They purchased the horse as a four-year-old for Gireg to compete, and he’s been his partner ever since.

Gaspard Maskud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza – TEAM

Ten-year-old Anglo European Sporthorse mare (Cevin Z – Saracen’s Pride, by Saracen Hill xx). Bred by Jane Young. Owned by Les Haras Nationaux.

4* dressage average: 30.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Another very impressive pair of rising stars is Gaspard Masked and Zaragoza, who were perhaps one of the most popular pairs at last year’s World Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro. Pulling off a surprising sixth place individual finish in Italy — the first championship aside from Young Horse Championships at Le Lion in Gaspard’s career — proved that guts, determination, talent, and willingness to dive in headfirst can sometimes work out exactly as you hoped.

For her part, Zaragoza beat out the best of the best in the polling for the 2022 EquiRatings Horse of the Year, earning 50,000 votes from 50 different countries, firmly cementing her in eventing lore. Another notable on her record: she’s proven she can be competitive at Haras du Pin, which could certainly work in her favor for another impressive finish this week.

Fun Fact: Gaspard may be short on senior championship experience, but don’t count him out: he won the French Junior championship at just 16. He eventually opted to move to the UK, basing with Andrew Nicholson as well as Sam Griffiths to further his eventing education.

Benjamin Massie and Edition Fonroy. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Benjamin Massié and Édition Fonroy – INDIVIDUAL

Nine-year-old Selle Français mare (L’Arc de Triomphe – Starlette Fonroy, by Quick Star). Bred by Jean-Luc and Florence van Hoencker. Owned by Jean-Luc van Hoencker.

4* dressage average: 34.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Reserve pair Benjamin and Fonroy are an eleventh-hour addition to the French line-up after Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre withdrew just after the horse’s final gallop at training camp, due to some sensitivity in a foreleg. But what a solid replacement this duo is: at just nine years old, catty, clever Fonroy has a number of very good results to her name so far. Most recently? A super run amongst the finest of company at CHIO Aachen’s CCIO4*-S, in which the pair finished 13th; they were also eleventh in her sole CCI4*-L run at Boekelo last year and sixth on her CCI4*-S debut last June. That’s all she’s got as far as four-star experience goes, but in ten FEI runs, she’s been clear nine times, just retiring on course in her debut CCI3*-S two years ago. She’s quick, she’s game, and she really jumps – so as long as that overrules her inexperience, she could really make a name for herself this week with championship debutant — but nevertheless very experienced — Benjamin aboard.

Fun fact: Benjamin, who began eventing at eighteen after spending his teens showjumping, has been quietly amassing some considerable five-star experience, beginning with his impressive debut back in 2010. At the age of 24, he made his first five-star start at Badminton, riding Haston d’Elpegère, a horse he’d competed just a handful of times. Together, they delivered one of just four clear rounds inside the time across the country. He’s a serious jockey in this phase, and that’ll go a long way to helping Fonroy find her feet in her own Senior championship debut.

Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC – TEAM

Thirteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Grafenstolz – Belle Meralaise xx, by Verglas xx). Bred by Philippe Patenotte. Owned by Haras des Coudrettes.

4* dressage average: 31.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Nicolas Touzaint and Absolute Gold HDC are another Olympic-seasoned pair on the French roster, again demonstrative of the impressive depth the French are exhibiting in this Games build-up. This pair were a pair of the bronze medal-winning squad in Tokyo, finishing sixth individually to earn Nicolas’ highest Olympic placing in five starts. This will be a jaw-dropping tenth European Championship appearance for Nicolas, who’s twice been crowned the individual winner (2003, 2007) and finished inside the top 12 three times.

This pair had an unfortunate early ending to their time in Pratoni, parting ways at the 17th fence on cross country. It was a rather shocking ending to the weekend, as the pair had never so much as had a cross country penalty in their international career together to that point. But you live and learn and you’re thankful you get to try again, and that’s exactly what they’ll be out to do this week.

Fun fact: Nicolas, whose uncle Thierry is the team chef d’equipe, was something of a child prodigy: he was just 20 when he competed at his first Olympics in 2000, and he became the youngest-ever European Champion when he was 22. He’s also the only Frenchman ever to win Badminton, which he took in 2008 with Hidalgo de l’Ile.

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Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.

Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo – INDIVIDUAL

Thirteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Timolino xx – Windgold, by Carlos D Z). Bred by Ole Lehmann. Owned by Jutta and Michael Spethmann.

4* dressage average: 33.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Nicolai gets his first Europeans call-up this week with the 13-year-old Timmo, who’s been tactfully produced as he’s come up the levels. The proof is in the pudding as the pair have collected increasingly competitive results in recent months. They were set to move up to the 5* level at Luhmühlen in June of this year, but a badly-timed knock ahead of the first inspection put paid to that plan. They rebounded with a clear cross country at the notoriously tricky and twisty CHIO Aachen, and they’ll have since been fine-tuning to ensure they can put in their strongest performance this week. They’re seriously reliable across the country, and haven’t had a cross-country jumping penalty since the gelding’s second four-star back in 2020.

Timmo is in fighting fit for his big debut this week, and while it’s likely that he and Nicolai are tapped to compete as individuals, it’ll be an ideal experience-building event for a pair that’s got big moves yet to come.

Fun Fact: Nicolai previously trained under Olympic rider Andreas Dibowski.

Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Diamant de Semilly – Heralina X, by Voltigeur le Malin X). Bred by Roger Sevette. Owned by Nikolaus Prinz von Croy.

4* dressage average: 31.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Sandra Auffarth probably didn’t pack her cowgirl hat for France (honestly, I’d say that’s a mistake), but she’ll certainly be recognizable with her Olympic, World Championships, and most recently Kentucky partner Viamant du Matz. They’re one of a strong German squad this week, which features two former World Champions as well as a healthy influx of younger horses and riders, and though they had a 20 at the Tokyo Olympics, they’re one of Germany’s banker pairs across the country. Viamant du Matz is 14 this year and Sandra has repeatedly remarked at how well he’s felt as he’s gotten on. Dressage has been the biggest point of improvement, she’s said, though they also get in a fair bit of practice in the show jumping ring as well — as does Sandra separately, jumping her string of pure show jumpers in classes such as the Hamburg Derby. With Mat, she finished fourth at Kentucky this year, adding nothing to their first-phase score of 30.4.

When this pair is at their most competitive, they deliver a sub-30 dressage mark as a starting point. If they can squeeze into the 27 or even into the 23 range displayed in 2020, they’ll be well-placed in the early going — but even if they start on a 30, they’re consistent, quick performers in both jumping phases and would be equally counted upon to climb steadily up the standings.

Fun Fact: Here’s that cowgirl hat, in case you missed it.

Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quiwi Dream – Amsterdam, by Cassini I). Bred by Miriam Kuhl. Owned by Bodil Ipsen.

4* dressage average: 31.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Malin Hansen-Hotopp makes her senior squad championship debut this week with Carlitos Quidditch K, coming off a top-12 finish at CHIO Aachen last month. This pair has been together since the outset of “Schimmi’s” eventing career, having partnered up when the gelding was five. They eventually stepped into Nations Cup competition and collecting several impressive finishes as they moved to the 4* level. They won the 4*-L at Blenheim last fall and have also finished just outside the top 10 at this venue, Haras du Pin, previously. This is a pair whose partnership and friendship is keenly evident when they leave the start box, and this first European Championship will certainly set them up well for future team appearances.

Fun fact: Malin has been inspired by coach Anne-Kathrin Pohlmeier’s approach to riding dressage tests, as she explained to Horse & Hound: “In the spring, she showed me a video of when she rode a six-year-old at the World Championships for young horses and it was so impressive as she was riding every single [move] for a 10,” she said. “It impressed me so much that I’m riding every test so differently to last year – I’m coming in and saying, ‘ok, let’s go!’”

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH – TEAM

Fifteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro I – Havanna, by Heraldik xx). Bred by ZG Meyer-Kulenkampff. Owned by Deutsches Olympiade-Komitee für Reiterei e.V., Klaus Fischer, Sabine Fischer, and Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff.

4* dressage average: 23.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Ze Terminator certainly needs little introduction, as does his partner this weekend fischerChipmunk FRH. Originally nominated to the long list with both Chipmunk and the lesser experienced Kilcandra Ocean Power, the 2022 Kentucky winner eventually got the final nod to head to France this week.

Michael and Chip have collected two 4*-S wins this far in 2023, though the campaign has been relatively light as Michael has opted to prioritize Paris for his top partner. Chip, at 15 this year, is experienced enough to not need a heavy amount of prep runs for a major championship, and the light schedule will have the gelding feeling fresh and fit for the competition ahead. This seasons runs, while impressive on paper, haven’t been quite at Chip’s usual standards, though: they had a mind-boggling 20 at Strzegom in March, and since then have looked good, but haven’t managed to catch the time yet this year. It’s a small margin they’ve been missing it by, but when you’re analysing previous near-perfection, it still feels notable.

We won’t be surprised to see this pair take a lead this weekend, though they will have competition even in the first phase with several other pairs capable of a low-20s mark. If Michael manages a sub-20, he could find himself in sole possession of the lead to defend at the start of cross country.

Michael went on a European Championships tear in the 2010s, earning three consecutive individual titles on three different horses (2011, 2013, 2015), also contributing to team gold medals in each turn.

Fun Fact: Michael Jung shares the same birthday as Harry Potter, which is inarguably the only fun fact you need to know about him.

Jerome Robiné and Black Ice. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice – INDIVIDUAL

Thirteen-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding (Vechta – Brookhall Lady, by Touchdown). Bred by Judith McClelland. Owned by Dorothea von Zedtwitz.

4* dressage average: 31.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice stepped up to 5* level competition this year at Luhmühlen, finishing in an eye-catching tenth place – and likely would have been higher save for two unfortunate rails down on Sunday. Nonetheless, that performance stamped this pair’s ticket to France, and though they may find themselves tapped to compete as individuals this weekend they’ll be collecting invaluable intel as they continue to make a bid for the Paris team next year.

Jérôme is a product of the military-based Warendorf school system, which instills riding skill and horsemanship in each young rider that passes through its ranks. Julia Krajewski is one product of and current coach of this program, to name just one.

Black Ice underwent a few changes of rider in the earlier stages of his career, but since he came into Jerome’s stable he’s notched increasingly competitive results. This is a potential dark horse pair who could impress in their Championship debut.

Fun Fact: Jérôme earned great success in his junior career, competing in five Junior Europeans, earning individual bronze in his first attempt in 2014 and also winning three team medals in the process.

Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Clearway – Kajenna, by Galant Vert xx). Bred by Carl-Friedrich Soehrmann. Owned by Lena Thoenies and the rider.

4* dressage average: 29.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: This week marks the third European Championships appearance for Christoph Mahler and the 14-year-old Carjatan S. They first represented Germany at the Championships at Luhmühlen in 2019, where they finished in 20th individually. They followed that performance up with a seventh place individual finish in the 2021 Championships at Avenches, in which Team Germany also finished in silver position (Christoph competed as an individual). This pair also stepped up to their first World Championship together at Pratoni last fall, finishing very nearly on their dressage mark in 22nd individually and helping the team to gold.

That depth of experience should earn them a team berth this weekend, and they’re hot off a fourth place finish at Aachen to help seal the deal. This is a pair who’s collected a healthy sum of wins in international competition, and they can generally be trusted to deliver a clear and quick cross country when it counts. They’re also quite adept show jumpers, so it’s a good bet that they’ll be a solid finishing score for the Germans’ bid for the podium this weekend. The first phase can be the most frustrating, not because it’s ever bad, but because we know it can be SO good – but since Christoph has perfected the horse’s fitness regime, he can sometimes bubble over and slip up into the 30s, when he’s achingly capable of a mid-20s mark.

Fun Fact: Christoph manages the famous Klosterhof Medingen, originally run by his grandfather Eugen, and its robust breeding operation.

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Ros Canter’s Lordships Graffalo Photo by Shelby Allen.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo – TEAM

Eleven-year-old British Sporthorse gelding (Grafenstolz – Cornish Queen, by Rock King). Bred by Lordships Stud. Owned by Michael Saul.

4* dressage average: 26.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: We’re lucky to have the 2023 Badminton winners in our presence this week, and they’re a serious contender to take home the full individual honors as well. 2018 World Champion Ros Canter brings forward the incredibly talented Lordships Graffalo for his second (!!) senior championship appearance. Though he’s just 11 years old, “Walter” boasts more experience and successes than some of his counterparts this weekend, with a fourth place individual finish at Pratoni added on to his Badminton win (in addition to a second place finish in his debut at the 5* level in 2022 – no big deal).

We’re familiar with Ros as one of the grittiest riders on the scene, and that grit serves her well in these tough team competitions. She’ll be an excellent leader for the truly deep Team GB, which poses perhaps the most serious threat to win the team gold in France this weekend.

Fun Fact: Lordships Graffalo is a half-sibling to another Ros Canter ride, Pencos Crown Jewel, who also has several top 5* finishes under her belt at the age of 14.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Laura Collett and London 52 – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Landos I – Vernante, by Quinar). Bred by Ocke Riewerts. Owned by Mr Keith Scott, Miss Karen Bartlett and the rider.

4* dressage average: 25.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Laura Collett and London 52 are household names at this point in their career, yet they just keep adding more and more accomplishments to their already-impressive CV. After having to withdraw from Badminton earlier this year due to an ill-timed minor injury, Laura rerouted her Tokyo partner to Luhmühlen, where she took home her third 5* victory (she first won Pau in 2020, and then Badminton in 2022 – and all three wins came from the front). The victory in Germany proved to all, once and for all, just how versatile “Dan” is as a true-blue event horse. He can attack the biggest fences and the grueling distance at Badminton, he could manage his energy to come home full of it in the high heat on a completely new style of track in Tokyo, and he could still make the notoriously tricky time on the winding road that is Luhmühlen.

That’s a whole lot of growth in the intervening years between this pair’s first Euros appearance in 2019, where they encountered elimination at the hugely influential bird in the water at Luhmühlen, and this second one. This is another pair that’s a serious contender for the individual honors, though the team’s finish will take priority for these riders this weekend.

Fun Fact: Laura is something of a racehorse whisperer, often taking in Thoroughbreds who need to learn the skills of jumping for their careers in the eventing offseason.

Yasmin Ingham with Banzai du Loir. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding (Nouma D’Auzay – Gervoise du Chochet, by Livarot). Bred by Pierre Gouye. Owned by The Sue Davis Fund.

4* dressage average: 26.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: It’s pretty crazy to think about winning a World Championships title before contesting your first European Championship, but that’s exactly what Yasmin Ingham has done. After taking individual gold in Pratoni last year – becoming the first ever non-team rider to do so – and with a handy win at CHIO Aachen in her pocket, the Isle of Man native is now poised to go after another coveted title at Haras du Pin.

Yasmin’s earned herself a reputation for having ice in her veins, and that mental grit earned her two medals in Junior European Championship competition before she entered the senior ranks. It also allowed her the space and skill to leave a disappointing cross country penalty incurred at Kentucky behind to rebound at Aachen this summer. Now, Yas gets her shot to bring the coveted trophy home for the Brits, and could also make a strong bid to collect an individual medal to boot.

Fun fact: Yasmin’s home, the Isle of Man, is a tiny island in the Irish sea that’s just 13 miles wide and 33 miles long.

Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Libby Law.

Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift – INDIVIDUAL

Twelve-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding (Shannondale Sarco st Ghyvan – Lucky Crest, by Lucky Gift xx). Bred by Jeanette Glynn. Owned by Patricia Davenport, Milly Simmie, and Sarah Webb.

4* dressage average: 31.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift finished in a convincing fifth place at Badminton this year despite conditions that necessitated taking a length of time on cross country. This combined with their second place finish at Burghley last fall and a top-20 finish in their very first attempt at the level at Badminton in 2022 makes them a serious “one to watch” pair this weekend and looking ahead to Paris.

This will be Tom’s first time at the European Championships — he was previously selected for the 2015 Euros at Blair Castle, but had to withdraw his horse prior to competition. But worry not – he’s not short on team or championship experience, having earned medals in the Junior Europeans previously.

Purchased as a foal by owners Sarah Webb, Patricia Davenport and Milly Simmie, Capels Hollow Drift has shown prowess for the sport since his young horse years, earning the silver spot on the podium in the FEI WBFSH Young Horse Breeding World Championships in Le Lion d’Angers in 2018. He’s been with Tom ever since his seven-year-old year and now stands poised to be a consistent presence on Team GB for seasons to come.

Fun Fact: Tom is a student of Pippa Funnell’s, and he hails from a horsey family, as his mother was a dressage rider and his father a farrier. His two sisters also participate in eventing.

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by William Carey.

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Winningmood – Liane Normande, by Camelia de Ruelles). Bred by Philippe Brivois. Owned by Diana Brown, Sally Lloyd Baker, Sally Eyre, and Samantha Wilson.

4* dressage average: 27.7

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 4

The need-to-knows: It’s been a year of very nearlys for the ultra-talented Kitty King and the Selle Francais gelding Vendredi Biats. Since finishing in the top 10 individually at the last European Championships, they’ve amassed a collection of equally competitive results. They’ve come tantalizingly close to capturing coveted 4* wins and even were within a breath of winning Luhmühlen, finishing second to Laura Collett and London 52. An early lead at Badminton would slip away after the pair parted ways on cross country in a total unexpected mishap.

All of these “almosts” are fuel to Kitty’s already-intense fire, and she’ll be wanting to finish stronger than she did at Avenches in 2021 (and also perhaps improving on her best Euros finish, seventh individually with Vendredi Biats in 2019), with a full season and a half in between to hone her craft.

Together since “Froggy” was five years old and sourced from Lucy and Padraig McCarthy’s bustling sourcing yard, the partnership Kitty has with her horse is one that’s been cultivated carefully. Look for this pair to put their hard work on display this week, flashing a low-20s score that could even threaten for the first-phase lead.

Fun Fact: Froggy might look a gleaming white unicorn in the ring, thanks to groom Chloe Fry’s incredible efforts, but if you were to see him in his element? “He’s a dirty little Frenchman and he loves the mud,” says Kitty.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin – INDIVIDUAL

Twelve-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado – Zarinna, by Canto). Bred by Volker Gottsche-Gotze. Owned by Mr & Mrs J Lambert and Deirdre Johnston.

4* dressage average: 24.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: The reigning European Champion horse formerly partnered with Nicola Wilson returns to have another crack at the title this year with Tom McEwen as the rider. Despite their relatively young partnership, Tom and “Dubs” have already found success together: they finished second in JL Dublin’s first 5* attempt at Kentucky this spring and were also second in their first 4*-L together at Boekelo last fall. Though they did have a miscommunication at Aachen, it’s quite easy to forgive that mistake and believe that this pair will be in top form to help the Brits secure a medal in France. It’s certainly a bit odd to see Tom paired up with a horse other than his Tokyo and Pratoni partner Toledo de Kerser, but JL Dublin poses an equally strong threat and once again, this is a pair you can add to your list of potential gold medalists — and if he’s been tapped as Britain’s individual, that’s just a testament to the depth this big eventing power currently boasts.

Fun fact: Apparently Tom McEwen is your name if you’ve got a general need for speed: a quick Google search in the U.S. reveals a drag racer with the same name who was a big winner with the National Hot Rod Association. Big shoes to fill, Tom. Big shoes.

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Susie Berry and Clever Trick. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Susie Berry and Clever Trick – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Financial Reward xx – Bonnie Dolly, by Bonnie Prince xx). Bred by Vincent Cousins. Owned by Jayne McGivern.

4* dressage average: 36.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: After competing in six Junior European Championships, finishing as strong as eighth individually in 2013 with Bolero de Ste. Hermelle, Susie Berry gets her first start on the Senior Europeans squad. Of course, she’s already represented Ireland on a World Championships team, making her a full-fledged competitor ready for the next challenge. This time, she’ll team up with the 11-year-old Irish mare Clever Trick, who would be the lesser experienced between horse and rider.

Susie and Clever Trick have a newer partnership, having only struck up last year after Susie took over the ride from Alex Donohoe for owner Jayne McGivern. Save one compulsory retirement at Chatsworth’s 4*-S this spring, though, the pair have delivered consistent results that show promise to continue improving ahead of Paris.

A dressage mark in the 30s won’t be a threat for an early competing position, but if this pair can deliver two clear jumping phases, they’ll have done their role for the Irish, who are at least safe in Olympic qualification with their fifth place finish at Pratoni last fall.

Fun Fact: Susie is a product of the Windrush Equestrian Foundation Young Eventer Program, which offers mentoring and guidance from top professionals for aspiring eventing stars. She’s also spent time training under Piggy March.

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Ian Cassells and Woodendfarm Jack O D – INDIVIDUAL

Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Jack of Diamonds – Woodend Ard Hill, by Ardcroney Lad VII). Bred by Noel and Nuala Prendergast. Owned by Nuala Predergast.

4* dressage average: 34.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This will be the first Senior Europeans appearance for Ian Cassells, who last competing in championship competition as a junior in 2012. Ian brings forward the 10-year-old Irish gelding Woodendfarm Jack O D, who’s proven himself to be a consistent campaigner as he’s progressed up the levels under Ian’s tutelage. They’ve just two blips on their FEI record but have been competitive enough to collect a second place finish in their first 4*-L as well as the 4*-S in Mallow, Ireland earlier this summer.

While this pair’s dressage work won’t earn enough favor from the judges to grab a top spot on the board, they’ve got a nearly-faultless cross country record to lean on Saturday. They are known to have a pole down on the final day, which may keep them from competing as individuals. But should they be tapped as a team combination, a strong completion may be strong enough to climb if the going gets tough.

Fun Fact: Ian has an Honors Degree in Agricultural Science and also captained his university’s equestrian club during his time in school.

Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Clover Brigade – Winning Lass xx, by Right Win xx). Bred by Caroline Widger. Owned by Peter Cole and Susanna Francke.

4* dressage average: 38.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: After missing the 2021 European Championships, three-time European Championships competitor and Tokyo Olympian Sarah Ennis takes another shot at the major stage this week in France. She’s been selected with a younger horse on her string, the 12-year-old Grantstown Jackson. The Irish gelding had a solid season at the 4* level last year, earning a second place finish in the 4*-S at Ballendenisk this spring. He also finished in the top 25 at Boekelo, his sole 4*-L to date, last fall.

Ireland is safe on Olympic qualification but will still be competing for a strong finish at European Championships. They’re also showing some promising depth in younger horses ahead of the Paris Olympics in just under a year’s time, and this weekend gives the squad a chance to test some of those new talents in a high-pressure situation. We’ll get to see some of the stuff horses like Grantstown Jackson are made of, and if things go to Sarah’s plan, we’ll see him come out of this week with much more experience and maturity gained.

Fun Fact: Sarah also has a long-held interest in and talent for sailing, thanks to her growing up near water. She’s also a qualified Divemaster diver.

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Jennifer Kuehnle and Polly Blue Eyes – INDIVIDUAL

Fifteen-year-old German Warmblood mare (Concinales xx – Pollyanna’s, by Strohmann xx). Bred by Dagmar Hayessen. Owned by Hans Kuehnle.

4* dressage average: 38.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 22-year-old Jennifer Kuehnle gets her first Senior Europeans call up this time around, having already one individual gold medal to her name in Junior European competition (2015). She’s represented Ireland five times in Junior Championships, two of which with her current partner, Polly Blue Eyes.

Jennifer and Polly Blue Eyes have been partners since 2018, contesting their first Junior European Championship together the following year and finishing in the top 15. They followed that up in 2021 with a sixth place finish in the 3*-L division of Juniors. They’ve been truly consistent across the country, with just a couple of blips on their record. They’ve only got about a year of competition at the 4* level under their belts, but they’ll certainly be contenders to finish strong for the team and build up that senior experience needed for future apperances.

We’ll be looking at a mid- to high-30s mark for their starting point. They’ll be more than prepared to do some climbing with two clear jumping rounds.

Fun Fact: When the schedules align, you’ll see frequently see Jennifer and partner Cathal Daniels helping each other out with grooming and other horsey partner duties.

Joseph Murphy and Calmaro. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Joseph Murphy and Calmaro – TEAM

Twelve-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Carpalano – Elster W, by Elsurimo xx). Bred by Hartmut Schack. Owned by Richard Ames, Tanya Ames, Claire Mayne, Charlie Mayne, and Annette O’Callaghan.

4* dressage average: 33.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Former Laura Collett ride Calmaro would be among the more experienced horses on the Irish squad, with two top-15 5* finishes to his name (he was most recently 9th at Kentucky this spring). With Olympian Joseph Murphy in the irons, he’s poised to be a strong contender to be the top placed of the bunch if he can replicate some of his strongest performances.

Calmaro gives big time old-school event horse, and his rangy nature is well-suited to a long, endurance testing track. While he has shown capability of producing a low-20s mark at lower levels, Calmaro is more likely to hit the board in the low- to mid-30s early on. His excellent cross country record will allow this pair to climb the leaderboard steadily, and if he can collect a clear round on Sunday he’ll have set himself up well to potentially be Joseph’s next Olympic mount.

Fun Fact: Joseph at one point had his jockey’s license, even winning a few times in point-to-point racing.

Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Orestus – Edge of Reason, by Senang Hati xx). Bred by Miriam de Feu. Owned by James O’Callaghan.

4* dressage average: 37

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Felicity Ward teams up with her World Championships partner, Regal Bounty, for her first Europeans appearance this week. This pair had an excellent spring, capping off with a 15th place finish at Luhmühlen in June.

Despite some uncharacteristic trouble on cross country at Pratoni (an event for which they had been called up from the reserves), this pair is quite dependable to deliver a clear cross country round — and at a championship like this, those are more valuable than gold by the end of Saturday. This will be a challenge this pair will relish, and though show jumping has proven to be their undoing at times, they could firmly place themselves on the radar for Paris with a showing of what they can accomplish this week.

Fun fact: Felicity isn’t just a talented event rider — she’s also an exceptional artist. You can check out her work here.

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Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy Des Melezes – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Aga Khan – Louna de Sainte-Ode, by Bayard D’Elle). Bred by Hilaire Toussaint. Owned by Az. Agricola di Campello Argenta and Evelina Bertoli.

4* dressage average: 33.5

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Evelina Bertoli certainly isn’t short on championship experience: as a junior, she represented Italy five times in Young Rider and Junior Championship competition and also has two World Chamoionships and a European Championship appearance under her belt. This will be her fourth senior squad appearance, and this time she brings forward the 12-year-old mare Fidjy des Melezes, with whom she finished 43rd with a steady clear. They’ve had some exciting results recently; an eleventh place finish in the very competitive CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen is the highlight, and a third place at Baborowko CCI4*-L is also promising, but a CCI3*-S win at Avenches just before coming here will have put some confidence-building pep in their step too.

Fun fact: You’ll spot several of the Italian riders in uniform — but not necessarily the same one. It’s common for Italians to join the armed forces as riders in order to get funding and support, and Evelina, for her part, is a member of the Penitentiary Police Corps.

Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Susanna Bordone and Imperial Van De Holtakkers – TEAM

Fifteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel – Eva van de Holtakkers, by Argentinus). Bred by Onno Holtrtust. Owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi.

4* dressage average: 33.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Despite the fact their partnership only began in 2019, Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers already have one Olympic appearance under their belt in Tokyo, where they were the highest-placed Italians in 15th individually. They also headed to Pratoni last year, though they ran into problems on cross-country and were ultimately eliminated. Another elimination followed at Montelibretti’s CCI4*-L in November, but they had two clear CCI4*-L cross-country runs this spring before another E — though this time for a fall on the flat — at Luhmühlen in the CCI4*-S. Their last run earned them sixth at Avenches CCIO4*-S, which will help them to put the wheels back on the bus, but their goal this week will be an all-important completion as the Italians try to book their Paris ticket.

Fun fact: Imperial van de Holtakkers previously competed at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon with former rider, Belgian Joris Vanspringel.

Fosco Girardi (ITA) and Euphorie. Photo ©FEI/Massimo Argenziano

Fosco Girardi and Euphorie – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Holsteiner mare (Cilian – Unica IX, by Castellini). Bred by Ralf Boettcher. Owned by the rider.

4* dressage average: 35.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This will be a Senior Championship debut for 26-year-old Fosco, who nevertheless has plenty of team experience — he’s ridden on a Pony European team, plus another appearance as an individual, two Junior European teams, and three Young Rider European teams. His partner this week is the former Lorenzo Monachesi ride Euphorie, with whom he finished second at last year’s end-of-season CCI4*-L at Montelibretti. They’ve logged classy clears at four-star at venues including Strzegom, Avenches, and Marbach, and although they began their year with a retirement in a three-star at Montelibretti and had a 20 two runs ago at Strzegom CCIO4*-S, they’ve gone well since and that will hopefully serve to sharpen them up for this big career step.

Fun fact: Eventing’s a family affair for Fosco — his father, Francesco Girardi, evented for Italy at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992.

Emiliano Portale and Scuderia 1918 Future. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emiliano Portale and Scuderia 1918 Future – INDIVIDUAL

Fifteen-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Fetcher N – Grace Keg, by Le Mistral). Bred by P-Agro AB/fam. Per Håkansson. Owned by Scuderia 1918 Capital Srl.

4* dressage average: 31.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This will be just a fifth FEI run for this new partnership, who teamed up at the start of the year; previously, Future was ridden by fellow Italian Pietro Grandis. Their most recent run, in the CCIO4*-S at Strzegom, wouldn’t be an ideal final outing – they retired on course after a 20. But prior to that, they were sixth in Baborowko’s CCI4*-L, third in Arezzo’s CCI3*-S, and sixth in Ravenna’s CCI2*-S. Emiliano has some team experience himself, having ridden in two Senior Europeans and three Young Rider Europeans. The gelding is very capable, as is the rider, but they’ll have to rely on their individual experience to create a positive shared experience this week, because this is still a getting-to-know-you mission.

Fun fact: Emiliano has worked as a selector for Italy’s pony teams, and told the Italian Federation, “as a coach I’m not that demanding. I like to do things well, respecting the individuality and identity of everyone. I get into the group. If I need to play with them, I’ll play; run with them, I’ll run; train with them, I’ll train. I’m always beside them.”

Federico Sacchetti and GRC Shiraz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Federico Sacchetti and Grc Shiraz – INDIVIDUAL

Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Arkansas VDL – Loughnavatta Pearl, by Flagmount King). Bred by Rory Costigan. Owned by Rusticoni Antonio.

4* dressage average: 42.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 24-year-old Federico is making his first ever Championship appearance this week, and does so mounted on one of the youngest horses in the field. The pair have been together throughout the ten-year-old’s career, and while their first-phase tends to leave them out of the hunt, they’re very capable of delivering a smart, reasonably swift round. They’ve not competed here before, but they do have form over terrain-heavy courses — such as Pratoni CCIO4*-S, where they whizzed around with 1.2 time penalties last year.

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress – TEAM

Eleven-year-old Anglo European Sporthorse mare (For Ladies Only – Betty Barclay, by Brentano II). Bred by Kristina Rausing. Owned by Krin and Kristina Rausing.

4* dressage average: 29.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Swirly Temptress probably has the best name in the field, which is an important distinction on the EN scale. The 11-year-old Anglo-European mare is the fourth horse with which Italian WEG rider Giovanni Ugolotti has competed at the European Championships.

Swirly Temptress has been produced by Giovanni since her young horse days — the pair competed in 7-year-old Young Horse Championships at Le Lion as well as in the 8- and 9-year-old championship at Blenheim. They stepped up to the 4* division when competitions resumed late in 2020 and most notably won the 4*-L at Ballindenisk in 2022.

On their day, they can earn a mid-20s mark from the judges, setting them up well to put their mostly-clear cross country record to good use. If they can replicate one of these successful performances this weekend, they’ll be competitive here and have a strong shot at Paris if all roads stay the same.

Fun Fact: Swirly Temptress is still owned by her breeders, Karin and Kristina Rausing. She was originally bred for dressage and was sent to Giovanni to start. She never left.

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Merel Blom-Hulsman and Vesuve D’Aveyron – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Jaguar Mail – Modene X, by Ryon D’Anzex X). Bred by Fabien Lasbouygues. Owned by Radstake Horses.

4*/5* dressage average: x

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Merel Blom-Hulsman steps up for an impressive sixth consecutive trip to the Europeans as a member of the Senior team and ninth trip to a European Championship, period (she competed in 2005, 2006, and 2007 as a Junior). With two Olympic Games and two World Equestrian Games also on her CV, it’s safe to say this woman is a competitive warrior.

She’ll team up with the 14-year-old Vesuve D’Aveyron, who is a new ride for her. After taking the reins from former rider Bjinse Venderbosch ahead of the 2022 season, Merel set about forming a partnership with her new partner. They’ve had a couple blips on their short record together, but nothing you wouldn’t chalk to growing pains on paper, and this season they seem to have come out clicking on more cylinders. They won the Strzegom 4*-L in decisive fashion on their dressage score and followed that up with a second place finish in their next 4*-L at the same venue.

Their dressage marks will keep this pair from beating the leaders early on, but they’ll be a good threat to make some leaps up the board come Saturday.

Fun Fact: Merel isn’t only horse-smart — she also holds a degree in law and finance from Rotterdam University.

The Netherlands’ Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ De Tailleur – TEAM

Sixteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel – Vera, by Oberon du Moulin). Bred by A.C. Hoogendoorn. Owned by H J C Roozendaal and Lieke van der Werf.

4*/5* dressage average: x

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Returning to their second European Championships together and looking for another shot after encountering elimination in 2021 are Janneke Boonzaaijer and ASCI Champ De Tailleur. Since then, this pair have collected several clear cross country rounds in FEI competition, also capturing their first win at the 4* level in the Polish Baborowko 4*-L in May.

The Dutch are under some pressure to try to get their Olympic qualification here or by winning the Nations Cup competition, and while they have this shot at Europeans they’ll do all they can to claim it. Clear cross country rounds, even if they aren’t the swiftest, will be valuable to finish a team — a large portion of the battle when it comes to earning a qualification spot.

Janneke and ASCI Champ De Tailleur have scored as low as a 27.1 in 4* competition, and the lower they can sneak that starting mark, the greater shot they’ll have at finishing strong after the jumping phases.

Fun Fact: Janneke’s father, Gert, rode in the military.

Andrew Heffernan and Gideon. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Andrew Heffernan and Gideon – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Lucky Boy – Cinderella, by Induc). Bred by Bemelmans. Owned by Gill Shea, Yvonne Watson, and the rider.

4* dressage average: 30.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Don’t skim past that dressage average and think you won’t be impressed in the first phase by the relatively inexperienced Gideon, because he’s been on a serious upward trajectory in the dressage over the last year, and it’s been over 12 months since he was out of the 20s in an FEI competition. In his last international, last month’s Aston CCI4*-S, he went down to 25.4, which was good enough for tenth even with a flag penaly; the time before that, it was a 27.9 and sixth at Millstreet CCIO4*-S. It’s no wonder, really, that the powers-that-be decided that perhaps Andy should forsake his usual chef d’equipe duties this week and put in a shift on a horse instead, because Gideon has quietly become something very cool indeed. He seems to have learned the job at this level now, and hasn’t had a cross-country jumping penalty since 2021, and while he’s not usually the best showjumper, his last two runs have seen him go clear, so let’s see if he make it a hat trick. Don’t expect him to be the fastest horse on course on Saturday, but we reckon he should deliver the goods for the Dutch – and could probably be relied upon to take on a high-pressure role like the anchor position.

Fun fact: Seriously seasoned team stalwart Andy isn’t just an experienced competitor and coach – the British-based Dutchman is also a course designer, and recently took on Hampshire’s Tweseldown Horse Trials from Badminton designer Eric Winter.

Sanne de Jong and Enjoy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sanne de Jong and Enjoy – TEAM

Fourteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Cartano – Next Joey, by Haarlem). Bred by JJ Koldewijn, J van Zon, and M. de Jong. Owned by Jantien van Zon and the rider.

4* dressage average: 32.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: This will be Sanne’s third Senior championship – and both of her previous have been with her longtime partner Enjoy. They went to the Avenches Europeans in 2021, though were technically eliminated for missing a fence, and then completed Pratoni last year, though with a 20. This season, they’ve come out firing on all cylinders, looking classy in all four of their FEI runs – which include a second-place finish in the CCI4*-S at Montelibretti, an eleventh-place finish in the CCI4*-L there, a fourteenth-place finish in the CCI4*-S at Baborowko, and a fifth place finish in the CCIO4*-S at Strzegom, where they also went sub-30 in the first phase. They’re working their way towards becoming banker types for the Dutch, and they’ll be hoping to seal the deal by finally getting the happy ending – and the clear round – they deserve at a Championship.

Fun fact: 28-year-old Sanne is the daughter of an eventer mother, who’s now heavily involved with equestrian media, and a course designer father — and to continue the theme of family legacies, she’s riding one of her homebreds this week in Enjoy, who she’s produced through the levels.

Janneke Boonzaiijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Elaine Pen and Divali – INDIVIDUAL

Fifteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Cardento – Bernadette, by Nimmerdor). Bred by J. Faber. Owned by C.P.A.J. Leenaars & S.J.A. Leenaars.

4*/5* dressage average: 34.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Olympian Elaine Pen returns to Europeans for the theird time as a Senior (she also represented the Dutch five times as a Junior in European Championships), this time on a different horse than the familiar red mare Vera. For this challenge, it’ll be the 15-year-old mare Divali stepping up to her biggest test to date.

This pair, competing as individuals this weekend, will be looking to put some of the skills they’ve been honing to a real test, especially as they’ll want to put in a solid showing for the selectors on hand. They’ve got a great cross country record at the 4* level, though they’ve not quite begun to chase too hard for the time. A pesky pole or two down litters their record, so if they can pull the pieces together and finish nearly on their dressage mark, that’ll be mission accomplished.

Fun Fact: Elaines father, Wolter, was a successful Modern Pentathlete, earning a reserve spot for the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Her mother, Hélène Aubert, was a World Championships and European Championships medal-winning in her chosen sport of dressage.

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Jordy Wilken and Wilbert Bo – INDIVIDUAL

Fourteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Watermill Rolex xx – Winnie, by Woodstock). Bred by Katrin Butterbrodt-Over. Owned by E.R. van Someren and Mea van Someren.

4*/5* dressage average: 34.8

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows:

Fun fact: Jordy, who doesn’t come from a horsey background, has had to find his own ways to fund his riding — and the hard-working, affable rider has been creative in these endeavours. He runs the By Jordy Academy, a coaching programme for young riders, and is also a bit of a YouTube superstar in the Netherlands. He’ll no doubt be documenting his Europeans experience in his jolly, fun style, so give him a follow to see the competition from his perspective.

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Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Freida. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda – INDIVIDUAL

Fourteen-year-old Hanoverian mare (For Edition – Pirola, by Pinkus). Bred by Sonja and Klaus Jungclaus. Owned by the rider.

4*/5* dressage average: 41.4

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda got their first taste of senior championship competition at the Tokyo Olympics, and though that outing wouldn’t have been to their plan they took away valuable intel to grow from. Now, they’re back for another crack representing Poland, coming off a confidence-boosting 3* win in Poland at the end of July to set them up well for this event.

Fantastic Frieda is 14 this year, and she’s been with Joanna from the outset. That partnership shows in their consistency the last two seasons, putting them into, well, “fantastic” form to make a strong showing here at Haras du Pin.

This pair’s dressage score won’t compete with the leaders, and they’ll need to put the pedal down more on cross country than they’ve historically done in the past in order to make some moves up in the standings.

Fun Fact: Joanna got her first taste of championship competition as a junior, competing three years in a row in Junior Europeans (2008 – 2010).

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Frida Andersen and Box Leo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Frida Andersen and Box Leo – TEAM

Thirteen-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Jaguar Mail – Box Qutie, by Quite Easy). Bred and owned by Therese Orup.

4* dressage average: 34.2

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: Frida and the former Ludwig Svennerstal ride Box Leo, who she teamed up with in early 2021, have picked up some exciting results across their fourteen FEI starts together, including ten top-eight finishes at events such as Saumur CCI4*-L, Strzegom CCI4*-S, and Sopot CCI3*-L, which they won in the latter part of their first season together. That helped them earn a berth at last year’s World Championships, where they were quick, clear, and impressive for an individual top twenty (and a team qualification for Paris!). Since then., they’ve done three four-stars and never finished lower than eighth in any of them – and that eighth place came at last month’s CHIO Aachen, where they were the sole Swedish representatives in seriously hot company. And course from here? They’ve got that: they looked on excellent form at Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S last August, where they finished 24th out of over 110, but did pick up a 20 in their international run prior to that at Jardy CCI4*-S. That’s been their one blip so far — and it doesn’t look to have negatively impacted them.

Fun fact: 32-year-old Frida made her Olympic debut in 2016 with the homebred mare Herta — a partnership that was largely down to a bit of luck. Her family had downsized their horses when the mare was two, but couldn’t decide which to put on the market. A literal roll of the dice decided that Herta would be the one to stay.

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Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Dynamite Jack – TEAM

Ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado – Jermaine, by Grundyman xx). Bred by Josef Auge. Owned by Frank Ostholt and Elke Vietor.

4* dressage average: 33

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: This will be Dynamite Jack’s first-ever championship — and just his sixth four-star competition, a level at which he’s still very much establishing himself. In his previous five runs at four-star, he’s had blips across the country in three of them (though one was a missed flag penalty). When he’s had clears, they’ve been classy, as at Kronenburg CCI4*-L in June, which he won, and Arville CCIO4*-S last summer, at which he was twelfth. But one of his 20s came in his most recent international at Jardy, and so he’ll be relying heavily on his rider’s considerable experience to help sharpen him up for this major run. Sara’s certainly no slouch: she’s been to six Senior European Championships, four Olympics, and a World Championships.

Fun fact: Sara’s part of an extended family of eventing excellence: her sister, Linda, is a five-time Olympian for Sweden and her husband, Frank, is a two-time Olympian for Germany.

Sofia Sjoborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga Van Het Marienshof Z – TEAM

Twelve-year-old Zangersheide mare (Bamako de Muze – Cryolga M, by Lord Z). Bred by Marienshof Stal. Owned by Juliet Sjoborg, Mattias Sjoborg, and the rider.

4* dressage average: 35.1

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: 25-year-old Sofia made her World Championships debut last year aboard this mare, with whom she went to the 2022 European Championships as an individual. At that Euros, they finished 13th, despite being just 23 and 10, respectively, at the time. That was just the mare’s third CCI4*-L; the first two were good runs in small fields at Portugal’s Barroca d’Alva, which probably wouldn’t have tipped anyone off about what was to come. But from then on out, they’ve been seriously solid: at Pratoni, they jumped a reasonably steady clear across the country and then delivered a clear showjumping round over a tough course to help secure Sweden the Olympic qualification. The first phase isn’t the mare’s strong suit, but she makes up for it across the country – and on her day, she’s a good showjumper, though it can be hit or miss. In any case, in their third championship together and 23rd four-star, they certainly come in ready to fight for another Swedish team medal.

Fun fact: British-based Sofia, who trains with the Prices and dressage star Laura Tomlinson, with whom she’s based, did a stint at Michael Jung’s yard alongside best friend and competitor Ailsa Wates. They competed against one another at Junior and Young Rider championships and both stepped up to five-star at Pau in 2021.

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Amanda Staam and Corpoubet AT – TEAM

Ten-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Corporal VDL – Bulgari, by Baloubet du Rouet). Bred by Tobias Nilsson. Owned by the rider.

4* dressage average: 34

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 0

The need-to-knows: 32-year-old Amanda, who rode on the Young Rider team in 2010, makes her Senior Championship debut this week with the very exciting ten-year-old Corpoubet AT, who has impressed in spades since stepping up to four-star at the tail end of 2021. He made his debut at the level at Sopot, where he won, and then came second a month later in Baborowko’s CCI4*-S. He began last season with a fourth place finish in a CCI4*-S at Kronenburg, and then won his CCI4*-L debut at Sopot — evidently his happiest of hunting grounds — before jumping a quick, classy double clear in the hugely competitive 100+ strong field here last August, finishing 33rd amongst a plethora of World Champs prepares. Then, he was 20th with a steady clear in the prestigious Blenheim eight- and nine-year-olds class, and began this season with a three-star win and a four-star second place at Kronenburg. All that is enough to just about forgive his shock 20 — and frangible penalty — in the CCI4*-S at Jardy, and his frangible penalty in his FEI run prior to that at Strzegom. He’s a horse who knows how to make a mark on a debut, and it’ll be great fun to watch what he makes of this, his Swedish team debut.

Fun fact: Amanda’s a seriously busy woman: not only does she run the family training business and compete at four-star eventing, she’s also a prolific jumping and dressage rider, and breeds two to four foals a year at her home in Sweden.

Lina Forsberg and Kaizen. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lina Forsberg and Kaizen – INDIVIDUAL

Fifteen-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Caressini L – Madame Butterfly, by Nocturne). Bred by Johan Björk. Owned by Marie Forsberg.

4* dressage average: 31.9

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 3

The need-to-knows: The Swedish individuals this week are exciting in much the same way as Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z were exciting as individuals in 2021 – that is to say, they stand a very good chance of being the best-placed of the pack on their day. They have something really special on their side: they’ve been on this whole crazy journey together, competing in both the Junior and Young Rider European Championships en route to this momentous occasion, in which they’re making their Senior Championship debut as a team. They’re capable of putting a score on the board that’ll keep them well enough in the hunt (their 4* average of 31.9 is actually what they scored at their prep run at Jardy); they’re seriously speedy across the country and generally very reliable, but for a couple of educational blips at the lower levels and one enormously frustrating fall on the flat at Strzegom this year, and their showjumping… okay, that bit’s their weak point. But they can jump clear, and one-rail rounds aren’t uncommon, so after two good phases, determination could well win out for this pair who’ll no doubt be a part of the Swedish front for the foreseeable future.

Fun fact: Lina previously based with Irish rider Susie Berry while preparing for Junior Europeans.

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Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Robin Godel and Grandeur De Lully CH – TEAM

Fifteen-year-old Swiss Sporthorse gelding (Greco de Lully – Miola, by Apartos). Bred and owned by Jean-Jacques Fünfschilling.

4* dressage average: 31.6

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 1

The need-to-knows: 25-year-old Robin is rather the darling of the Swiss team, and with good reason: he rides with a natural feel across the country that’s not dissimilar to that of Andrew Nicholson, who has been the team’s cross-country coach since 2019. With Nicholson’s guidance, he and his teammates have stopped playing it slow and safe, waiting for another team to make mistakes, and have begun to take calculated risks instead — and that’s shone through in his results over the last couple of years. He won the Pratoni test event last spring aboard this horse and was part of the victorious Swiss team then, too, and the pair also won the Nations Cup leg at Avenches last summer. Robin also took victory in the CCI4*-L at Strzegom, riding Global DHI, before helping the Swiss team qualify for Paris at the World Championships with this gelding, finishing 15th. They’re hugely reliable across the country, without a blip on their FEI record since 2017, they can score very well on the flat – a 26.8 at Pratoni, for example – and they have a huge amount of mileage at the four-star level. Robin might be young, but he’s a master at coping with pressure, and now that the Swiss have their Paris ticket punched, they’ll be here to consolidate their performances – and fight for their shot at the podium for the first time since 1981.

Fun fact: Reigning Swiss Champion Robin has won that title an impressive five times, and previously represented Switzerland at European Championships at the Junior and Young Rider level.

Mélody Johner and Toubleu du Rueire. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Mélody Johner and Toubleu De Rueire – TEAM

Sixteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Mr. Blue – La Guna de Rueire, by Bayard D’Elle). Bred by Edouard Neuhaus. Owned by Peter Thuerler and Heinz-Günter Wickenhaüser.

4* dressage average: 36

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆.5

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: It’s a third senior championship for this pair, who debuted at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing seventeenth individually, and then went to Pratoni last year, where they were clear and 38th after a tricky showjumping round. In Toubleu de Rueire’s seventeen FEI runs with Mélody, he’s been top ten 12 times. They’ve never picked up any cross-country jumping penalties in an International, and have become a really solid banker pair for the Swiss front, which is on enormously good form this year. This is Mélody’s fourth championship – she also rode at the 2017 Europeans, though was eliminated – and her focus will be on doing what she does best: coming home fast and clear and helping to aim for a spot on that podium. Her showjumping round at Pratoni, which saw her pull four rails, might be weighing on her a bit, but both their FEI runs since then have been one-railers, and that was a very influential day of showjumping, so we can probably safely consider it an outlier.

Fun fact: Toubleu de Rueire doesn’t just look like a unicorn — he’s adopted that role for Swiss riders throughout his career. He’s been a superb partner for Mélody, who started her career as a showjumper, and was Swiss junior jumping champion in 2003. She picked up eventing in 2013 after her husband, Benoit, issued her a challenge. She got the ride on the gelding in 2020, and he was previously piloted by Tiziana Realini, and before that, Sandra Leonhardt-Raith, both of whom are Swiss riders who rode him in Europeans teams.

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Nadja Minder and Toblerone – TEAM

Fifteen-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding (Yarlands Summer Song – Medelyne). Bred by Eric Attiger. Owned by Nicole Basieux.

4* dressage average: 31

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆☆

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: Nadja might be one of the youngest riders here at just 23, but she rides like a much more seasoned pro – and despite a truly uncharacteristic tumble from Toblerone at last year’s World Championships, she can be relied upon to keep forging on ahead and fighting for her goals. She has a palpably close bond with all her horses, but Toblerone, particularly, is special: they’ve come up from Young Rider Europeans to the big leagues together since 2020, and together, they earned Nadja’s first four-star win, taking the CCI4*-L at Baborowko last spring. Nadja was also enormously impressive at last spring’s Pratoni test event, where she rode two horses and lodged two of the just seven clears inside the time of the week. Though they’ve not yet been to Haras du Pin – they had an entry here last year, but didn’t use it – we can expect to see them tackle the track with their typical gumption.

Fun fact: Toblerone might have a sweet name, but he’s actually a very cheeky chappy – he’s the resident joker of Nadja’s yard, with a real sense of humour and a tendency to keep things rather interesting for everyone on a daily basis.

Felix Vogg and Colero. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Felix Vogg and Colero – TEAM

Fifteen-year-old Westfalian gelding (Captain Fire – Bonita, by Bormio xx). Bred by Heinrich Stephan. Owned by Jürgen Vogg.

4* dressage average: 29.3

XC speed rating: ☆☆☆☆

Reliability rating: ☆☆☆.5

Predicted poles: 2

The need-to-knows: When Felix and Colero won Luhmühlen’s CCI5* last summer, they were the first Swiss pair to win at the level since XXX did so at Badminton in 1956 (CHECK). On their day, they’re exceptionally competitive — their long partnership so far has seen them finish sixth at Kentucky in 2019 after their stint in the US, nineteenth at the Tokyo Olympics – a result just marred by a frangible penalty at that corner, and place at 12 total four-stars. But that doesn’t mean that the wheels aren’t immune to falling off the bus, which they’ve done a couple of times recently. They had a frustrating 20 penalties in the CCI4*-S at Baborowko in May, which was their final international prep run before they returned to Luhmühlen, where the gelding just didn’t perform as he can on the flat, and though they went clear inside the time across the country, their 33.3 in the first phase and truly uncharacteristic five rails in the final phase meant that the closest they could come to defending their title was a disappointing 20th place. Still, Felix had options for this championship, and the fact that the decision was made to bring Colero suggests that the rider and his support team have gotten to the bottom of it all since then. If that means that they’re coming to Haras du Pin back on form, they will be formidable.

Fun fact: Felix might be Swiss, but he’s also pretty German — he was born and raised there, and he’s spent much of his life training there, too. His major mentor is Michael Jung, with whom he’s based himself for much of his career, but he also works closely with Bettina Hoy to sharpen up the first phase, and he spent a year based in the States with Phillip Dutton, too. Unlike the rest of the Swiss riders, he keeps himself separate from the ‘system’, working independently with his own mentors and trainers instead. Unrelated, but fun: his five-star win came on his 32nd birthday, which is a pretty sweet present, we reckon.

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Five Horses We Can’t Wait to See at the European Championships

By Eventing Nation on Aug 11, 2023 8:27 am - 1,330 views

When you put form and statistics aside, us turbo horse nerds are all united in one thing: sometimes, you just really love watching a horse because something about it lights your pony-mad brain up. We rounded up two of EN’s newest recruits, Diana Gilbertson and Cheg Darlington, to find out which horses they’re heart-eyed over at this week’s FEI European Eventing Championships – and why, if you tune in and give them a cheer, you might just be to. Take it away, girls!

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Swirly Temptress – Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA)

I’m a sucker for a striking black horse, and one named Swirly Temptress was always going to get me going. In my opinion, we all need to be more swirly temptress on occasion. Sometimes unpredictable but often brilliant, she’s a real picture — flashy and extravagant, full of drama and power, and totally befitting of her name.

Produced from the beginning by British-based Italian rider Giovanni Ugolotti, the mare was sent to him to be broken in and stayed. Despite being dressage-bred, she has at times shown her hot side between the white boards, where she’d rather be showing off her fancy movements than standing to halt. Even when she’s standing on her hind legs she’s impressive though, and rarely posts a score over 30 in the first phase. Her best 4* test came at Boekelo at the end of last season, where she showed all her talent for 24.4 and second place as she headed out onto cross country. She was caught out by the final fence that day — as were a number of others, leading to it being removed mid-way through the competition. Up ‘til that point she’d been brilliant and the sense of ‘what if’ was tangible. Overall, her cross country record is notably clean — she’s speedy and accurate and attacks the course with the kind of flair her name suggests she might.

If everything comes together for her, there is every chance of a very impressive result this weekend and I can’t wait to see how Swirly Temptress takes to the Championships atmosphere. – CD

Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Capels Hollow Drift – Tom Jackson, GBR

I can’t remember the last time that I was this excited leading up to a championships, something that I can only attribute to the sheer amount of talent lining up in Haras du Pin this weekend. It is not just the usual suspects that have me whipped up into a frenzy; alongside Laura, Michi, Yas, et al is a whole host of young up and coming talent, too. It seems that every single one of the 14 nations being represented in France this weekend has a horse and rider to get excited about. One such combination is 30 year old Tom Jackson and his partner of 5 years, Capels Hollow Drift.

Runner up at the World Young Horse Championships at Lion d’Angers as a seven year old, 12 year old Walshy – as he is known to his pals – has impressed from the off. Georgie Campbell evented him as a young horse, before Tom took the reins in 2018. He finished 16^th on his CCI5* debut at Badminton in 2022, and followed that up with a second place at Burghley later that same year, adding just 3.2 cross country time faults to their first phase score of 28.9.

Tom is full of praise for the Shannondale Sarco St Glyvan grey – ‘he makes my job easy,’ he has said of him in the past, and again commended him for just ‘getting the job done,’ in less than favourable conditions at Badminton this year, where they once again added just cross country time (and who didn’t have time faults at Badminton this year?!) to their dressage score, jumping one of just two clear rounds to finish up 5^th and secure their place on the team for the Europeans.

You will have to go back as far as 2019 to find a cross country jumping fault on Walshy’s record, and his show jumping form is similarly superb – he rarely lowers more than a pole.

Bought as a foal by his co-owners Sarah Webb and Mollie Simmie (who also happen to be mother and daughter), there is a big support team heading to France to support this lovely grey gelding, and he deserves all of the superlatives – and more – that have been thrown at him of late. He is nothing other than consistent, and though his first phase score is not going to break any record books, it will still be good enough to keep them well in touch going into the jumping phases. If they deliver their usual double clear, they could easily make the top 5, if not a podium place, delivering us sentimental fools yet another fairy tale ending – and one that is very well deserved for this popular pair – DG

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Toblerone – Nadja Minder (SUI)

I go totally googly eyed for a heart horse and Swiss rider Nadja Minder’s Toblerone is one of the sweetest on the circuit. Not only does this tasty gelding have a yummy show name, but his stable name is a real treat — I mean, who doesn’t want a little ‘Schoggeli’ (translation: chocolate) in the barn? A Young Riders to World Championships horse, Toblerone’s cross country record with Nadja is immaculate — their only penalties coming in Pratoni when Nadja took a tumble not far from home, after jumping all of the tough stuff — including that slippery slide — like a dream. Good humor is something that stands eventers in good stead, and Nadja seems to have it in bucketfuls — after their mishap she posted, “This man took off like a 🚀 didn‘t break any pins but my seatbelt broke for sure and the ejection seat got activated… 🪂🪂🪂”.

There’s nothing quite like watching a horse and rider who clearly love and trust one another, and that’s just what we get when Nadja and Toblerone take to the course. Rarely outside the top twenty, and often inside the top ten, this is a partnership which is definitely on my ‘one to watch’ list as they continue their Senior journey together. Toblerone obviously has a liking for French soil, with a third place finish in the 4*-S in Jardy last month, so I’ll be keeping a keen eye on how he finds Haras du Pin.

Nadja says Toblerone’s character “is as funny as his name” and he’s “THE rascal” in the barn – and I just love that there’s something very apt about a horse with a chocolate bar for a name having a bit of a naughtiness about him, as all the best treats do. – CD

Gaspard Maskud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Zaragoza – Gaspard Maksud, FRA

Another bright young talent to keep an eye on this weekend comes in the form of Gaspard Maksud and Equiratings Horse of the Year 2022, Zaragoza. Still only ten years old, this fabulous mare seriously impressed on her and Gaspard’s Championship debut in Pratoni last year, finishing in 6^th place having added nothing to their first phase score of 27.1. A double clear in Pratoni last summer is something to be proud of in itself; let’s not forget the number of top horses that ran into trouble out there on both jumping days.

To think that such a result came from a relatively inexperienced horse – ‘Zoe’ was nine when she skipped around the Worlds – means that the home side will be pinning a lot of their hopes on this combination. Surrey-based Gaspard broke his collarbone earlier this year, so they missed their intended Bramham run, though they did then finish in second place in the CCI4*-S at Aston-le-Walls to make up for it, adding just a smidge of time to their dressage score. The mare’s phenomenal jumping record is matched by an ever improving first phase score; she improved with every international outing she has last season, and has beaten her Pratoni PB down even further, posting a 26.6 at Aston.

This Cevin Z mare is undoubtedly on her way to great things: she was in the top ten at 9 of her 13 FEI starts last season, an incredible statistic in what is just the beginning of her career. One of those top 10 finishes was 4^th place on her CCI4*-L debut in Saumur and another 4^th place in the Nations Cup in Haras du Pin, of all places. Could this prove to be a happy hunting ground for them again this weekend? The French supporters will certainly be hoping so, and if they produce their usual solid performance, they could contribute to a very good result for the home side this weekend.

This is a horse that has all the potential to become a star on the world stage, and one that has already started to make her mark. The European Championships could well see her challenge the status quo even further – watch this space… Zoe is only just getting started! – DG

Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.

Timmo – Nicolai Aldinger (GER)

If you love watching cross country, then you’ll love watching Timmo tear up the track. This is a horse that, for me, epitomizes the event horse. With every single stride, you can see he’s grinning from ear to ear as he gallops and jumps for joy. And his cross country record confirms just how adept he is at his job – with 24 clears from 25 runs with Germany’s Nicolai Aldinger, Timmo’s clearly a force to be reckoned with come cross country day.

It’s fair to say Timmo doesn’t love the dressage phase — like a true eventer he’s in it for the cross country — but he’s so motivated by what’s coming on Saturday that he’s willing enough for some marks in the high-20s, although he’s more likely to be low to mid-30s, and has been as high as 39.2 this season. By no means write him off by those higher scores though, because, as I said, cross country day is Timmo’s time to totally shine.

There was a bit of a tense moment at the First Horse Inspection in Haras du Pin when he was sent to the holding box, and Nicolai must’ve had a horrible sense of deja vu after being spun at the same point at Luhmuhlen, which would’ve been Timmo’s first go at 5*. But all was good after a second trot down the jog strip, which earned a big clap from the crowd and a cheer from me, watching at home, and very much looking forward to seeing this lovely chap doing what he loves to do most of all on Saturday — run and jump. – CD

EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.

Team EN Makes Their Picks for FEI European Eventing Championships

By Eventing Nation on Aug 10, 2023 12:01 am - 567 views

It’s time for EN’s writing team to make their predictions for this week’s European Eventing Championships!

Want to study up to make your own picks? Reference our Form Guide here and our Nations Form Guide here for more information than you could possibly need on each combination. Let us know who you’re picking for in the comments!

EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.

France’s Stéphane Landois and Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

TILLY BERENDT

Team Podium: It would be all too easy for me to put the Brits in this spot — and look, they truly do go into this as odds-on favourites, and as the most successful nation ever (by a seriously long way!) in the entire history of the European Championships. But they also went to Pratoni as favourites, where they ended up fourth as a team after a series of little mishaps. No nation is infallible, and I think they’ve got some fierce competition this week, all of which will help to get them at their most blisteringly competitive for next year’s Olympics. So with that said, I think Germany, flying high off the back of their Pratoni win, and with plenty of experience at this venue, take the gold; the Brits take silver by the tiniest of margins, and the home side, who haven’t had much like in Europeans in recent years, rally in their Olympic ‘dress rehearsal’, and are buoyed by cheers of ‘allez, allez!’ to take a bronze medal that’ll leave them salivating for more next year.

Individual podium: It’s JL Dublin, Vendredi Biats, and fischerChipmunk, but I can’t give you an order or any rational analysis here because by the time I do, I’ll have changed my mind for the eighteenth time. Sorry!

Dark Horse: They’re not ‘dark horses’, really, but Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift have been so impressive over the last couple of seasons, taking second at Burghley in 2022 and fifth at Burghley this year. I love this gutsy, game horse’s clever, catty approach to cross-country, and I think Tom Jackson is a seriously exemplary stamp of a rider. I’d love to see the crack the top ten here.

One to Watch: Stéphane Landois and Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau. They won a seriously tough Chatsworth CCI4*-S in appalling conditions earlier this year, and have been quietly impressive in all three phases over the last couple of years while they’ve been developing their partnership. In 11 FEI events together, they’ve finished in the top ten eight times; they average just under a 28 in the first phase at four-star, the 11-year-old has never added a time penalty at CCI4*-L (nor at CCI2*-L, and only once at CCI3*-L, in an early run for the partnership where they had a very uncharacteristic 20), has been clear at every four-star he’s done, and is a one-or-none showjumper, but didn’t touch a single pole at Chatsworth, where course and conditions alike were so bad that plenty of riders were technically eliminated for knocking too many rails. On paper, they’re formidable, but it’s also the story they bring to the table that makes them well worth your extra cheers: Chaman was previously piloted by much-loved young rider Thaïs Meheust, who tragically lost her life in 2019 at the age of 2022 after a freak fall on cross-country with the gelding at Haras du Pin. Now, Stéphane is deputising for his friend with the horse she hoped would take her to the top of the sport – and as he makes his own European Championships debut, so does Thaïs.

Spoiler Alert: Belgium’s getting one of those two Paris tickets. They’ve been on a serious upward trajectory this year, and their dominance in the Nations Cup series — which also yields an Olympic berth — means that in a funny sort of way, they come into the Europeans with some of the pressure taken off. I think they’ve got confidence on their side, and one of the two qualifying spots will go their way. It’ll be a great moment when it happens; they’ve not qualified a team for the Olympics since London 2012.

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

CHEG DARLINGTON

Team Podium:

I’m guessing there’s not going to be much variety in EN’s podium predictions for this week’s competition, although there’ll perhaps be some slight shuffling back and to for which country will take the top and which will be snapping at their heels in silver.

The British line-up is a seriously serious one in terms of both horses and riders. The World Champions (Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir), former World Champion (Ros Canter), and European Champion (JL Dublin) are joined by Olympic team gold medalists (Tom McEwen – who also took the individual silver in Tokyo – and Laura Collett and London 52), Badminton winners (Ros and Lordship’s Graffalo), and Burghley and Luhmuhlen runners up (Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, and Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, respectively) – I mean, that is one impressive line-up, and even if I wasn’t British, I’d be backing them for the win. I know Pratoni didn’t go the Brits’ way for the team, but I’m predicting that the Euros will tell another tale altogether.

I have Germany down for the silver. As all eventing fans know, the German eventing team is a force to be reckoned with, for sure. As well as the formidable Michael Jung with the equally talented fischerChipmunk FRH, and former World Champion Sandra Auffarth with Viamant du Matz (who were 4th at Kentucky this season), the team (and individuals once they’re announced) is an interesting prospect which is full of potential. For me, Christoph Wahler’s Carjatan S should be on every eventing fan’s one to watch list – and keep an eye out for Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo on cross country day for a joyous example of a horse who truly loves his job with all his heart.

My third place goes to France. On home ground, with some decent recent form from all of the horses and riders, and a mix of experience and great potential, I think they’ll tip the scales over the other teams lining up this week.

Individual podium:

Last year’s podium is one of those eventing moments that’s etched into my heart. Seeing those three women – Nicola Wilson, Piggy March and Sarah Bullimore – standing together in celebration summed up my long-time love for this sport. It’ll be poignant for JL Dublin to return as reigning champion with a new rider, but Tom McEwen’s gracious acknowledgement of the huge part Nicola has played in his successes with the horse (taking second place at both Kentucky and Boekelo) remind us that eventing is a journey with high highs, low lows, and a whole lot of love and respect – for our horses and one another. As a relatively new partnership, they’re obviously still learning and growing together (something else Tom talks about in his interviews), but I believe in great stories and Dubs doing the double would certainly be a lovely one.

I’m tempted to go with equal second rather than trying to pin down the next two places. I have a feeling that Germany will upset the British dominance over the podium that we saw last year, and that Michael Jung will be up there this time with fischerChipmunk FRH (more on this in my Spoiler Alert). But whether he’ll get one up on Walter (Ros Canter’s Lordships Graffalo) – we’ll have to wait and see. A horse who loves and excels in each phase equally is a hard one to beat, and Walter is one of those rare examples, as evidenced at Badminton (where he won this year and was second last year). After finishing on his dressage with the same score as bronze medalists Tim Price and Falco at the Worlds, taking fourth place due to cross country time, I hope to see Walter on the podium at these Championships.

Dark Horse:

My dark horse is literally a dark horse – and his name fits the bill too. Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice have been on my radar for a while now, and I’ve enjoyed watching them progress as a partnership. With their dressage scores hovering around the mid-20s, nary a cross county jumping penalty on their record together and generally just a handful of time, they’re set to be in a very strong position come Sunday. Their show jumping isn’t quite as secure as the other two phases – yet – but they can go clear and would be unlucky to roll more than one pole. Like certain couples or a pair of best friends, some horses and riders just seem to click, and that’s the feeling I get from these two.

One to Watch:

Another one I’ve had my eye on for a couple of years (well, since Tokyo), Lea Siegl seriously impressed me on her Olympic debut – not only was she the youngest rider in the field (aged 22) but she also finished 15th (with DSP Fighting Line). My interest in this exciting young rider is really thanks to some unfortunate commentary on the feed I was watching at the time – the guy had obviously drawn the short straw and was given a sport he didn’t have one clue about and the resulting fury I felt when he thought 15th place was laughable and an ‘oh dear’ moment, cemented my support for a young athlete who had performed brilliantly. Lea brings Van Helsing P to the Euros, and, as a huge fan of Gothic literature and having read ‘Dracula’ at least ten times, I obviously approve of this gelding’s name. His recent form isn’t bad either – with two wins, a top five and a top ten placing this season. For me, this is a real eventers’ horse – he’ll probably be around the 30 mark after dressage, but then he’ll jump clear on Saturday and Sunday and potentially be a leaderboard climber as the weekend progresses. Whatever happens, I’ll be rooting for Lea and will no doubt be impressed by her potential.

Spoiler Alert:

When Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir came second to Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH at Kentucky in 2022, I’m pretty sure Yas had no idea that just five months later, as she entered the World Championships show jumping ring in second place with Michael in first, that the tables would be turned this time around and she would end up beating the legend that is Michael Jung. I can only imagine what that must have been like for a young woman who must have watched his winning ways as she dreamed of riding at the top level when she grew up. And the tussle didn’t end there. Just a few weeks ago, in the 4*-S at Aachen, Yas and Michael were 1 – 2 on the podium once again with Yas taking the top spot. I can’t help but feel for Michael Jung. Whilst I aplaude and celebrate Yas’ success and am thrilled to see a young woman at the top of her game, I do remember how excited I was by fischerChipmunk FRH when he first appeared on the eventing scene (with Julia Krajewski), and I believe he’s been a bit unlucky (and achingly close to greatness) – what with that mim clip at Tokyo and the final fence at Pratoni. This time out, I think he’ll win out over Yas and Banzai du Loir, but perhaps not by much.

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

DIANA GILBERTSON

Team Podium:

AH. This is a tricky one. I have three teams in mind, but the order in which they will stand atop the podium on Sunday is more difficult to settle on.

After much consternation, I’m going to put my neck on the line and put the Brits on top. Every. Single. One of the riders making the trip across the channel from Blighty have a roster of incredible results behind them – we’re talking Olympic Medals, a couple of World Championship titles, multiple 5* wins and indeed, European Team Championship titles too. Oh and they also have the current FEI World No. 2 amongst their ranks. That being said, the same was true of the team that went to Pratoni, and we all know what happened there. Still, perhaps as a result of their slip up in Pratoni, Team GBR are coming to France with a point to prove making them an even more formidable presence than usual, all of these riders have more than endless amounts of experience of not only riding under incredible amounts of pressure, but delivering top results whilst under said pressure – hence the countless titles held between them. So it is not just my ever present patriotism that puts them on the top of the podium in France – these guys will be more determined than usual to bring home the gold, and in doing so, laying the ghosts of their Italian nightmare to rest once and for all.

Silver though, is a little more difficult to decide. It is more than likely going to be a battle between France and Germany for second place. It would be nothing short of glorious for the home side to slide in there behind the Brits, and they certainly have a lot of form between them, but then, so do the Germans….not least of all that of Mr Jung, and Fischer Chipmunk. Sandra Auffarth is one hell of a seasoned campaigner, too and so for me, these guys edge sightly ahead of the French, who are definitely ‘up and coming,’ but just not quite there enough yet. Still a bronze on home soil will certainly give them reason to celebrate on the final day.

Individual podium:

Sacre bleu! How can ANYONE make a sensible decision here?! My initial response to this was to mindlessly throw a handful of names out there, and leave it open ended as to which way round they eventually settle. In fact, that is probably what I am going to do here, anyway. Maybe it is a cop out, but I just cannot make my mind up. Decision making is not high in my skill set, ok?!

Most of the names I’m going to leave floating around the podium are, of course, British, and even more of them are female….Who can look past Yas, Ros and Laura?! You’ve got 2 World Champions, and an Olympic gold medalist right there, and it would be nothing short of GLORIOUS to think that we could have a re-run of 2021 out in France this weekend, with an all British, all female 1,2,3, but I think there will be a certain German who will be keen to put a spanner in the works. Twice in recent history has Mr Jung been denied the top spot; individual Gold in Tokyo evaded him as a result of that frangible pin, and a far less questionable coloured pole saw him lose out to our very own Yas in the Worlds last year. Thus he will have his eyes firmly on the top prize, and anyone attempting to get past him has quite a task on their hands. Time and again we have seen him lead from the front and Michi will be doing all he can to make sure it stays that way this weekend. He has beaten all of our Golden Girls on more than one occasion, and to be perfectly honest, patriotic as I am, it would be lovely to see him do it again, even if just as some vindication for the much discussed Tokyo pin. See, not such a cop out after all – I am putting someone up for Gold after all.

But as for Silver and Bronze, it is quite simply, IMPOSSIBLE for me to settle on. I’m not even able to narrow it down to two, interchangeable names. Laura, Ros and Yas are all capable of an excellent first phase score, and indeed, a double clear to seal the deal. So too, is a certain Mr McEwen with the 2021 European Champ, JL Dublin. In fact, the sentimental part of me wants him to take Gold, but the facts would suggest otherwise – Tom has yet to nail it 100% with ‘Dubz,’ and though he will be more determined than ever to pull off a top result after a verrrrryyyy near miss in Aachen, I think he will have to settle for either Silver or Bronze, at best. So yes, I am leaving four names to fight it out for two places, but like I say, decisions are not my strong point. So shoot me.

Dark Horse:

For me, this is easy. Lara de Liedekerke-Meier has had less than favourable results at Championships before this year – who can forget (though I am sure she would LOVE to) her shocking fall at the first fence in Pratoni last year?! However, thus far 2023 has proved to be an altogether better year for the Belgian rider, including a recent top ten placing in Aachen, with Ducati d’Arville. She brings forward her World Championship ride, Hermione d’Arville this weekend, and though she may have fallen on her last team outing, the now ten year old mare has proven herself on more than occasion since then, with several CCI-4*S placings, including fourth in the Nations Cup in Jardy in July. It’s unlikely that Lara will be fighting for the top spot, but this determined Belgian will be determined to pull out all of the stops, not only to put her own personal Championship problems to bed, but also to help her team secure their place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which has eluded them thus far. As such, I’m predicting a top ten result, shaking up the usual proceedings in all the right ways!

One to Watch:

Again, this is a category that caused me quite the conundrum – there are a huge number of horses and riders that deserve to be named here. As such, I shall deliver you a (long) shortlist, of those that I considered bestowing this title upon, before deciding on one final name. Such is the power vested in me by this being my top picks, rather than those of more succinct and decisive individual. Combinations on that list include the 2022 CCI4*-L Blenheim Winner, Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K, one of Germany’s many emerging talents, and certainly one to watch for the future. Alongside her are fellow German Christoph Wahler and he delightful Carjatan S, and increasingly reliable pair, who have been nail bitingly close to pulling off a big result for a little while now – see their 4th place at Aachen if you need any verification of this. Similarly, the French duo of Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza are incredibly close to smashing through to the top – they were 6th individually in Pratoni, and Zaragoza -Equiratings Horse of the Year 2022 – is still just ten years old, so the sky is surely the limit for these two in the future. Other notable names upon my list are Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice – a duo that fit together like peas in a pod, and that just keep on delivering solid results, as well as the young Austrian Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P, and Susie Berry with Clever Trick. Another combination I almost settled upon here was Switzerland’s Felix Vlogg, who has arguably already hit the big time with his 2022 Luhmuhlen champ, Colero, and is certainly capable of delivering an incredibly good result in France this weekend. However, although I will be keeping a very tight eye on those two, the combination I will be watching even more closely will be the 2022 Burghley runners up, Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. They romped to fifth place in Badminton earlier this year, and have been banging on the door of the big time for a number of years now. Incredibly consistent in the jumping phases, their first phase score means that they are unlikely to be in contention for a place on the podium, but mark my words, their senior team debut will be one to remember for all of the right reasons.

Spoiler Alert:

Hum de dum. I hate this category. I was going to go with Mr Jung finally grabbing back the Gold, but a. I have already alluded to that in the podium picks, and b. my esteemed colleague Cheg has already outlined that finisher for you perfectly. So instead, I offer you even less of a spoiler. Michi will not only lead from the front, but he will destroy the current European dressage score, delivering something like, IDK, a 17, or something equal ridiculous, that will see them etched into the record books, foreverrrrr. C’mon, you and I both know he’s got it in him, it’s just a case of when. This weekend, my friend, that’s when.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

ALLIE HENINGER

Team Podium:

While my brain tells me that Germany has some pretty big names contesting this year — this time including one of my favorite pairs with former World Champion Sandra Auffarth on Viamant du Matz — my heart says that it has to be the 24th win for Great Britain this year. Four top women and two strong Toms will be taking to the field, and let’s just recap some recent accomplishments here: Ros Canter, our current Badminton champion and second-highest competing rider from Pratoni; Laura Collett, current Luhmühlen champion and previous Badminton champion; Yasmin Ingham, current Aachen and reigning World champion; Tom Jackson, Burghley silver medalist currently sitting 11th in the FEI World Athlete rankings; Kitty King, our Luhmühlen silver medalist who is on her third consecutive run at the European Championships, having helped her team take the gold in 2019; and Tom McEwen, World #2 Athlete riding the last Championships’ winning mount.

This absolute powerhouse team is guaranteed to show some great sport over the weekend, especially without German Olympian and Pratoni Team reigning champion Julia Krajewski to breathe down the neck of Yasmin Ingham once again. Germany is quite likely to be right on Britain’s tail for the silver, so this incredibly strong team had better be bringing their very best!

Individual podium:

Look, I hope it’s finally going to be our sweet Tom McEwen’s time to shine here as an individual. JL Dublin has to protect his title, after all, and what better tribute to Nicola Wilson than her reigning champion taking another gold for Team Britain? Tom has been stuck in second for so long (silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Pau 2021, Boekelo 2022, and Land Rover Kentucky this year), including currently sitting number two in the FEI Eventing World rider rankings, that I think it’s about time he gets his moment at the top of the podium. JL Dublin just continues to improve as time passes, and I’m excited to see how they fare here this weekend.

I expect 2022’s Le Pin au Haras Nations Cup champion Michael Jung to be right on Tom’s tail, but I think one of our British girl-power contestants will be right up there on the podium with them. Yasmin Ingham, reigning World Champion with Banzai du Loir, will surely be giving the boys a run for their money, but I could also see Ros Canter, Badminton champion and current World #3, really work to shake things up. Will it be a Michi sandwich on British bread, or will one of these ladies overtake fischerChipmunk on the podium to make room for the other?

Dark Horse:

The Austrian team may be small but mighty. Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P especially have been doing some pretty rockstar work lately, including staying within the top 10 at nearly every event in the last two years, a Nations Cup win at Strzegom in June, and a fifteenth place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. Let’s hope that the rest of Lea’s elite team can help scrape themselves through towards an Olympic qualification here.

One to Watch:

The addition of Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo to Sandra Auffarth and Michael Jung’s power team is what had me strongly pondering the possibilities of a German win this time around. I’ve never seen this gelding take a wrong step on cross country, and while they may not be the highest-placing pair historically, they sure are a pleasure to watch — let’s hope that plays in their advantage this time around! It sure doesn’t hurt that Timmo is very easy on the eyes… okay fine, and so is Nicolai. Sue me.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

SALLY SPICKARD

Team Podium: Team GB

It’s difficult to bet against the Brits in any capacity these days, and they’ve rustled up the A-team to head to France this week. You’ve got the 2021 European Champion horse (JL Dublin), the reigning World Champion (Yasmin Ingham), a former World Champ (Ros Canter), an Olympic gold medalist (Laura Collett), and two rising stars that have seriously made their mark on the sport in recent months (Tom Jackson and Kitty King). Any of these individuals are poised to shine on their day, but in the end the team will take priority as the Brits look to capture their 23rd team victory dating back to the very first iteration of Europeans at Badminton in 1953. No matter which way you toss the dice, I don’t see a whole lot of scenarios where the Union Jack doesn’t fly high come Sunday.

Individual podium: Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo

I’m not sure there’s a horse in the field I am more unabashedly obsessed with this year than Lordships Graffalo. This cheeky boy waltzed into his first 5* (Badminton, of course) last year and finished second, on his dressage mark, as if he’d been doing it his entire 10-year-old life. Then, as if that wasn’t enough of a statement, he returned to Badminton this spring and took home the whole cake with 2018 World Champion Ros Canter showing him the way once more.

Combine that absolute raw talent and the partnership he’s built with his rider since his young years with Ros’ vast amount of expertise and grittiness on tough competition days, and it’s not difficult to see them topping the individual podium (while, perhaps, also collecting their team medal) at the end of the weekend. I would expect this pair to swoop close to or into the lead after dressage, and if they can capture the time on a hot Saturday cross country, they’ll be in excellent position to capture the title once and for all.

Dark Horse: Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza

Competing on home turf in the Europeans is a huge privilege, and Gaspard this weekend gets another shot at glory after seriously impressing us as an individual at last year’s World Championships in Italy. They were sixth individually there and could be a big threat to have a similar (or better) finish at Haras du Pin. They’ll be looking to leave it all out there, as this pair has also been named to the long list for the Paris Olympics and will do all they can to put themselves firmly on the short list after this weekend. Zaragoza’s Anglo-European breeding will serve her well for the endurance element of Saturday’s cross country, which could certainly benefit her once you factor in the heat index. Don’t be surprised if you see this pair flitting into the top 10 after a demonstrative round on cross country.

One to Watch: Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville

I always love to see the horses Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier brings to major events, as she can always be counted on to have a strong roster of homebred and handpicked prospects coming up the ranks under the Arville suffix. It was a bit of happenstance that caused the breeding that resulted in Hermione, after Lara received her dam (Kyra du Relais Pachis) as a “one-off after she seemed not to take well to the sport” and a breeding opportunity to Birkhof’s Royaldik via trade.

What I love about Lara is her resilience and her willingness to look inward when it comes to down times. After parting ways with Hermione at, of all fences, the first fence on the World Championships track last year, she admitted she had to pull herself out of it at first. “Falling at fence one at Pratoni was quite something,” she told Tilly earlier this year. “When I felt my head on the ground, I was like, ‘no way, I’ve got to wake up, there’s no way – it’s a nightmare’. But no, I never woke up. It was reality. I mean, everything happens for a reason — you don’t always know why, but I’m confident it will come along, and considering that the horses I have are good, I just need to keep producing them the right way.”

Lara’s brought Hermione tactfully back up to this level this year and has collected four finishes inside the top 10 (including two inside the top five) in FEI competition this season. Belgium stands poised to gain their hard-fought Olympic qualification this weekend, so all efforts will be focused on this ultimate goal — and Lara could be one to lead that charge.

EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.

Das Ist Gut, Indeed: Team EN Picks Their Movers and Shakers of Luhmühlen 2023

By Eventing Nation on Jun 15, 2023 4:48 am - 1,291 views

One of our favourite traditions here at EN is putting our pocket change where our mouth is and doing some serious claim-staking on five-star fields. Luhmühlen is no different, and between us, we have all the opinions. Check out our team picks, and then drop your own in the comments!

Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

TILLY BERENDT

The CCI5* Winner: Emily King and Valmy Biats

There’s some names in this field that seem pretty obvious — how can anyone look past Laura Collett and London 52, for example? They’d certainly be the odds-on favourites here, and for good reason, and we’ve got last year’s winners, Felix Vogg and Colero, in the mix, too. But I suspect this will be a week for a five-star win for a rider who’s not yet nabbed one, and I think that rider will be Emily King. She and Valmy Biats have impressed a number of times, including when they finished eighth at Pau last year, and she was one of my riders of the day at Badminton this year when she decided to pull the gelding up because she felt him start to tire, long before any of us on the ground could see even a hint of weariness creeping in. They looked great to that point, and I like to think that the good karma of being a great horseman does come back around at some point. Maybe that point is this week, and we’ll see the next generation of five-star winners in the King family. I’ll certainly be rooting for them — and if they start their week with a score like the 25.5 they got at Pau, I think a lot of folks will be singing the same tune as we go into the weekend.

The Best of the US: Boyd Martin and Fedarman B

Having skim-read some of the team’s predictions after pulling my own list together in my Notes app, I’m not at all surprised to see that this combo is a particularly popular choice. And rightly so: it’s hard not to root for beautiful, blaze-faced Bruno, which also means rooting for the late and much-missed Annie Goodwin, who made him the serious upper-level horse he is. Every time Boyd pulls out a great result on him, he does so in her honour, and I’ve loved seeing Annie’s family and friends rally around her heart horse and her extraordinary legacy. If he wins this week — which he could do, even though it’s a five-star debut, because in his last six FEI runs, he’s never been lower than tenth and he’s won twice — it’ll be one of those fairytale moments that’ll have us all in our feelings. It won’t just be a win for the USA, nor just a win for Boyd — it’ll be a five-star win for Annie, which she so richly deserves.

The Best Brit: Kitty King and Vendredi Biats

Kitty’s had a bit of rubbish luck at her last two five-star runs with Vendredi Biats, but man, they really do have all the right raw material, and sometimes, you just need the winds to blow in your favour a bit. This is one of those partnerships that I really feel just deserve a big result on their record, and I think this is a competition that’ll play in their favour in a big way — especially come Sunday and that historically tough-as-hell showjumping track. This horse is an insanely good jumper, and I, for one, haven’t forgotten the European Championships in 2019, which were held here — and at which they finished best of the Brits in seventh. Go get ’em, Kit Kat.

The Top Mare: Elizabeth Power and Senza Fine

Dark horse alert: Esib and the Italian-bred former ride of Tim Price really could make a great impression here, though. While Senza Fine doesn’t have the most inspiring record at short-format, she really comes into her own on a long-format course, where she’s seriously nippy and very reliable, too. She tends to hover around the 30 mark on the flat, but absolutely can and does go below it, too, and she’s a one-or-none horse on the final day, too. I think this, the mare’s five-star debut, could be their week.

Biggest Climber: Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG

I’ll admit I was a touch surprised to see this pair on the entry list after a successful trip to Badminton, but Commander VG is a tough, scrappy dude of a horse and Aistis is a very good horseman, so I’ll hold my hands up and say that it’s highly unlikely that I know the horse better than he does. What I do know is this: Commander is a climber through and through. Though the first phase isn’t his forte — Aistis picked him up as a young horse from a dressage yard, and his bad experiences there mean that he gets defensive and tricky to ride in the dressage ring — he’s a classic run-and-jump machine, and he loves his job. That should see him make a significant leap up the leaderboard, especially if Saturday proves tough. I also think an honourable mention must go to David Doel and Ferro Point here: they’ll sit on a mid-30s score going into Saturday, where they’ll be seriously classy and quick and zip right up to the business end of proceedings. The final phase can be hit or miss — and the less said, the better about their round here last year, where poor David fell when the saddle slipped right under Ferro Point’s belly — but they can, and have, jumped clear on the final day of a long-format.

The Highest-Placed Rookie (Horse or Rider): Tim Price’s Happy Boy

Every time I see this horse on an entry list I just think of that one TikTok of the tappy-toed little dog and that ear worm of a song that goes with it. I know you know what I mean. But beyond his endless meme-ability, Happy Boy is also one heck of a competitor. At just eleven, he’s already got two CCI3*-L wins and a CCI4*-L win — at Boekelo last year — to his name, and he’s a quick little bugger with some seriously snappy knees. The first phase can go in either direction, really, but on his good days, he’s well into the 20s — and if he can start on a strong note, Tim knows he’s got speed on his side. When it comes to Sunday, he’ll be feeling confident, too — the gelding hasn’t had a rail in an international since running a young horse CCI2*-L at Tattersalls (RIP, you brilliant, boozy event) back in 2019.

The CCI4*-S Winner: Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden OR Hallie Coon and Cute Girl

I hereby reserve the right not to choose. Last time Mollie and Charly came to Luhmühlen, the three of us were a mad, sweaty, unbeatable trio and nabbed a five-star, and it was, frankly, really bloody special and great. They should easily lead the first phase and have got everything it takes to follow through in the next two, too. (Oh, and our 5* lucky mascot, Sprinkles the unicorn, has come back to hang out in Chazzle’s stable this week!) But also, Hallie’s one of my best pals, we went pony shopping together and found the horse of a lifetime in Cute Girl, and I genuinely think that this pair has some absolutely massive results in them on the world stage. This will only be Gypsy’s second four-star, but she learned a tonne in her first at Millstreet, she’s looking and feeling great, and Hallie’s a serious competitor. It would surprise me not one jot to see them burst into the spotlight this week. DON’T MAKE ME PICK. THANKS.

Laura Collett and Dacapo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CHEG DARLINGTON

The CCI5* Winner: I’m going to go all in and say Laura Collet and Dacapo. London 52 may be the more obvious choice — being an Olympic team gold medalist and Badminton winner — but Dacapo seemed all for it in the first phase at Badminton before Laura decided not to run due to the weather, and if he can match the dressage score he posted there — 25.2 — he won’t have done his chances here any harm. Laura’s looking for her first 5* completion with the gelding, having had two previous starts, so she’s surely ready to put that to bed and I can see her doing it in style here this weekend.

The Best of the US: Wow, this is tough when you look at the entries from the US! My heart always tells me Thomas (Boyd Martin’s Tsetserleg TSF) because I love him. But I’m going to plump for Boyd’s other ride, Fedarman B, because I also love a big white blaze and the gelding was looking great at the horse inspection. Boyd’s on fire at the minute after his Bromont hat-trick and I think Fedarman B’s speed and accuracy will see him well and truly hit the big time this weekend.

The Best Brit: Another tough one given the impressive entries list from the British camp, but I’m going with Emily King and Valmy Biats. This is a combination I just have a feeling is heading for a big result at the level. He looked well up for the challenge at Badminton before Emily sensibly decided to save him for another day, and having had a taste of the muddy ground there, he’ll surely appreciate the going at Luhmuhlen.

The Top Mare: Emma Brussau’s horse, Dark Desire GS. I would never underestimate the power of a longtime relationship between a horse and rider, particularly when they’ve ‘grown up’ together. Their accomplishments in Juniors and Young Riders speak volumes about the quality of this pairing, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them finish on an impressive result this weekend.

Biggest Climber: Known to post a dressage result in the 40s, sometimes the high-40s, Arne Bergendahl’s Luthien 3 is likely to be towards the bottom end of the leaderboard at the end of the first phase. But let the mare loose on the cross country and you’ll truly see a horse who loves her job! We will for sure see them climb after Saturday’s action, and could well see them climb further on the final day.

The Highest-Placed Rookie (Horse or Rider): Tamie Smith‘s horse, Solaguayre California — it’s a long way to travel if you don’t think you can win. Although I’ve followed Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line for a while and would have put them as my Spoiler Alert had we included that category. I’ve narrowed it down for all my other picks (for once), so I’m giving myself two for this one.

The CCI4*-S Winner: Ingrid Klimke and EQUISTRO’s Siena Just Do It. Who would bet against Ingrid? Not me, that’s for sure!

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

DIANA GILBERTSON

The CCI5* Winner: Ah heck. I hate this one. I will likely get it wrong, and I’m not sure if I can mention the same horse twice, but here we are…. My pick for the Luhmuhlen 2023 5* Champ is quite simple. London 52. Yes, he ran out at Pratoni, but he also won Badminton in 2022, won Pau in 2020, and oh yeah, helped Team GB to victory in the 2021 Olympics. So, it may be the obvious choice, but for once I think I might be backing the right one.

The Best of the US: Hmmmm. Tamie or Boyd, Boyd or Tamie. I am going to take a punt on Boyd Martin as the best of the US, purely because he has 3 shots here this weekend, to Tamie’s one.

Of those, it seems obvious to say that Tsetserleg TSF will bring home the goods for Boyd, being a 5* champ, and Olympian and a WEG horse, but I am going to buck the trend and say that Federman B will beat his stablemates this weekend. Yes, it is Bruno’s 5* debut, but hello?! Have you seen this horse’s jumping record? It’s pretty tidy I have to say, as is their 4* form. So, I reckon he will come out of the start box here like an old pro and give Boyd a really great result, 5* debut or otherwise.

The Best Brit: Oooh this is a tough one – we have quite a few major contenders coming across the water to Germany this weekend. Eventing Legend and the first ever Grand Slam Winner Pippa Funnel brings 2019 Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street forward, while the World Champion Yasmin Ingham brings her Young Rider Champion Rehy DJ along for a spin, and then there’s Kitty King on the lovely Vendredi Biats. However, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is hard to see past Miss Collett, who has not just one but two incredible contenders lined up and ready to shoot for the title this weekend: Dacapo and London 52, 2022 Badminton Winner and all round superstar. If Dacapo keeps his head and puts in the performance that he has proven himself capable of, he will be pretty far up that leader board, but let’s face it, it’s doubtful he will knock his stablemate off the top spot. London 52 has oodles and doodles of experience at this level now, and as long as he doesn’t do anything silly like her did at Pratoni last year, he will be hard to beat. He will likely lead the first phase by a country mile and good luck to anyone trying to catch up!

The Top Mare: There are a few super smart mares lining up this weekend, not least Tamie Smith’s Solaguayre California and given her penchant for jumping a double clear, and the incredible jockey holding her hand around her 5* debut, she will almost certainly finish in a notable position on the leader board. However, Oliver Townend’s Cooley Rosalent, as beautiful as she is talented, has the potential to go even better. Oliver holds the mare in very high esteem indeed, and he would know, having partnered her all the way from BE100. She placed second in her first ever CCI4*L at Blair Castle last year, and has shown little to no reason as to why she shouldn’t absolutely smash her first 5* too, vindicating Oliver’s long held faith in his noble steed.

Biggest Climber: I’d love this to be Susie Berry and Monbeg by Design. Arthur tries his heart out for his young jockey, despite not always finding the job easy, and his show jumping record is pretty awesome. He added just a few time faults to his dressage score at the World Championships in Pratoni last year, jumping clear around that show jumping course. So if he can get his skates on around the cross country, he could make up for his likely mid-range dressage score and do himself and Susie very proud indeed and beat a few of the horses that may lay ahead before the second and third phase.

The Highest-Placed Rookie (Horse or Rider): This one is easy…. Tim Price and Happy Boy. Winner of Boekelo Nations Cup last year, he is, in Tim’s words, ‘really nifty.’ An incredible jumper, and a horse that just seems to get better and better every time out, Happy Boy may not be right up there after dressage, but he could easily skip up the leader board after both jumping phases, such is his prowess at getting between those flags, and keeping his knees up over the coloured poles.

The CCI4*-S Winner: Ahhhhh. A no brainer. Mollie Summerland and Charly Van Ter Heiden. They have already won the 5* here, so why not add the 4* title to their list of achievements? Like Laura Collett, Mollie benefits from the guidance of dressage maestro Carl Hester, so they will likely top the charts after the dressage. The jumping phases shouldn’t offer too much of a challenge given their previous performance here in Germany, so there is no valid reason why Mollie and her best mate Charley shouldn’t bring home another win here this weekend.

Laura Collett and Dacapo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CASSIDY OELTJEN

5* Winner: Laura Collett and Dacapo (GBR)

I realize that this means I’m going against the stellar record of London 52, but I really liked this horse for having a breakout performance at Badminton. But if we can collectively agree that Badminton was just a bit different this year, I’ve punted my opinion to this weekend. Shine that light bright Dacapo… I think this is your time to shine.

Best of the US: Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA)

Being a part of the tearful masses at Bruce’s Field for last year’s Grand Prix Eventing solidified my forever fan status for this pair. While Boyd has never been short on mounts with fairytale stories, this one really has the collective positive vibes of an entire nation of eventers behind it. Not to mention Fedarman is stunning in all three phases, and being piloted by a jockey as skilled as Boyd doesn’t hurt either.

Top Mare: Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California (USA)

Tamie didn’t need any help learning to win, but that weekend in Kentucky sure didn’t hurt. While this mare is inexperienced at the level, she is no stranger to clear rounds and pulling out mare tenacity. I feel like the energy she and Tamie collectively have will be electric in all the right ways.

Top Brit: Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR)

I’m just going to cover all my bases with talented horses from Laura’s barn. Even though I put my eggs in the Dacapo basket, I’m also confident in London 52’s winning ways. It seemed unlucky that he had to scratch from Badminton, but with how the weather played out, maybe it was luck’s way of ramping him up for a big Luhmuhlen finish.

Biggest Mover: Tim Price and Happy Boy (NZL)

I’m not going to be one who bets against Tim Price, even on a rookie horse. I have utmost confidence in Tim’s ability to pilot Happy around, finishing on his dressage score, whatever that might be.

Best Rookie: Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT)

When making notes for Lea’s form guide entry, I couldn’t stop saying “And then…”. She and Fighty have a long list of accomplishments, and although she was entered last year, Fighty was not, making this the first official CCI5* run for the pair. Hard to believe since they have Olympic and WEG appearances to their name.

4* Winner: Julia Krajewski and Ero de Cantraie (GER)

Both of Julia’s mounts are equally inexperienced, and equally talented. They both have the ability to pull of some pretty stellar performances in all three phases, and they both have the expert piloting of Julia. In all honesty, I’m going with Ero de Cantraie because alphabetically his name comes first and I had to find some way to separate these two who I think each have a chance at their first CCI4*-S win.

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

SALLY SPICKARD

Winner: Boyd Martin and Fedarman B

In order to assuage myself of any pro-U.S. bias, I took a good spin through our Form Guide to the pairs entered in this year’s 5* at Luhmühlen before I made my selection. I’ve had an inkling in my head for awhile now, but it’s always good to make sure you do some research before putting your cards out there. But even after that review session, I stand by my first pick: Boyd Martin and Fedarman B.

Boyd brings arguably three of his best current horses to the table in Germany this week, and I can tell you that he didn’t come all this way just for shits and grins. He will have selected each event on his horse’s schedule with an eye to his chances of winning (save, perhaps, the later addition of Tsetserleg TSF after an issue early on cross country at Kentucky forced a plan B).

I chose “Bruno”, piloted in honor of the late and loved Annie Goodwin, for a few reasons:
1. Bruno is rideable and capable of going fast, efficiently. He’s got his own style of jumping, but he always looks smooth and effortless, not requiring much in the way of set-up from his rider. On a course that demands intelligent selection of lines in order to have a hope of making time, having a rideable horse will matter more than having only a fast horse. Bruno is both, and Boyd has been selective about the times he’s asked the horse to go for the time, meaning he’ll have loads of reserve fitness to call on in the final minutes of the thinking track.
2. Boyd and Fedarman B stand a good chance to go out of the start box well-placed in the beginning. A penchant for a competitive score puts a top three or better post-dressage placing well within reach.
3. Touch wood, this duo have yet to lower a rail in FEI competition since beginning their partnership. Boyd’s got a not-so-secret weapon in the form of show jumping Olympian and super coach Peter Wylde, whose quiet influence can be seen in Boyd’s much-improved jumping technique in recent seasons.
4. The power of a story carries more weight than you may give it credit for, and this weekend Boyd will be carrying out a dream first laid out for Bruno by his former person, Annie Goodwin.

The Best of the US: Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California

Having chosen a U.S. rider to win, I’ll follow that choice up with our own Queen of Kentucky, Tamie Smith. Hot off a historic 5* win at Kentucky in April, Tamie now focuses her attention on 5* debutant Solaguayre California, who is owned by Julianne Guariglia. This is a hotly-anticipated debut for California, whose zest and exuberance on cross country are unforgettable and whose athleticism should lend itself well to this level of sport.

Tamie will have selected Luhmühlen as a good debut spot for California on purposes and provided Tamie has the ride ability she needs to go quick on Saturday, she could be looking at another podium finish — and some proper momentum to take into CHIO Aachen at the end of the month with her Kentucky winner, Mai Baum.

The Best Brit: Kitty King and Vendredi Biats

After a heartbreaking fall saw their Badminton dreams end prematurely, we know this pair has the chops for this top tier of the sport. They’ve got a top-10 finish at both Badminton and Burghley to hang their hat on, and adding another to the pile would be icing on the cake this weekend. We know Kitty and Vendredi Biats will be near the top after the first phase, with a low-20s score more than possible, and if they can just nip around quick enough on Saturday they’ll be in good stead to go for all the glory on Sunday.

The Top Mare: Dark Desire GS (Emma Brüssau)

Reading through Emma and “Desi’s” collective CV is quite impressive. Similar to British World Champion Yasmin Ingham, this pair is a product of a healthy young rider pipeline, already laying claim to multiple individual and team titles on the junior squads for Germany.

Much of that success has come during Emma’s partnership with the 14-year-old Hanoverian mare, and we all know that a large part of any success in eventing comes from health of partnership. So while this weekend is a debut of sorts, at the 5* level, this pair has more than enough experience to consider them prepared to go for a big result.

Biggest Climber: Arne Bergendahl and Luthien 3

Let’s face it: not every competitor who finishes on the podium at a three-day started in that position. And really, it’s a nod to the history of the sport and its completeness. It tests all facets of athleticism and ride ability, and in the best tests, the horses that show the best results at the end of the weekend aren’t always those that pull out the best marks in the first phase.

You may not find German pair Arne Bergendahl and Luthien 3 on the board after the first phase, more likely to pull a score in the 30s to start their weekend. But you’re likely to see them much closer at the end of the day Saturday. This is a pair that has proven themselves capable of going quick across the country and climbing the leaderboard as a result. If they can find the best way around Mike Etherington-Smith’s track Saturday and leave the poles where they belong Sunday, the Biggest Climber award will be firmly in their grasp.

The Highest-Placed Rookie (Horse or Rider): Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS

I’m going to be a little lazy here and refer you back to my pick for top mare, as the words still apply here!

The CCI4*-S Winner: Anna Lena Schaaf and Fairytale 39

It’s once again difficult to bet against experience, and I’m giving this nod to Anna Lena Schaaf and Fairytale, who’ve come up the rankings together — with plenty of competitive success along the way. That success includes medals at the Young Rider Europeans and a win in their first 4*-S at Strzegom in 2021.

While this pair doesn’t have a world of experience at this level — this weekend marks their fourth start at 4* over three seasons — they do know each other quite well at this point. That experience will come in handy in what stands to be a formidable test, but not one that this pair isn’t well-prepared for.

Tim Price: lost his horse, kept the vibes. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

TOKEN NON-HORSEY BOYFRIEND AND UNOFFICIAL EN MASCOT ALEX

CCI5* Winner: Tim Price and Happy Boy

Why? It’s Tim, duh. And he looked great when he was looking for his missing horse after the trot up. The look of a champion, that.

The Best of the US: Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California

Because it’s Tamie, and she’s awesome. Does there need to be more reasoning than that? I don’t think so.

The Best Brit: Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ

I like Yaz. I’m picking riders here who talk to me, mostly. Also her horse is called Piglet, and that is great.

The Top Mare: Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS.

I’m going with this one for the name alone, to be honest. WHAT A NAME.

Biggest Climber: Hallie Coon and Global Ex

I had to pick Hallie because she tried to whip me after the trot up and I fear further retribution. Also, great horse. We hosted Hallie for Christmas at our house as well, which means she’s basically family, and also I’m mentioning this so I look really well-connected and in the game.

The Highest-Placed Rookie (Horse or Rider): Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line

This horse will obviously be FIGHTING to get on the right LINE and that seems like a pretty essential trait for an event horse to have. Sold. (Also it’s a real pretty horse.)

The CCI4*-S Winner: Hallie Coon and Cute Girl

Look, again, the whip thing. Also my girlfriend Tilly helped Hallie find this horse so the horse is also part of the family. NEIGH.

Longines Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [How to Watch] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Form Guide]

EN’s coverage of Longines Luhmühlen is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

Your Form Guide to Longines Luhmühlen: Meet the Horses and Riders of the German CCI5*

By Eventing Nation on Jun 14, 2023 8:02 pm - 1,931 views

It’s time to get the party started at the next CCI5* on the 2023 calendar: Longines Luhmühlen, which takes place just to the south of Hamburg in the north part of Germany. This staple on the eventing fixture list is known for its technical, winding cross country track and high-atmosphere arenas. We’re also treated to a CCI4*-S class, most of which will be competing for the Meßmer Trophy — the German National Championship.

A star-studded entry list in the 5* headlines the weekend, with 43 horse and rider combinations entered. Another 50 pairs will compete in the 4*-S division running concurrently.

This weekend’s 5* Ground Jury is presided over by Great Britain’s Nick Burton, who is accompanied by Katrin Eichinger-Kniely (AUT) and Joachim Dimmek (GER). The 4*-S Ground Jury is helmed by Seppo Laine (FIN), accompanied by Ernst Topp (GER). Mike Etherington-Smith is the cross country designer here for both divisions. The jumping tracks will be laid by German designer Marco Behrens.

As is tradition here at EN, we’ve dug into the archives and our mind palaces to bring you all the bits and bobs we can muster about each horse and rider entered in the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5* division. Keep scrolling for a list of all pairs, each horse’s age and breeding, and fun facts about each.

Tilly Berendt is our roving reporter this weekend, and she’ll be doing a monster of a job bringing you the latest updates at the end of each day. Cheg Darlington and Sally Spickard will be helming live updates for dressage and cross country, and the rest of the EN team will be working weird hours to make sure you have all the information you need and want at your fingertips. Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@goeventing) for more, and you can also catch all the action live on Horse & Country (subscription or one-time pass required — you can save 15% on an annual H&C+ membership using code EVENTINGNATION15, by the way!). You can find scheduling info and more on the live stream in our info post here.

Longines Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [How to Watch] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [<a href=“https://eventingnation.com/luhmuhlen-form-guide/“ target=“_blank”EN’s Form Guide]

EN’s coverage of Longines Luhmühlen is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

Want to jump straight to your favorite horse and rider? Click the links below to jump to their section (the combinations are listed below in alphabetical order by last name; sections in alphabetical order by country and last name):

Bill Levett and Huberthus AC (AUS)
Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT)
Seppe Vilain and Kawa de la Cour Z (BEL)
Nicolas Wettstein and Meyer’s Happy (ECU)
Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour (FRA)
Gireg Le Coz and Caramel d’Orchis (FRA)
Cedric Lyard and Unum de’Or (FRA)
Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo (GER)
Arne Bergendahl and Luthien (GER)
Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS (GER)
Jerome Robine and Black Ice (GER)
Laura Collett and Dacapo (GBR)
Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR)
David Doel and Ferro Point (GBR)
Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street (GBR)
Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (GBR)
Tom Jackson and Farndon (GBR)
Fiona Kashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar (GBR)
Emily King and Valmy Biats (GBR)
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (GBR)
Harry Meade and Tenareze (GBR)
Imogen Murray and Roheryn Ruby (GBR)
Will Rawlin and The Partner (GBR)
Kylie Roddy and Carden Earl Grey (GBR)
Izzy Taylor and Happy Days (GBR)
Izzy Taylor and Monkeying Around (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Tregilder (GBR)
Susannah Berry and Monbeg by Design (IRL)
Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty (IRL)
Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG (LTU)
Muzi Pottinger and Just Kidding (NZL)
Tim Price and Happy Boy (NZL)
Felix Vogg and Colero (SUI)
Katherine Coleman and RLE Limbo Kaiser (USA)
Hallie Coon and Global Ex (USA)
Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire (USA)
Matthew Flynn and Wizzerd (USA)
Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA)
Boyd Martin and Luke 140 (USA)
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF (USA)
Tamra Smith and Solaguayre California (USA)

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AUSTRALIA

Bill Levett and Huberthus AC. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Bill Levett and Huberthus AC (AUS)
Eleven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Douglas – S. Anubertha 16, by Voltaire). Owned by Elisabeth Murdoch, William Levett, and Keith Tyson. Bred by A. Cornelese.

Eventing fans will be familiar with the name Bill Levett, who, at 60, is one of the most experienced riders in the field. Based in Britain since 1994, Australian Bill is rerouting from Badminton where he retired after a 20 on a very muddy cross country day with Huberthus AC, or “Bart” as he’s known in the stable. As Badminton was the gelding’s first CCI5*, given the difficult ground conditions, Bill’s intention was to see how the horse found it on the day and retire if he felt the experience wasn’t as positive as he’d like for Bart’s first 5*. The ground shouldn’t be an issue at Luhmühlen — with its sandy base, it can easily cope with serious rainfall, so it’ll be interesting to see how Bart enjoys what will be his second 5* start in more favorable conditions.

Bart was produced by Chris Hall and Emily Oppenheimer, joining Bill’s team in 2019. He stepped up to the Advanced level in 2021, finishing 27th in the Bicton 4*-L and 21st in the 4*-L at Blenheim, where he added just 4 show jumping penalties to his dressage of 32.8. Bart didn’t compete in 2022, coming back in 2023 with a run in the 3*-S in Montelibretti, where he finished 6th. He returned to Italy the following month for the 4*-S, finishing 6th and adding just 4.8 cross country time to his 30.7 dressage. The first phase has seen his most inconsistent scores, from very low 30s to very low 40s, but his most recent form suggests we’re likely to see a low to mid-30s test – he posted a 32.5 at Badminton. His cross country record is where he shines, jumping clear in all but two of his thirteen FEI runs. He does tend to add time, and with Bart being inexperienced at the level it’s unlikely Bill will have his pedal to the metal, but he has shown he can make the time at 4*-L, and the most he’s added due to the clock this year is 15.3 in his first run of the season. On the final day, he has had a pole more often than not, but in his last two runs (except Badminton, where he didn’t show jump) he’s left them up, completing with only cross country time added to his dressage scores.

Bill represented Australia at the 2014 and 2018 World Championships and was named traveling reserve for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He was an Event Rider Masters regular, taking fifth, fourth and third placings in the 2018 series. When he’s not training or riding, Bill works as part of the Monart Sales team, helping to select top-quality young horses for the luxury off-season auction.