I’ve still not quite emotionally recovered from Saturday, a day that saw actual Michael Jung fall off in an actual Championship — a moment that really feels, in hindsight, like just the tip of the iceberg on a day we didn’t necessarily think would go ahead, thanks to all that rain. I’m all worded out from writing about it in such depth, which is why it’s a real joy to relive the whole shebang via video, thanks to our pals at Horse & Hound. Settle in, press play, and watch the action unfold, with interviews and smart analysis — it’s just as exciting doing it all over again, I can tell you that much.
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Who Jumped it Best: That Frightening First Water at the FEI European Championships
Saturday’s cross-country challenge at the FEI European Eventing Championships didn’t boil down to style, really: with achingly tough conditions and a seriously challenging championship track, it was all about two things: horsemanship, and function. Throughout the day, we were delighted to watch riders put their horses first, taking a foot off the gas and letting their mounts fill their lungs without being chased around the course. We also saw horses and riders alike dig deep and find that classic cross-country grit and gumption that allows you to stay balanced, safe, and effective throughout all sorts of hitches and wobbles.
And so our short and sweet WJIB? today looks at those qualities, rather than, say, a perfect line from elbow to bit. The fence we’re looking at today is the first water complex at 6ABC and 7 — and, specifically, that final element. At this point, horses and riders alike had had a bit of a slap ’round the face from the course; the footing in the very early stages was arguably the worst of the day, though the warm-up arena’s ground hadn’t been terrible, so as they jumped the first couple of fences, riders had to be extra conscious of keeping their horses’ confidence up through the dishearteningly heavy going. As they approached this first water, they did so knowing they were coming to one of the toughest questions on course — but the huge throngs of enthusiastic crowds picked them up and carried them through, and many riders found making it to the other side of this question an enormous confidence boost, both for themselves and the horses.
First, they popped a large table atop a hill, before cantering down to a large drop, followed swiftly by a brush-topped wall into the water with a huge drop on the landing side. Then, they had to gather up the knitting to meet this fence, a big, brush-topped skinny in the water, on a stiff left-handed turn. After that, they could gallop freely on out of the water.
With all that in mind, take a look at this selection of horses and riders. They’re jumping the final element – so which do you think has brought the most energy and efficiency through the question with them? Who’s showing the best balance, and the most confidence? Which pair, to you, gives the impression of security in the midst of a tricky question on an enormously tough course? Cast your eye over them, and then scroll down to cast your vote!
Andrew Heffernan and Gideon (NED). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress (ITA). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K (GER). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH (SUI). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (GBR). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage
“He Was Meant to Be With Me”: Catching Up with Burghley Sophomore Phil Brown
Phil Brown and Harry Robinson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Though he’s moved back home to Yorkshire recently to base his business closer to his family, for many years, eventer Phil Brown was based just next door to Burghley: so close, in fact, that he could see the famous façade of the house from his arena as he worked his horses, day in and day out, come rain or shine.
“That was major motivation,” he says with a smile. “You could see it from our fields, from the arena — and having that there made it all the more special when I finally got there as a competitor.”
That ‘finally’ moment came last year: riding the then-fourteen-year-old British-bred gelding Harry Robinson – and yes, a horse with a human first and surname IS the most charming thing you’ll stumble upon today — he didn’t just make a long-anticipated debut at the event that had fuelled his drive for so many years, he completed the thing, too.
“We went quite steady!” he laughs, referring to the 62 time penalties he picked up while piecing together their clear round. “We were a good two minutes over, but he just kept plugging along, because he really loves his job.”
Harry’s not alone in that: as a local rider, Phil came to Burghley — which wasn’t just his debut at the event, but his debut five-star, too — with a large and enthusiastic support crew of friends and family. But as the week unfolded, and as everyone on site universally fell in love with the sweet, floppy-eared, splashy-faced gelding, it was impossible not to take note of how much Phil, too, was relishing the moment. Their dressage score, a respectable debut of 35.3, didn’t have them challenging the leaders, but Phil returned to the mixed zone for a post-ride debrief with journalists with the joy of someone who’d taken the lead; likewise, when he returned from cross-country, he did so buoyed by sheer thrill, gratitude, and a palpable love for his horse. By the end of the week, it was impossible not to root for Phil, and not to catch that contagious smile as he embraced both the extraordinary learning opportunity around him, and the realisation of a dream he’d held throughout his career.
“We had a bit of a laugh about it in the talk area last year, but I chose to do Burghley as my debut because — well, nobody in this country dreams of Pau, do they? That probably sounds like quite a bad thing to say, but we do grow up dreaming of Badminton and Burghley. I’m from Yorkshire, and so Bramham was always a really big thing for me, and once we’d done that [Phil jumped a swift clear in 2016 with Miss Brodie], I thought, let’s try for a five-star. Because I was down in the same area, it felt like the obvious one — but also the most scary!”
Phil Brown and Harry Robinson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Part of what made last year so special for Phil was the realisation that no matter how tightly you hold onto a dream, and how close you think you’ve come to grasping it, it’s never guaranteed that you’ll get there.
“I actually came so close to getting here six years previously,” he says. “But then that horse broke down; the rules had changed and we had to do another long format event for our qualification, and the horse picked up an injury there. So we never got our chance, and it’s taken six years to work myself back to that stage.”
If someone had told him that it would be Harry Robinson with whom he’d finally tick the box, Phil admits, “I wouldn’t have believed them!” Though they’d been together since the gelding’s six-year-old year, he was sold when he stepped up to Advanced — but within nine months, he’d bounced back to Phil’s yard, “because they just didn’t get on with him that well; they found him a bit much,” he explains. “They rang me and asked if I’d like him back, and because my horse had picked up an injury, I said, ‘yeah, why not?'”
Nigel and Susie Bushby, who are old family friends of Phil’s and live just down the road from his parents’ house, decided to join in on the gamble, and bought the horse under the banner of their own family business, Orbit Electrical Services Ltd. And then, everyone got to work, building a partnership with a horse that, Phil confesses, is a bit of a quirky soul.
“He’s so kind on the ground, like a really lovely, big Labrador,” he says fondly. “He’s the most loveable horse and everybody that works on the yard loves him — and I love him; his owners love him. But to ride he’s a real hothead. He’s kind of a Jekyll and Hyde — there’s absolutely no nastiness in him, but he’s always so overeager to get the job done that if you try to over-control him, he can have a bit of a tantrum.”
But, he continues, that’s what makes him a great partner for the biggest courses in the world: “Because he’s like that, he loves his cross-country. He just wants to get on with the job and do it for you — and one thing about Harry is that he just keeps trying, no matter what. When you look back at photographs and videos from last year, from the beginning to the end of that course, his ears are pricked and he’s loving what he’s doing.”
Phil Brown’s handsome Harry Robinson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s a wobble of emotion in Phil’s voice when he talks about what Harry means to him — not just as the horse that found his way home, nor just as a rallying point for his family and family-by-proxy in the Bushby clan, but because he carried him to the zenith of his dreams.
“Joanne, who was the woman who bought him for that nine months or so, sends me messages saying, ‘it was just meant to be’ — it’s so special,” he says. But he’s not resting on his laurels, either: with that dream accomplished last year, he’s got his sights set on a return for this year’s Burghley, with everything he learned last week guiding and influencing him.
“Last year, my goal was just, ‘let’s just get there’,” he says. “When we arrived, I was like, ‘whatever happens…”, but then it went so beautifully that we came away thinking, ‘wow, I’ve done that now, what now?!’ But then to go into this season not just knowing how to prepare, but also not having to chase down qualifications and MERs, that’s felt a bit weird! It’s been the goal all year, and we’ve been steadily building up to it with some four-star runs. The biggest thing, though, is that I now know I’m capable, and I know he’s capable. Getting him fit enough was a big priority for me last year; I thought, ‘even if it means he blows up in the dressage, he has to be fit enough’. And now, knowing that that system works gives me so much confidence in the fact that it can happen.”
But, he adds sagely, “it’s five-star. Just because you’ve done it once, doesn’t mean you can take that for granted. But I do feel a bit more relaxed about it. Last year was the unknown; you think you’re doing everything right, but you can never actually know for sure until you’re doing it. He’s not a lot of Thoroughbred — he’s warmblood and Irish, but I found that he’ll just keep going. But until you’re in that situation, you just don’t know if they’ll cope with that next step. You have to go into it thinking, ‘we’ll give it a go and just be sensible, and if it’s right, it’s right, and if it’s not, I’ll pull up’.”
Smart clears in the CCI4*-S classes at Bramham and Aston this year will put them well on the right track, while Harry’s once-annual 20, which he picked up at Hartpury last week, will give them those last-minute sharpeners to work on — but whatever happens, Phil and his ‘boomerang’ horse will be enjoying every step of the way. And if you want to follow along with them and give them a cheer as they tackle Derek di Grazia’s tough track, just follow the cheers — as the young rider coach for the East Midlands, he’ll have voracious support scattered throughout the track. Lend them your voice, too; you’ll be rewarded with a display of horse-first eventing and a tangible, ineffable love for the sport.
Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Ride Around Burghley with Piggy March
I’m buzzing around on pony-mad cloud nine this afternoon, for one very simple reason: this morning, I got to make the long, sunny drive up to Burghley House to take a first look at the cross-country track that Derek di Grazia has laid out for this year’s competitors. It’s a seriously cool track — more on that in the coming days! — but what was even more special was getting to sit down with the likes of Andrew Hoy, who shared his memories of competing there way back to the seventies; Phil Brown, who competed there for the first time last year after a lifetime of dreaming; and younger rider Greta Mason, who’ll make her Burghley debut this month. And on the subject of memories? Who could be more interesting to chat to than the remarkable Piggy March, who vlogger Victoria Brant got the once in a lifetime opportunity to go hacking with over the estate recently. Tune in to the video to find out everything they spoke about on their ride (and try not to be as achingly jealous as I am!).
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“It’s Walter’s World And We’re Just Living In It”: Ros Canter Becomes European Champion
Ros Canter: your new European Champion. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
She’d bought herself such an exceptional margin — two rails and four seconds in hand, to be precise — by delivering the only clear round inside the time yesterday that Ros Canter‘s ascension to European Champion with Lordships Graffalo seemed almost inevitable today. But that’s not how sport always pans out; there are tricky courses, tired horses, always, at the back of one’s mind, the prospect of a serious miss and an opportunity to inspect the arena footing rather closer than planned. All of that boils down to an extraordinary, almost indescribable pressure — but Ros, who became the World Champion in 2018 after revolutionising her style of riding with Chris Bartle, making her the girl who came ‘from nowhere’ to rule the world — has always been very, very good at dealing with pressure.
“I’m very relieved, though,” she laughs, having used one of those rails in hand at the first element of the treble combination, but holding it together to confirm her new title as European Champion. “There’s quite a lot of pressure, and when you have a bit of a margin it almost makes it worse, because you’ve got further to fall. I mean, the expectation was that I should win it today, so I’ve had to try and keep myself in my own bubble a little bit, remind myself who I’m sat on and, and just try and do the best job I could in that situation.”
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Who she’s sat on is, now, arguably one of the best eleven-year-olds the sport has even seen. ‘Walter’, as he’s known at home, isn’t just making his name for the first time here: as an eight-year-old, he strode into the spotlight when taking second in the prestigious Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old class, historically a feeder route for five-star winners; that was his four-star debut, and early the following season, he took the win in the Chatsworth replacement CCI4*-S at Aston-le-Walls, finished second in the Bramham replacement CCI4*-L at Bicton on his debut at the level, won the CCI4*-S at Blair Castle, and finished second in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim — all in his nine-year-old year. As a ten-year-old, he stepped up to five-star, finished second, took second at Hartpury’s CCI4*-S, and then went on to the World Championships, finishing fourth and best of the British team.
Oh, you think we’re done here? Let’s not forget Badminton this spring — the wettest, toughest, and most maligned since that 2014 renewal, in which many horses retired on course and those that did finish did so with significant time penalties. Watches were cast aside; feeling the ground, and the horse beneath you, became the priority — but still, a baby green Walter got stuck in, pricked his ears, and came home with just 11.6 time penalties, the second-fastest round of the day, and won the whole damn thing.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
And this? This is his first international event since then, and from the get-go, he’s been at his very best. Though Ros has always kept his inexperience at the forefront of her mind — ““I think we’re still coming across situations that are new to him, and this was definitely the most challenging ground,” she said yesterday – she’s also always felt confident that there’s nothing he wouldn’t tackle; no challenge he wouldn’t relish. That’s been resolutely the case at Haras du Pin, an event that has been, admittedly, something of a slog for everyone, thanks in large part to inclement weather and subsequent tricky conditions. But on day two of dressage, as the penultimate horse to perform his test, he was exceptional, putting up a 21.3 that had him second to Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH; yesterday, when chaos and time penalties reigned, he added nothing and moved into the slot vacated by the eliminated leaders — even though, she admits, his warm-up saw him become ‘a bog-standard eleven-year-old’ with his eyes on stalks. But as she entered the arena and began her tour of the fences, he quickly gained in confidence, and after that mid-round rail, he became good old Walter again.
“I just feel a very lucky girl to have a horse like Walter in my life,” says Ros, who’s had the ride on the gelding since the start of his career and has always considered him her perfect stamp of a horse — a designation he’s worn well by making himself the biggest character on her yard. “We all say that it’s Walter’s world, and we’re lucky enough to live in it, so he’s had a fantastic time, too. I’m extremely proud of him; I was relieved to finish the showjumping, and now I’m excited!”
Champions again: the Brits take gold at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In tipping just that one rail today, they didn’t just claim their own title — they also led the British team, who’d enjoyed their own significant lead following cross-country, into the gold medal position, defending the title they’d so decisively claimed in 2021 and redeeming themselves after a disappointing team result in Pratoni.
“It’s amazing. I mean, the team for me, has always come first,” says Ros. “That’s why I love riding on a team. It’s what I do it for. It’s what I dream of doing. It’s always been about trying to ride for Great Britain. I think you after Badminton, that was such a massive box ticked for me that I don’t think I ever thought it could get much better. So I’m just thankful that I’ve got Walter — he’s unbelievable.”
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats add individual silver to their team gold. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There was so much to celebrate for the Brits: though they couldn’t quite manage the full individual podium that they’d clinched in Avenches in 2021, they did take the top two spots. Kitty King and Vendredi Biats once again proved that they’re extraordinarily reliable in a team situation, concluding their pathfinding week with a clear round to hold onto the second place they’d clinched yesterday. They did, however, add 1.2 time penalties — an addition that Kitty chalks up to her own performance in the ring.
“It’s amazing, but I was a twat in there, I rode so badly!” she says with a laugh. “Luckily Froggy remembered all the good rides I’ve given him, and he just did it. It just means so much — luckily, when I came out I was so cross with myself, I didn’t cry, but now…! Now you begin to realise it’s been a long time coming and he deserves it so much. I just didn’t give him a very easy job — I kept him guessing the whole way; I kept missing. Normally he’s so smooth, and it’s so easy, and I just messed it up for him every time we came to a fence, basically; I kicked when I should have pulled and I pulled when I should have kicked. I was a muppet.”
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Kitty isn’t, perhaps, giving herself enough credit for the exceptional performer she’s developed the Selle Français into: from leading Burghley, to coming second at Luhmühlen, to being the best of the Brits at the Europeans in 2019 and on the gold medal winning team at Avenches in 2021 — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, really. But if he’s been slightly overlooked in the past, Kitty has now ensured that ‘Froggy’ is an undeniable contender for the biggest of challenges.
“It’s been a roller coaster with him,” says Kitty. “I always think he’s in the shadow of the other team horses; you know, he’s not as flashy, but he’s gritty and he gets the job done, and he’s proven himself today.”
The women of the British team and their remarkable horses: two five-star winners, a World Champion, and a silver medalist. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Even when she was named to the team, Kitty didn’t imagine it was as anything other than a reliable leader of the pack.
“When I came out here, I know the British horses so well and they’re absolutely amazing, so I thought I’d be coming just to get a score on the board and be a good pathfinder,” she says. “I thought it’d be up to the rest of them with their amazing horses, so to come home with an individual medal of any colour is a huge honour and achievement, and I’m very, very proud of my horse. I’m delighted with silver, and Ros really deserves the gold — her horse is fantastic.”
Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The top three after cross-country remained unchanged, despite the reasonable influence exerted by today’s course — and as the third-last to go, Germany’s former World Champion Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz certainly put the pressure on those above them, throwing down an excellent clear round when Kitty, next in the ring, didn’t have a rail in hand.
“My horse was amazing today again, like yesterday — he did a super round, and it was a special atmosphere,” says the bronze medallist, whose World Champs win came at this venue back in soggy 2014. Even with that behind her, she still didn’t feel immune to the pressure on her today, though — especially as the silver medal-winning German team began today just 0.2 penalties ahead of the bronze-medallist French team.
“I was quite nervous, I must say, in the warming up arena. But I had the feeling he really wanted to give his best, and I’m already a little bit longer in the business, so I know that pressure.”
“A good thing,” she says, “is that I’m quite relaxed with the show jumping so that helps for sure” — and she’s not kidding when she says that, as she maintains a string of show jumpers and competes in majors classes such as the Hamburg and Hickstead Derbies. “But it was a special atmosphere and it was a special place for me, of course, as well, to be here in front of the castle.”
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Christoph Wahler cemented his position as one of the most reliable members of the formidable German forward guard, once again getting the job done with ineffable Carjatan S — with whom he was second at Luhmühlen CCI5* and part of the gold medal winning team at Pratoni — to complete his journey from first-phase tenth to a final fourth place. His week began with some frustration: though he’d coaxed a beautiful test out of the occasionally tempestuous son of Clearway, a break in the extended trot had cost them, and they went into yesterday’s cross-country on a score of 28.3. Then, though he described it as “not the most pleasant round I’ve ridden”, he supported the gelding through the tough conditions, romping home with 13.2 time penalties and incrementally creeping up the scoreboard. Today, it was perhaps that touch of frustration that led to a sedate celebration as he cleared the final fence, having executed a faultless round – but while it’s the role of the sporting perfectionist to always look for room for improvement, from the outside, he’s secured his position as a cert for teams to come indefinitely.
France takes the bronze medal — and four spots in the top ten. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
All four of the enormously celebrated bronze medal winning French team secured their places in the top ten: Nicolas Touzaint delivered a sparkling clear, despite Absolut Gold HDC‘s unusual jumping style, which moved him from ninth to fifth, while yesterday’s best-placed Frenchman, Stéphane Landois, slipped from fourth to sixth after pulling a rail with Ride for Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau, deputising for his old friend, the much-missed late Thaïs Meheust, on the horse on which she’d lost her life several years ago. British-based Gaspard Maksud remained in eighth place having pulled a rail, just behind Germany’s debutant and individual competitor Jérôme Robiné with Black Ice, who delivered an excellent clear under pressure for seventh place. Just behind Gaspard was Laura Collett, who redeemed a frustration weekend — she’d received 15 penalties for a missed flag yesterday — with London 52 to take ninth on the strength of their stylish clear round today, which team head honcho Dicky Waygood described as “possibly the best I’ve seen the horse jump, both in the warm-up and in the ring.” Finally, crowd favourite Karim Florent Laghouag took tenth place with Triton Fontaine, also having delivered a clear round that nearly brought the house down with its raucous show of support. That completed a weeklong climb from seventeenth for the perennially sunny elder statesman of the home side, and also helped the nation to secure the bronze medal — giving them much to celebrate, but also plenty to work on, ahead of their home Olympics next year.
Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC jump clear to be the best of the French. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
14 of the 37 competitors today jumped around the final phase without tipping rails; just eight did so without time, too. Notable of those were first-session competitors Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, riding as individuals for Great Britain, and Sweden’s Amanda Staam and the expressive Corpoubet AT, making their team debut.
We confirmed it yesterday, but today it truly was set in stone: following the elimination or retirement of all three Austrian competitors, and the elimination of two of the Italian team riders, Belgium and the Netherlands booked their tickets to Paris, and though each nation had moments to rue and build upon, each was palpably delighted by the result. For Belgium, it’s a first team qualification since London in 2012; for the Netherlands, it’s a first since Rio in 2016, which they qualified for by taking a surprise bronze medal at the World Equestrian Games here in 2014.
That means that there are just three Olympic team tickets remaining: two will be awarded at the Pan-American Games in Santiago in October, and one more will be awarded at the finale of the 2023 FEI Nations Cup series at Boekelo to the highest-placed unqualified team in the series. We’ll be bringing you lots more news and analysis on this in the coming days — but for now, it’s time to celebrate the exceptional efforts of our new champions. Raise a glass to Ros and the British line-up — if, of course, they can get their lorries out of the mud to get to their celebration parties.
For now, from us, it’s over and out from the 2023 FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin. As always: Go Eventing!
The individual top ten in the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships.
The team podium at the culmination of competition.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage
Delightfully Uneventful Euros Final Horse Inspection Still Sees Field Thin By One
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
‘The morning after the night before’ takes on a whole new meaning at a three-day event, and especially at one in which the ground and terrain played as important a part as it did here at the European Championships at Haras du Pin yesterday. We saw an afternoon full of serious exertions, tired horses, and some near misses that could have led to any number of knocks, bumps, and bruises — and so all of us approached this morning’s final horse inspection with no small amount of trepidation.
Nine nations and 37 competitors — down from 38 after the withdrawal of Belgium’s Karin Donckers and Fletcha van’t Verahof, which will have no effect on the Belgian’s qualification efforts for Paris — came forward to present in front of the ground jury of President Judy Hancock of Great Britain, Katrin Eichinger-Kniely of Austria, and Seppo Laine of Finland for the final time this week.
But the scenes on the strip weren’t at all what you might, fairly, have imagined: all 37 remaining horses looked fit, well, and ready to tackle the final day of sport, which meant that every one of them was accepted on the spot, and at the end of the horse inspection, one very bored holding box vet simply shrugged and went off in search of the first grand biere of the day.*
(*This is a guess, and also a wild inaccuracy, probably.)
French hero Karim Florent Laghouag presents Triton Fontaine. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
Now, we’re looking ahead to the start of the showjumping, which begins at 12.00 p.m. local time (11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST) with the first 13 riders, and will resume at 2.00 p.m. (1.00 p.m. BST/8.00 a.m. EST) with the top 25. Currently, we have a decisive lead for Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who go into the final phase on 21.3 — two rails and four seconds ahead of second-placed Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who themselves don’t have a rail in hand over Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Similarly, in the team stakes, the Brits are well out ahead with six rails in hand over Germany, who are just 0.2 penalties ahead of France, currently sitting in bronze. You can check out the course map here, and start times are available here.
We’ll be bringing you the full story — and news on our new European Champions — shortly thereafter, so keep it locked on EN!
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage
Canter’s Queen Bee on Extraordinary Euros Cross-Country Day
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Yesterday, as the weather took a turn for the worst, pummelling Haras du Pin with over 15mm of rainfall, many of us turned to one another and said one thing: “this is Walter weather.” Lordships Graffalo, the eleven-year-old phenom piloted by Ros Canter, isn’t short of valuable experience in holding, saturated ground — after all, it was the very worst of that flavour of footing that greeted him as he left the startbox at Badminton this spring, and despite that, he crossed the finish line as one of very few horses to still look fresh at the tail end of his experience. Then, of course, he went on to win — and so he wasn’t so much the thinking man’s pick of today’s competitors as much as he was the man-who-doesn’t-really-need-to-think-all-that-hard-to-get-there’s choice.
But even so, after hours of shock moments and gasp-inducing tumbles — including one for overnight leader Michael Jung from fischerChipmunk FRH, who suffered a stumble at the final water, and Tom McEwen from reigning European Champion JL Dublin, who parted company at the same complex — we couldn’t quite have expected just how dominant a force the relatively inexperienced young talent would be. Throughout the day, we saw horses coming home beyond the usual level of tiredness, despite this morning’s decision to remove fences 12–16 and shorten the course by two minutes to 8:19, and double-digit time penalties still remained competitive. And then, as the penultimate pair out of the startbox, former World Champion Ros and her gritty partner proceeded to make the whole thing look, for all intents and purposes, like a bit of a joke. They didn’t just make the time — the only pair to do so today — they crossed the finish line an extraordinary nine seconds inside it, despite mixed emotions in the British team camp following Tom’s fall, Laura Collett‘s missed flag penalty with London 52, World Champion Yasmin Ingham‘s shock 20 at the tough coffin, and individual competitor Tom Jackson‘s 20 at the final water.
But though the round looked like the plainest of sailing on a day when just 51% of the field went clear, amassing average time penalties of 18.1, that faultless, time-penalty-free round still wasn’t easy, Ros explains.
“I mean, it was tough going,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong – I had a near-whoopsie at fence too and that sharpened us both up. The ground out there was hard work, but Walter is just unbelievable in his stamina and his desire to travel through ground like that. He’s so rideable, and that lets me keep travelling and lets me balance, and when you balance he has energy. So I think he’s the best horse in the world when it comes to doing something like this, and I was very lucky and unrelieved that I was able to give him a nice ride.”
Walter was also the fastest horse of the day at Badminton, and that speed — despite tough conditions — is something that Ros says comes very naturally to him, though his very varied fitness routine over the Lincolnshire hills, all undertaken on grass, has certainly helped.
“I think he’s very efficient – he’s very careful but he never balloons, and he never goes green,” explains Ros, who had held silver medal position after dressage. “He always lands travelling, which is very good. He’s extremely polite, which is unusual, to have a horse that travels at his speed that when you sit up, he’s responsive. So when he’s galloping he gallops low, but when you sit up, he punches up and his head comes up and it’s the best of both worlds. There aren’t many that can gallop low and then don’t want to stay down there and aren’t many that have their heads up to jump but then want to gallop low, so I think that’s where he’s just amazing. I’ve never sat on a horse like him that travels so efficiently and is so rideable and and brave — he measures every jump, he reads every jump beautifully, and he seems to know just how much he’s got to give everything. He really does make my job easy, because hand on heart, I’m not normally the fastest rider on the course.”
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
As the fourth on course, Ros had initially hoped to stick to her usual system when there’s a long wait, but the problems caused on course meant she changed her plan and came out to watch much more than she ordinarily would.
“I always have idea that I watch five and then go back the lorry, have a sleep, do something else, and stay in my own zone. The reality is, that didn’t happen,” she says. “I watched quite a few, then I got a bit worried about the last water, so I went down and rewalked it, then I came back to watch a few more — then I got worried about the rail ditch brush, sp I went down and watched that, and then I watched the water again. Then I came back and went back the lorry and managed not to watch anymore. At that point, it was about time to get ready.”
Being fourth to go, she says, “is sometimes a fantastic place to be and sometimes a hard place to be — but I just had to try and stick to my own plan today. I watched quite a bit and supported the others but at the end of the day, there’s only one Walter and I had to ride him today and try and stick to everything that I knew we could do.”
Knowing the issues that some of her compatriots had faced on course, she wasn’t sure whether she’d receive team orders to go slow and steady, or be encouraged to chase the time she thought she might be able to catch.
“Just as we were walking down with Chris Bartle I said, ‘are you still happy for me to go for this?’ And he said ‘absolutely — for the team as well. You must commit; we’re going out to be the best, so ride by feel — but if it feels good, then do your thing.'”
As she crossed the finish, she realised — not for the first time — what a special horse she’s got in her string to fill the huge shoes left by her 2018 World Champion, the late Allstar B, even despite his young age.
“I think we’re still coming across situations that are new to him, and today was definitely the most challenging ground — we thought Badminton was bad, but I didn’t think it was a patch on how they had to travel through quite gloopy going today. He surprises me time and time again — literally, there isn’t another horse I’d rather walk a course for, and I haven’t found a course yet where I’ve thought, ‘I’m not sure how Walter will tackle this’, or ‘I’m not sure I’d want to have a go on him’. There isn’t a jump I don’t think he can jump.”
Now, Ros will head into tomorrow’s finale with 9.5 penalties — or two rails and four seconds — in hand.
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats step up from overnight ninth to second. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Apparently there’s something to be said for bookending the British team, because while the anchorman snuck in to usurp her at the end of the day, it was British pathfinder Kitty King and Vendredi Biats who held the lead throughout the day after leaving the startbox in the first half hour of the competition. Though she was initially disappointed to pick up 3.6 time penalties, fearing she’d let down the team as a result of them, theirs was one of the rounds of the day — and an extraordinary display of the kind of trust that’s amassed over a long partnership like theirs.
“We know each other inside out, so when he kind of said ‘I don’t like this very much’, I was like ‘it’s okay Froggy, we can do it together’,” says Kitty, who was surprised at how much the difficult ground took out of her Luhmühlen runner-up.
“It was hard work. Froggy lives for his cross country and today he wasn’t enjoying himself quite as much as he normally does, which is a huge shame, just because I know how much fun he normally has. Today he had to really dig deep and try hard, and he kept jumping for me even when he was finding it a little bit trickier. I’m very proud of how hard he tried for me – he’s a five-star horse; he’s done Badminton and Burghley, and this is the tiredest he’s ever finished.”
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Feeling that effect on him meant that Kitty found it prudent to slightly adjust her usual way of riding to prioritise keeping ‘Froggy’ happy and comfortable in his efforts.
“I just tried to keep moving as much as I could as well as just slightly backing off him a little bit at times to try and let him find his feet — he was just unsure of the footing,” she explains. “On the approaches to the fences, he just was a bit more unsure of himself compared to normal, and his stride pattern changed a bit, which I think threw both of us — so when I’d normally set up, the stride would just kind of keep coming up nicely whereas today, we’re always just a bit of a half stride off, either half deep or long, and it was just trying to get our eye in with how the ground took their stride away from them more than normal. I was trying to just give him a little bit of time to find his feet and find his confidence with the ground. He’s normally such a springy little horse, and it just took all his all his spring away from him.”
The footing, which she described as ‘very dead’ and totally different to that of the warm-up, also required her to adjust her lines, too.
“I wanted to put a few more curves in to make some of the lines a little bit easier, but because of the ground he wasn’t as manoeuvrable, so I had to straighten a few things out,” she says. “But I know he’s really genuine, so I wasn’t too afraid that I was taking things on a little bit more of an angle than ideal, just because I know that he’ll be looking for the flags for me and he’s very experienced. So that was okay, but he just hated the ground and he didn’t travel, which was just such a shame. But I went as quickly as I felt he could go to get him home in one piece and without making any kind of horrible errors along the way.”
Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Haras du Pin – astutely nicknamed ‘the house of pain’ by one unnamed media representative who ‘enjoyed’ the famously wet and tough World Championships here — has been as happy of a hunting ground for Germany’s Sandra Auffarth as it can possibly be, considering how tricky it always seems to be in Championship situations: in 2014, she became the World Champion with Opgun Louvo here, and today, in not dissimilar conditions, she dashed home with just six time penalties with Viamant du Matz, helping the Germans cling on to silver medal position overnight and moving her up from eleventh to third.
“I must say, the ground was really, really deep in the beginning of the course, and so that was hard for the horses — but in the end, it did get better, and then I felt I could really fight,” says Sandra. “He’s super fit, so I think he could do the time, but I was a little shy and I didn’t want to risk anything in the beginning. It’s smart that they cut out part of the horse; otherwise, we’d have had a really hard day. Already, we saw a lot of tired horses, so it was the right decision.”
Viamant du Matz also partnered Sandra at Tokyo — though with a blip — and to an Aachen win last year, and their shared experience meant that Sandra was full of confidence today.
“He now has such good experience, and such good overview, and he’s so safe in looking for the next fence — he makes it easy for me. I was looking forward to the cross-country, because I thought, ‘he’s ready for everything’ and we have a super partnership. I’m happy to have him.”
Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s arguably no nation in the world that embraces eventing quite like the French, and while they were raucous in their cheers for each and every rider that galloped past them today, it was for their own that they reserved the loudest screams of ‘allez, allez!’ — and all 15,000-odd of them determinedly sprinted after them on course, too.
And at the end of the day? What a pair to have leading the home charge, having moved up from 23rd to overnight fourth with just 8.8 time penalties. Not only is this 28-year-old Stéphane Landois‘s Senior Championship debut, he was also the pathfinder for the French with his Chatsworth-winning partner Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau — again, on incredibly tough, holding ground — but the pair cruised around with a maturity well beyond their amassed experience.
No pair could have had a more committed front riding along with them, in large part because Stéphane wasn’t riding alone — not really. He’s had the ride on the gelding for three years now, taking over from his friend, Thaïs Meheust, who tragically died in 2019 at the age of 22. She’d been riding Chaman at the time of her accident, which occurred at the second fence on the French national young horse championship at this venue – but since then, the gelding has had the chance to help her family and friends see out her legacy in the most poignant of ways. She’d always dreamed of riding at the Paris Olympics, a dream that’s not looking at all far-fetched for her horse now, and this would have been an obvious step along the way, and one which Stéphane is making sure she’s well-remembered at. Along the way, they’re also helping to raise crucial funds for improved safety measures and devices in the sport, via the Ride For Thaïs Foundation that has now become the Selle Français’s namesake.
Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The first horse and rider pair on course delivered one of the rounds of the day, holding the accolade of fastest time — just 2.4 time penalties accrued — right up until Ros left the startbox. That was Ireland’s stalwart team rider Sarah Ennis, piloting Championship debutant Grantstown Jackson. The swiftness of their round saw the very-nearly-pony-sized gelding and his enormously experienced jockey rocket up the leaderboard from 54th to fifth.
“He’s a very fast horse, and we had a bit of ground to make up after our dressage yesterday,” says Sarah. “I knew that these conditions would suit him; he’s very light, he’s out of a Thoroughbred mare, and so speed is his thing, and catching up after the dressage.”
But even in that pathfinder position, Sarah admitted that the ground wasn’t easy.
“It is gluey — like, I was number one out and take off and landings are very sticky. But they’ve done an amazing job — they’ve dug out take offs, put gravel in,” she says, going on to describe the track as “like going round a tumble dryer. Like, it just happened so fast and you’re going round and round and round and round around and then it’s just fast and furious, really quick. I think I was as out of breath as he was coming through the finish line!”
Though the twelve-year-old gelding is relatively short on experience, with just one prior CCI4*-L run to his name, he proved on course what an asset he’s ready to be to the Irish effort, even over the toughest of questions.
“The first water, for me, was just a big question very early on,” says Sarah. “And I was worried about it, I have to say, but he was a good boy. I got one more [stride] coming in than I’d like, but I saw a lovely shot and just, everywhere I pointed him he just kept going. He was incredible. He’s very easy, very sharp. He lands and he wants to go.”
Like Ros and Walter, though, the pair nearly saw their day finish at the second fence.
“He got a bit of a fright at number two. That was the first sticky take off and he really got stuck and wore the fence, and then I was like ‘actually, you know what, you survived it, you learn from it’ — and he did. He knew from then on you have to pull out of the mud, and a couple of times I saw a flying one and I had to just sit back and help balance him a little bit because they weren’t really coming out of it.”
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Second-placed Germany were once again ably represented by Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S, the up-and-coming darlings of last year’s Pratoni team — and today’s sixth-place citizens after a four-place climb. They added 13.2 time penalties in a get-it-done round that required no shortage of grit.
“To be honest, it wasn’t the most pleasant round I ever had,” says Christoph. “I think it was super hard work for him; starting at fence one, he always felt like he had to dig really deep in the mud. But he’s the most honest horse you can wish for. Every time, I wasn’t really sure where to take off because his stride changed before the fences. He just did it because he’s got a lot of scope, and I can basically trust him with a longer rein that he’ll do his job. I think it was the most sensitive decision by the organisers to take some parts out that would have been even more wet. Even even with the ground being as it is, it was hard work for us and even harder work for the horses. So bless him for being such an honest cross-country horse.”
“There wasn’t a combination that wasn’t [hard work], to be honest,” he continues. “You know, you walk the course and it’s a big, nicely built straightforward, forward course with a lot of combinations that you have an idea about what you’re doing, but then the conditions change everything and the way your horse can cope with the conditions changes again and everything, so for me, I wasn’t really sure what kind of horse I’m sitting on today until he showed me that he’s just the most brave horse you can wish for. Even though he wasn’t the most adjustable horse today, because we basically had one speed all the way around, couldn’t change the gear down, couldn’t change the gear up, but that did everything I asked for.”
Felix Vogg and Colero. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Switzerland’s five-star champions Felix Vogg and Colero moved up from eleventh to seventh, coming home marginally slower than Christoph with 13.6 time penalties at the tail end of the day’s competition.
“It was pretty nice, but it was not the ideal conditions for him — like hills and the ground and all that stuff, but he did an amazing job,” says Felix, who let slip the rather remarkable detail that he uses a horse hypnosis to help Colero find his inner calm — and he, for his own part, took advantage of a long lie-in to keep the butterflies at bay before his late start time. Keep doing you, Felix.
Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
France had two further riders in the top ten thanks to the efforts of British-based Gaspard Maksud, who cruised home with 9.2 time penalties with his Pratoni sixth-place finisher Zaragoza, climbing from 33rd to eighth, and longtime team member Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC, who added 11.2 time penalties to move from 25th to ninth.
“It’s a hell of a job for the horses,” says Gaspard, “but she dug so, so deep. I held her hand the whole way around and after the final water I said, ‘come on, let’s go’.”
Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The top ten is rounded out by German debutant and individual competitor Jérôme Robiné, who proved that his top-ten finish in his five-star debut at Luhmühlen with Black Ice was no flash in the pan. They added 18.4 time penalties, dropping them from seventh to tenth, but keeping them in an extraordinarily impressive position heading into the final day.
As he tackled his debut senior appearance, Jérôme focused on making sensible choices above all.
“I think I started slow, because I felt, okay, the ground is tough for him, we have to get into this course — and I saw some before who started too fast and then at the end it was pretty hard work for them, so I just didn’t look at the watch,” he explains. “Just get your turns and try to really feel into your horse — and I think the jumps were all pretty good. He jumped very good for all the round, and was not getting tired, and of course if you know that you could go a bit faster… but in the end I’m pretty happy.”
That debut wasn’t his only first-time experience today: he also experienced his first-ever hold on course, just before the final water, after Dutch pair Elaine Pen and Divali had a crashing fall that resulted in a trip to the hospital for the rider — though we’re pleased to report that both are fine.
“It’s hard to get into it again [after a hold],” reflects Jérôme. “But all the coaches were in the ear pretty fast and told me what to do — just walk, and then start strong again, start quick, and I think he could breathe and start again pretty strongly. It’s never ever happened to me, so then that’s a good thing when people come to you just telling you what to do. You can really concentrate on all the other things and don’t have to focus on anything. I think on that point, it was positive because he really could come back a bit stronger especially for the last hill and for the finish. He could breathe a bit, so it was a bit better. I think for the final water it was not that good, because I had to go on the outside line, and actually I wanted to go on the inside line which is a bit faster. But in that moment I came on the outside because I thought, okay, just going the bit longer way is the right decision.”
That help during the hold is a reflection of the experience that the young talent, who’s based at the German Federation’s Warendorf training centre, has been living all week.
“The team just help me a lot; they are very experienced,” he says. “We all sat together yesterday evening. And there’s Michi, there’s Sandra, there’s Christoph, who have all been through these courses a few times and they just say ‘look after this, look after this. Sometimes that happens’. So yeah, that’s perfect for young guys like me.”
The field is down to a scant 38 from 56 starters, with three pairs opting to retire on course, and 13 eliminations. Three of those were horse falls, though none have been reported as injurious, and fence 18, a left-handed corner off a sharp turn into the second water, caused the most issues: six riders picked up a 20 here, while a further two fell from their horses. Otherwise, though, issues were well spread around the course, with 14 elements on course causing jumping penalties of some sort through the day.
Great Britain remains at the forefront of the team competition, sitting on 98.7 even after penalties for both Yasmin Ingham and Laura Collett, while Germany lags behind on 126 — or six rails and change. France sit in bronze, currently, just 0.2 penalties behind Germany, while Ireland is waiting in the wings in fourth on 136.4. The team bids for those two Olympic qualifications, which began as a four-way race between Italy, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, has been sewn up: after none of the Austrians completed, and two Italians failed to complete, it will be Belgium and the Netherlands who will head to Paris next year.
Tomorrow’s finale begins with the final horse inspection at 9.00 local time (8.00 a.m. BST/3.00 a.m. EST), and will be followed by the first jumping session, fielding just thirteen horses and riders, from 12.00 to 12.30 (11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST). The top 25 will jump from 2.00 p.m. local time (1.00 p.m. BST/8.00 a.m. EST). As usual, you can watch on ClipMyHorse — and tune back in to EN for all the news as we crown our new European Champions. Until then: Go Eventing!
The individual top ten after cross country.
The team podium at the end of a dramatic day of cross-country at the European Championships.
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Changes Made to European Championships Course and Times Due to Weather Worries
Though the sun is shining bright and strong over Haras du Pin, the site of the FEI European Eventing Championships, today, yesterday was a very different story – the already soft ground took a serious hammering that continued well into the night, prompting concerns from chefs d’equipe, riders, and media alike about the conditions over today’s tough track, which has been described as ‘Luhmühlen technicality over Bramham terrain’.
This morning, we’ve had some crucial updates on how the organising committee is proposing to mitigate these issues. Firstly, the 12.00 p.m. intended starting time has been pushed back to 2.00 p.m. local time (1.00 p.m. BST/8.00 a.m. EST) to allow for further drying and, at least, hopefully make the pedestrian pathways through the course a touch safer to traverse. That means we’ll be out on course until roughly 6.30 p.m., holds notwithstanding.
A loop of the course has also been removed due to waterlogging. Fences 12AB, a pair of airy upright rails over ditches, 13, a hanging brush-topped log, 14, a wide box hedge, 15, a house, and 16, a skinny in water, which represented the furthest loop on the course, have been removed, and the optimum time has been shorted to 8:18 to reflect the new 4730m distance.
Further changes are being debated for fences 5 and 25AB, a brush fence and a pair of offset brushes, respectively, and we’ll keep you updated in due course with news of these changes.
In the meantime, check out riders’ opinions of the track to come, and stay tuned for live updates throughout the day’s action as we get to grips with the inner workings of designer Pierre le Goupil, who will also be our Paris course designer next year.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
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Jung Guns Blazing in Second Day of European Championships Dressage
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk establish their dominance atop a heavily British-leaning leaderboard. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s never a surprise, really, when we see Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH atop a leaderboard, particularly in this phase — and so, perhaps, what makes their decisive lead on 19.4 remarkable today is that it puts a firm stop to an almost entirely British top ten. Despite the major change in conditions today, which swapped yesterday’s balmy sunshine for a steady, ground-saturating rein, they looked every inch their consistent best — and, says Michi, felt it, too.
“My feeling is very good,” he smiles. “I’m very, very happy about fisherChipmunk. He was amazing to ride. He was super in the warm up, and in the preparation time last week; he’s given me a very good feeling.”
That ‘good feeling’ wasn’t necessarily guaranteed, though, and Michi had to revert to damage limitation tactics to ensure he was back on side before he entered the arena.
“He was very calm, but in the beginning he was a little bit tense,” he says. “But that’s the reason why I went in [the ring] so early, so that I have a bit more time. I think that was very good for him. And then when I went into the test, he felt perfect. The canter was for sure a highlight for him.”
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
But if a 19.4 sounds pretty close to perfection, Michi is quick to point out that there are always improvements to be made.
“I think the walk could be better. It was a bit long and low in the neck and the connection was not perfect. But it’s difficult to have it all 100% the way you want it in a test, and I think the very powerful canter, which is so uphill, is very nice, and in the trot work he was very soft, so I had great feelings. Maybe the walk could be better, but I think there’s always something.”
And, he points out, even if you’re part of one of the most competitive partnerships in the world, “Every test is a bit different, and the preparation sometimes is different. The competition is sometimes different. So it’s always a new game, and a new start.”
Watch Michael’s test below:
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s a reason you should always stay ’til the bitter end of dressage day, even when the weather makes quite literally any other option more appealing – and today, that reason was penultimate competitor and queen of nominative determinism Ros Canter and her Badminton champion, Lordships Graffalo. They danced their way to a 21.3 – the eleven-year-old gelding’s best-ever FEI score, even despite a minor bobble in the right shoulder-in — and will go into tomorrow’s cross-country in second place.
“I’m absolutely over the moon with Walter,” says Ros, who acts as British team anchor this week — arguably the most highly pressurised role, but also the one that requires the most waiting around. “It’s been a very long wait for me these last two days — I don’t think I’ve been very easy with Ian Woodhead, my trainer, yesterday and this morning! But when I got on today I felt much better that I actually had a job to do at last.”
And she got right to work as she came into the main arena, producing a test that showcased how the gelding has matured in his short but sparkling upper-level career.
“When I had so much time on my hands I was looking back at old videos from the spring when we were building up to Badminton, and I can’t believe how much he’s come on, even from then. He’s a truly amazing horse, and I’m very, very lucky to have him,” she says. With so many accolades to his name already at such a young age, including fourth in the World Championships last year, second at Badminton last year before returning to win, and six four-star top tens, it could be easy to forget that he still has so much ahead of him – but Ros explains that keeping that at the forefront of her mind is important, even while trying to ride for a competitive result.
“When you think back to last year and even the start of this year, he was a ten year old, so physically, he’s a lot weaker than the horses that are hitting their teens. And I did have to give myself a bit of a reminder yesterday not to have to higher expectations and stick to the process and remind myself actually, he’s still a horse that physically isn’t fully matured yet. I wanted to stick within the boundaries of what he was capable of. But actually, he gets stronger all the time. It’s little things, like his changes are getting better and better. His halts and his reinback were a real weakness last year, and when I started this year, and this summer, they’re just really starting to feel like they’re getting very consistent. It’s really exciting.”
Watch Ros’ test below:
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Still, she says, she’s taken away learning opportunities from the test, too.
“I definitely think his right to left change could be better. They’re not always regular yet, but it’s getting much, much better,” she says. “Everyone thought [the judges] were a bit harsh on my first centerline today, but I think I took it a little bit early, because he was ready to stop early and I got to the point where I couldn’t keep going much longer. So there’s little things I would tweak for next time but on the whole, I think our training is just just gradually going in the right direction.”
The big conversation of the day around the venue has been that of the ground – and what it might look like come tomorrow, after today’s consistent rainfall on what was already notably soft going. But for Ros, this is less of a concern: she and ‘Walter’ won Badminton this year in arguably the toughest conditions possible, and he both dealt with and recovered from the intensity of the ground there in fine style. After a particularly wet season so far, the British contingent is feeling calm and capable – because they’ve had plenty of chances to get used to conditions like these across the breadth of 2023 so far.
“I think that’s very important not just for the horse, but also for the rider and the rider’s mentality,” muses Ros. “It’s something that the Brits have had to cope with a lot this year, and so we’ve almost been able to override the talk on the ground and things like that. We’ve ridden in this going so many times that hopefully, we can stay in our own bubble and concentrate on our job. We’ve been very positive as a team so far about the course — our course walks have been extremely positive. There hasn’t been too much talk about the things we don’t like, or the ground that we don’t like, and I think that’s really good for team spirit.”
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
All six members of this week’s British squad sit in the top ten at the culmination of dressage, including both individuals — and the best placed of those is Tom McEwen and the reigning European Champion, former Nicola Wilson ride JL Dublin. Their resultant score of 22 might not be JL Dublin’s own personal best — that’s the 20.9 he got at the 2021 European Championships with Nic — but it is the new partnership’s best-ever international score together.
“He’s just simply stunning on the flat,” says Tom, who goes into cross-country in third. “He shows a real story in there. He captures the eye; he fills the eye. He swings through, and bar the tiniest few things he was absolutely excellent.”
Those things, he says, include “probably the halt before the rein back — I could hear the judges marking it, and then he moved,” says Tom. “But I’m delighted; I thought the changes were a serious highlight. And as per usual, that extended trot – if we could do five more of those, I think we’d be in the lead by tomorrow!”
While there may be some surprise to see British team stalwart Tom riding as an individual, it’s a savvy move: this will be just their sixth international cross-country start together, and while their results so far have included second at both Boekelo and Kentucky, they also had a shock 20 at Aachen while fighting for the win. There’s every chance they can — and should, arguably — end up on the individual podium, and without the additional responsibility of having to ensure a clear for the team, they’re able to follow their own plan of action – but, Tom says, it’s still not a job he takes lightly, nor one he considers unpressurised.
“It’s still it’s very much a team. It’s still part of the wider structure. Our feedback will be just as critical to for the last two riders in the team and obviously Tom [Jackson] as well,” he points out.
Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Generally, when we see an entry list that includes both fischerChipmunk and London 52, we all just sit around asking one another the same question as we work away in the media centre: which one will lead the first phase? And so it was some surprise to see the ordinarily ultra competitive ‘Dan’ and Laura Collett this far down the leaderboard, in a still very respectable fourth place with 22.4 – but, as Laura explains, they were cursed with a bit of bad luck in the form of the weather and the admirable enthusiasm of the audience, who had come prepared to fend off the rain.
“He was a little bit fragile and he absolutely hates umbrellas, and obviously it started raining and then as I went in he noticed where the umbrellas were,” says Laura, who made a great effort of trying to regain his focus while working around the outside of the arena. “So he felt like he was very aware of of that, where normally he’s 100% with me in the arena, so I had to try and coax him into remembering to listen to me and not think about where the umbrellas were. Obviously it wasn’t his best test he’s ever done, but I’m just glad it was good enough to be close enough. He’s been a really good form; it’s just about trying to keep his his mind happy, and I feel like we’ve done that. He’s never going to love umbrellas, so I don’t think I can really do anything other than just try and do the best we can in those situations. But he’s come a long way; last time there were really bad umbrellas he totally lost the plot. So we’re getting there.”
Even with that minor lack of focus, which took some of the usual sparkle out of his work, he still performed exceptionally to deliver a mistake-free test — and he certainly brought some of the errant sparkle back in the canter extension, with a big, bold, risk-taking transition into a step that ate up the long side.
“Most things are [a highlight of his]; he doesn’t really have too much of a weakness other than when I lose his mind. It was fragile, and maybe felt more fragile than it looks, but I think his extended canters and his extended trot are always his his kind of party piece, and he felt like he really showed himself off with those.”
Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The second British individual combination, Senior Championship debutant Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, performed well beyond expectations, earning their best-ever international score of 25.7 and overnight sixth place behind day one leaders Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir with a smart, animated test in some of the worst of the afternoon’s weather. For Tom, who finished second at Burghley and fifth at a very wet Badminton with the Irish-bred gelding, the feeling of bringing it home when it counts was no small relief — particularly as his best phases are yet to come.
“I’m really happy to get that that done and dusted and out of the way,” he laughs. “And for him to be as good as he was is a testament to all the training and everything that we’ve had building up to this from the World Class Programme.”
Like Laura, though, Tom found his horse took some offence to the sea of umbrellas that went up throughout the closely-bunched crowds of spectators around the ring: “I think I found out today he’s not a massive fan of umbrellas. When we came out, he was bit uptight, which is really unlike him, because normally he’s super laidback.”
Regardless, the plucky gelding kept his attention on the task at hand, thanks, in part, to longstanding help from Tom’s trainer and mentor, Pippa Funnell.
“I think hopefully Pippa will be happy – she’s always on about the little details, and I hope I nailed most of the hopes and everything. His good change was very good, and his bad one is still a work in progress. But there was much better damage limitation on that, and I thought all his half-passes and the expression in his trot just really went up a gear in the last sort of six months or a year.”
While this is Tom’s first Senior Europeans appearance, it’s not his first time riding for Great Britain — he’s done so previously on two Young Rider and one Junior Europeans. And in the nine years since his last squad appearance, the 30-year-old has been hard at work on making sure it happens again.
“I feel like we’ve always been on a trajectory to get there, and it’s maybe taken us a bit longer than I necessarily wanted when I was an 18-year-old lad coming out of Juniors, but that makes it even more special, now that we’re here,” he says.
Having the experience of a great run in that exceptionally wet Badminton is giving Tom a particular boost as we look ahead to tomorrow’s inevitably saturated field of play, which encompasses plenty of terrain and no shortage of big, bold, technical questions.
“I’m excited; I think it’s a really good course,” he says. “I think it really suits him, and his way of going in the ground is going to be a big factor, but it’s given me a bit of confidence knowing that he dealt with that quite well at Badminton earlier in the year.”
Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
With all those Brits crowding the top ten, there wasn’t much room for any other nations to put on a show — and that really shows when you look at the team leaderboard, which sees them head into cross-country on a score of 67.1, 9.2 penalties ahead of second-placed Germany. That one-two will come as a surprise to absolutely none of you form guide reading, stats following eventing-aholics – but what is interesting is seeing how everything below those two superpower nations is playing out, particularly as concerns the four nations – Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Austria – who are battling for the two available Olympic qualifications here.
Yesterday, we saw the Netherlands heading up that fight thanks to the efforts of Andy Heffernan and Gideon, now 15th on a score of 29. Today, though, it’s all about Belgium, who stepped up into bronze medal position on their score of 90.9. That was thanks in large part to stalwart team member Karin Donckers, who piloted the most experienced horse in the field, eighteen-year-old Fletcha van’t Verahof, to a score of 26.5 and overnight eighth, just half a penalty behind Germany’s Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice, and ahead of Kitty King and Vendredi Biats in ninth and Germany’s Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S.
“Fletcha knows his job — it’s not the first time we ride a championship, but he was really good. He was concentrating, focused, and the rain didn’t really bother him, I think, so we had a great time in the dressage,” says Karin, who is making her eighth championship start with the gelding, and her own 28th Senior championship start.
“It’s always nice to ride for your country and your team — that’s why I’m still doing this, I guess,” she laughs. “It’s great to be here with the team, to ride together, to support each other, and to help the younger ones. I’m very happy to still be a part of it.”
Helping her team qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2012 would certainly be a happy moment for the rider – and for now, they’re looking good, with the Netherlands two places, though just 2.3 penalties, behind them, and Italy and Austria sitting eighth and ninth, respectively, on 99.1 and 103.5. If that sounds tightly bunched, wait ’til you crunch the numbers on the individual leaderboard: just 20 penalties separates the top 54 competitors, and tomorrow’s course would be tough by any standards even in dry conditions. Expect to meet some new faces at the business end of proceedings, and prepare yourself for some seriously exciting sport, beginning at 12.00 p.m. local time (11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST), and available to stream in full on ClipMyHorse. We’ll be bringing you all you need to know about the challenge to come — so keep it locked onto EN, and Go Eventing!
The top ten at the culmination of the first phase at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships.
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Yas Ingham’s On Top of the World (or Europe) on Day One of European Champs
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir take an early lead at the 2023 FEI European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The first day of dressage is in the bag at the 2023 FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin, France – and to nobody’s surprise, the competition has kicked off with a serious show of British dominance as the nation seeks redemption from a disappointing (on a team level, at least) World Championships. But one person who certainly didn’t disappoint in Pratoni showed up again today to deliver the goods for her country: Yasmin Ingham, our reigning World Champion, came into the sandbox near the tail end of the day’s proceedings, and produced an exceptional test with Banzai du Loir to take the overnight lead on a score of 23.4, 2.6 points ahead of her nearest competitor.
“It was very atmospheric in there, but he was amazing – he didn’t put a foot wrong,” says a delighted Yas, who rides the twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding for the Sue Davies Fund. Their test came during the peak of the day’s heat – a heat that European competitors, and particularly the meteorologically maligned Brits, haven’t experienced this year. But the very blood Banzai is well-bred to cope with tricky temperatures, and Yas opted not to change any of her plans based on the weather – a choice that was proven sage by her result.
“We’ve kept everything fairly similar for the past few events now; we seem to have got a nice system that works for him, and obviously he’s not a horse that would particularly struggled the heat – he seems to not have a bottom to him,” she says. So he doesn’t really mind, and he felt really extravagant in there; just floating around the boards. He really is such a pleasure to ride in every phase, and his trot work was beautiful. He was just so floaty, and he’s very accurate into the markers, so that was great. And the extended trot at the end, he’s always got such a nice reach in his shoulder and carries himself so well and so much cadence. So hopefully the judges liked it!”
Yas and Banzai come to Haras du Pin off a win in the ultra-competitive CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S, a victory that made them the first British combination ever to win the event — and one that was a redemption song for the pair. They’d headed to Kentucky earlier this spring to try to better their second place finish there last year, but after a lengthy hold in the starting box, they had an early and uncharacteristic run-out at a skinny element within a coffin. But rather than chalk the mistake up to the bad luck of that hold – which would have been fair, and arguably understandable – she got back to work, solidifying her basics and foundations with Chris Bartle and dressage coach Richard Davidson, cantering cavalettis and simply ensuring the left, right, and straight getaways were all as smooth and equal as they could be.
That paid off then, and will hopefully do so again, but also pertinent was that Yas and Banzai rode the same dressage test – FEI CCI4* B – there that they did here.
“We rode the same test at Aachen and so I’ve been trying to get better at that four star test,” she says. “I’m pretty sure we came out with the same mark which is slightly frustrating, but I mean, I couldn’t fault him. He was brilliant. So I’m delighted with this one. It’s definitely very positive.”
Yas Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
If Yas is starting to sound like a seriously committed student of the sport, that’s because she is – and even with the confidence that comes with being the World Champion, she’s not about to get complacent for even a second.
“I’ve had some really great results leading up to this, and I think it’s really important to gain as much experience as possible,” she says. “I’m still only very young in the sport and every time I’m learning – I’ve had two really good runs on two different horses at five star and probably the best four star short in the world, so it’s definitely it’s filling me full of confidence, which is good. But I definitely won’t be taking it for granted. There’s lots to do, and I’ll definitely be working hard to have a good result here.”
And, she continues, even her big wins offer the chance to learn, and to put more tools in the toolbox.
“Actually, just today, before I did my dressage, I watched my Pratoni test, and I just tried to sort of channel the same sort of feeling that I had before that,” she explains. “It’s still amazing to look back on that and I still put just as much pressure on myself – nothing really has changed in that fact. I’m just very competitive and want to make sure I always do my best and make sure that I can ride Banzai to the best, and show him off and make everyone see how good he is.”
Now, as she looks ahead to cross-country on Saturday, she’ll be using her previous experiences to her best advantage over terrain that’s new ground for her.
“Pratoni was very very undulating and twisty. I think this track brings similar sort of vibes to that. It’s still undulating and twisty, but it’s very much very big and bold out there. There’s lots of quite big ditches and brushes and everything dimensionally is quite big, so I’m very lucky to be sat on an excellent jumping horse. That is definitely a good thing!”
Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice take second place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The last rider of the day isn’t quite a Championship debutant – he’s amassed plenty of experience at the Junior and Young Rider levels – but for Jérôme Robiné, this is a huge week: it’s his first-ever Senior Europeans call-up. While he’ll be riding as an individual this week, he’s one who’s already making a bid not to be overlooked – and, like Yas, he’s using confidence, acquired when finishing in the top ten at his five-star debut at Luhmühlen this year, to his advantage.
But even he probably didn’t quite expect to find himself in second place at the end of the first day, and in such experienced company. He laid down his personal best four-star dressage score, a 26, after delivering a test that brimmed with the self-assurance of a rider who’s truly learned to believe in himself – and learned, truly, what makes his talented horse tick.
“Actually, it’s pretty amazing,” he says with a broad grin, after having been swept up by the expansive and excited German squad at large. “Everything was a lot of hard work for a lot of people. There’s a big team around us for this moment, and so I’m more than happy that it worked the way we wanted it. He’s felt better and better from day to day here, and so I was I thought it’s going to be good when I was in the warm up. My dressage coach just said to me, ‘just enjoy it. There was a lot of pressure before and now just enjoy it.’ I think that was a good last sentence for me.”
That’s exactly what the Warendorf rider did, balancing focus with evident pleasure as he piloted the gelding, who he’s had for three seasons, around the ring.
“I felt the whole way around the test the feeling that I wanted to have, and so I was more than happy,” he says. “He’s not a type that’s perfect as a dressage horse, because he’s an eventer; he’s an Irish Sport Horse. We have to try to get him more in front of me, and even more up and I think that’s something he really learned over the years, to go for it in the test and to be up and running with me. I think the first flying change was great; the working canter, the working trot. That’s some good stuff for him. Actually, the second flying change was not that good because I went to be that bit too fast; I should do one more stride and then do a better flying change. I think that was the only mistake.”
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
Third place overnight went the way of British team pathfinders Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who posted a 27.2 after a test that was full of things to like – except, perhaps, the numbers rewarded for the pair who have previously led at Burghley in this phase.
“That’s disappointing, and I hope the judges don’t get too generous after a nice long lunch!” she jokes, conceding that she did lose a couple of valuable marks when adding an extra step in the reinback. “He was really onside and didn’t really make any mistakes, but the rein back was a shame because he’s really good at those — there wasjust a little bit of miscommunication between us both, but otherwise, he was really super and tried the whole time, so I’m really proud of him.”
Kitty, who has been a real banker for Britain at previous championships with ‘Froggy’ – helping her country to gold at Avenches in 2021, for example, and taking seventh and best of the Brits at the 2019 Europeans – has a big job this week as the first out of the box for the Brits. But she’s pragmatic about how she’ll tackle the role, which will require her to bring valuable intel back to her teammates.
“I’ve done it once at Blair [Europeans in 2015],” says Kitty, who’s been enjoying the enormous team spirit — including team-bonding volleyball sessions — with the rest of her compatriots. “I actually didn’t think I’d enjoy pathfinding, but it’s not as bad as it seems. And a friend of mine reminded me that actually, probably my best rides have been when I haven’t sat around all day watching. So I’ve got to think about that and try and replicate Luhmühlen [five-star this summer, where they were second]. I was early there; Blair I was early. I’ve been early at Blenheim and the Luhmühlen again before and they’ve probably been some of the best rides. So hopefully it’ll be good!”
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
For Germany’s Christoph Wahler, this phase has been something of a Jekyll and Hyde story with the uber-talented Carjatan S: on his day, he can deliver in the mid-20s, and Christoph, who runs his family’s dressage breeding stud and has a huge amount of experience in this phase, is the perfect jockey to bring it out of him. But since fine-tuning the gelding’s fitness regime during the pandemic, which has turned him into one of the country’s best, fastest, and most reliable performers in this phase, the knock-on effect has been a tendency to bubble over in the ring.
Today, it looked as though they’d found the balance, and three-quarters – actually, perhaps it’s fairer to say seventh-eighths — of the test was exactly as they’d have wanted: clear, calm, decisive, and with just the right amount of pizzazz. As they crossed the ring for the trot extension, the last movement before the final centreline, everyone dared to crack a smile: there was float, there was power, there was everything we know Carjatan can be. But then, as they neared the end of the movement, it happened: the Clearway son broke into canter. The crowd, fixated on what had been such a joyous test to watch, groaned; Christoph’s disappointment was etched into his face.
But, for what it’s all worth, here they are – still so good elsewhere that they could earn a 28.3, seeing them take fourth place overnight.
“Just to begin with, I was super pleased with the horse, because he stayed absolutely relaxed – and maybe even a little bit too relaxed in there, because he started to poo in the first half-pass, so that’s a shame,” says Christoph wryly. “But the walk was good, the canter was good; I think there were good flying changes, though we didn’t really get the marks we were looking for. And then a big mistake in the last extended, because I just lost a little bit of rhythm crossing the centerline and then he just went into canter – but overall it is what it is and we keep on going for Saturday.”
Saturday will see Christoph and Carjatan, who were part of last year’s gold medal winning German team at Pratoni, leave the startbox second of their team, over a course that the rider describes as “very demanding on the fitness side” – but in Carjatan, he doesn’t just have a run and jump machine, he has a horse whose final Pratoni prep run at Haras du Pin saw him romp home clear inside the time. We like those odds.
Great Britain is currently leading the team competition on 23.4, while Germany is second on 28.3 after the first two rider rotations – but in third place, currently, is a happy and perhaps unexpected surprise: the Netherlands sit in bronze position thanks to the excellent efforts of British-based Andy Heffernan, who stepped out of chef d’equipe duties this week to ride his exciting Gideon. And what a smart choice that was: he delivered a 29, putting himself in the hunt at this early stage but also giving the Netherlands a great start as they vie for one of the two Paris Olympic qualifications up for grabs here.
“To be fair, I was pleased with the horse, but I was slightly disappointed with the mark,” says Andy. “I thought it would be a couple of marks better, but, you know, it’s in the 20s. And I think it’s a decent track out there — I don’t think it’s a dressage competition. So you know, I hope that I’ll be close enough that I should have an influence.”
Of the marking, he says, “His trot work is always quite flash. He’s quite an eye catching horse, and so I’m bit disappointed because they went straight from the trot down to like five for his walk and he normally gets eights for his walk. And even the sort of people that helped me were a little bit perplexed by that. His canter is his most difficult gait; he can get a little bit stampy in his hind leg, so I sort of sometimes I could see that being a bit of a challenge, but I didn’t expect the walk. But anyway, it is what it is!”
The Netherlands join Italy (currently fifth), Belgium (sixth), and Austria (ninth) in fighting for those Olympic spots — and Andy hopes that positive Dutch history could repeat itself, as the nation won a bronze medal here at the World Championships in 2014, earning them a qualification for the Rio Olympics.
Tomorrow’s dressage will see the last two riders on each team take to the ring, beginning at 10.00 a.m. local time (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST). You can check out the times here, tune in to watch the action via ClipMyHorse, and, as always, pop right on over to EN for all the news you need to know. And in the meantime? Check out our individual and team form guides to find out exactly what’s to play for, and how it might play out. Until next time: Go Eventing!
The individual top ten at the end of day one of dressage at the European Championships.
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The European Championships, At A Glance: Meet the Horses of Haras du Pin
Don’t have the time, energy, or bandwidth to invest your attention in a full-length form guide? We gotchu, pal. Behold: the need-to-know information about the horses in this year’s European Championships field — from the breed breakdown to the sires of the week, and much more besides.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage
Two Horses Held; All Accepted in European Championships First Horse Inspection
Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Even for those of us who’ve been lucky enough to previously visit Haras du Pin, the rural Normandy national stud at which this week’s FEI European Championships are being held, doing here this week is like visiting a whole new world: last year, when the event’s annual Le Grand Complet CCIO4*-S was held, much of the site was populated by piles of dirt and diggers, hinting at something new and exciting to come, while the event itself was tucked down into the ‘bowl’ in front of the chateau across the road. This year, though? There are new dressage arenas — lots of them; there are beautiful, purpose-built meeting spaces and cafes and bars; there are stables so fresh and so clean that I’m pretty sure Andre 3000 wrote a song about them once.
It’s in the midst of all this shiny newness that this afternoon’s first horse inspection took place, featuring twelve nations — we’ve seen the withdrawal of Hungary’s sole rider, and of Finland’s, before the competition commenced — and 56 horses and their people. The inspection took place in the drawn order of nations, which was revealed just prior, and in front of a ground jury consisting of President Judy Hancock of Great Britain, Katrin Eichinger-Kniely of Austria, and Seppo Laine of Finland.
Mélody Johner and Toubleu de Ruiere. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
While all 56 of those were eventually accepted into the competition, the inspection wasn’t without its dramas: two horses, Nicolai Aldinger‘s Timmo, of Germany, and Mélody Johner‘s Toubleu de Rueire, of Switzerland, were sent to the holding box for further inspection, and when each of these very-nearly-matching greys returned to the trot strip, they were quickly given the go-ahead to begin their week in earnest.
And that week? It all kicks off tomorrow, with dressage beginning at 10.00 a.m. local time (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST) in the topmost main arena. This time after a horse inspection is the crucial bit in which chef d’equipes decide which riders will be on teams, which will be individuals, and in which order their team riders will run, so we don’t have dressage times just yet – but while we wait to bring you these, we do at least know that it’ll be an Irish rider who begins the day for us tomorrow. And, very excitingly, we’ll get our first look at who’s making bids for the podium – and which of the four teams vying for the two Olympic qualifications here are really bringing their A-game.
You’ll be able to follow along via ClipMyHorse.TV, and, of course, right here on EN. Stay tuned – today, we’ll be bringing you plenty more juicy Euros content, including updates on those pesky times, our team’s picks of the week, and more. On y va, baby!
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
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- Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Tine Magnus and Champagne Pia Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville are hoping to help secure Team Belgium their Olympic spot this weekend. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Hanne Wind Ramsgaard and Amequ Torino. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Emiliano Portale and Scuderia 1918 Future. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Daniel Dunst and Chevalier 97. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo de Gasco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Amanda Staam and Corpoubet AT. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Yas Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
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- Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The Ultimate Guide to the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships
We’re well and truly en route to the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships now, so to help you prepare for this key week of the eventing season, we’ve collated everything you need to know into one handy hub. Bookmark this page and check it whenever you want to know the latest updates –- we’ll be adding news, article links, and coverage updates daily to ensure you don’t miss a thing. First up: the need-to-know basic info.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
THE DATE: The FEI European Championships for Eventing will take place from Wednesday, August 9, to Sunday, August 13, 2023.
THE LOCATION: We’ll be spending the week in Haras du Pin, the French National Stud tucked away in rural southern Normandy, in the north of France. The country has a number of national studs, or ‘Haras nationaux’, but Haras du Pin is the oldest of them: it was built in 1715 under royal orders, with the site chosen for the superior quality of its pastures. In modern terms? It’s got great ground – which is helpful, because it can be prone to extreme temperatures in August.
Haras du Pin as a competition venue is no less storied: it hosts FEI competitions annually, and has also been the site of 2010, 2011, and 2012 Eventing World Cup legs, the host of the cross-country at the (very wet) 2014 World Equestrian Games, and the European Championships in 1969.
The stud and chateau itself remain open for visitors to tour – and, fittingly, it’s often colloquially referred to as ‘Versailles for horses’. Consider this the Diet Olympics.
THE COMPETITION: The Europeans are set at CCI4*-L level – different to the World Championships and Olympics, which have their own level, which is effectively a short four-star long with some five-star technicality sprinkled in. The competitors will be riding FEI 4* Test B.
THE FORMAT: Unlike the Olympics, with its three-to-a-team set-up, the Europeans follows the classic format: four to a team, with one drop score. Each nation can also bring two individuals. Most countries will wait until after the first horse inspection to announce which of their horses and riders will be on the team, and which will ride as individuals, though some do reveal this earlier.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: Medals, hugely coveted titles, and, crucially, qualifying spots for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The two highest-placed as-yet-unqualified teams at the end of the week will book their place at next year’s Paris Olympics. These will be chased down by Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria – but Spain, also on the hunt for a qualification, are conspicuous only by their absence, choosing instead to focus on trying to earn valuable Nations Cup points. They’ll be hoping for series leaders Belgium to finish well at Haras du Pin, and, no doubt, for current series runners-up Italy to nab a spot, too – a turn of events that would put the Dutch at the forefront of the race for the single Nations Cup qualification on a current score of 380 and the Spanish, currently fourth on 350, into second and ready to fight for further points at Arville’s leg the week after the European Championships, when their competitors’ top horses will be expected to be on holiday after the exertions of the championships.
THE TEAMS: There are ten full teams in the running this year, and a total of 14 nations represented across 58 entries. The teams are Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland, while Hungary, Poland, Denmark, and Finland will bring forward individual competitors. There’s no qualification process for countries to take part – all European nations are invited.
Drawn Order
Team Form Guide
Individual Form Guide
THE OFFICIALS: The President of the Ground Jury – and thus, the dressage judge at C – will be Great Britain’s Judy Hancock, assisted by Austria’s Katrin Eichinger-Kniely and Finland’s Seppo Laine. All three are hugely experienced ground jury members, and will preside over the horse inspections, take on the dressage judging, and fulfil other crucial duties during the event, including approving and signing off the cross-country course.
That cross-country course will be designed by France’s Pierre Le Goupil, who has 25 years of experience designing at the venue – but more importantly, he’s also the course designer for next year’s Paris Olympics. This will be the first time many riders and spectators will get the chance to see his particular flavour of design, and will mean that the continent-specific competition has significant global appeal. Tune in and take notes, folks!
France’s Quentin Perney will design Sunday’s show jumping track, which will be held on a manicured surface. Perney is no stranger to championship competition – he was the course designer at the recent European Jumping and Eventing Championships for Ponies, and he’s also designed at prestigious jumping venues including the Rolex-sponsored La Baule in France. He’ll be assisted by Jean Pierre Meneau in Haras du Pin.
The FEI Technical Delegate for the week will be Germany’s Mathias Otto-Erley.
THE REIGNING CHAMPIONS: Great Britain took gold in 2021 in Avenches in Switzerland – and all three individual medals, too. They return as the hot favorites to win again this year — though a disappointing team result at Pratoni last year means they’ll need to bring their A-game. We’ve got a couple of the Avenches team up to bat in Haras du Pin: Kitty King returns with Vendredi Biats (ninth in Avenches), former World Champion Ros Canter is back, though this time with Badminton winner Lordships Graffalo, and reigning World Champion JL Dublin will return to defend his title – though this time, it’s with Tom McEwen aboard, rather than Nicola Wilson, who piloted him to that victory in 2021.
#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage
[Times are listed in Central European Time. For further global time zones, keep scrolling!]
Wednesday, 9 August:
- 13.30 p.m.: First horse inspection
- 18.30 p.m.: Opening ceremony
Thursday, 10 August:
- 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.: Morning dressage session
- 14.30 p.m. – 17.10 p.m.: Afternoon dressage session
Friday, 11 August:
- 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.: Morning dressage session
- 14.30 p.m. – 17.10 p.m.: Afternoon dressage session
Saturday, 12 August:
- 12.00 p.m. – 16.30 p.m.: Cross-country (team and individual)
Sunday, 13 August:
- 9.00 a.m.: Final horse inspection
- 11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Showjumping, part one
- 14.00 p.m. – 15.00 p.m.: Showjumping, part two
- 15.00 p.m.: Medal ceremonies
TEAM ORDER OF GO:
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
INDIVIDUAL ORDER OF GO: View start lists here.
WHERE TO WATCH: You certainly can’t go wrong with watching in person, because Haras du Pin, with its chateau and palatial grounds is a particularly beautiful, vibrant spot for fans of the sport – and one that’s very easy to get to, particularly if you’re coming across from the UK by ferry. The Portsmouth – Caen line docks around an hour away, while Dieppe is just over two hours’ drive. Tickets are still available here.
If you want to follow along from afar, there’ll be a live stream available for each phase via ClipMyHorse.TV. You’ll need a subscription to access the stream, which starts at $17.03/month — but this will also get you access to the entirety of their global streaming schedule, including all the European Championships this summer, plus a jam-packed archive of competitions and programs.
HOW TO FOLLOW: No matter where in the world you are, you’ll never be starved for content from the European Championships, which promise to be enormously well-attended by the continent’s media heavyweights. Here are some of the Instagram accounts and hashtags you’ll want to follow to see the competition from all angles…
Hashtags: #lepin2023, #harasdupin, #lepinauharas, #eventinglife, #FEIeventing, #eventingeuropeanchampionships, #twohearts, #eventersofinstagram
Accounts: Haras du Pin 2023, Horse&Hound, FEI Eventing, British Equestrian, Eventing Ireland, and the Italian Equestrian Federation are among the boots on the ground.
Don’t forget to follow EN, too – we’ll be bringing you all the insanity in the middle you could possibly need, with Tilly Berendt on site in France and a full team behind the scenes.
Want to know the juiciest stats throughout the competition? Make sure you follow EquiRatings.
Friday, August 11:
Jung Guns Blazing in Second Day of European Championships Dressage
Five Horses We Can’t Wait to See at the European Championships
Thursday, August 10:
Yas Ingham’s On Top of the World (or Europe) on Day One of European Champs
Wednesday, August 9:
Two Horses Held; All Accepted in European Championships First Horse Inspection
The Europeans Draw: Ireland To Pathfind, While Hot Favourites Great Britain Penultimate Nation
Tuesday, August 8:
Finishing Touches for France: Social Media Round-up Ahead of European Championships
Must-Read Guides:
European Champions, At a Glance: Meet the Horses
Ready, Steady, Go: Your Guide to the Horses and Riders of the European Championships
How to Follow the 2023 European Championships – Wherever You Are!
The State of the Nations: Your Guide to Each of the Teams Tackling the 2023 European Championships
Team Announcements:
A Continental Showdown: Your First Look at the European Championships Definite Entries
Belgium Names Combinations Traveling to FEI European Eventing Championships
Sweden Reveals Team for 2023 Europeans
Germany and Ireland Name Final Squads for FEI European Championships
Reigning Champs Great Britain Announce European Championships Line-Up
Switzerland Announces Team for European Eventing Championships
Pre-Event Coverage:
Reserve Combination Called Up for French Squad Ahead of European Championships
“The Equestrian Versailles”: Inside the Horsey History of Haras du Pin
European Titles and Olympic Tickets Up for Grabs at Haras du Pin
Germany Unveils Long List for 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships
British Equestrian Announces Nominated Entries for FEI Eventing European Championship
Two Months ’til the Euros: Taking Stock at Haras du Pin
The 2023 European Eventing Championships in Numbers
European Championships Tickets Go On Sale (with Christmas Discounts!)
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
The Europeans Draw: Ireland To Pathfind, While Hot Favourites Great Britain Penultimate Nation
Susie Berry and Clever Trick. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
And so it begins! Before we even get to the excitement of the first horse inspection at the FEI European Eventing Championships (and look, no matter what you say, it is exciting to see what sort of mad kit each nation rocks up in – here’s looking at you, Austria, you stylish Alpine daredevils), we get our first bit of crucial intel: that is, the draw of the nations, which has just concluded in the central hub of Haras du Pin’s beautiful venue.
This time, it’ll be Ireland who take pathfinder duties, followed by Belgium, who are battling for an Olympic qualification this week and will be a real squad to watch. Then, in third position, it’s Germany — one of the great threats for gold, coming, as they do, off a team victory at last year’s World Championships — and in fourth, the Netherlands, also on the hunt for a Paris ticket. In fifth, it’ll be Italy, the third of our four teams who are looking to qualify, and in sixth, it’s Switzerland, who secured that ticket at Pratoni. Sweden will come forward in seventh, followed by Poland — another team who’ve already punched their ticket to Paris in a group qualifier — in eighth. Our Danish individual, Hanne Wind Ramsgaard, comes forward in ninth; home nation France are tenth, and Great Britain, the dominant force looking to defend their title, are in eleventh. Finally, it’ll be Austria, our last team seeking one of those two Olympic berths, but with just three riders this week they’ll be grateful for the late draw to gain valuable intel from other competitors on Saturday.
Drawn Order by Nation:
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
We’re due to head into the first horse inspection momentarily, so keep it locked onto EN for all the updates, news and views from the day’s happenings. Until then: Go Eventing!
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
#Euros2023 </strong: Website | Live Stream | Entries | Live Scores | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Coverage
How to Follow the 2023 European Championships – Wherever You Are!
Nicola Wilson punches the air after a fault-free showjumping round secures her the title of European Champion in 2021. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s time to kick things off at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships, happening this cycle in France at the famous Haras du Pin. It’s an important year for all present, and a significant one for home team France, who will also host next year’s Olympic Games.
The competition kicks off in earnest tomorrow, but today we’ll see the first appearance by the competitors in the First Horse Inspection. The President of the Ground Jury – and thus, the dressage judge at C – will be Great Britain’s Judy Hancock, assisted by Austria’s Katrin Eichinger-Kniely and Finland’s Seppo Laine.
ClipMyHorse.TV will carry the live stream this weekend in partnership with FEI TV. You must obtain a ClipMyHorse.TV membership in order to view the events live and on demand — you can view options for memberships, including free trial options you may be eligible for, here.
France is 6 hours ahead of Eastern time in the U.S. You can view the timetable for the live stream below. Bookmark this page for the live stream schedule and links for English, German, and French commentary.
Thursday, August 10 – Dressage
9 a.m. local time / 8 a.m. BST / 3 a.m. EST / 12:50 a.m. PST
Friday, August 11 – Dressage
9 a.m. local time / 8 a.m. BST / 3 a.m. EST / 12:50 a.m. PST
Saturday, August 12 – Cross Country
11:50 a.m. local time / 10:50 a.m. BST / 5:50 a.m. EST / 2:50 a.m. PST
Sunday, August 13 – Show Jumping
11:20 a.m. local time / 10:20 a.m. BST / 5:20 a.m. EST / 2:20 a.m. PST
You can follow the event on Facebook, Instagram, and FEI on YouTube for other highlights throughout the week. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at @goeventing for more from on the ground.
#Euros2023: Website | Live Stream | Entries | Timing & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Coverage
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products
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I’m a real sucker for social media posts from event stables – give me reels of horses rolling in their horse hotels any day of the week, and I’ll be happy. It’s even better, of course, when it’s a championship week, and those stables are decorated to the hilt with flags and banners – and even better than that is when the horse in question is as adorable as Kitty King’s Vendredi Biats, all tucked up in his bed at the European Championships, which are set to start tomorrow with the first horse inspection. I can’t wait to bring you all the news from the ground — and in the meantime, I’m going to go see how some of these sweet horses are settling in, in person!
Events Opening Today: Heritage Park H.T., University of New Hampshire H.T., Meadowcreek Park H.T – Fall Social Event, Unionville International H.T.
Events Closing Today: Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier, Town Hill Farm H.T., Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. II, Great Meadow International
News & Notes from Around the World:
Grant deadline alert! The Kim Meier ‘Kick On’ Memorial Grant is open until October 15, and is designed to give US riders who are struggling to fund their upper-level goals a boost. It’s for riders 26 and over, competing at Prelim and above, who own their own horse – and is worth a cool $5,000. Get more info, and start work on your application, here.
Is your horse a bit of a hot-head? British-based Kiwi Hollie Swain feels your pain. She’s learned how to get the best out of her fiery chestnut Solo, who’s now stormed ’round several five-stars, but working with horses like this isn’t always easy — so she’s shared some of her best tips for making it happen when your horse has too many opinions.
Sorry, not sorry, but you’re about to have that guitar riff stuck in your head. Jessica Phoenix’s Fluorescent Adolescent doesn’t just have one of the best names in eventing, the coloured mare is also one of the most vibrant characters on the scene. Get to know here here.
And finally, fancy supporting gorgeous equine photography? There’s a farriery photo up for Photo of the Year, and it needs your vote. Click here to show your support.
Sponsor Corner: The FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin are right around the corner! Who are you rooting for? Get the lowdown on all 58 combinations and 14 nations that will be competing for the gold (and for Paris qualifications) with our Team Form Guide. EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
Watch This:
Struggling with inside leg to outside rein? Don’t fret – let Bernie Traurig help.
Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack
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I always get a jolt of second-hand thrill from watching another rider live their big dream — whether that’s making a team, winning a competition they’ve long coveted, or, in the case of Kentucky eventer Alexa Thompson, packing up her beloved horses and heading to Europe for a few months of intensive training and competition. She’s currently at the base of French national dish Maxime Livio, and by all accounts, she really is living the dream, as you can see from this travel diary reel that thrums with the excitement of everything to come. Allez, allez, Alexa!
National Holiday: It’s National Sea Serpent Day. A holiday we neither needed nor wanted, but here we are.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. at Caber Farm (Onalaska, WA) [Website] [Results]
Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (Iowa City, IA) [Website]
Cobblestone Farms H.T. II (Dexter, MI) [Website] [Results]
Early Bird Summer Event at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA) [Website]
Hoosier Horse Trials (Edinburgh, IN) [Website] [Results]
Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website]
Olney Farm Horse Trials (Joppa, MD) [Website] [Results]
River Glen Summer H.T. (New Market, TN) [Website] [Results]
Spring Gulch H.T. (Highland, CO) [Website]
Your Monday Reading List:
We, like so many others, were so disappointed that the awful weather over the last few days forced The Festival of British Eventing to cancel. But even if we couldn’t all celebrate the event’s fortieth anniversary in the famous Gatcombe bowl, there were still plenty of memories being shared and celebrated over the weekend – and some of them even made it into the mainstream media. Check out this great clip to see Zara Tindall, Captain Mark Phillips, and Peter Phillips share their fondest memories of this special event. [Watch it here]
There are some very lucky Area VI riders out there! A whole bunch of them have just won an AEC entry and stabling award, worth up to $1000, in a random draw – and you can see whose names are on that list here.
I don’t know anyone in the horse world who doesn’t take Strangles very seriously. But just in case it didn’t give you The Fear already, here’s a story for you: a 70-year-old woman managed to contract an infection from the bacterium present in her affected horse, leading to a very rare — but nearly fatal — illness. It’s hugely unlikely that this could happen to you, but it does still make for interesting reading. [Here’s the full story]
And now for something completely different: the weirdest horse stories you’ll read all day, namely. From the jockey who won a race after he died to the oldest horse who ever lived, there’s some bonkers stuff in here. And that’s my favourite kind of stuff. [Dive on in, you crazy kids]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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This week, it’ll have to be British Equestrian, for all their behind-the-scenes content with the hot favourites at the European Championships — starting with this weirdly soothing video of Yas Ingham piloting a huge lorry into the teeny-tiny Euro Shuttle. Fits like a glove.
Morning Viewing:
Behold: my favourite victory ‘gallop’ of all time. Someone get the gal a hobby horse.
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Festival of British Eventing Cancelled After Torrent of Rain Batters Britain
Oliver Townend and Finley du Loir jump in the rain at Gatcombe before its cancellation. Photo by Hannah Cole/Festival of British Eventing
The Festival of British Eventing, incorporating the British Open Championship and due to conclude with a full day of cross-country tomorrow, has been cancelled following a particularly wet and stormy day today made conditions on site unworkable.
This news comes after today’s competition schedule was revised at 9.00 a.m. this morning, with all Saturday cross-country pulled – Championship cross-country had been moved to Sunday, while non-Championship classes were abandoned entirely. Instead, showjumping in the main arena went ahead, with all other main arena novelty attractions cancelled in a bid to preserve the conditions as best as possible.
“It is with deep sadness and regret that, despite great efforts from the organising team, the decision has been made to abandon the Festival of British Eventing. This is especially disappointing that it happened during the event’s 40th anniversary,” says the Festival team in a post on their social media pages, delivered at 8.00 p.m. this evening. “The adverse weather experienced at Gatcombe today has made the site unsafe for the event to continue for all our competitors (human and equine) as well as the many thousands of spectators that were due on site tomorrow. Safety for all is our main priority.”
The Festival’s organising team has advised that “further information on the refund process will be provided in due course,” and added that they “would like to thank everyone involved in the event for their unwavering support and hard work over the past few days.”
Five classes had been set to run tomorrow: The TopSpec Challenge for The Corinthian Cup, which saw last year’s winner Amy Barlow leading with new ride Lisnaught Lady Cruise; the RoR/NTF Retrained Racehorse Championship, which was held overnight by Megan Brown and Don Stefano; the Dodson & Horrell British Novice Championship, which saw Oliver Townend and En Taro Des Vernier in the top spot; the Evelyn Partners British Intermediate Championship, also held by Oliver Townend, riding Finley Du Loir; and the Magic Millions British Open Championship, held jointly going into cross-country by reigning champions Tim Price and Vitali and Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs.
The State of the Nations: Your Guide to Each of the Teams Tackling the 2023 European Championships
Stiff competition? Check. A plethora of nations gunning for the podium? Double check.
Next week’s FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin might have a slightly smaller-feeling entry list than usual – it’s just 58 combinations and 14 nations this time – but the competition will be no less fearsome for that trio of team medals on offer. We’ve pulled together the lowdown on all ten teams, their recent form, their riders and horses, and where they stand in the Paris qualification situation, to help you make the most of your live-streaming experience throughout the competition – and maybe even give you an ‘underdog’ to support, too.
Settle in, get comfy, and let’s take a look at the competition at large.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
Chef d’equipe: Thomas Tesch is the team manager of the Austrian line-up, while German Olympic medallist Matthias Baumann is the chef d’equipe.
Team members:
- Daniel Dunst and Chevalier 97
- Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Oklahoma
- Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P
Individual riders: None
Are they qualified for Paris? Nope. They’re one of four teams who’ll be fighting for one of the two tickets up for grabs here. Realistically, this is the last-chance saloon for them – they’ve only done two Nations Cups legs, and they sit seventh on that leaderboard, several hundred points off the top spot. With just two legs left, it’s unlikely they’d be able to claw back enough marks to earn the one spot available from that avenue.
When did they last win a Europeans medal? Austria has not yet medaled at a European Championships – though they did sneak into fourth place going into cross-country at the 2021 Euros, when three of their four team competitors earned sub-30 scores, and Lea Siegl was fifteenth at the Tokyo Olympics, so don’t write them off entirely.
What’s their form like? Austria brings forward a three-member team, which is notable as they’re the only country without a valuable drop score. Austria is still in its developmental stages as an eventing nation, which isn’t to say that they don’t have some very talented horses and riders among them – Lea and Van Helsing P, for example, have already won at CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L this year. This European Championships is about building on the hard work that Austria has put in to produce a team completion; if that Olympic qualification can happen, that’ll be an incredible moment for them, but realistically, they’ll know that it’s something of a pipe dream. They earned an impressive sixth place at last season’s European Championships, which they would be delighted to replicate here. Austria is certainly growing in strength and has it in their wheelhouse for a solid performance.
Chef d’equipe: Kai Steffen-Meier, who rides for Germany and is married to team member Lara de Liedekerke-Meier. Together, they host the Arville International Horse Trials at their fairytale property.
Team members:
- Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione d’Arville
- Karin Donckers and Fletcha van’t Verahof
- Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo de Gasco
- Tine Magnus and Champagne Pia Z
- Senne Vervaecke and Google Van Alsingen
- Jarno Verwimp and Mahalia
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? No. But they’ve hedged their bets, putting forth a very strong line-up here and heavily targeting the Nations Cup series, too, which they lead after six of eight legs by a margin of 110 points. The next leg will be their home one at Arville – but on current form, we’re tipping them to take one of the two team qualifications at Haras du Pin.
When did they last win a Europeans medal? As a team? Back in 2009 at Fontainebleau in France, where they were bronze medallists. They’ve also been bronze medallists in 2003 at Punchestown, Ireland, and in 1999 at Luhmühlen. They’ve never won an individual European medal.
What’s their form like? Absolutely on the up-and-up. They failed to qualify for Tokyo after a serious showdown against the Swiss at the 2019 Nations Cup finale, and since then, they’ve been going through the growing pains of a rebuilding cycle — one that’s paying off in 2023. As a team, they’ve been absolutely walking away with the Nations Cup series, which will give them a confidence boost coming into this week, and individually, their riders have been seriously impressive. They look to be on the trajectory that we’ve watched Switzerland enjoy over the last few years – and for more info on this, we recommend checking out our chat with lynchpin Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who has put a crap 2022 behind her and has been storming home with top tens and wins this year. Belgium’s bad luck in Pratoni looks to be the last chapter of a book they’re moving on from now, and putting your support behind them in France could be one of the most satisfying things you do.
Chef d’equipe: Thierry Touzaint – uncle of rider Nicolas – continues his long reign as head of the French team. He’s tasted gold before, and will want to do so again on home turf, as his team prepares for a home Olympics.
Team members:
- Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine
- Stéphane Landois and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau
- Gireg Le Coz and Aisprit De La Loge
- Benjamin Massié and Edition Fonroy
- Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza
- Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? Yes! As host nation, they automatically earned their spot.
When did they last win a Europeans medal? In 2015 at a very damp Blair Castle in Scotland, Cadre Noir rider Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot took individual bronze – their first Europeans individual medal since Nicolas Touzaint became European Champion (for the second time!) at Pratoni in 2007 aboard Galan de Sauvagere. 2015 also saw them take team bronze, a title they’d won at the previous Europeans in 2013 at Malmö, and they were silver medallists in 2011 at Luhmühlen. In total, they’ve won 17 European team medals and five individual medals.
What’s their form like? Somehow, as it always seems to be with the French, both excellent and not quite there yet – which means that they tend to come into championships slightly under the radar, and then, fairly frequently, surprise everyone with total dominance. Okay, so they can’t really do the whole under-the-radar thing here, because they’re the host nation, and okay, maybe the Europeans isn’t always their happiest hunting ground in the way that the Olympics tends to be, but France’s squad of mostly young up-and-comers, plus a two-time European champion and an Olympic team gold medallist, looks like one you’d not want to bet against. Pratoni wasn’t their finest hour as a team, but they did have an individual sixth place finish thanks to Gaspard and Zaragoza, and Stéphane is a seriously hungry, ultra-competitive young riders. It’s easy enough to see that team leader Thierry is working with a timeline that’ll encourage his charges to peak for Paris, and this will be a fascinating dress rehearsal for them all.
Chef d’equipe: Prof. Dr. Jens Adolphsen takes on chef duties, ably assisted by team trainer Peter Thomsen, a former team rider in his own right, who tackles his second Championships solo after shadowing long-term chef d’equipe Hans Melzer for the last eighteen months or so prior to Hans’s retirement.
Team members:
- Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo
- Sandra Auffarth and Viamant Du Matz
- Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K
- Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH
- Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice
- Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? Ja. They secured that at Pratoni last year when they won team gold.
When did they last win a Europeans medal? They were bronze medallists as a team at Avenches in 2021, and gold medallists the year prior at Luhmühlen. Avenches’s individual podium was a British whitewash, but at the five (!) Europeans preceding it, Germany took at least gold and silver individually, passing the top spot back and forth between Michael Jung and Ingrid Klimke. They have 42 Europeans medals in total, and have won the team gold six times, making them the second most successful country in the history of this competition.
What’s their form like? Very, very good. They won the team gold at last year’s World Championships with a team that mixed old and new blood, and they’re going with much the same strategy this week. Once again, we’ll see Michi Jung and the unbelievable fischerChipmunk FRH, former World Champ Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz, and emerging superstars Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S come forward as, undoubtedly, the lynchpins of the team, while that fourth and final slot could be admirably filled by any of the three newer faces on the roster. The likeliest is Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K, who won Blenheim CCI4*-L last season and were eleventh here out of over 100 last summer. Germany is Great Britain’s most obvious threat this week.
Chef d’equipe: Chris Bartle and Richard Waygood, who both joined the team in late 2016 after a disappointing Rio performance a few months prior. Since then, the team has gone from strength to strength, and it’s no suprise: Chris Bartle was previously the architect of Germany’s success, and Richard Waygood helmed the British dressage team during its extraordinary trajectory from zero to hero.
Team members:
- Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo
- Laura Collett and London 52
- Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir
- Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift
- Kitty King and Vendredi Biats
- Tom McEwen and JL Dublin
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? They are. They finished fourth at Pratoni last year and booked their ticket.
When did they last win a European medal? There wasn’t a single one that they didn’t win in 2021 – they took gold as a team, and all three individual podium places, too. Topmost of those was reigning European Champions Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin, who will return to try to retain his title, this time under Tom McEwen. The Brits are far and away the most successful team in Euros history: they’ve won 87 medals in total, while Germany, in second place, has won 42. Their tally includes 23 team golds (from 1981 to 2009, they only failed to win gold twice), and 18 individual golds. They are, in a word, formidable.
What’s their form like? Amazing, really, and they absolutely come into the Europeans as hot favourites – but they did the same at Pratoni last year and failed to earn a medal at all as a team, so nothing’s ever guaranteed in eventing, is it? Still, they currently hold team gold at the Olympics, European Championships, Young Rider Europeans, and Junior Europeans. They also have the reigning World Champion and European Champion – the former, Yas Ingham with Banzai du Loir, is on the squad for Haras du Pin, while the latter, JL Dublin, is too. Then, there’s two Badminton winners in London 52 and Lordships Graffalo, a Burghley runner-up in Capels Hollow Drift, and a Luhmühlen runner-up in Vendredi Biats, who also has a history of excelling at European Championships. Last year, the feedback largely went that the experienced five-star horses didn’t quite respect the Pratoni fences – let’s hope that the same issue doesn’t happen in France with this squad of seriously high-flyers.
Chef d’equipe: Two-time Swedish Olympian Dag Albert, who joined Horse Sport Ireland as Eventing Team Manager last year.
Team members:
- Susie Berry and Clever Trick
- Ian Cassells and Woodendfarm Jack
- Sarah Ennis and Grantstown Jackson
- Jennifer Kuehnle and Polly Blue Eyes
- Joseph Murphy and Calmaro
- Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? Indeed! That fifth-place finish at Pratoni secured that for them.
When did they last win a European medal? It’s not happened for them as a team since 1995, when they took bronze at Pratoni. They did the same in 1993 at Achselschwang, and in 1989, 1977, and 1971, all at Burghley, and they had a trio of team silvers in ’62, ’65, and ’67. Team gold has always eluded them, though they had done it individually: in 1995, Lucy Thompson became the European Champion, following in the footsteps of Eddie Boylan (1967) – but no other Irish rider would win a medal individually until Luhmühlen in 2019, when Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua won bronze.
What’s their form like? As a team, it’s something of a building process — the results aren’t consistent on the world stage, but every championship is a step towards figuring out a system that works. There’s an interesting strategy at play here, which sees Ireland sending forward a lineup of new faces – human and equine – and just a couple of the ‘old guard’. Even young but established talents such as Susie Berry are here on debutant team horses and riders like Ian and Jennifer will be making their Senior team debut – guided, of course, by the huge experience of Sarah Ennis and Joseph Murphy. With their Olympic qualification in the bag, though, they can tactically use this as a way to develop some serious strength in depth in their ranks.
Chef d’equipe: Giacomo Della Chiesa, who himself rode at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
Team members:
- Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy Des Melezes
- Susanna Bordone and Imperial Van De Holtakkers
- Fosco Girardi and Euphorie
- Emiliano Portale and Scuderia 1918 Future
- Federico Sacchetti and Grc Shiraz
- Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress
Individual riders: TBC
Are they qualified for Paris? No. They, like Belgium, have been hotly pursuing the Nations Cup series, in which they currently sit second on 400 points, with two legs left to tackle. They’ll be hoping to get the job done here so they don’t have to fight for that final showdown at Boekelo in October.
When did they last win a European medal? In 2017 at Poland’s Strzegom, they took team bronze. Prior to that, they’ve won three team medals at Europeans – a silver in 2009 at Fontainebleau, and bronze in 2007 at Pratoni and in 2001 at Pau. They’ve never yet won an individual medal.
What’s their form like? Still building in strength and cohesiveness, though there’s some real bright sparks among their line-up. Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress are capable of some very strong results in excellent company, and Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers have masses of team experience, which will help them to support a team that’s otherwise largely made up of new faces or new partnerships — such as that of Emiliano Portale and Scuderia 1918 Future, who is new to his string this season. They’re under some pressure here, because they won’t want to have to do that end-of-season Boekelo battle if they can help it – so it’ll be interesting to see whether that translates to a play-it-safe strategy through the week or if they take some calculated risks to try to catch up with the business end of the leaderboard.
Chef d’equipe: British-based Andy Heffernan, who also continues to ride at the top level and has also picked up some course designing of late, is ordinarily the Dutch head of affairs – but this week, he’s riding instead, and team manager Ad Wagemakers is deputising.
Team members:
- Merel Blom-Hulsman and Vesuve D’Aveyron
- Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ De Tailleur
- Andrew Heffernan and Gideon
- Sanne de Jong and Enjoy
Individual riders:
- Elaine Pen and Divali
- Jordy Wilken and Wilbert Bo
Are they qualified for Paris? No. They didn’t send a team to Pratoni. They’ve been targeting the Nations Cup series this year, and sit third on 380 after taking part in all six legs so far, so if they don’t have the week they want here, they’ll be hoping Italy and Belgium get those team tickets so they can take over the lead there.
When did they last win a European medal? Individually, it was 1993, when Eddy Stibbe took individual bronze aboard Bahlua at Achselschwang in Germany. That’s their only individual medal, but they did also take team silver in 1989 at Burghley.
What’s their form like? Like the rest of the as-yet-unqualified nations, it’s fair to say that this is a building stage for The Netherlands, who have struggled a bit to keep horsepower in the country. That’s why we don’t have the likes of, say, Tim Lips on this team – but it does bode well for talented young riders like Sanne de Jong, who has slowly, devotedly produced her homebred Enjoy to team status. Each of the riders on the team proper has plenty of experience to their names, which will hopefully help them to shoulder the pressure of getting the job done. An Olympic team ticket would, one hopes, lead to further funding for the Dutch, which might just help them to keep some of their very good horses in the country – because the Dutch front’s biggest hurdle in recent years has been that owner culture doesn’t really exist in the same way that we know it to in, say, the UK and the US.
Chef d’equipe: British-based Fredrik Bergendorff, who has proven a solid captain for the Swedish efforts so far (and also wears a pair of chinos exceptionally well).
Team members:
- Frida Andersen and Box Leo
- Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Dynamite Jack
- Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga Van Het Marienshof Z
- Amanda Staam and Corpoubet AT
Individual riders:
- Lina Forsberg and Kaizen
Are they qualified for Paris? Yes! They finished sixth at Pratoni and secured the bag, as the kids say.
When did they last win a European medal? Arguably eventing’s origin country, Sweden was the dominant force in eventing in the early 20th century, and it was at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics that eventing as a sport made its debut. They were the gold medallists there, of course – but midway through the 20th century, their reign over the sport ended. These days, though, they’re very consistent at the Europeans: they were bronze medallists in 2021 and 2019, and silver medallists in 2017 and 2013, breaking a team medal-free streak that they’d been on since the 90s. Their last individual medal was a silver in 2003 for Linda Algotsson and Stand By Me.
What’s their form like? The Swedes have been consistent in the Nations Cup series, which is held at CCI4*-S and culminates at the CCI4*-L level at Boekelo. They’re very good at pinning down the series win, partly because they make sure to show up for as many legs as they can — and now they’re working on taking that consistency up to championship level. One of the ways they’ve been doing that is changing their priorities – after getting that Olympic qualification at Pratoni, they’ve barely touched the Nations Cup series this year, and have instead focused on putting their riders into as many top-class fields as possible, a strategy that saw them take a top-ten spot at Aachen with their one competitor, Frida Andersen and Box Leo. Their weakness at the moment is the dressage, and they’ve pulled in great help to work on this — but their team is based between the UK and Sweden, so the cohesiveness is tricky. They’ll be aiming to try to finish on the podium again with this young team, nonetheless.
Chef d’equipe: Dominik Burger – though a mention must go to the transformative power of cross-country coach Andrew Nicholson. He has been a major catalyst for the Swiss since joining on as cross county coach in 2018. It’s a job he clearly adores, and the young Swiss team are flourishing under his intuitive instruction. Andrew’s mantra is ‘never change a winning team’ – and so he’s worked to support each rider’s current system and tweak the bits that need help, rather than do a total overhaul.
Team members:
- Robin Godel and Grandeur De Lully CH
- Mélody Johner and Toubleu De Rueire
- Nadja Minder and Toblerone
- Felix Vogg and Colero
Individual riders: None.
Are they qualified for Paris? They are. They were seventh at Pratoni and thus got the last team spot available there – which was a huge moment for the nation, who had previously scraped into Tokyo with a closely-fought showdown in the Nations Cup finale in 2019, the last possible chance to gain a qualification for that Games.
When did they last win a European medal? It’s been, admittedly, a hot minute: they were team silver medallists in 1981 at Horsens in Denmark, and in 1955 at Windsor, Great Britain. In 1981, they also took the individual gold, thanks to Hansueli Schmutz and Oran, did the same in 1959 at Harewood, Great Britain, when Hans Schwarzenbach became European Champion with Burn Trout (yes, really). In 1953, the very first Europeans, which was held at Badminton, Hans also won individual bronze, this time riding Vae Victis – two years, for what it’s worth, after the pair won Badminton proper, which was the most recent Swiss CCI5* win until last summer, when team member Felix Vogg won Luhmühlen aboard his Haras du Pin ride, Colero. Could history repeat itself?
What’s their form like? The Swiss team has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, culminating in that Olympic qualification – and although that was still pretty far off a podium finish, it was a big deal for a nation that didn’t really register on anyone’s radar previously. They’ve been pulling that team cohesiveness together with a couple of Nations Cup outings, both of which yielded podium finishes, but generally speaking, they’re given the space to follow their own programmes, and each has been earning smart results individually this year. A podium finish here would be a lofty goal, but one that feels fitting of the trajectory they’ve been on. They’ll come in ready to get gritty and fight for it, anyway, which is emblematic of the new Swiss front – gone are the play-it-safe also-rans; say hello to the fierce new world of Swiss eventing.
EN’s coverage of the FEI European Championships for Eventing is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products.
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Reserve Combination Called Up for French Squad Ahead of European Championships
Benjamin Massie and Edition Fonroy. Photo by Alex Jeffery.
The French team has announced a change to their six-strong line-up for next week’s FEI European Eventing Championships, which takes place on home soil at Haras du Pin, Normandy. This is the first change made to any squad since the release of the competition’s definite entries late last month.
Héloïse Le Guern, who was set to make her Senior championship debut with her longtime partner and Bramham Under-25 CCI4*-L winner, Canakine du Sudre, has been forced to withdraw from contention following a minor injury sustained while on a final gallop yesterday (August 3) at the French squad’s training camp at Saint-Martin-de-Bréhal. While undergoing a routine final check by team vet Xavier Goupil this morning, Canakine du Sudre showed some signs of discomfort on a foreleg, and the Le Guern family, in conjunction with the French federal staff, made the call to withdraw the thirteen-year-old gelding in a bid to preserve him for the future.
Heloise le Guern and Canakine du Sudre Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Benjamin Massié and Édition Fonroy will now step into their place on the squad, which relocates today to Le Lion d’Angers in the Loire region of France for final training. Though this is just the nine-year-old mare’s first full season at four-star, she’s been impressive across her career thus far, most recently finishing thirteenth in strong company at Aachen, and eleventh at last year’s Boekelo CCIO4*-L. This will be a first championship appearance for Benjamin, who has amassed considerable experience through the five-star level.
Substitutions can be made until two hours prior to the first horse inspection, which will take place on Wednesday, August 9.
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Thursday Video: Ride Around Haras du Pin with Andrew Hoy
Okay, okay, you’ve got me: I’m currently totally incapable of thinking of anything other than Haras du Pin, and counting down the minutes until I hit the road for next week’s European Championships. But I absolutely believe that you should be just as obsessed as I am, even if you’re not European yourself, because there’s something particularly special about the venue – it features courses designed by Pierre le Goupil, who will be the course designer at next year’s Paris Olympics. Got your interest piqued? Paying attention to how he builds courses now will definitely yield clues as to what we can expect next year — and next week! — and so I’m diving in headfirst with a hatcam video from last year’s Haras du Pin CCI4*-S, thanks to Andrew Hoy and the indomitable Vassily de Lassos.
“The Equestrian Versailles”: Inside the Horsey History of Haras du Pin
It’s all about horses at Hara du Pin. Photo courtesy of Haras du Pin.
Next week, all our eyes will be on a tiny village in the north of France, where the 2023 FEI European Championships are set to run from August 9–13, bringing together fourteen nations and 58 competitors for a fierce battle for medals, glory – and Olympic places. But what, exactly, is so special about the venue, which was meant to host the Championships in 2021, but was replaced by Switzerland’s Avenches after their Covid cancellation and subsequent reinstatement, which came about thanks, in part, to a social media petition started by Michael Jung? We decided to do some digging in find out – and what we uncovered was an extraordinary history that helped pave the way for modern-day horse sport.
Alternately known as Haras du Pin or Le Pin au Haras (the village it’s set in) — or, indeed, its diminutive, ‘Le Pin’ — the venue is, at its heart, the oldest of France’s national studs, dating back to the 1700s. (The name itself is a clue, if you’ve got any high school French behind you: ‘Haras’ means stud, as in ‘Haras nationaux’, or national studs, and ‘du Pin’ means ‘of the pines’, referring to the abundant flora of the area. Oh, and it’s pronounced much more like ‘arah duh pan’, never the very English ‘harass’.)
Haras du Pin. Photo by Frédéric Bisson/Creative Commons.
The history of the area, though, spans back much further. Cave paintings discovered in the area prove that people have called the Normandy region home since prehistoric times; indeed, even the name ‘Normandy’ points to the Viking invasion of the 9th century that ultimately ended up inextricably linking the region its northern neighbour, England – a link that was largely friendly until the thirteenth century, at which point Normandy was reclaimed for France. In the centuries after that, turmoil often reigned over the area as it found itself embroiled in battles with the English, who did rather a lot of unpleasant things — like, for example, burning Joan of Arc at the stake in Rouen, some 130 kilometres from Haras du Pin.
All systems go at the nation’s foremost stud. Photo courtesy of Haras du Pin.
It was wars, ultimately, that prompted the founding of Haras du Pin. In the 1660s, Louis XIV’s First Minister of State, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, realised that wars in the Low Countries were depleting the French military of horses, leading to a nationwide shortage and expensive, but necessary, import jobs. Not only did he want to be able to fill the need for horses both within the country and on the frontlines, he also wanted to ensure that the horses were of top quality, and so he pulled together an administration to govern over the royal breeding programme. At first, this was largely focused on the approval of high-quality stallions; as time went on, though, it became clear that the administration would require its own bases to work from. They set up shop at Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, west of Paris, but the results were disappointing: the infertile ground meant that they struggled to provide much grazing for their horses, who then suffered poor health as a result.
The area that we now know as Haras du Pin, which covers nearly 2,500 acres, was originally a much smaller 600 hectare section of pastureland, selected for its easy proximity to industry hub Argentan, its prevalent fresh water, and its high-quality ground and grass – the perfect conditions, the administration reckoned, to raise healthy horses upon. But getting the stud off the ground wasn’t a quick job: the first stables weren’t build until 1715, when the monarch had moved on to Louis XV, and ‘move-in day’ for those 200 carefully selected stallions and mares was still another two years away at that point. In 1736, the Royal Stud — in its first iteration, anyway — was complete, including the chateau and the main stabling.
The beautiful, formidable front gates of the Chateau. Photo courtesy of Haras du Pin.
If you’re a keen Francophile, you’ll notice that there’s something familiar about Haras du Pin: its architecture. That’s because its castle and stables were built in the same style as the École de Versailles, using plans drawn up by Robert de Cotte, the successor of the designer behind Versaille’s Grand Trianon, and himself a contributor to the chapel at Versailles. That lead to the French novelist Jean de la Varende dubbing it ‘the equestrian Versailles’ in the nineteenth century.
Still, though, even with all this prestige behind it, the stud was very nearly a short-lived thing. In 1790, it was voted that the stud should be decommissioned and torn down, though a last-minute decision to use it to house the Kingdom’s best stallions helped it avoid that grisly fate. In 1810, the First French Empire helped it reestablish full functionality, and by the middle of the nineteenth century, it had expanded to include a training academy, with building completed on many of the other buildings and amenities now present, including the arena.
The French Revolution, though, had meant that the priorities of the stud had shifted. Where once it had been used to provide horses to Versailles and the army, it had shifted into private ownership through the Revolution, and many of the stallions sold on. Private studs — using approved stallions only — were beginning to pop up around France, and so when the stud was re-secured in the early 19th century, its focus shifted to creating an ideal stamp of French horse, using Norman mares from around the region, some Norfolk Trotter stallions, and excellent English Thoroughbreds, who were deemed to have more pleasant faces and superior legs. That, of course, was the foundation of the Selle Français breed, now one of the dominant sporting studbooks in the world. Back then, though, they were often known as ‘demi-sang’ (half-blood) or Anglo-Norman horses. In 1958, the breed – which varied slightly throughout France thanks to the influence of various bloodlines, including Anglo-Arabs and Trotters – was finally recognised and collated into the modern day Selle Français, or French saddle horse, studbook.
The beautiful ‘bowl’ of Haras du Pin, which hosts Le Grand Complet each August. Photo by Christophe Tanière.
Next week’s competition will, fittingly, feature a number of Selle Français horses, several of which will be piloted by French riders fighting for glory on home soil. That they’ll be riding horses who are quite literally on something of a homecoming is particularly poignant – but many other types of horses are also celebrated at Haras du Pin, which remained in French governmental control and under national funding until 2013, when it was privatised and funded by IFCE, the French governing body for equestrian sport. These days, you can still tour the historic stables, with antique saddlery remaining well-maintained in the tack room, gleaming carriages on display in the outbuildings, and plenty of horses – most notably Percherons, the area’s much-loved working horse, and Norman Cobs, as well as Selle Français horses – to gaze at. It also hosts equestrian ‘artistes’, including high school dressage riders, Cossack vaulters, and liberty trainers; competitions throughout the year; and, of course, a continued commitment to breeding. In 2014, a Welsh pony foal was born at the stud who made headlines for being Europe’s first embryo transfer foal.
Furioso at Haras du Pin.
While you’re there, you might also stop to pay your respects at the grave of Furioso, perhaps Haras du Pin’s most famous stallion. Though he died in 1967, his is still a name that’s revered among the breeding nerds amongst us: in his 22 breeding seasons, the English Thoroughbred fathered some 303 offspring, and he’s considered one of the ‘founding fathers’ of both the modern Selle Français and of the showjumping sport horse as we know it. He was imported to the stud in 1946, making him a bright spark of hope after the tumultuous years of the War, which saw Haras du Pin occupied by the Germans. Though he didn’t initially impress the team sent from the stud to view him – he’d raced 21 times, and had ‘come close to winning’ on just three occasions — Jean Delannoy of Annuaire d’Étalon Sport Français wrote that “his dignity, harmonious length and general conformation were enough to seduce. [Stud farm officer] Mr O’Neill, who had never ridden such a well balanced horse, forgave him his slightly knock kneed forelegs, his somewhat tight hock and his long legged conformation. He was purchased for 800 pounds from Mr Blunt.”
The stallion, who “walked like a lord”, went on to sire Olympic gold medallist jumper Lutteur B, who won at Tokyo in 1964, and 1956 World Champion jumper Pomone B. Several of next week’s competitors are directly related to Furioso: Stéphane Landois’ mount, Ride For Thaïs Chamant Dumontceau, is a great-great-great grandson; his dam, Cocagne des Pins, is by Narcos II, whose sire, Fair Play III, is out of a Furioso daughter. Karim Laghouag’s Triton Fontaine also has Furioso lines; his sire, Gentleman IV, is out of a Fair Play III daughter. Gireg le Coz’s Aisprit de la Loge has Furioso top and bottom, thanks to third-generation line-breeding to Jalisco B, a maternal grandson of Furioso. Even the British-bred, Anglo-European Studbook registered Zaragoza, ridden by Gaspard Maksud, is a relative: her sire, Cevin Z, is a grandson of the Selle Français Cor de la Bryère, a maternal great-grandson of Furioso. That’s two-thirds of the French squad – and that’s without even touching the pedigrees of horses from other nations.
Delannoy’s assessment of Furioso’s direct offspring reads like a summary of the clever, often quirky, but preternaturally talented Selle Français across the board. “These horses, full of personality, were sometimes difficult, particularly the mares, but were wonderful as soon as they felt confident. Slightly soft, they did not enjoy pain, they were very respectful and would sometimes misbehave or even stop if not ridden in a firm and friendly manner. Some good riders complained of them being amoral but they were not belligerent. Galloping with great balance, swinging on each big rounded stride… they hardly ever needed to be corrected, although they did not mind it (except for a few hot blooded mares). The jump was often rounded, the horse locked onto the trajectory.”
William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning. Photo by Jenni Autry.
In eventing circles, these days Le Pin is best known for its competitions – notably, Le Grand Complet, which hosts classes through CCI4*-S each August, and which we covered extensively last season as the continent’s most popular prep event for the World Championships. But it also hosted one of those, back in 2014, when miserable weather plagued Normandy and the world’s best horses and riders were forced to splash their way through some seriously sloppy ground, just months after a Badminton that’s remembered mostly for its relentless, hugely influential rain. Does all this sound a bit familiar? If so, and if you’re rather keen on patterns, here’s how that played out: Sandra Auffarth (competing next week) won gold, Michael Jung (also competing next week) won silver, and William Fox-Pitt (alas, not competing next week) won bronze; on the team front, Germany were victorious, the Brits won silver, and in a particularly memorable moment, the oft-beleaguered Dutch stepped up to bronze – something they’d be delighted to do again next week.
Whether you’re watching from home or within the beautiful grounds of Haras du Pin itself, take a moment next week to appreciate its extraordinary history – and the way that its contribution still plays a part in equestrian sport, both at home and afar.
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Hot on H&C: Tune in For the Festival of British Eventing + Take a Peek at This Week’s Entries
2019’s British Open Championship winner Jonelle Price, with class sponsor Katie Page-Harvey, president of Magic Millions, and HRH Princess Anne (right) who owns Gatcombe Park where the event is held. Photo by Libby Law.
One of the most exciting Advanced events in the UK – by my reckoning, anyway – is this week’s Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing, held in the capacious estate of Gatcombe Park, home to one Princess Anne. While the setting is fittingly pretty, that’s not even close to what makes this competition so exciting – that honour, instead, goes to the terrain afforded by the park’s natural amphitheatre. The courses – from Novice upwards – crisscross these not at all insignificant peaks and valleys in a way that’s both totally spectator-friendly (you can see most of the course from your chosen picnic spot!) and truly influential. Catching the time here is seriously hard, and you’ll want to come prepared off the back of plenty of fitness work if you fancy a chance of catching one of the titles.
Foremost among those titles, which include accolades for retrained racehorses in their own dedicated section, is the British Open Championship. Formerly held at CCI4*-S, but now run at National Advanced level, it used to be one of the most exciting fixtures on the Event Rider Masters and continues to draw a truly top-class field of entries as riders battle for top honours.
Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul take the British Open Championship in 2017. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.
So who’s coming forward for this weekend’s renewal of the event, which will see the Open class tackle its jumping phases on Sunday, August 6? First and foremost are the reigning champions, New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali, who put his showjumping demons to bed last year to record a decisive victory in this class (and yes, that ‘Open’ bit does mean that the Brits can have their own title snatched away from them here!). Elsewhere in the 35-strong list of Open entries, we’ve got a number of very good combinations that we’ll be expecting to see on the Burghley line-up, including 21-year-old Alice Casburn and her homebred Topspin – a horse whose classic galloping style should suit the Gatcombe bowl marvellously – Emily King and Valmy Biats, Tom McEwen and his Olympic double-medallist Toledo de Kerser, Pippa Funnell with both Billy Walk On and Majas Hope, Oliver Townend with Ballaghmor Class and Swallow Springs and, perhaps most excitingly, Piggy March and her exceptional Brookfield Inocent, back after over a year on the sidelines and ready to re-establish himself as one of the country’s foremost contenders. You can check out the entries in full here.
I’ll always recommend checking out the Festival in person, if you can, because it’s not just a great sporting outing – it’s also a really nice spot to sample local food and, of course, shop yourself silly. If that sounds appealing, you can nab tickets for just £25 per day (or less if you fancy going for a season pass). Not everyone’s able to manage a weekend trip to rural Gloucestershire, though, and if that’s not quite within the realm of reason for you, never fear: all the cross-country action across the weekend will be streamed in full thanks to Horse & Country TV, starting at 10.30 a.m. each day. If you’re not a member, or don’t want to commit to a subscription, you can purchase an event pass, allowing you access to the event’s stream for just £14.99 – but at just £6.99 a month, H&C+ membership is the way forward, and there’s even a seven-day free trial option so you can see if the deep well of archived programming is right for you.
Go Eventing!
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