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European Championships: Hopes, Hiccups, and Heartbreaks on Cross-Country Day

By on Aug 31, 2019 3:43 pm -

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by William Carey.

And then there was Jung.

After a whirlwind day of high hopes and heartbreaks at the Longines FEI European Championships, the undisputed champion of modern eventing didn’t just rise to the top of the pack – he stayed there. Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH were our dressage leaders yesterday after a phenomenal test that earned them a 20.8. Today, they were the hot favourites as they left the start box, but even so, the questions percolated and circulated – could this new partnership best the tricky track that Mike Etherington-Smith had set, after only nine months together? Would we see some of the magic of the La Biosthetique Sam days shine through once again?

As it turned out, we would. Michael and Chipmunk sailed through the finish flags with eighteen seconds to spare – and they did so despite a bizarre incident in the middle of the course.

“There was a strange situation – I galloped around the corner to fence 17 [the Rathaus table] and a guy was walking slowly into my way and shaking his hand,” he explains. “I was confused because he didn’t have a flag, I didn’t know, was he trying to stop me? But because I was looking to him, I lost my distance and I had a shit jump. I looked back after the fence and the crowd was screaming, ‘you have to go on!’ I lost my rhythm; it was a stupid situation.”

Though it’s unclear whether the mystery man was a fence judge attempting to stop Michael because of a previous faller, the fence in question isn’t one of the marked stopping points on course – in part because it directly precedes the tough final water.

Just a hack through the heather – Michael Jung makes light work of a tough day’s sport. Photo by William Carey.

Despite that blip, Michael and Chipmunk executed a masterclass across the country, setting the German phenom up to become the first rider ever to win four European titles.

“The cross-country is fantastic [with Chipmunk],” he says. “It was a nice dressage test yesterday, but today was really an amazing feeling. In the first minute, I thought I was much too fast so I just went slow, slow, not too much canter, and he gave me a really good feeling. He just kept jumping for me.”

The home crowd urged Michael around the course, not just at fence 17, but across its nearly 6km length.

“It’s nice to see how many people are supporting our sport – we had super conditions and a super competition, and it’s nice to see so many people are here,” he says with a smile.

Though Chipmunk’s showjumping remains his one question mark, Michael insists that all he can do is take each step as it comes.

“I need to concentrate on my job, and on my horse, and then we can think about all the other things,” he says.

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD. Photo by William Carey.

There was nothing defending European Champions Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD could do but their best, and that’s exactly what they delivered. They added nothing to their 22.2 dressage to remain in silver medal position overnight, and for Ingrid, it was a very Happy Hale Bob Day indeed.

“Bobby was really full of himself in the warm-up, so I made sure I could hold him,” she says with a laugh. “It was good for him that we had a long gallop through the woods [between fences 3 and 4] – it was pure fun.”

Ingrid and Bobby, too, benefitted from the support of a home crowd: “every time they cheered him on, he was like, ‘okay, I’ll go faster!’ I was like, ‘no, Bobby – we’re right on time!’ At the bird at 20B I had my distance, and I thought I was on a straight, clear line, and the crowd screamed ‘hop!’ So I’m laughing as we came to the corner [at 21], thinking, ‘do I need to scream ‘hop’ as we jump?

As the last German team member to head out on course, all the pressure was on Ingrid – not just to help her team to win back the title, but to try to retain her own, too.

“Hans [Meltzer, Germany’s chef d’equipe] told me only to pet him when I came into the finish – don’t smile, just focus,” she laughs. “Sometimes I pat him so much, and I spend so much time saying, ‘Bobby, you are my hero!'”

As for the day’s oppressive heat, that, too, was something of an advantage: “I hate the winter! This was perfect for me,” she smiles.

Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot ENE HN. Photo by William Carey.

France’s Thibaut Vallette and his Rio and WEG mount Qing du Briot ENE HN stepped up into bronze medal position from equal fourth after dressage after executing one of the day’s 20 fault-free rounds.

“Today was a really great round for the horse and me,” says the rider, who is part of the Cadre Noir at Saumur. “This is the first time I’ve come to Luhmühlen and my horse was very nice all the way around. He’s a great horse and my best friend, and it’s very good for the team – I have high hopes for a good day.”

Tim Lips and Bayro. Photo by William Carey.

Though it was a tough day in the office for the Netherlands (see Nations’ Standings, below), it was a good one indeed for the Dutch National Champions Tim Lips and Bayro. They stepped up from sixth to fourth place, and currently sit on an overnight score of 26 – just a fifth of a penalty away from the bronze medal contenders.

“I was very pleased; on the course I was all the time on my minute markers, although I lost a little bit at the last two waters, so I had to push a bit,” he says, before admitting: “After our second [Dutch] rider fell, I thought maybe I won’t run – I could go to the Nations Cup instead for those points. But my dad said, ‘are you mad? You’ve had this horse so long, and he’s thirteen already’ – I’m glad I listened to him.”

Oliver Townend leads the British team, who sit in overnight silver medal position, after a faultless clear with Cooley Master Class that belied the fact he’s missed nearly two months due to a badly broken wrist. So, too, did it bely the fact that Cooley Master Class – who won his second Kentucky title this year – only runs at a couple of internationals per season.

“He doesn’t need run after run, and it’s proof that he’s better than ever,” says Oliver, who jokes that he became a full-time horse dealer ‘rather than a part-time eventer’ during his time off. “He’s very special, and he needs very little preparation – he’s just grown in confidence every event that he comes to. It’s a very special feeling and a huge credit to the massive team behind him. We always thought he was this good, and now he’s showing it again and again.”

Oliver was the last British team member to run, and after a surprise run-out was added to Tina Cook‘s scoresheet, the pressure was on. But did it affect him?

“I’m a bit strange – it doesn’t worry me too much. I know what I have to do. I sometimes question how relaxed I feel in terms of the cross-country warm-up; I think it’s very calm and very relaxed, and then as soon as I get across the finish line I’ll laugh or cry or do something embarrassing.”

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Photo by William Carey.

Ireland’s Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua recorded a typically speedy round to step up from thirteenth to sixth place overnight.

“She was super,” he says. “She started off a little bit hot, but she was amazing to jump. I overrode the right rein in the combination in the arena, and she was amazing to jump the corner where she did, but the rest of the round was unbelievable and she’s finished very strong and looks in very good nick.”

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo. Photo by William Carey.

France’s Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey lie in seventh overnight, followed by Italy’s Pietro Roman and Barraduff. Great Britain’s Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo move from 17th to ninth after coming home six seconds inside the 10:10 optimum time, and despite a hairy moment at the second water.

“He’s fabulous on this day, but the one thing he can be wary of is water,” explains Piggy. “But he was super brave at the first, and while I’d normally give him a tap beforehand, I didn’t at the second. He was genuine through it, but he was hard work, and I had to keep turning the key. It was laboured and he started to spook, so I had two give him two sharp taps and then he was away again. You can’t be defensive on a course like this, but you’ve got to be clever, too – you have to keep thinking and stay on your A game, and always think of your plan A, B, and C. The time, though is disappointingly easy, which is a shame for my horse. If I keep a gun to his head he’s so much better – if we’re ten, fifteen seconds up and I drop the pace, then he drops behind the bridle and thinks he’s finished. He’s a twisty, quick track horse all day, but I don’t want to come in 40 seconds under the time because it looks like an unnecessary risk.”

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by William Carey.

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, competing as individuals for Great Britain, sit tenth after adding just 2.4 time penalties to their 27.9 dressage.

“I’m just delighted with I’m – he’s only ten,” she says through tears. “I watched the beginning [of the cross-country] and then I stopped watching because it wasn’t going very well. It’s really exciting what the future’s going to hold for him – it’s just lovely. Top ten was my aim coming out here – I wanted a personal best in the dressage, but didn’t manage it, and I wanted a clear in the time, and we were just over.”

It would be amiss not to mention the great efforts of British pathfinders Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope, who skipped home inside the time and sit 21st overnight.

“Last night and all this morning I was thinking, ‘why haven’t I retired yet?!'” she laughs. “But it felt great today.”

The top ten after cross-country.

We knew this would be a tough course, but it still caused its share of surprises – namely, that the time proved far less influential than we expected it to be. In total, 20 combinations sailed home clear and inside the time – owing, in part, to the fast ground and the superb conditions.

“We saw a lot of world-class riding all around the course; there was some spectacular riding and good decisions being made by everyone, not just the top guys,” says course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, though, he admits, “I didn’t expect quite so many to get the time. When you get good ground and good weather conditions like we saw today, then it becomes easier to get the time – but you have to wheel it for 570mpm over the distance, and so it is what it is.”

Plus, as Mike points out, conditions like today’s aren’t guaranteed – particularly at Luhmühlen, which was struck by torrential rain and flooding in June.

“You have to build for any weather conditions – it could have poured,” he says.

As predicted, the course caused problems across the board, with glance-offs and stops from 5D, the latter part of the first water, all the way through to 25, the second of the offset hedges at the tail end of the course. But the colourful bird in the water at 20B – the, erm, tit, as Harry Meade pointed out – caused the most problems through the day. In total, it was responsible for eight faults – two refusals, two rider falls, three horse falls, and one subsequent retirement – including that of bronze medal contender Laura Collett, whose gutsy round was full of the gumption that London 52 needed. But a slight misjudgement of the distance to 20B saw the horse catch his front legs, and some quick thinking and a last minute backwards scramble was all that stopped him from having a rotational fall. But it was too late for Laura, who tipped out the front door and had to make the long journey to the finish on foot.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by William Carey.

“Luckily, he’s absolutely fine – in a way, it’s good to have that long walk back, because it means I can make sure he’s okay,” says an understandably heartbroken but perennially pragmatic Laura. “He felt amazing, and he was taking everything on, but he just got confused by all the twists and turns at the end of course. We ended up getting to 20B on no distance at all. I’m gutted – I came here with huge expectations. But we have to take the positives; he’s never seen a track like that, or crowds like that. He’s only ten years old and he has a bright future ahead of him. He trusted me out there today – it just didn’t come off.”

20B was also a major architect in the defeat of the Dutch team, who saw Merel Blom retire there and Ilonka Kluytmans fall.

10A – the first of the upright gates after the arena – was also a surprise culprit, resulting in the fall of Polish rider Jan Kaminski, two refusals for Spain’s Maria Pinedo Sendagorta and Carriem van Colen Z, and broken frangible devices for Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon and Spain’s Esteban Benitez Valle.

In something of a freak drama, Germany’s Nadine Marzahl and Valentine 18, who were placed in the top twenty after dressage, were eliminated for missing a fence – they skipped nine, the hedge after the arena, and continued as far as the second water before they were pulled up.

71 combinations left the start box – the withdrawal of Finland’s Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click diminished our numbers by one – and 59 crossed the finish line. Of those 59, 44 would return without having incurred jumping penalties, flag penalties, or frangible penalties. That’s a clear rate of 62% – about right for this level – but a whopping 28% double-clear rate.

Germany continue their hunt to regain the team gold medal, despite having to drop the score of Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise, who were equal fourth after dressage. This is due to an issue in the start box, which saw the sometimes tricky gelding rear and refuse to go forward. Ultimately, it cost the pair 16 time penalties – or 40 seconds on the clock.

“That was, of course, a bad start – he went very well in the cross-country and would for sure have been in the time,” says Kai. “He’s never been quite like this; he gets nervous, sure, but this time, the entry for the start box was quite narrow. He’s a big horse, and I should have gone around, but I didn’t see it until the last second.”

Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise. Photo by William Carey.

But with a horse like Colani Sunrise who, Kai noted after his dressage test, needs to be filled with confidence, it wouldn’t have been productive to have forced the start.

“You have to stay quiet and just pat him,” he explains. “He’s done so many good rounds that I thought it would be a good day – but that’s horses, just as that’s life.”

With Kai’s score discarded, the German team sits on 78.5 – but this still offers them a considerable lead over Great Britain, who sit in the silver medal position. Their overnight score is 92.8 – 14.3 points behind the leaders – after a shock blip on course dropped Tina Cook and Billy the Red out of contention. Their otherwise fast and classy round was marred by a drive-by at the C element – a skinny triple brush – out of the second water.

Tina Cook and Billy the Red. Photo by William Carey.

“I’m really disappointed,” she says. “I was having a good round up to them, and he jumped into the water super – he just took his eye off the fence. I have no explanation for it. He knows his job and he’s a fantastic cross-country horse – he’s jumped clear around the Europeans and the WEG.”

Though Tina was individually placed in the top ten after dressage, and thus in the hunt for a podium finish, her thoughts were solely with her team.

“I’m so disappointed for the team. When we walked it, I knew it would cause plenty of problems – it’s a real championship course, and it’ll be a real champion that wins it.”

From then on, the team standings are tightly packed: France sit in bronze medal position on 93.6, just 0.8 penalties behind the Brits, and helped along by the fact that all four riders went clear. In fact, the only combination to add anything to his dressage score was Alexis Goury and Trompe de l’Oeil d’Emery, who added just 0.8 time penalties, but it was Karim Laghouag and Punch de l’Esques whose score was dropped. They remain on their dressage score of 38.4 overnight, giving France something of a safety net for tomorrow’s competition.

Italy now leads the way for the teams not yet qualified for Tokyo. They lie fourth on a score of 99.2, having discarded the score of Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious, who added nine time penalties to their 31.5 dressage. Like France, this is a drop-score that could be used to their advantage – it’s not so far out of the hunt.

Sweden follows Italy in fifth place on 101.1, with two double-clears and two rounds that only added time penalties. Ludwig Svennerstal and El Kazir SP lead the way for their country, lying 11th overnight on their dressage score of 31.

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco over the bird at 20B. Photo by William Carey.

Behind them, Ireland sit sixth after three clear rounds and one unfortunate twenty on course. Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco – just a ten-year-old – were the last team members to go, and were one of many combinations to run into trouble at fence 20B, the colourful bird in the water.

“He was having a magic round; he was fantastic,” says Sam. “But then he jumped a bit dead into the water, and I had to pick him back up. I lost my killer instinct in that turn – I thought about doing the turn to the inside, but I knew that people had fallen there earlier, but when I turned back, I felt the angle was too much to ask him for. In hindsight, maybe he could have done it.”

Like Tina before him, Sam’s thoughts were entirely on the fate of his team.

“I’m delighted with the horse – he’d have been inside the time otherwise, so there are a lot of big positives for him,” he says. “But it was a soft 20, and it was a tough one to get when the team was in a medal position. Right now, I’m just gutted for my teammates and for the horse’s connections.”

Belgium, down to three riders after the early fall of Laura Loge and Absolut Allegro at an inconspicuous table at 17, languishes behind in seventh on a score of 146.6, while the Netherlands are down to just one rider: Tim Lips and Bayro are the only Dutch competitors left in the hunt.

We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning for the final horse inspection, which kicks off at 9.00 a.m. local time. Stay tuned for a full report and gallery, before we head into the action-packed finale of the 2019 Longines FEI European Championships. Until then – so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!

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The Fast and the Furious: The European Championships Track, Broken Down

By on Aug 30, 2019 5:00 pm -

When they build championship tracks, they really don’t mess around – and true to form, Mike Etherington-Smith has provided us with something truly special this week.

“I was quite nervous to get feedback from the riders,” he admits. “The world’s best are here, and there are plenty of people stepping up to championship level too, so I wanted to create a mix that would challenge and support. There are lots of long routes to get people out of jail, but they’ll take up a lot of time.”

The time, which is set at 10:10 for the 5790m-length track, is something that Mike hopes will be influential.

“The good guys now are so good that it’s becoming a challenge to design for them,” he says, citing his myriad tricky combinations and direct routes as having been designed for medal contenders. “You can’t just build for the top ten – you have to build for everyone. We’ll all certainly be wiser come Saturday night!”

The track runs in the opposite direction to that used at June’s CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L, which is significant for one major reason: that long pull up the hill after the final water is now a downhill sprint to the first major combination on course. And while that might sound like it makes the job easier, it certainly won’t. The first three fences on course – simple, but maxed out single fences, designed to get horses up in the air and riders thinking forward – come up in the first 30 seconds, there’s then a yawning gap of over a minute before 4, which serves as a wake-up call before the major question at 5abcd, the first water on course. That minute-and-a-bit meanders through the woods, with few significant landmarks, so riders will have several jobs to do: they’ll need to keep a militant eye on the time, and they’ll need to keep their horses thinking, focused, and rideable. After making their way through the trees, they’ll need to maintain control without killing impulsion down the hill, popping the house with its colossal drop on landing side. Getting the right jump here is imperative – too big a leap, and they’ll struggle to set their horses up for 5abcd.

The first water is also the first combination on course, and as we’ll see throughout the track, it offers a tough direct route designed for the top-tier combinations as well as a friendlier, but much slower, long route designed to support less experienced combinations. This also means that there’s a plan B if something goes wrong – or if team orders change.

The direct route consists of a brush into the water (5a), after which they’ll power forward on four strides to an angled boat in the water (5b) and out to a narrow brush, which sits at the peak of a small slope (5cd). The longer route consists of four efforts, situation on a circuitous route around and through the water complex – and it’s guaranteed to be a time-sucker.

After popping the maximum-dimension table – complete with oversized wooden goblets – at 6, we head into the main arena. Two major challenges await our riders here: first, they’ll have to contend with a packed and vocal house, which shouldn’t be an issue for more experienced championship and five-star horses, but which could back off more inexperienced ones. There’s also a change of footing to bear in mind, as they gallop from grass and dirt tracks onto sand, but that’ll be but a blip on the radar in comparison to the question contained within.

Fence 7 – a maximum-dimension table fitted with MIM devices – is a single fence, but it’s set on a related to 8abcd, a corner-spread-corner combination on a curving right-handed line. The final corner (8cd) becomes almost unjumpable if the line and the approach to 8a and 8b aren’t correct, but if a rider gets into trouble here, they can reroute to the alternative 8c and 8d – two corners on a curving line at the other end of the arena.

Fence 9 is a let-up fence, and it’s a Luhmühlen classic – this steeplechase-style hedge has bright rail in front of it, which makes it more visible. But it’s meant to be respected – as 5* winner Tim Price pointed out to us earlier this summer, it doesn’t usually inspire a fantastic effort from horses.

After that, there’s another combination at 10ab, although it shouldn’t be one of the influential ones – although the questions are both upright gates fitted with MIM clips, so we could see one or two pick up 11 penalties here. Once again, there are options – there’s a direct two strides on a slight downhill slope from the first gate to the second, or a slightly longer three strides for those who need the extra space to compensate for a scrappier first effort.

There’s scarcely time to breathe – although there’s half a minute or so of galloping to help efforts – before we head to the second water complex. Fence 11 is yet another maximum-dimension table, and it’s designed to set our competitors up for 12abc, which will likely be the architect of several fortunes – both good and bad. The straight route takes horses and riders down over an angled hanging log and drop. Then, it’s a forward four strides to a triple brush in the water, and on to another triple brush on the slope out. Or, for those who don’t fancy their chances against those skinnies – and that inarguably terrifying drop in – there’s another option, which requires them to make their way all the way around from one side of the water to the other. Not only is this option incredibly slow, it also pops them out at the wrong end of the water – so they’ll need to get themselves back around to the other side to jump 13. Anyone who opts for this route will likely be found weeks later, still circling the water like a lost, confused shark.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that fence 13 might be a little bit of a let-up after the technical test of the Meßmer water, but it’s not – yes, it’s a single fence, and yes, it should jump well, and yes, these are experienced horses and riders so they’re much braver than your faithful EN reporter, but this angled table over a water-filled ditch looks truly frightening. It’ll be a good test of riders’ ability to pick and hold their line, but we aren’t likely to witness any heartbreak here.

14abc is a different story. The fischer Wellenbahn is an old Luhmühlen standby that’s been revitalised and revisited for this championship – and visually, it’s probably the most impressive combination on course. The first element is an airy birch rail upright, followed by three strides downhill to an imposing – read: colossal – drop topped with brush. On landing, riders will have just three strides to get organised before the corner at 14c, which has both a left- and right-handed option. The left provides the more obvious line, but the right has a slightly wider jumping area. Commitment will be key.

After popping the yawning ditch-and-hedge at 15, there’s a clever coffin question at 16abc. Once again, we find two options here: the straight route is a one-and-one line over the upright frangible rails at 16a, over an angled ditch, and finally, over a reasonably skinny angled log at 16c. The angle of the final fence is the most significant factor in this question – riders will need to make sure their horses don’t overjump or drift over the ditch, otherwise they risk a runout. If they foresee this being an issue, though, they can pop the first two elements and then swing around to the left to pop another log, wasting precious seconds.

The rathaus at 17 is another big table, which acts as a ‘gimme’ fence before we head to the final water, which contains two separate questions. The quick route at 18abc takes our riders over two offset brushes on a one-stride line – and the second of these drops them into the water, where they’ll need to regather the knitting quickly for a left-handed turn to a skinny arrowhead. At this stage, we’ll see horses and riders hitting the fringes of fatigue, so they’ll need to assess their situation honestly: are they committed, confident, and able to make the forward lines, or do they need to take the long route and avoid an expensive 20?

Once they’re clear of the final element, they need to embark on a big swing around the field that will bring them back for 19 and 20a – a related distance of two boathouses – and then 20b, a brightly-coloured bird on a nest in the water. The long option here is a different choice for 20a, which takes out the related distance and allows for a longer, straighter approach to the bird.

Following this, there’s a single fence – but this, too, has an option. The straight route over 21 involves a gaping dip, at the upper lip of which is a not insignificant brush corner. Or, they can drop into the dip, nip around to the right, and pop over a friendly house.

While the trakehner at 22 might look scary, it’ll be a small mercy to our hard-working horses and riders, who should get a great shot over it as they gallop out of the woods. Then, there’s one more big question before they head for home: the enormous oxer at 23, which is followed by two offset brushes at 24 and 25. Though they’re separately numbered, these two brushes are designed to be tackle on a direct line, but they’ll require a really positive ride – expect to see more than a couple of side-door escape manoeuvres here.

After that, there’s just one more fence to go, and the Longines Final Jump, shaped like an enormous rosette, should allow them to sail home and chase that final half a second or so en route to the finish line.

What do the riders say?

A star (*) by a rider’s name denotes a team rider.

Michael Jung* (GER, first): It’s a nice, tough course – it’s a very nice build, with many different questions, but it’s very clear, very fair, and with super conditions. The water jumps are always spectacular and interesting at Luhmühlen, and the questions at the end will be interesting – if you’re riding for the time, you can have a runout.

At a championship you’re not just riding for yourself, so you have to be prepared for anything so you don’t get a 20. You have to know all the ways to go at each of the fences in case the trainer tells you that you can’t go one way, you have to go another.

An hour before the cross-country starts the atmosphere is growing – but I don’t do anything special, I just try to concentrate. Sometimes you can get stressed or nervous, but if the warm-up goes to plan and feels good, then you can feel good.

Ingrid Klimke* (GER, second): There are plenty of questions, particularly at the water complexes, but the ground is perfect, the jumps are beautiful, and you have nice galloping tracks where you can really go for it and have fun.

 I’ve walked it four times already, and I’ll walk it again in the morning on my own or with one friend or rider. Then, I’ll watch as much as I can, but thirty minutes before I get on I’ll go to my lorry to be alone and think about my plan. Then, I’ll go to the box and spend a bit of time with Bobby.

Laura Collett (GBR, third): It’s clever to have the first three fences come up quickly and then a long gallop – you’ll feel like you’ve gone hacking. All the waters are very serious; there’s no let-up. We had a bit of a joke with Tina after she fell after the last fence at Hartpury, thinking she was about to win – you’re not finished until you’ve crossed the line.

It’s a massive ask for [London 52] as he’s so inexperienced – he only started eventing three years ago – but he’s super talented, so hopefully I can show him the way and he’ll come up with the answers. For me, at the moment, it’s about going direct everywhere – obviously plans can change when you’ve seen a few go, but I don’t think you can be in with a shout if you go long.

Tim Lips* (NED, sixth): I think it’s really important to read it very well, because I think the whole course is designed to make you think between all the combinations. As you approach each fence, you always have to be thinking ahead to the next.

Oliver Townend* (GBR, seventh): It’s a proper job – the course is beautifully designed and built. I’m a big fan of Mike Etherington-Smith’s courses; you get a lot of gimmicky courses where they try to catch horses out, but here, if you’re on the line and your horse is 100% switched on, they’ll do their job and it should look nice.

Kitty King (GBR, eighth): I’m glad I came here last year [with Ceylor LAN] so I have a feel for the place – it helps to know where you are with all the twists and turns, otherwise you can lose your bearings. There are plenty of accuracy questions out there; it’s a true championship test but it’s fair and not there to trick horses. If you ride good lines, it’ll be clear – but you have to keep riding all the way to the last fence. 

Tina Cook* (GBR, ninth): It’s a different course, with lots of different questions. I’ve ridden at lots of Europeans, but I think this could be one of the toughest. It’ll take a proper gold medal performance to go clear in the time. The terrain will come into play, and team orders, too.

Karin Donckers* (BEL, =eleventh): It’s a beautiful course as always. The fences are very clear, but you have to respect them. It’s very fair to horses, and if you have problems, there’s always a plan B or C. You’ll still have to use your brain to ride it, though – but that’s just what we want.

Cathal Daniels* (IRE, thirteenth): It’s a brilliant course. There are lots of combinations and places you can go wrong, but the track is very fair and a good horse will find it very jumpable. Now that dressage is over, I can get excited about it!

Sam Watson* (IRE, sixteenth): There are more than ten proper championship questions out there, which means there’s a lot of cumulative risk, so it’ll be about precision and consistency. The time isn’t going to be easy. It’ll be a big test for anyone – you could isolate any of the questions and lose sleep over them, but we’ll have to deal with them all and all the factors. Hats off to Mike Etherington-Smith – we can always talk about courses after the fact, but he’s designed a track that’s a brave, very fair championship course. And that’s what we want – we want to see the very best being tested.

Piggy French* (GBR, seventeenth): It’s tough – it’s a proper championship track. There’ll be plenty of problems everywhere, and it certainly won’t be a dressage competition. You’ll have to think – it’s quite a quick track, and you have to keep your foot to the metal the whole way round. The waters are very decent. We’ll have to fight for it.

 Pippa Funnell* (GBR, forty-second): You have a long gallop after the first three and then an intense first water – it’s more of a question because you haven’t got going yet. It’s very technical the whole way around, with plenty of narrow fences that you need to have gone on a diet to get through. The time will be tight – we’ll have to be switched on and crack on. The distances are fair – I hate when they’re open and it’s a bit of a ‘is it, or isn’t it?’ question.

Want more insight? Here’s a full run-down of the course, with audio notes from Mike Etherington-Smith:

 #FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

European Championships, Day Two: Magic Mike Risks it All

By on Aug 30, 2019 1:56 pm -

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by William Carey.

Isn’t it nice when some unknown comes from nowhere, baffling the punters and confounding the form guide writers, to make their debut at a championship? Isn’t it even more magical when that unfamiliar face goes on to take the lead at said championship? That’s exactly what happened today at the Longines FEI European Championships, when a nice German chap called Michael Jung stormed into the lead on a remarkable 20.9. He seems nice – just don’t mention the war.

We kid, of course. There were two hot favourites for the lead today – both Michael and fischerChipmunk FRH and teammate Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD were expected to post top-of-the-leaderboard marks, with the latter edging ahead in the projections. But they would fall short – just – delivering a 22.2 for second place. The leading test, which nearly equals the combination’s personal best of 20.4 at Jardy, was only the pair’s second effort at CCI4*-L – Michael took the ride over from fellow German Julia Krajewski over the winter, and has been using this season to develop a relationship with the eleven-year-old Hanoverian. Though we haven’t seen them hit the sub-20 marks that Chipmunk achieved with his former partner, they’ve been edging ever closer, and their test today showed a tantalising glimpse of the extra sparkle the horse can bring.

“He’s really a great horse,” says Michael, who finished second with the gelding at Aachen last month. “He has a lot of power, he’s very clever, and he’s very pretty – and he’s a super moving horse. It’s difficult to get the balance between all the power you need for the dressage marks to be at their maximum, because on the other side, you need a relaxed horse, and you need him to be calm and quiet. Everything needs to be easy. I feel very happy with him; he was really good to enjoy.”

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH take a significant lead at Luhmühlen. Photo by William Carey.

That quest for the perfect balance resulted in a minor wobble for the pair when Chipmunk broke to trot in the extended walk.

“The walk was a bit slow, so I asked for more and he started trotting. These are the misunderstandings that can happen when you try to get more marks – you take a little bit of risk also,” Michael explains.

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD settle for second. Photo by William Carey.

A similarly small mistake crept into Ingrid Klimke‘s test with SAP Hale Bob OLD, and so the reigning champions were happy to settle for second overnight on a score of 22.2.

“Bobby did a wonderful job – it was pure fun,” she enthuses. “He was so proud – I was really laughing because he was a bit excited before he went in, and as he entered he said, ‘okay, right, I know my job here!’ And he was so proud; he was trotting like a dressage horse – we just had one little stumble [in the medium trot].”

Ingrid and ‘Bobby’ hold a unique accolade – their finishing score of 20.2 at the Strzegom Europeans in 2017 was the lowest-ever finishing score since the competition’s inception in 1953. If they can win this week, Ingrid will become the second-ever person to win back-to-back Europeans on the same horse – while Michael has won three consecutively, he won them on different horses. Pippa Funnell is the only person to manage it so far, winning in 1999 and 2001 with Supreme Rock. For now, though, Ingrid is focusing on taking it one phase at a time – and so is Bobby.

“He’s so mature now that he knows exactly what each day is,” she explains with a smile. “He’s supple, free, and ambitious in a positive way, and he really opens up and enjoys [each phase] a lot.”

While their score today doesn’t quite match the lofty heights of the 16.4 they scored at Wiesbaden and the 20.7 they earned at Aachen, Ingrid remains pragmatic.

“I really liked the Aachen and Wiesbaden tests, and I couldn’t feel a difference today – but you never know what the judges will do, so you can only do your best, and I think we did that.”

Third place becomes the domain of overnight leaders Laura Collett and London 52 – and Laura, who rides as an individual this week, has a lucky charm up her sleeve for tomorrow’s challenge.

“When I was a junior, my teammate Emily Llewellyn gave me a golden horseshoe and told me to wear it for luck,” she explains. “I wore it all through my Junior and Young Rider championships, and it was lucky – and then, the other day, I found it again in my room. I’ve brought it, so hopefully it’ll be lucky again!”

Tim Lips and Bayro. Photo by William Carey.

Germany’s Kai Rüder and France’s Thibaut Vallette hold onto equal fourth overnight, while Dutch National Champions Tim Lips and Bayro slip into sixth place on their score of 26. But as competitive as the mark is, Tim couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed by the way the numbers played out.

“I think Bayro felt like he had a bit of extra expression than in the warm-up – but it possibly didn’t look so good! I’m a little bit disappointed with the marks,” he says. “My feeling was better than the score.”

Tim and Bayro were another combination to lose valuable marks in the walk for a minor error: “I think the trot work was good – I know how experienced he is now, so I could really ride for every point. But that little dribble in the walk was the first time he’d ever done it – but then we had no other mistakes. I know I can trust him, and he’s getting better and better in atmospheres like this.”

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by William Carey Photography.

Much as we saw yesterday, many combinations with projected low marks failed to meet expectations, despite solid work in the ring – and seventh-placed Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, who lead the British team effort, followed this pattern. The double Kentucky winners, who ordinarily flirt with the very low 20s, posted a 27.6 to settle in the middle of the closely-packed lower half of the top ten. Though their test trended around 23 for the early movements, a break into canter in the shoulder-in saw their marks rocket towards 30.

“We had one costly mistake, but he was otherwise very good,” says Oliver. “It’s a solid mark for the team, and that’s the main thing. He’s getting better and better, but he probably just over-tried in there – and that’s where the mistake happens.”

Though this is the gelding’s first squad call-up, Oliver explains that he’s the consummate championship horse.

“He’s very consistent, and an atmosphere actually improves him – he’s a lazy so-and-so at home and at the smaller events,” he says. “In a place like this, he gains some presence, so he’s an ideal championship horse. He doesn’t really do proper arena familiarisation, because I feel that’s when he’s at his best – this morning, he had a trot around for two minutes and felt good, so we finished on that.”

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by William Carey.

Kitty King follows closely behind Oliver on a 27.9 riding her Bramham and Burgham winner Vendredi Biats. Like Laura, she rides as an individual – her horse, too, is a young talent, and the focus for the week will be on developing him as a potential Tokyo horse. Although the French-bred horse has always been classy and capable, training his brain has taken some time – but today, we saw ‘Froggy’ shelve his previous naughtiness and deliver a professional test, the promise of which wasn’t altogether diminished by a break in the medium trot.

“He felt really good – it’s just a shame he broke in the medium trot, because it’s one of his highlights and it’s so expensive, because you get judged for the transition, too,” remarks Kitty. “But he wasn’t as spooky as he can be, and that’s probably the biggest atmosphere he’s ever seen – yes, he went to Badminton, but he did his test on the Thursday afternoon. It’s a shame to have a mistake – we’d have been closer, maybe not to Michael, but to some of the others – but we’ve got two days left. It’s exciting that he’s not the finished product, either – his quality is improving all the time, and he’s getting more mature in his brain. The mistake wasn’t because of a lack of concentration, like it has been – it was almost like he was trying too much.”

Tina Cook and Billy the Red. Photo by William Carey.

A reformed Billy the Red sits in ninth place overnight with Tina Cook, who sacrificed an extra second in the first halt to allow the gelding to keep thinking forward. They scored a 28.3 – and while this doesn’t rival their best marks, it’s also a considerable improvement upon some of their tests, which have seen the German-bred gelding boil over in the ring.

“I’d have loved a split second longer in that first halt, but I wasn’t going to take the risk when he’s feeling bright. He’s naturally a bright, excitable horse, which makes him a brilliant jumper – but this is his most difficult phase,” says Tina, who’s joined for the first time at a championship by her two children. “He’s twelve, but he’s like a young horse in my eyes. He tries so hard, and then he gets spooky. He felt the atmosphere in there today, but the test was mistake-free.”

It wasn’t all plain sailing, though – before their test, Billy the Red whipped around in the chute – but Tina knew she couldn’t rise to it.

“He has the potential to do an amazing test, but he was born sharp and bright, and you can’t take that out of them. He just needs more belief in himself – he holds his breath in the test, so I have to be very relaxed myself so he feels like he’s schooling at home, not in an area with thousands of people watching him. He’ll spook at things he’s already seen, but I have to relax for him and not discipline him – I have to be floppy, so it’s mind over matter.”

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Photo by William Carey.

French individual rider Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey round out the top ten on a score of 28.4, while Ireland’s Cathal Daniels and Sam Watson both delivered scores well below their predicted marks to aid the Irish efforts. Cathal Daniels’ Rioghan Rua is well-known for her prowess across the country – she’s both the fastest and the smallest horse in the field, at just shy of 15.2hh – but this phase has been a weak spot for her. Though she was projected to hit around the 34 mark, she delivered her best performance yet to score a 29 for overnight thirteenth.

This is just the second time they’ve gone sub-30 in the horse’s international career – they managed it once before, at the Junior European Championships in 2014. But a fright at Badminton – which resulted in a score of 56.4 – knocked the mare’s confidence, and Cathal, along with trainer Ian Woodhead, has put in an enormous amount of work to rebuild it.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he says. “She’s never found the dressage easy, and with a lot of work and a lot of time we’ve got into the 20s at a championship – it’s a big deal for us. Ian has put hours and hours and hours into her, and we’ve tried so many things. She struggles with an atmosphere and with Michael Jung doing such a good test just two before us, there was a big crowd in there. She had a big scare at Badminton [in 2017] and it took a long time to bounce back from it – the roofs on the stands were flapping and then she spotted the crowd, and she didn’t know which way to go. For a long time, when she spotted a crowd she’d get very stressed; she was always just waiting for them to make a noise. But we kept testing the waters and pushing her a little bit more.”

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco. Photo by William Carey.

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco, too, average around the 34 mark, but they sit in sixteenth place overnight on a score of 29.6. Sam, who is half of the frontispiece of equestrian stats company EquiRatings, has used simple metrics and performance indicators to improve upon his marks in the ring – and his performance today is the proof in the pudding that the system works.

“It’s a personal best for the horse at this level – he’s got loads of ability,” he says. “I’m happy to break into the 20s at a championship, and I’d say it’s my best test at one. He’s a big-moving horse, so that’st taken some time, and he’s only ten, but his brain and his heart are his two biggest attributes. I love him to bits, and this is a very professional debut for him.”

The individual leaderboard at the conclusion of dressage.

There are no surprises here: Germany heads the bill on an aggregate score of 68.0, which puts them a whopping 16.8 points ahead of second-placed Great Britain. (You’ll have to do some creative interpretation of the below leaderboard – Finland, who have been erroneously placed in silver medal position, have unfortunately lost the chance to field their first championship team after this morning’s withdrawal of Pauliina Swindells and Ferro S). The Belgian front continues to head the list of Tokyo contenders, now made up of seven countries, while France sit in fourth place and Ireland in fifth. While there’s over five points between Britain and Belgium, there’s not even five points between fourth and seventh, so expect some movers and shakers tomorrow. Italy remain second in the Tokyo hunt, with the Netherlands knocking on the door in third (seventh overall).

Now that dressage is in the bag, we’re looking ahead to the fun stuff – and tomorrow’s cross-country course looks set to provide a serious challenge. Stay tuned for our full course preview, with insights from the riders, coming to you this evening.

Until then – Go Eventing (and go eat sausages for dinner for like, the eighteenth meal in a row – we certainly will.)

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

European Championships, Day One: Laura Collett Leads the Way at Luhmühlen

By on Aug 29, 2019 1:14 pm -

Laura Collett and London 52 lead the way in the hunt for individual glory at the European Championships. Photo by William Carey.

What would Luhmühlen be without a sudden and unscheduled downpour? That’s exactly how the day began, but to be quite frank, no one was complaining – yesterday, after all, had passed in a sweaty haze, with gaggles of riders wandering around looking a little bit pained in their trot-up tweeds. Today was arguably more pleasant – though with the competition beginning in earnest, the intensity of the mercury levels was liberally topped up by the pressure to put on a good performance.

Though the top spot would change hands – and nations – throughout the day, it settled just three competitors from the conclusion. When it did, few were surprised – and in fact, a robust crowd had gathered to watch Great Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52 deliver their test. Rightly so, too: the dynamic duo posted a 25.5, edging into the lead overnight despite losing a touch of their usual sparkle.

“To be honest, he just went a little bit shy, which he’s allowed to do, as he’s still so green and inexperienced,” says Laura of the ten-year-old Holsteiner, who she owns in partnership with Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott, and who only made his international debut two years ago. But in that time, he’s made a serious impression: he’s won the Blenheim eight-and-nine year old CCI4*-S and the Chatsworth leg of the Event Rider Masters, and been second in Boekelo’s CCIO4*-L, Burnham Market, the Grantham Cup at Belton, and the Arville ERM. In essence, the former showjumper – a sales prospect that never left Laura’s yard – is something of a child prodigy. Despite blips at Bramham CCI4*-L and Aachen CCI4*-S, which Laura has attributed to her own wobbles under pressure, he’s one of the most impressive young up-and-comers on the circuit.

He’s also a consummate low-20s horse, and to watch him tackle his first major championship atmosphere and still strike the mid-20s sweet spot was very promising indeed – despite some stage-fright.

“He just dropped off a little, but I’m really pleased with him – you’d rather that than them going the other way,” Laura explains. “He kept his head, and he did what he was meant to, even though there were just a few people watching us and then suddenly this grandstand full of people. I just had to remember to keep riding and not back off him, because otherwise, he’ll fall in a heap.”

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by William Carey.

Laura, who competes as an individual for the British front this week, has steadily garnered a reputation for being something of a first-phase phenom. But this doesn’t just come from having an eye for a good horse – it’s just as much about learning what works for each of the characters in her yard. And for London 52 – or Dan, as he’s known at home? It’s all about trust.

“He’s a big trust horse, so if I hold his hand, he’s fine,” says Laura. “Otherwise, he wants to close his eyes and pretend it’s not happening.”

Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot ENE HN. Photo by William Carey.

Second place is held in tandem by two team riders: France’s Thibaut Vallette and his long-time partner Qing du Briot ENE HN sit on 25.8, as do Germany’s Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise. Though the Frenchman and his experienced championship mount, who were part of the gold medal-winning team at the Rio Olympics, are ordinarily well-placed after this phase, Colani Sunrise can be slightly more of a gamble. His scores fluctuate between mid-20s marks, as we saw today, and low-30s, as we saw at Badminton this year and Tryon last year. This, Kai explains, is due to the horse’s somewhat mercurial nature.

“Every test he does is better and more forward, but there are still some point when you think, ‘maybe next year,'” he says of the thirteen-year-old Oldenburg. “He’s a very strong character, and you have to be careful to tell him what he has to do and then let him do it – and you have to hope it’s the right thing. He just tends to get overmotivated and overmotorised – he tries too hard, basically, so it’s important that I make sure his enthusiastic way of going is in the right shape in all three phases.”

Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise. Photo by William Carey.

Teamwork, Kai stresses, is key.

“[Colani Sunrise] needs the right people around him, like Ida, his groom. She does a great job – she knows when to tell him something, and she knows when to just pat him and tell him he’s good,” he explains. “Then, in the test, he can have all these big marks – his trot is a highlight now, and his canter, so I only have to bring it home, and it’s all coming.”

Laura Loge and Absolut Allegro. Photo by William Carey.

Laura Loge and Karin Donckers, both riding for the Belgian team, also scored a tie – they each posted a 28.8 to sit equal fourth overnight. Though neither Laura nor her horse, Absolut Allegro, have championship experience, they rose to the occasion with aplomb, delivering a mark considerably better than their low-30s average would have suggested. It’s rather a different story for Karin who, with her longtime partner Fletcha Van’t Verahof, is one of the most experienced competitors in the field and averages a 27.6.

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

“I’m pleased – the walk could have been better, and the last change, too, but I was riding a bit conservatively,” she says with a laugh. “I can’t blame the horse at all – I have to blame me! He was focused, relaxed, and rideable, so I could ride him forward into the extensions and then just sit to bring him back. He’s fourteen now, and more mature than ever, especially in the dressage – he’s confirmed. Now I hope he’ll show his experience on cross-country, too!”

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo. Photo by William Carey.

Pietro Roman and Barraduff head up a determined Italian offensive on the hunt for a Tokyo ticket, sitting sixth overnight on 29.4. Just behind them, on a score of 29.8, sits leading British team member Piggy French, who rides her Tryon and Strzegom mount Quarrycrest Echo. But although the sub-30 mark is a good one by anyone’s standards, it’s a surprisingly high one for the ultra-consistent twelve-year-old gelding.

“I thought the test was okay, to be honest – there wasn’t a mistake, which is always a bonus,” says Piggy. “I just tried to do a clear round, which is always the thing with him. I was quite pleased with the test, so I’m a bit disappointed with the mark – well, quite disappointed, really, that there weren’t more marks. But that’s a better way around than kicking myself for thinking I’d thrown away marks.”

Plus, she points out, “the competition isn’t over until it’s over, and we’ll have to keep fighting until Sunday night.”

Poland’s Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2. Photo by William Carey.

German individuals filled out the latter part of the top ten, with Nazine Marzahl and Valentine 18 taking eighth place on 30.5 and Anna-Katharine Vogel and DSP Quintana P lying ninth on 32.3. Poland’s Malgorzata Cybulska, who makes her senior championship debut as an individual after the dissolution of the team, holds onto overnight tenth with Chenaro 2 on a score of 33.5.

“I think we did some really good work at home that we could show off today,” says 21-year-old Malgorzata, who has ridden on four Junior and Young Rider teams previously. “He was responding to my aids and was really focused on me and what I want, so he was able to get a good score.”

Though the last-minute withdrawal of Mateusz Kiempa means that Poland only brings forward two riders this week, they’re able to use the Europeans as an essential learning curve for their riders. With their Tokyo qualification in the bag – they picked up their ticket at Baborowko – it’s all about experience and exposure.

“This and Jardy have been meant to prepare us, and especially for me, I’m a young rider still, so it’s my first year in four-star,” explains Malgorzata. “It’s even more important that I’m here to experience a competition like this, with such great riders all around me. This is really good experience for me.”

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope. Photo by William Carey.

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope stepped up to the British team as a last-minute replacement for Tom McEwen and his medal hopeful Toledo de Kerser, who was sidelined at the last minute by a minor injury. So last-minute was the call-up, in fact, that Pippa – who was away from home at a wedding – had only seven hours from the time of her summons until the time of departure.

“It was the morning after the wedding, and I was saying that it was lovely to have a relaxed Sunday morning,” she recalls. “My phone had been turned off for the wedding, and when I turned it back on, I had so many missed calls from [chef d’equipe] Dickie Waygood. It was a quick turnaround – the girls at home got everything packed, and [Hickstead director] Lizzie Bunn drove me back so that I could make calls to owners and reroute horses.”

Though they sit out of the hunt in seventeenth place on a score of 35.4, Pippa – who won her first gold medal at the European Championships here twenty years ago – was quick to point out that this phase isn’t a strong point for the Irish gelding.

“We knew coming here that he’s very difficult in this phase, bless him,” she says. “He does get arena shy, and he’d be the most difficult horse I’ve ever ridden on the flat, but we hope we can put it to rights on Saturday and Sunday. You can’t ride him for the same feel you do with the others, although he’s come a long way – he still just gets nervous in the arena, although fortunately, he doesn’t erupt.”

Pippa’s late call-up also affected the horse’s preparation: he was due to head to Burghley, and Pippa had planned to do his most concentrated training in the early days of this week.

“I’m not making excuses, and I’ll defend the horse to the hilt – if someone had said two years ago that he’d come close to the Europeans, I’d have laughed. Dressage is my strong phase, and I have a super team of horses, but you can’t turn them into Valegro if they’re not Valegro.”

Still, says Pippa, her role this week isn’t to top the leaderboard – as pathfinder, it’s to head out first and unpack the questions on course. And to be back on the team? Well, that’s something indescribable.

“It’s special to be here with Tina Cook, who’s a great friend. We’ve been on lots of teams together, and she understands that sometimes you come to win, and sometimes you come to be part of the team spirit. It’s special to come back here twenty years after winning that first gold, too – at my age, it’s such an honour to get called up. I won’t get many more chances.”

The individual top ten after the first day of dressage.

Belgium leads the way – both in the team competition and in the hunt for Tokyo qualification – on an aggregate score of 57.6 after both Laura Loge and Karin Dockers delivered tests earning scores of 28.8. Germany – the hot favourites for team gold after the last-minute withdrawal of Tom McEwen from the British team – sit in second, just 2.8 penalties behind the leaders. France holds onto third, while Italy – one of the eight teams on the hunt for Olympic qualification – lie fourth on 64.3. Great Britain are fifth, though a strong score is well-nigh guaranteed from double Kentucky winners Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class tomorrow, while Tina Cook and Billy the Red should, in theory, deliver another solid sub-30 – though the gelding has had his occasional wobbles in this phase. Sweden sit third in the race for a Tokyo slot, lying seventh behind Ireland.

The team leaderboard after the first day of dressage. The bottom three teams are each fielding just three riders – so their score reflects that one, rather than two, of their riders have come forward so far.

Dressage continues from 10.00 a.m. local time/9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST standard time tomorrow. FEI TV will once again be live-streaming all the action, with guest commentary from Lucinda Green – herself a two-time winner of previous European Championships at this venue. Want to make sure you don’t miss any of the most important tests? Here are the times for some of the key contenders (they’re all in local time, so subtract one hour for British time, or six for EST):

  • 11.30 a.m.: Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH (GER)
  • 11.37 a.m.: Louise Romeike and Waikiki 207 (SWE)
  • 12.07 p.m.: Tina Cook and Billy the Red (GBR)
  • 13.45 p.m.: Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (GBR, individuals)
  • 14.30 p.m.: Tim Lips and Bayro (NED)
  • 15.08 p.m.: Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD (GER)
  • 15.30 p.m.: Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco (IRE)
  • 15.45 p.m.: Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class (GBR)
  • 16.00 p.m.: Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious (ITA)

Until then – be cool, stay hydrated, and Go Eventing!

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

European Championships: All Pass in Rather Jolly First Horse Inspection

By on Aug 28, 2019 12:27 pm -

Kris Vervaecke (BEL) and Guantanamo van Alsingen. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

After the late withdrawals of four combinations – Austria’s Daniel Dunst and Loriot F, Belgium’s Joris Vanspringel and Imperial van de Holtakkers, the Netherlands’ Raf Kooremans and Henri Z, and Poland’s Mateusz Kiempa and Grand Supreme, a diminished field of 73 presented to the assembled ground jury of Martin Plewa (GER), Anne-Mette Binder (DEN), and Peter Shaw (AUS) at the commencement of the Longines FEI European Championships this afternoon. The great news? All of them passed, with no holds or hitches. The even better news? We’ve seldom seen such a badly behaved trot-up, with nearly every horse throwing some serious shapes as they moshed their way down the strip.

With the trot-up fear shelved, your intrepid reporter has been able to focus solely on the important things – namely, creative quarter marks, excellent outfit choices, and, well, pretty ponies.

Several countries showed off the former, including Ireland…

Sarah Ennis’ Horseware Woodcourt Garrison (IRE) sports a shamrock. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The Netherlands…

Image of Roses (NED) shows off his patriotic quarter marks. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

And Sweden…

Niklas Lundbäck shows off some Swedish pride on Focus Filiocus’ backside. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

But while the quarter marks were good, some of the outfits were better. Team Austria is the lucky recipient of the Golden Chinch award for the best sartorial choices, with all three members sporting traditional garms to strut their stuff. What can we say? We love a dirndl here at EN.

And the prettiest horse of them all? Well, that has to go to Laura Collett‘s London 52, a horse who was born to be a cover star. Isn’t he perfect?

London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We’ve got two new additions to the line-up: Hugo Laschet and Ichak de Monfirak will join the Belgian effort, while Felix Vogg of Switzerland has swapped the super-experienced Colero S for his reserve ride, Archie Rocks. Poland, now down to two riders, will no longer be in the hunt for a team medal – but with their Tokyo qualification in the bag, they won’t be too worried.

Dressage commences tomorrow morning at 10.00 a.m. local time – stay tuned for our draw report, which will detail the tests you need to pay attention to, with analysis of both the nation and team draws.

Until then – enjoy this jam-packed gallery. We’re off to the opening ceremony, with an essential stop at the beer tent. Prost!

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

The Ultimate Guide to the 2019 European Championships

By on Aug 28, 2019 7:24 am -

Welcome to the 2019 Longines FEI European Championships. The summer season has been building up to this point and now, with the competition waiting in the wings, it’s time to get serious. We present: the ultimate guide to the week ahead.

Consider this your Euros bible – keep it bookmarked for the easiest access to all the essential information you need, including schedules, live-streams, up-to-the-minute scoring, and, of course, every last bit of coverage EN puts out. We’ll be adding each new article as it goes live – simply scroll to the bottom to find the latest additions. We’ve also got the brilliant EquiRatings Prediction Centre, which will show you each combinations chances of a top placing – and it’ll keep updating throughout the event. You can find it at the bottom of the page.

Ready? Let’s do this thing.

THE COMPETITION: The Longines FEI European Championships will run at the CCI4*-L (formerly known as CCI3*) level. Teams will be made up of four horses and riders with a drop score, although in some cases – Finland, Poland, and Spain, we’re looking at you – nations will field three-person teams, which means that all scores will count. The dressage test will be FEI 2015 4* B.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Most importantly? Two team qualifications for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. They’ll be awarded to the two highest-placed unqualified teams at the conclusion of the competition – and with Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden all still looking for their golden ticket, the pressure will be on. Great Britain will be hoping to retain their title, though host nation Germany certainly won’t make it easy for them – with reigning individual European Champions Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD at the helm, everyone will have to bring their A-game. For Ingrid’s part, she’ll be aiming to hold onto her crown – and cash in another €17,500 cheque for taking individual gold.

THE TEAMS: Seventeen nations will be battling it out for gold and glory, with thirteen fielding full teams. The Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, and Norway will only send individuals. Each nation was allocated six slots – four for team riders, and two for individuals – but Germany, as host nation, has been allowed double the number. They’ll bring forward eight individuals on top of their team of four. In total, we’re looking at 76 definite entries.

THE OFFICIALS: There’s a truly top-notch cast of ground jury members on duty at Luhmühlen. Germany’s Martin Plewa will serve as president of the ground jury, while Denmark’s Anne-Mette Binder and Australia’s Peter Shaw will work alongside him. The FEI Technical Delegate for the week is the Netherlands’ Gert Naber. The cross-country course will be designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, who is enjoying his third year at Luhmühlen, and warned us earlier this summer that he hasn’t played all his trumps with the course yet. On Sunday, Luhmühlen’s famously up-to-height showjumping course will be designed by Marco Behrens, who takes the reins from Martin Otto, Luhmühlen’s regular course designer.

[Times are listed in local time, which is Central European Summer Time – simply subtract an hour if you’re following along from Great Britain, or subtract six hours to get Eastern Daylight Time.]

Wednesday, 28 August:

  • 3.00 p.m.: First horse inspection
  • 6.30 p.m.: Opening ceremony

Thursday, 29 August:

  • 10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.: Morning dressage session
  • 2.00 p.m. – 4.00. p.m.: Afternoon dressage session

Friday, 30 August:

  • 10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.: Morning dressage session
  • 2.00 p.m. – 4.00. p.m.: Afternoon dressage session

Saturday, 31 August:

  • 10.00 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.: Cross-country

Sunday, 1 September: 

  • 9.00 a.m.: Final horse inspection
  • 11.00 a.m. – 12.40 p.m.: First showjumping session
  • 1.40 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.: Final showjumping session
  • From 3.00 p.m.: Medal ceremony

ORDER OF GO: The Netherlands,  Belgium, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Ireland, France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Finland

HOW TO FOLLOW: No matter where in the world you are, you’ll never be starved for content from this Championship, which promises to be enormously well-attended by Europe’s equestrian media heavyweights. Make sure you download Luhmühlen’s handy app, which offers you an easy way to keep track of times and scores, and check out our comprehensive guide to live-streaming. While you’re at it, here are the Instagram accounts and hashtags you’ll want to follow to see the competition from all angles…

Hashtags: #luhmuehlen, #LLHT, #FEIEuros2019 

Accounts: Luhmühlen, CrossCountry App, Horse&Hound, German Eventing International, FEI Eventing, Equestrian Team GBR, and Horse&Country TV. Don’t forget to follow EN, too – we’ll be bringing you all the insanity in the middle you could possibly need! (And if you’d like to see the real behind-the-scenes life of an EN journo on tour, you certainly can. #shamelessplug) Want to know the juiciest stats throughout the competition? Make sure you follow EquiRatings.

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

THE ESSENTIALS:

The 2019 European Championships: Your Guide to Form, Function (and Fun Facts)

Euro-Madness: How to Watch the European Eventing Championships, Worldwide

At a Glance: The Horses of the European Championships

At a Glance: The Riders of the European Championships

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS, UPDATES, AND BREAKDOWNS: 

Austria

Belgium

Czech Republic [Updated 14/08]

Denmark

Finland

France [Updated 23/08]

Germany [Updated 23/08]

Great Britain [Updated 26/08]

Hungary

Ireland [Updated 08/08]

Italy [Updated 14/08]

The Netherlands

Norway

Poland [Updated 23/08]

Spain

Switzerland

Sweden

WEDNESDAY

All Pass in Rather Jolly First Horse Inspection

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Euros Flyover

Medals on Their Minds: Chef d’Equipes Weigh in on European Championship Team Selection

THURSDAY

Laura Collett Leads the Way at Luhmühlen

Thursday Video from EcoVet: Watch Laura Collett’s Leading Dressage Test

FRIDAY

Magic Mike Risks it All

The Fast and the Furious: The European Championships Track, Broken Down

SATURDAY

Hopes, Hiccups, and Heartbreaks on Cross-Country Day

SUNDAY

A Golden Girl, A Chipmunk, and the Red Queen Walk into a Bar

THE PREDICTION CENTRE

Euro-Madness: How to Watch the European Eventing Championships, Worldwide

By on Aug 28, 2019 3:16 am -

Chinch is working on his own illegal live-stream. We’re not associated with him. Photo by Dave Taylor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hark, you queens (and kings) of the surreptitious live-stream; you sneaky savants who can wield a dressage feed and a spreadsheet simultaneously with nary an odd look from your boss. We know you’d love to throw down your work – dramatically, one would assume – and jump on a plane to Germany for this week’s European Championships, but we also know that if wishes were horses, we’d run out of grazing space worryingly quickly. But even if you can’t be at Luhmühlen in body, you can certainly be here in mind, spirit, and WiFi connection. Read on for the worldwide hook-up, plus some novel ways to follow along, get competitive, and link up with fellow eventing nerds around the globe.

GERMANY

Live-stream: If you’re based in the home nation but can’t attend the Championships, you’ll be able to watch every phase – including the medal ceremony – via ClipMyHorse.tv. There’s a catch, though – you have to be a paid member to tune in (and you need to be in Germany – this won’t work for members in other countries). While most CMH livestreams can be viewed for free in the small player, the fine print in the broadcasting agreements for the Euros means that you’ll need to sort out a subscription if you haven’t got one. The good news? You can cancel anytime, and the fee is a meagre €12.95. Not too shabby for four full days of action.

TV Coverage: There’ll be a quick glimpse of the competition on ZDF SPORTextra on Sunday, 1 September. The programme itself is on from 2 p.m. until 5.30 p.m.; Luhmühlen will have an approximately ten minute slot from 3.45 p.m. Sportschau on ARD will also provide some coverage on Saturday, 31 August, from 2.40 p.m. until 3.30 p.m.

GREAT BRITAIN

Live-stream: Double-check your FEI TV membership, because that’s the one and only option for live-streaming if you’re anywhere other than Germany.

TV Coverage: The BBC will provide red button coverage of the competition live on Saturday, 31 August and Sunday, 1 September – you’ll be able to watch this on iPlayer or on TV by using, well, the red button. Failing that, you can tune in directly to the red button feed on Freeview channel 601, Freesat channel 981, Sky channel 980 and Virgin Media channel 991.

The Beeb will also show a highlights programme on Sunday, 1 September from 4.15 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. This will be on BBC2.

Want even more highlights? Horse&Country TV will be broadcasting an hour-long roundup of all the best bits, which will air on Thursday, 5 September at 8.00 p.m. You can watch on their Sky channel – 184 – or through their subscription-based streaming service, which can be accessed on their website, through their app, and through Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Android TV. This will be available in all of H&CTV’s territories (Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany, as well as the United Kingdom.)

SWEDEN

Live-stream: You get an FEI TV! And you get an FEI TV! And – no, we’re not kidding, it’s FEI TV or bust for this one, unless you’re planning to tune in on your telly.

TV Coverage: SVT1 will be showing the cross-country live on Saturday 31 August from 9.00 a.m. until 3.30 p.m., while SVT2 will take over for the showjumping on Sunday 1 September, broadcasting from 10.40 a.m. until 3.45 p.m.

EVERYWHERE ELSE

Live-stream: You guessed it, pals: it’s FEI TV. After all, it is their championship.

There’s plenty of entertainment on offer that you can enjoy whether you’re on-site or following along from home. SAP – the company best known for making sports data fun – will be hosting their incredibly addictive Spectator Judging game. If you’ve played along during the Event Rider Masters – or, indeed, the plethora of other competitions in which it’s been utilised – you’ll know the Monopoly-esque levels of ferocious competitiveness it inspires.

The premise is simple: judge the dressage yourself, either by awarding a final mark or by judging each movement, and see if you can observe like a top judge does. It might not sound like a rousing sesh of Candy Crush, but once you’ve released that first guttural roar after nailing the numbers, you’ll be hooked. You’ll also be able to make predictions about the jumping phases, so brush up on your knowledge with our form guide and see how your guesses stack up to other players around the world. You can download the app from the App Store if you’re on iOS, or from Google Play.

Even more achingly addictive? EquiRatings Stacks, the stats-based guessing game that can win you some seriously good swag. This live strategy game allows you to build stacks by answering consecutive questions correctly – get one wrong, and your stack tumbles like a particularly nerdy Jenga tower. Find it on the App Store and Google Play.

You’ll also be able to follow along with each rider on SAP‘s innovative rider tracking system – check out this video to see how it works:

We’re unapologetic fans of EquiRating‘s Eventing Podcast, and there’s plenty for you to catch up on from the team. Expect a full Euros preview soon, and in the meantime, enjoy their heart-to-heart with British squad member Kitty King as she dishes the dirt on what really goes on behind the scenes. Then, download the Flick app to access the busy and brilliant podcast group chat – with a chat group specifically for the Europeans, you’ll have instant access to a great gang of fans who are happy to delve into all the minutiae your friends, family, and long-suffering other half don’t fancy.

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

The European Championships at a Glance: Meet the Horses

By on Aug 27, 2019 4:38 am -

You’ve met the riders of the 2019 Longines FEI European Eventing Championships – now, get to know their remarkable horses. Want to know which breed is best represented, how the mare squad stacks up against the boys, and which pocket rocket pony barely meets the minimum height requirement? We’ve crunched the numbers and figured it all out for you. (And look, you’re going to have to get in the queue for that very small horse. We were here first.)

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

The European Championships at a Glance: Meet the Riders

By on Aug 26, 2019 9:00 am -

Here at EN, we never do things by halves – but we also appreciate that not everyone can set aside approximately three weeks to pore over an in-depth form guide. Sometimes, you need the Happy Hour equivalent – something quick and comprehensive that gives you all the information you need to get the most out of a competition.

We are but your loyal servants, dear readers. The final countdown is on, and the start of the 2019 Longines FEI European Eventing Championships is looming – so consider this your quick and dirty need-to-know primer on the 77 riders lining up to try for the title. We’ll see you on the other side.

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

A Blow to British Hopes as Medal Contender Withdraws from European Championships

By on Aug 26, 2019 5:07 am -

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser in Tryon. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Gold medal favourites — and reigning European Champions — Great Britain have announced this morning that Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, who rode as part of last year’s gold medal-winning team at the Tryon World Equestrian Games, have withdrawn from this week’s Longines FEI European Eventing Championships at the eleventh hour, citing a minor injury as the cause.

“Toledo de Kerser is no longer fit to compete following a minor incident during routine work at home,” said Team GBR in an official statement.

Although Tom had been named to the team with a reserve horse — the Belton-winning Figaro van het Broekxhof — he had opted to run the gelding in the Event Rider Masters CCI4*-S at Millstreet over the weekend, precluding his chance of a call-up. Instead, experienced team competitor Pippa Funnell gets the nod. She’ll ride her own and Marek Sebastak’s Majas Hope, with whom she enjoyed a successful trip as pathfinder at Badminton this year.

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“I’m very sad for Tom not being able to represent his country on this occasion,” said Vikki Underwood, Team GBR’s Performance Director. “The welfare of the horse is our paramount concern, and this talented partnership will no doubt represent us again in the future. We are absolutely confident that Pippa will be the perfect replacement because she brings such a wealth of experience and team spirit.”

Chef d’equipe Dickie Waygood agreed: “This is a sad loss for us, and obviously disappointing for Tom and all his connections, but we still have an exceptionally strong team heading to Luhmuhlen.”

Tom, who has piloted Toledo to a silver medal at the Seven-Year-Old World Championships, a win in Bramham’s Under-25 CCI4*-L, and top ten finishes at Badminton, Burghley, the British Open Championship, and Burgham, commented: “Obviously I’m very disappointed not to be competing in Luhmühlen. This was a very minor accident but given how close we are to the Championships, I thought the most prudent step was to withdraw. The welfare of my horses is always my number one priority, and I would not consider competing Toledo de Kerser unless he was on top form. As upset as I am not to be travelling with the team to Germany, I will absolutely be cheering them on back home.”

We wish a speedy recovery to Toledo de Kerser as Tom and his support team make the next steps on their Tokyo trail.

The 2019 European Championships: Your Guide to Form, Function (and Fun Facts)

By on Aug 24, 2019 8:00 am -

Welcome to the 2019 Longines FEI European Eventing Championships (Aug. 29-Sept. 1), which send us in a dizzying tailspin back to Luhmühlen, that wonderfully odd theatre of dreams in northern Germany, where nothing is ever quite as it seems — least of all the weather forecast. It was scarcely two months ago that we were knees-deep in the five-star here — and its poorly-timed flood — but now, we’re back with a very different competition on our agenda. Dust off your flag of choice, dig out the facepaint, and start learning the second verse of the national anthem — it’s Championship time, folks.

Seventeen nations are bringing forward riders, and crucially, twelve of those nations will be battling it out for one of two spots at Tokyo next year. It truly is crunch time now for our unqualified nations — once these two spots have been claimed, there’s just one last chance to qualify. That’s by taking top honours — or top of the unqualified countries, at least — in the 2019 FEI Nations Cup series, which culminates at the Netherlands’ Military Boekelo CCIO4*-L in October.

But that’s then, and this is now. Want to take a closer look at the horse and rider combinations you’ll see in Germany? Need to keep track of who’s in the hunt and who’s booked their tickets to Japan? Curious about speed ratings and dressage averages? Or just after some totally pointless insider knowledge? It’s all here for you, folks, courtesy of a couple of rabid chinchillas, some weißbier, and our partners-in-crime at EquiRatings. Wir sehen uns auf der anderen Seite.

We’re glad you asked. Our form guide is taking a slightly different shape for the Europeans, and it’s absolutely jam-packed with stats from the very clever bunch at EquiRatings. Each team has a quick breakdown, which is very straightforward — are they qualified for Tokyo? What’s their Europeans form like? And how did they get on at Tryon?

After we look at the team, we’ll delve into its members. The first piece of information you’ll get is the 6RA. The 6RA, or ‘six run average,’ is a simple metric that’s been designed to help predict a dressage performance based on the average score achieved in a combination’s previous six runs. The concept of calculating an average over historical performances isn’t a new one, but EquiRatings has done the heavy lifting here to find the most effective way to do it — and as it turns out, six is the magic number. (Incidentally, this is something you can adopt really easily to analyse your own performances — more on that, and the science behind six, here.)

Then, we’ve taken the speed rating as calculated by EquiRatings and turned it into a star system. One star signifies that the horse and rider combination are in the slowest 25% of the field, while four stars indicates that they’re in the fastest 25%. We’ll add an extra star — because, you know, five-star is the gold standard — to those horses and riders who have blazed their way into the top ten speediest combinations in the field.

Finally, we’ll be taking a look at showjumping form. This one should be simple enough — do we think they’ll go clear, pull a rail, pull two…?

It wouldn’t be an EN form guide without some fun facts, so keep your eyes peeled for those, too, which will be liberally sprinkled throughout.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…have a great ride.

To skip directly to your country of choice, click here: Austria|Belgium|Czech Republic|Denmark|Finland|France|Germany|Great Britain|Hungary|Ireland|Italy|The Netherlands|Norway|Poland|Spain|Sweden|Switzerland

(Oh, and heads up – when we refer to championship experience, we’re not including the Young Horse World Championships.)

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nein.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? This is actually the first time they’ll be fielding a team since 2007 — in the meantime, they’ve been working hard behind the scenes to create an infrastructure for the sport. In 2011, they worked with Lucinda Green to solidify their top riders’ training systems, and although they didn’t ultimately achieve their goal of heading to the Europeans and the London Olympics, their efforts will have been a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They didn’t send anyone.

HARALD AMBROS AND LEXIKON 2

Ten-year-old Brandenburg gelding (Levistano x Playback K). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 34.1

Speed rating: ☆ ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Harald brings forward the most significant championship experience of the Austrian team members, with a resume that includes trips to four senior European Championships (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009), two World Equestrian Games (2006 and 2010), and three Olympics (2004, 2008, and 2012). The subsequent injury of his London 2012 ride O-Feltiz meant that it took Harald until 2018 to re-establish himself at the CCI4* (then three-star) level. This will be a championship debut for Lexikon 2, though.

REBECCA GEROLD AND SHANNON QUEEN

Nine-year-old Trakehner mare (breeding unknown). Owned by Arnulf Gerold.

6RA: 39.4

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Yes, at the Young Rider level. Rebecca has made her way through the ranks, competing at Pony, Junior, and Young Rider Europeans, and her last appearance on the team, at Fontainebleu last year, was aboard Shannon Queen. They finished in the top twenty after adding just six time penalties to their 34.7 dressage score.

KATRIN KHODDAM-HAZRATI AND COSMA

Ten-year-old Brandenburg mare (Canterbury x Farah). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 37.9

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? They sure do. In 2017, they headed to the Strzegom Europeans as individuals, jumping clear around that fiendishly tough Pierre Michelet track to finish 24th overall. The most impressive part? Cosma was just an eight-year-old at the time.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nee. (That’s Flemish for no, pals.) This really is the last chance saloon for Belgium, too – they’re currently languishing in sixth place on the Nations Cup leaderboard, and unlikely to catch up with Italy and Sweden at this late stage.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’ve won three team bronze medals. The first was in 1999 at Luhmühlen, the second in 2003 at Punchestown, and the third was in 2009 at Fontainebleau. Constantin van Rijckevorsel was a member of all three teams, Karin Donckers the latter two, and Joris Vanspringel the final. At Strzegom, they finished sixth.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Unlucky 13th.

KARIN DONCKERS AND FLETCHA VAN’T VERAHOF

Fourteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Southern Queen xx). Owned by Joris de Brabandere, Carl Bouckaert, and the rider.

6RA: 27.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Karin is easily the most experienced rider on the squad, and her partner, the fourteen-year-old Fletcha Van’t Verahof, the most experienced horse. Karin has competed at six Olympics (1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, the latter of which was with Fletcha Van’t Verahof), seven World Equestrian Games (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 – the final two with Fletcha Van’t Verahof), six FEI World Cup Finals (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009), and eleven senior European Championships (1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017. In 2015 and 2017, she rode Fletcha Van’t Verahof).

LARA DE LIEDEKERKE-MEIER AND ALPAGA D’ARVILLE

Thirteen-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Wunder Boy van de Zuuthoeve x Mooney Raaphorst xx). Owned by Larga SPRL.

6RA: 36.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? It’ll be a fourth senior Europeans appearance for Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who competed at Strzegom in 2017 with Alpaga d’Arville, finishing 29th. They then went on to the 2018 World Equestrian Games – Lara’s third – and finished 42nd.

LAURA LOGE AND ABSOLUT ALLEGRO

Eleven-year-old Holsteiner mare (Quintero ASK x Toscana 124). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 33.9

Speed rating: ☆ ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Nope – this is a championship debut for both.

CONSTANTIN VAN RIJCKEVORSEL AND BEAT IT

Thirteen-year-old KWPN gelding (Quidam de Revel x Hinanda). Owned by Mr and Mme van Rijckevorsel.

6RA: 35.1

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? The rider certainly does – he’s contested three Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004) in which he’s recorded two top-ten individual finishes, three World Equestrian Games (1998, 2010, 2014), and six Europeans (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009). This is only the former showjumper Beat It‘s second full season of eventing, but he’s proving an exciting prospect.

KRIS VERVAECKE AND GUANTANAMO VAN ALSINGEN

Thirteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Wandor van de Mispelaere x Tine van Steenkerke). Owned by BVBA Alsingen.

6RA: 33.7

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping clear rate: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? He contested the World Equestrian Games way back in 1998, and in more recent history, he’s gone to three European Championships (2001, 2011, and 2017).

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Ne (that’s Czech! Don’t say we never teach you nuffin’.) They won’t qualify a team — they simply don’t have enough riders. This means they’re eligible to potentially send up to two individuals – but it’s not as straightforward as that. Once all fifteen team places have been claimed, the seven regional groups will each be allocated two individual slots, the provenance of which is decided based on FEI ranking. Clear as mud, right? Basically, if the Czech Republic wants to send an eventer to the Olympics, that eventer needs to be one of the two highest-ranked from a non-qualified country in the Central and Eastern European/Central Asian zone. Phew.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They haven’t won their first medal yet. In 2017, their sole rider — Miroslav Prihoda Jr. — finished 36th individually with Captain Hero.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They didn’t send anyone. The Czechs are very much a ‘developing nation’ where eventing is concerned, so it’s great to see them coming forward at championships like this one — they might not be on the hunt for a medal just yet, but each appearance gives them valuable experience that they can use to help the sport grow at home.

ELISKA OPRAVILOVA AND DUNKAS A

Sixteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Pharaon xx x Unka A II). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 38.4.

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? It’ll be a championship debut for Eliska, who’s also a keen polo player. Dunkas A, for his part, has rather a lot of experience: Eliska is his fifth international partner, and he’s been ridden under four flags. In 2010, he finished 35th in the Seven Year Old World Championship under Belgium’s Paul Laurijssen, before Dutch rider Raf Kooremans took the reins for the first half of the 2011 season, successfully moving the horse up to four-star (then three-star) in the process. That September, Marc Rigouts of Belgium took the ride over, and i n 2012, he piloted Dunkas A at the London Olympics, although they retired in the showjumping. After sitting out the 2015 season, Dunkas A spent 2016 with Germany’s Jörg Kurbel before heading to his current rider.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Ingen (seriously, Denmark?), and nor are they likely to rectify that — the Scandi nation is much better known for its dressage prowess (and for prolific ground jury member Anne-Mette Binder, who will be hard at work on this year’s ground jury).

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’ve only ever won a medal at the Euros once — but it was a gold one, and it was in a year in which the event was held at Luhmühlen. In 1979, Nils Haagensen took the title with his horse Monaco, beating Britain’s Rachel Bayliss and Gurgle the Greek (best known for going under a trakehner at Badminton) and Germany’s Rüdiger Schwarz on Power Game, a fitting mount for a man who would go on to design fiendishly tricky cross-country tracks.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They didn’t send anyone.

IRENE MIA HASTRUP AND CONSTANTIN M

Fifteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Concetto I x Granny). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 35.8

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? They’ll contest their third European Championships here. They were part of the team at the 2017 Strzegom iteration, and competed as individuals in 2015’s Championship.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Ei. Look, that sounds like it should mean yes, but it doesn’t – unfortunately, we’ve committed too hard to trying to look cultured to turn back now.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? We’ve been digging through the archives, and we can’t actually find any evidence that Finland has ever fielded a team for a championship. So this is unprecedented – and hugely exciting. They’re in safe hands, as they’re coached by top trainer Lizzel Winter FBHS, but with just three members, they’ll all need to start to be eligible as a team.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They only sent an individual. Pauliina Swindells and Ferro S were unfortunately eliminated on cross-country.

ELMO JANKARI AND DUCHESS DESIREE

Fourteen-year-old Oldenburg mare (Don Primero x Aronja). Owned by Sanna Siltakorpi, S. Hacklin and the rider.

6RA: 30.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Sure do. Elmo competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Senior Europeans in 2015, and Young Rider Europeans in 2012 and 2013, all with Duchess Desiree.

SANNA SILTAKORPI AND BOFEY CLICK

Ten-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Chirlon x Ballybofey xx). Owned by TMI Ratsuvalmennus and the rider.

6RA: 34.2

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Four rails.

Have they got championship experience? Sanna is, perhaps, the rider with the most championship experience on the squad – she’s competed at two World Equestrian Games (2010 and 2014), four senior Europeans (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015), two Young Rider Europeans (2007 and 2008), and a Junior Europeans (2005). The ten-year-old Bofey Click makes his championship debut at Luhmühlen.

PAULIINA SWINDELLS AND FERRO S

Fourteen-year-old Polish Half-Bred gelding (Talent x Fantazja). Owned by Sharon Graves, Jari and Pirjo Martilla, James Swindells, and the rider.

6RA: 32.3

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping clear rate: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Pauliina and Ferro S headed to Tryon last year and the Strzegom Europeans the year prior to compete as individuals, although they’ve had a quiet 2019 season, with just two international runs.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Oui! A team bronze at the WEG saw to that, giving the 2016 Olympic champions the chance to defend their crown.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’re the third most-medalled country in the history of the Championships. They had a bit of a rough run at Strzegom, finishing 11th, but they were on the podium for three consecutive runnings prior to that.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? In bronze medal position, with a team that included two of this year’s Europeans squad. Though the line-up is missing some major names (Astier Nicolas, Maxime Livio, and Mathieu Lemoine, to name just a few), it should still be a formidable one.

JEAN-LOU BIGOT AND UTRILLO DU HALAGE

Eleven-year-old Selle Français gelding (Kara du Halage x Colline du Halage). Owned by Florence Assar.

6RA: 35.5

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? It’ll be a long-awaited return to the squad for Jean-Lou Bigot, who we last saw at a championship in 2005, at the Blenheim Europeans. Prior to that, he received the Olympic call-up once (Sydney 2000, where he finished 12th with Twist la Beige), the World Championships call-up twice (Rome 1998, 16th and The Hague 1994, sixth, both with Twist la Beige), and the Europeans call-up five times (Luhmühlen 1999, eighth, Burghley 1997, eighth, Pratoni 1995, seventh, and Achselschwang 1993, which he duly won. All of these were with Twist la Beige; at Punchestown 1991 he finished 26th with Pass).

ALEXIS GOURY AND TROMPE L’OEIL D’EMERY

Twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding (Imprevu de la Cour x Dagana de Vauberon). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 33.1

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? It’s a senior championship debut for 24-year-old Alexis Goury, who took home the bronze medal at 2016’s Young Rider European Championships, and finished seventh in his first five-star at Pau last year. On both occasions he rode his selected horse.

KARIM LAGHOUAG AND PUNCH DE L’ESQUES

Sixteen-year-old Anglo Arab gelding (Hermes d’Authieux x Gaia of Ultan). Owned by Agnes Celerier.

6RA: 35.1

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Karim is an experienced member of the French team – he was part of the gold medal-winning team at the Rio Olympics, he’s ridden at two WEGs (2006 and 2010), and this will be his fourth European Championships. He competed in 2009, 2013, and 2015. It’ll be a second championship for Punch de l’Esques, who he rode to a team bronze at the 2013 Europeans.

CHRISTOPHER SIX AND TOTEM DE BRECEY

Twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago x Jessy Landaise). Owned by François and Juliane Souweine.

6RA: 29.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Non – this is a debut for them both, although we saw them finish 17th at Aachen last month.

NICOLAS TOUZAINT AND ABSOLUT GOLD HDC

Nine-year-old Selle Français gelding (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz TSF x Belle Meralaise xx). Owned by Haras de Coudrettes.

6RA: 30.4

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping clear rate: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Although we haven’t seen him on a championship team since 2015, Nicolas is a double European Champion (2003 and 2007), and has helped his team to gold once (Athens Olympics, 2004), silver four times (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2011 Europeans), and bronze once (2013 Europeans). This will be a championship debut for Absolut Gold HDC.

THIBAUT VALLETTE AND QING DU BRIOT ENE HN

Fifteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Eolien II x Henriette). Owned by Institut Francais du Cheval et de L’Equitation.

6RA: 26

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Thibaut has plenty of team experience, all in partnership with the Cadre Noir-owned Qing du Briot ENE HN – they took team and individual bronze at the 2015 Blair Castle Europeans, and they were part of the gold medal-winning team at the Rio Olympics, where they finished 13th individually. At the 2017 Europeans in Strzegom they failed to medal, though finished 10th individually, and at last year’s World Equestrian Games they took home team bronze and individual sixth.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

They were born qualified for Tokyo. (No, we kid, they managed that at the WEG, despite delivering a performance that was slightly less formidable than we’ve become accustomed to.)

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’re the second most-medalled country in the history of the Championships, which might surprise you — but this powerhouse nation did go through rather enough turmoil in the latter half of the 20th century, without having to worry about kicking ass and taking names in equestrian competitions. In more recent history? From 2011 through to 2015 they dominated the podium, winning team gold medals at Luhmühlen (2011), Malmö (2013), and Blair Castle (2015), while Michael Jung took individual gold at each. In 2011, the individual podium was solely made up of Germans. They might not be the reigning Champions — in fact, they lost their silver medal after a positive drug test — but they have one in their midst: Ingrid Klimke won individual gold at Strzegom in 2017.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Fifth, after a slightly lacklustre performance that belied the strength of their first-phase scores. Who can forget that Julia Krajewski test? Equally, who can forget the final fence falling for Ingrid, costing her the gold medal? It was a team without Ze Terminator, Michael Jung, which is a phenomenon we hadn’t seen in a very long time, and we expect the Germans to be firing on all cylinders on home turf. So what if they’ve already qualified? They’ll be out for gold, and gold alone.

SANDRA AUFFARTH AND VIAMANT DU MATZ

Ten-year-old Selle Français stallion (Diamant de Semilly x Heralina). Owned by Nikolaus Prinz von Croy.

6RA: 30.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Viamant du Matz made his championship debut at least year’s WEG, though he didn’t complete. Sandra, though, has plenty of squad experience: she’s a double individual silver medallist at the Europeans (2011 and 2015, at which she also took team golds), and was double gold medallist at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, too. She took home individual bronze and team gold at the London Olympics, and was part of the silver medal-winning team at Rio.

ANDREAS DIBOWSKI AND FRH CORRIDA

Ten-year-old Hanoverian mare (Contendro I x Expo). Owned by BG Corrida.

6RA: 30.8

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? FRH Corrida made her debut at the WEG last year, finishing 28th. Dibo, for his part, has competed at six Europeans (1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2013), three World Cup Finals (2003, 2006, and 2009), four WEGs (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2018), and three Olympics (2000, 2004, and 2008).

FELIX ETZEL AND BANDIT 436

Eleven-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Betel xx x Penelope). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 28.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Nope – this will be a championship debut for both.

MICHAEL JUNG AND FISCHERCHIPMUNK FRH

Eleven-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro I x Havanna 71). Owned by the DOKR, Klaus Fischer, Sabine Fischer, and Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff.

6RA: 22.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails – although it’s important to remember that this combination’s numbers are affected by some early-partnership teething problems, including a four-rail round. It’s more likely to be one.

Have they got championship experience? Not together, but separately? Yeah, a little bit. Michi remains the only person ever to hold the European, World, and Olympic titles simultaneously – he’s won gold medals at three senior Europeans, with three different horses (2011 – La Biosthetique Sam FBW, 2013 – Halunke FBW, 2015 – FischerTakinou), and has taken a Young Rider gold too, in 2003. In his other two senior European appearances, he finished on the podium as well — he was a silver medalist at Strzegom and a bronze medalist at Fontainebleau in 2009. He’s also taken three European team golds. Michi competed at two World Cup Finals, in 2008 and 2009, finishing fourth in the first and winning the second. He’s been the World Champion (2010) and reserve (2014). He’s been to two Olympics and won them both (2012, 2016), taking team gold at the first and silver at the second. Chipmunk made his championship debut at last year’s WEG with Julia Krajewski, and although he picked up an unfortunate 20 there, he’ll be one of the hot favourites to challenge for a medal at Luhmühlen.

INGRID KLIMKE AND SAP HALE BOB OLD

Fifteen-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Helikon xx x Goldige). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 21.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? 

HA HA HA. Yes, they do. In fact, they’re our current European Champions, after taking gold at Strzegom in 2017. That was their second Europeans appearance — they also went to Blair in 2015, finishing fifth individually and helping the team to gold. An infuriating final rail lost them the gold medal at last year’s WEG, where they settled for bronze instead, and they took home team silver at the Rio Olympics. With other horses, Ingrid has contested six Europeans (1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013), a World Cup Final (2002), three WEGs (2006, 2010, 2014), and four Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012). The reigning European champion is your likeliest bet to top the individual podium in Luhmühlen.

JORG KURBEL AND JOSERA’S ENTERTAIN YOU

Eleven-year-old Hanoverian gelding (El Bundy x dam unknown). Owned by Nico Hauf.

6RA: 32.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Nope – it’s a debut for them both.

NADINE MARZAHL AND VALENTINE 18

Twelve-year-old Hanoverian mare (Valentino x Vienna). Owned by Heike Kikuth.

6RA: 30.3

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Nadine was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2002 Young Rider Europeans, but this will be her senior debut and a debut for Valentine, too.

KAI RUDER AND COLANI SUNRISE

Thirteen-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Chico’s Boy x Larissa). Owned by Bernhard Reemtsma.

6RA: 29.1

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? They finished sixth at the Strzegom Europeans and 33rd at last year’s WEG. Kai has also been to the Olympics way back in 2000, the 2002 Jerez WEG, and four World Cup Finals (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009).

ANNA SIEMER AND FRH BUTT’S AVONDALE

Twelve-year-old Hanoverian mare (Nobre xx x Heraldik’s Amelie). Owned by Prof. Dr. Volker Stdeinkraus.

6RA: 31.4

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? It’ll be a senior championship debut for Anna, who was the Young Rider silver medallist in 2004, and a first call-up for FRH Butt’s Avondale, too.

JOSEFA SOMMER AND HAMILTON 24

Seventeen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Heraldik xx x Fiorella). Owned by Florian Appe.

6RA: 30.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? They finished twelfth at the Strzegom Europeans.

ANNA-KATHARINA VOGEL AND DSP QUINTANA P

Twelve-year-old German Sport Horse mare (Quality 9 x Lady Sunshine P 2). Owned by Karin Vogel and the rider.

6RA: 33.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Not at this level — Anna was part of the German Pony and Junior squads, though, back in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

CHRISTOPH WAHLER AND CARJATAN S

Ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Clearway x Kajenna). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 29.5

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? It’s a senior championship debut for Christoph, who cut his teeth in the junior and young rider rankings, riding at two Junior Europeans (2010 and 2012) and three Young Rider Europeans (2013, 2014, and 2015). Carjatan S, with whom he won the Nations Cup at Houghton this year, makes his championship debut this week.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Yep, they managed that one in fine style when they took the gold medal at last year’s World Equestrian Games.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? Pretty well, all things considered. They’ve only failed to finish on the podium twice since the Championships’ inception in 1953, and they’re the reigning gold medallists, too. They’ve won 82 medals at the Euros over the years – their closest competitors, Germany, have only won 39. (And yes, that does include the separate Germanies, for those of us old enough to remember such a thing.)

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Just a cheeky double gold, nothing major. But despite being safe in the knowledge that their place at Tokyo is secure, they’ve chosen to send a strong and experienced field to Luhmühlen — they’re obviously hoping to retain the title and psych out the competition ahead of next year.

LAURA COLLETT AND LONDON 52

Ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Landos x Vernante). Owned by Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott, and the rider.

6RA: 26.9

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? This is London 52’s first call-up, but it’ll be a third senior Europeans appearance for Laura, who competed as an individual in 2011 and 2015. Before that, she rode on Young Rider teams in 2009 and 2010, winning individual gold in 2009, Junior teams in 2006 and 2007, winning individual gold in both, and the Pony team in 2005, in which she won individual bronze. In 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010 she took home team golds, too, and in 2006 she nabbed a team silver. She’s also ridden at a World Cup Final back in 2008, where she finished thirteenth. Her exclusion from last year’s WEG team was certainly one of the hot talking points of the year.

TINA COOK AND BILLY THE RED

Twelve-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Balou du Rouet x Simply Red). Owned by Elisabeth Murdoch.

6RA: 32.5

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear – in fact, Billy The Red has the best showjumping form in the field.

Have they got championship experience? Sure do, my friend. They finished ninth while competing as individuals at last year’s WEG, and fourth when riding for the team at the Strzegom Europeans. With other horses, British team stalwart Tina has been to three Europeans (2003, 2009, and 2013), three WEGs (2002, 2010, and 2014), and two Olympics (2008 and 2012). She took individual and team bronze in 2008 and team silver in 2012. Oh, and she was the European Champion with Miners Frolic in 2009.

PIGGY FRENCH AND QUARRYCREST ECHO

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Clover Echo x Royal China). Owned by Jayne McGivern.

6RA: 28.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Yep — they were part of the gold medal-winning team at Tryon last year, where they finished 10th individually, and they were individuals at Strzegom, too, finishing 27th. Prior to partnering with Red, who has turned into an ultra-consistent machine of a horse, Piggy went to the 2010 WEG, the 2009 and 2011 Europeans, and the 2001 Young Rider Europeans. In 2009, she took individual silver with Some Day Soon, in 2013, she helped the team to bronze, and in 2001, she nabbed herself a team gold.

PIPPA FUNNELL AND MAJAS HOPE

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Porter Rhodes xx x Brown Sue). Owned by Marek Sebastek and the rider.

6RA: 33.4

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Majas Hope, who acted as pathfinder at Badminton this year, doesn’t – but Pippa is one of the most experienced championship riders in the field. She’s been European Champion twice – at Luhmühlen in 2009 and Pau in 2011, both with Supreme Rock – and has ridden at the Euros on five other occasions (1997, 2003, 2005, 2013, and 2015). She’s also been to two WEGs – 2002 and 2010 – and three Olympics (2000, 2004, and 2016). She’s got a very well-stocked cabinet of medals, and she’ll be aiming to add to it this week.

KITTY KING AND VENDREDI BIATS

Ten-year-old Selle Français gelding (Winningmood x Liane Normande). Owned by Diana Bown, Sally Eyre, Samantha Wilson, and Sally Lloyd-Baker.

6RA: 28.8

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? ‘Froggy’ doesn’t, but Kitty does — she’s ridden at two senior Europeans before (2005 and 2015) and the Rio Olympics. She also had a very successful junior career.

OLIVER TOWNEND AND COOLEY MASTER CLASS

Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B x The Swallow). Owned by Angela Hislop.

6RA: 26.8

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Clear.

Have they got championship experience? Not together, despite back-to-back Kentucky wins. Oliver does, though — he was the British pathfinder for the Strzegom Europeans, and competed in four prior to that (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2015). Across those five Europeans, he’s contributed to three team golds. He’s also been to two WEGs, in 2006 and 2014, although he rode as an individual at both. In 2009, he rode at the World Cup Final.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nem. Like the Czechs, they won’t be able to — they simply don’t have enough riders and horses at the level. That doesn’t make appearances like this any less crucial, though — sure, they can fight for an individual spot next year, but more importantly, they can use the trip as a fact-finding mission to help build the sport in Hungary. There’s an impressive and committed effort going on behind the scenes to help build the central European nation into one of the eventing greats of the future, and they’ve hosted a championships on home soil, too — in 2009, they welcomed the CCI3* European Championships for Rural Riders to Nagykanizsa. (Hungary has a long and fascinating history of horsemanship — if you’re ever in Budapest, do check out the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, which has a fascinating exhibition on how horses helped shape the country. Also, some terrible taxidermy.)

How do they usually do at the Europeans? 55th individually at the last iteration, though that was Orsolya Szabó, not Petér Tuska.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They didn’t send anyone.

PETER TUSKA AND BEN BENDEGUZ

Fourteen-year-old Hungarian Sport Horse gelding (Le Cou Cou x dam unknown). Owned by Zoltan Prutkay.

6RA: 41.2

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? Péter represented his homeland at Junior and Young Rider level, but his appearance at Luhmühlen will mark his first senior call-up.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

They are indeed — they nabbed one of the six available spots at the WEG.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They haven’t won a team medal since 1995, which marked the end of a spate of podium finishes at the Championships. They won individual gold that year, too, when Lucy Thompson delivered an unsurpassable performance with Welton Romance. But even if 1995 seems like ancient history, they’re a team that’s undeniably on the up.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Team and individual silver marked a remarkable upswing in the fortunes of the Irish team, who have been working hard to make their results match their legacy as horsemen. Consistency was, as it tends to be, key, allowing them to move up into the runner-up spot from seventh after dressage.

CATHAL DANIELS AND RIOGHAN RUA

Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Jack of Diamonds x Highland Destiny). Owned by Frank and Margaret Kinsella.

6RA: 34.1

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆ – Cathal and Rioghan Rua have the best speed rating in the field. Vroom vroom.

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? They do. They helped the team to silver at last year’s WEG, and they’ve been two to Junior Europeans (2013 and 2014) and a Young Rider Europeans (2015) together. In 2014, they won individual silver and team gold, and they took team gold in 2013, too. In 2015, they were team bronze medallists. Cathal also went to the 2012 Pony Europeans, where he was the double gold medallist, and in 2017, he finished just outside the medals with Sammy Davis Jr.

SARAH ENNIS AND HORSEWARE WOODCOURT GARRISON

Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Garrison Royal x Davitt Star). Owned by Breda Kennedy.

6RA: 36.4

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One or none.

Have they got championship experience? The horse doesn’t, but Sarah does — she was part of last year’s WEG team, finishing fifth individually with Horseware Stellor Rebound. She also went to the 2014 WEG, and rode at both the 2013 and 2017 Europeans.

CIARAN GLYNN AND NOVEMBER NIGHT

Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Bonnie Prince xx x Coolnalee Kate). Owned by Susanna Francke and Peter Cole.

6RA: 35.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Ciaran made a trip to the 2009 Europeans, but he’s still a relatively fresh face on the squad, while November Night will make her championship debut at Luhmühlen.

TONY KENNEDY AND WESTERIA LANE

Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Rantis Diamond x Salem Spirt). Owned by Con Kennedy.

6RA: 35.5

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two down.

Have they got championship experience? Yes — but not at senior level. They’ve competed at three Young Rider Europeans (2013, 2014, and 2015), winning team bronze on their last appearance.

SAM WATSON AND TULLABEG FLAMENCO

Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding ( x). Owned by Vahe Bogossian.

6RA: 34.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Sam certainly does — he was on the silver medal-winning WEG squad. You might have heard him mention it? That was his third WEG — he also made the trip in 2010 and 2014. He’s also been to four senior Europeans (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015), a Young Rider Europeans (2006), and two Junior Europeans (2002 and 2003).

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

No. (Also, no, we haven’t forgotten about language lessons — the Italian for ‘no’ is…no.) But they’re hedging their bets, with an impressive team for Luhmühlen and a committed campaign for the top spot of the Nations Cup leaderboard, which they currently hold by a small margin. At this rate, we’re expecting them to get there one way or the other.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? There have been three medals taken home by Italians in the history of the Championships — they took team bronze in 2001 and 2007, and team silver in 2009.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? 12th.

VITTORIA PANIZZON AND SUPER CILLIOUS

Ten-year-old British-bred Sport Horse gelding (Deanes San Ciro Hit x Lady Priscilla). Owned by Lucy Allison, Deborah Bevan, Juliet Donald, and the rider.

6RA: 32.2

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Vitto has represented Italy in two Olympics (2008, 2012), a World Equestrian Games (2014), four senior European Championships (2005, 2007, 2013, 2017) and two Young Rider Europeans (2003, 2004), as well as innumerable Nations Cups. Her ride at Luhmühlen isn’t top horse Borough Pennyz, but rather the British-bred Super Cillious, who makes his championship debut.

MARCO BIASIA AND JUNCO CP

Fifteen-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding (Ebene de Montagne x Dunabell). Owned by Campeagro Sat.

6RA: 34.8

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Marco has a wealth of team experience: he’s competed at four senior European Championships (2001, 2003, 2007, and 2011) and four World Equestrian Games (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), though this will be a first call-up with new ride Junco CP, who finished 24th at last year’s WEG with Spain’s Carlos Diaz Fernandez.

PIETRO ROMAN AND BARRADUFF 

Seventeen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Carroll House xx x Crested Vesta VII). Owned by Antonella Ascoli.

6RA: 31.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Indeed — they’ve competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, last year’s WEG, and two European Championships (2015, 2017).

ARIANNA SCHIVO AND QUEFIRA DE L’ORMEAU

Fifteen-year-old Selle Français mare (Iolisco de Quinhon x Isabelle du Brulot). Owned by Thomas Bouquet and the rider.

6RA: 34.2

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Sure thang — Arianna and Quefira de l’Ormeau have been to all the same championships at Pietro and Barraduff.

SIMONE SORDI AND AMACUZZI

Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Marcuzzi x Amara). Owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi.

6RA: 32

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? They’ll be making their second championship appearance — they started at, though didn’t complete, Tryon last year.

GIOVANNI UGOLOTTI AND NOTE WORTHY

Fifteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Limmerick x Camedia xx). Owned by Bizzy Loffet and the rider.

6RA: 31

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Gio has amassed some crucial team experience, riding for Italy at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and both the 2013 and 2015 European Championships, but it’ll be a first championship call-up for new ride Note Worthy, previously piloted by Oliver Townend. They head to Luhmühlen off the back of an eighth-place finish at Camphire, which helped the Italian team to third place in the Nations Cup.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nee. They’re fourth in the Nations Cup standings, 80 points behind current leaders Italy, so they really need to make it happen at Luhmühlen.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’ve won two European medals — a team silver in 1989, when they fielded a three-rider line-up, and individual bronze for Eddie Stibbe in 1993.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Tenth — so close to a Tokyo nod, but yet so, so far.

MEREL BLOM AND CHICCOLINO

Twelve-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Chico’s Boy x D-Casino Lady). Owned by M.C. Blom-Muilwijk and J.M.J. Boom.

6RA: 37.1

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? The Dutch line-up yields a couple of surprises – namely, that the incredibly experienced Merel Blom isn’t named with her usual partner-in-crime, Rumour Has It N.O.P. Instead, the rider who at just 33 has competed at three senior Europeans (2011, 2015, and 2017), two World Equestrian Games (2014 and 2018), and the Rio Olympics, is named with Chiccolino, who will make his championship debut after returning from injury in the latter half of 2018.

LAURA HOOGEVEEN AND WICRO QUIBUS N.O.P.

Twelve-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Quasimodo Z x Rupiedante Z). Owned by Crimould B.V. and the rider.

6RA: 33.3

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? This will be a senior championship debut for both — Laura rode on the Junior team in 2012 and the Young Rider team in 2015.

ILONKA KLUYTMANS AND IMAGE OF ROSES

Eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Sheyenne de Baugy x Querida Mia van Paemel). Owned by V.H.C. Erkamp.

6RA: 36.8

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? Nope — this is a championship debut.

TIM LIPS AND BAYRO

Thirteen-year-old KWPN gelding (Casantos x Vanya). Owned by Lips Stables, H. Meulendijks, C.V. Ham, N.V. Splunder, and W. Holdout.

6RA: 24

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? This combination have earned themselves the title of Dutch National Champions for the last two years on the trot, and they finished just outside the top twenty at the Rio Olympics, too. Before Bayro, Tim represented the Netherlands at four senior Europeans (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015) and two World Equestrian Games (2010 and 2014, the second of which saw the team earn a bronze medal). He also went to two Olympics prior to Rio — he was on the team for London 2012 and rode as an individual at Beijing 2008.

ALIENE RUYTER AND BOMBA

Thirteen-year-old KWPN gelding (Verdi TN x Orsina II). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 32

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? Not in the senior ranks — Aliene was on the 2016 and 2017 Young Rider squads.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nei. It’s that age-old story once again — they’re just not quite there yet in terms of numbers.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They fielded their first-ever team at the 2017 Championships. Unfortunately, they only had a three-person team, so when one member failed to complete, they had to accept the 1000-point penalty, which dropped them to the bottom of the leaderboard – but to improve, you’ve got to take part, and it was great to see them tick that box.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Their sole individual, Heidi Bratlie Larsen, was eliminated on cross-country.

HANS BAUER AND PRÆSTEGAARDENS LEOPOLD

Thirteen-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Londonderry x Praestegardens Athene). Owned by Blakstad Rideklubb.

6RA: 34.8

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? Hans and the thirteen-year-old Danish Warmblood — his only international ride — helped make Norwegian eventing history in 2017, when they were part of Norway’s first-ever Europeans team. The year prior, they were in the Scandinavian country’s first Nations Cup team, too, following it up with another team appearance at the series finale at Boekelo. Though their mid-30s dressage scores will stop them from competing with the likes of Ingrid Klimke and Michael Jung, Hans and his stalwart partner have proven their consistency across the country over and over again: they’ve produced the goods over some seriously tough courses, with an 86% clear rate over their international career.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

They are indeed – they nabbed a coveted spot in the team competition at Baborówko CCI04*-L at the end of May, which saw them head off their fellow C group competitors from Russia and Belarus.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? Hmm. Well, they took a bronze team medal in 1981 at Horsens, and Marien Babirecki took the individual gold riding Volt at the 1965 Moscow championships. But this iteration isn’t do-or-die for them — with that Tokyo qualification in the bag, they’ll be using it as a chance to prepare the team for next year.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? They didn’t field a team, but individual competitor Pawel Spisak finished in 22nd place on Banderas, jumping quick and clear across the country and tipping two unfortunate poles to finish on a score of 39.4.

MALGORZATA CYBULSKA AND CHENARO

Ten-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Chequille 2 x Dayenne). Owned by Marzenna Walden.

6RA: 30.1

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Malgorzata makes her senior squad debut after a fruitful under-21s career, which saw her contest two Young Rider Europeans (2017 and 2018) and two Junior Europeans (2015 and 2016).

JAN KAMINSKI AND JARD

Nine-year-old Polish Half-Bred gelding (Czuwaj x dam unknown). Owned by Marcin Kaminski.

6RA: 34.2

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Jan notched up some experience when riding on the Polish Young Rider squad in 2012 and 2013, but this will be a senior debut.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

No (yeah, again, that is actually the Spanish word, sorry). Just three riders will come forward for Spain, and so all three will need to start — and, ideally, finish — if the up-and-coming eventing nation is to remain in the hunt for a Tokyo ticket. The Nations Cup slot isn’t an option for them – they’ve contested just two legs, so they can’t catch up now.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’ve won one medal — an individual bronze in 2001, thanks to Enrique Sarasola Jr. and Dope Doux.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? 14th after their best-placed rider, Gonzalo Blasco Botin, was eliminated on cross-country.

ESTEBAN BENITEZ VALLE AND MILANA 23

Fifteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Medoc x Morka). Owned by Jose Canedo Angoso and the rider.

6RA: 39.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Three rails.

Have they got championship experience? Esteban’s first senior Championship experience came in 2017 — he’d ridden at the Junior Europeans in 2007 and 2008, and the Young Rider Europeans in 2010. Now, his fifteen-year-old mare Milana 23 will make her own championship debut after jumping a quick and classy clear around the CCIO4*-S at Strzegom in June.

MARIA PINEDO SENDAGORTA AND CARRIEM VAN COLEN Z

Sixteen-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Canabis Z x Sexy Vergoignan X). Owned by Santillana Paddocks S.L.

6RA: 36.1

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Maria and Carriem Van Colen Z finished 54th after delivering a slow clear at last year’s WEG, and they went to the 2017 Europeans, too. Maria also competed at the Blair iteration in 2015, the last Luhmühlen Euros in 2011, and Normandy’s World Equestrian Games in 2014.

MANUEL SENRA CHOVA AND CRUISING

Thirteen-year-old Westphalian mare (Calido I x dam unknown). Owned by Yeguada la Horcajada.

6RA: 34.5

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Much the same as Maria, they went to WEG – finishing 55th – and Strzegom. Manuel also went to the 2011 Europeans.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nej. (Quite a good one, actually, well done Sweden.) Like Italy, Sweden has also been heavily targeting the FEI Nations Cup series as an alternative route to the Olympics. With five of the series’ seven legs complete, they currently sit second in the rankings. But their squad for Luhmühlen represents an interesting cross-section of experience and young talent, and the Scandinavian nation is one of the hot favourites to take one of the two available tickets to Tokyo.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? Quite well, actually — they’re the sixth most-medalled country, just behind Ireland. They’ve taken home eleven medals in total, and two of them were gold. They were the team bronze medallists at Strzegom, with a team that looked very similar to this one.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? Ninth, which put them just two slots away from securing their qualification.

EBBA ADNERVIK AND CHIPPIEH

Seventeen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Carnaby GL x Copenhagen). Owned by Sara Sjöborg Wik.

6RA: 31.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Ebba will be making her senior Championship debut after a busy young rider career that included a trip to the Junior Europeans (2014) and two to the Young Rider Europeans (2015, 2017). Her mount, though, has plenty of experience on the world stage – Chippieh competed at the London Olympics with Japan’s Kenki Sato as well as the 2014 Young Rider Europeans with Hedvig Wik.

MALIN JOSEFSSON AND GOLDEN MIDNIGHT

Eleven-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Goldmine xx x Duva). Owned by Karin Berglund.

6RA: 37.2

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One or none.

Have they got championship experience? Malin follows up on her 2017 Europeans debut with Allan V by partnering her Badminton mount Golden Midnight at Luhmühlen.

NIKLAS LINDBACK AND FOCUS FILIOCUS

Twelve-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Feliciano x Blue Bells). Owned by Tun Albertson.

6RA: 31.9

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Together, they jumped clear around last year’s WEG for 35th place. Niklas has four senior Europeans under his belt: he was part of the silver medal-winning team in 2017 with Focus Filiocus, contested the 2015 Championships with Cendrillon, and rode Mister Pooh in 2009 and 2013. He clocked up a top-ten finish in the FEI World Cup at Malmö in 2006 and completed both the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2012 Olympics.

PHILIPPA MAGNUSSON AND CESAR

Nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Crelido x Coco Chanell TH). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 35.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Nope — this is a debut for them both.

LOUISE ROMEIKE AND WAIKIKI 207

Thirteen-year-old Holsteiner mare (Quinar x Sila). Owned by Hans Thomsen and the rider.

6RA: 28.7

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Louise and Waikiki finished 29th at last year’s WEG. Louise has competed at two senior European Championships (2017, with Wieloch’s Utah Sun and 2015, with Viva 29) and two Pony Europeans, in 2005 and 2006.

LUDWIG SVENNERSTÅL AND EL KAZIR SP

Fifteen-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Capriano x Katella). Owned by Shamwari 4 Ltd.

6RA: 31.1

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? Ludwig has amassed a significant amount of team experience too, though this will be a first championship appearance for El Kazir SP, who Ludwig started riding in 2017, and who was originally selected for Tryon. The prolific Swede began his team career in the young rider ranks, during which he contested two Junior and two Young Rider Europeans (2007 and 2008, and 2010 and 2011, respectively). He’s been on senior Championship squads ever since, including three senior Europeans (2013, 2015, and 2017), two Olympic Games (2012, 2016), and last year’s World Equestrian Games.

Are they qualified for Tokyo?

Nein. They’re currently in third place on the Nations Cup leaderboard, behind Italy and Sweden, so they have something of a back-up plan if Luhmühlen doesn’t go as they hope.

How do they usually do at the Europeans? They’ve picked up five medals in total, and were one of just two teams to make it to the very first Championships in 1953. Their last team medal was a silver one, back in 1981, and their last individual medal came that year, too — Hansueli Schmutz took gold with Oran.

Where did they finish at the World Equestrian Games? 16th out of 16. But rather than accepting defeat, they’ve fought it head on – they recruited the legend that is Andrew Nicholson in December to help them suss the cross-country, and some footage of his boot camp sessions has escaped into the wild. He’s certainly putting them through their paces, and it’ll be very interesting indeed to see how profound a difference he’s made.

CAROLINE GERBER AND TRESOR DE CHIGNAN CH

Twelve-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding (Cape Canaveral x dam unknown). Owned by Claude Gerber.

6RA: 46.6

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Nope, they’re championship debutantes.

ROBIN GODEL AND GRANDEUR DE LULLY CH

Eleven-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding (Greco de Lully x dam unknown). Owned by Jean-Jacques Fünfschilling.

6RA: 33.2

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? They went to the WEG last year, where they finished 60th, and they recorded a top 20 finish at the 2017 Young Rider Europeans, too. Prior to that, Robin rode at three Junior Europeans (2014, 2015, and 2016). You might remember them from this epic save in Tryon.

ROXANE GONFARD AND OPI DE SAINT LEO

Seventeen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Baie de Villeclare x Rigolette). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 34.9

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? No — it’ll be a championship debut for both.

CAMILLE GUYOT AND ULSAN DE LACOREE

Eleven-year-old Selle Français gelding (L’Arc de Triomphe x L’An de Pepinvast). Owned by the rider.

6RA: 34.1

Speed rating: ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Camille rode on the 2015 Europeans team, but it’ll be a championship debut for Ulsan de Lacoree.

TIZIANA REALINI AND TOUBLEU DE REUIRE

Twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mr Blue x La Guna de Reuire). Owned by Samuel Siegenthaler and Heinz-Günter Wickenhäuser.

6RA: 33.3

Speed rating: ☆  ☆  ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: Two rails.

Have they got championship experience? Not together. Toubleu de Reuire went to Strzegom with Sandra Leonhardt-Raith, while Tiziana has ridden at the 2008 Olympics, the 2007 Europeans, and the 2004 Young Rider Europeans.

FELIX VOGG AND COLERO

Eleven-year-old Westphalian gelding (Captain Fire x Bonita). Owned by Jürgen Vogg.

6RA: 29.5

Speed rating: ☆  ☆

Showjumping prediction: One rail.

Have they got championship experience? They do. Felix and Colero went to Tryon, although they didn’t have much luck, finishing 70th after some problems on course. They haven’t finished outside the top six in an international since, though, and they looked very good indeed at Kentucky this spring. Felix has also ridden at the Rio Olympics, the 2014 WEG, and two previous senior Europeans (2013 and 2017). He had a prolific junior career that included three Young Rider Europeans (2008, 2009, and 2010), a Junior Europeans (2007), and three Pony Europeans (2003, 2004, and 2006).

#FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Townend Triumphs in First Phase of Millstreet Event Rider Masters

By on Aug 23, 2019 6:51 pm -

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

A close-fought battle saw familiar faces lay down serious scores in leg five of the Event Rider Masters, which sees the series head to Millstreet International Horse Trials in Ireland. And after missing much of the summer season with an injury, Oliver Townend proved he’s the true comeback king.

The 2016 series champion piloted 2017 Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class to the top of the leaderboard, delivering a score of 21. This sees them sit well ahead of the competition overnight, and it’s a four-star personal best for the phenomenal gelding who briefly held the record for the lowest-ever dressage score at Badminton.

For Oliver, who lost much of his summer season after a crashing fall, it’s a relief to come back at his best.

“I’ve had a bit of a strange season,” he admits with a grin. “But the horses are going well, and I’m very nearly sound. I’ve had all sorts of bits and bobs [to mend], but we’re getting there – and as long as I’m right by the big occasions, that’s what I’m focusing on while I’ve got these good horses. It’s the Badmintons, the Kentuckys, and of course, the Europeans and Burghley coming up – and of course, the ERM. It’s a very important competition for our sport, and we’re very grateful for it.”

Ballaghmor Class showed his class indeed, particularly in his open and expressive canter work. This allowed him to gain further ground on the leaderboard on a day when the canter sections of the test proved particularly influential, but Oliver and ‘Thomas’, as the quirky gelding is known at home, didn’t let the pressure of the day affect their accuracy.

Sarah Ennis and Horseware Stellor Rebound. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

Ireland’s Sarah Ennis and Horseware Stellor Rebound put up an excellent fight for the home side, taking second place overnight on their score of 25. Remarkably, this is the horse’s first run since last summer’s World Equestrian Games, at which he took team silver.

“I’m delighted with him – he’s one in a million,” said Sarah, who finished on the podium at Chatsworth last season with the fifteen-year-old gelding.

“We unfortunately missed our only planned run on Sunday – he got caught with a shoe and was a bit sore, so he couldn’t run. This is his first time back in an arena since WEG, and I actually couldn’t do the arena familiarisation, so I was a bit worried he’d be frightened of the camera scaffolding! But he was really good.”

Sarah Cohen and Treason. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

Former Wiesbaden winners and fan favourites Sarah ‘Cutty’ Cohen and Treason are this leg’s Wildcard entrants, and they made the most of the opportunity, posting a 26.3 to take third place. Just behind them, New Zealand’s Lucy Jackson and Superstition, who enjoyed their first podium finish this spring at Chatsworth, laid down a score of 26.4 for equal overnight fourth with Millie Dumas and Fabien.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to whoop after dressage, but woo-hoo!” laughed Lucy. She had reason to celebrate – Superstition’s score was an enormous personal best for the gelding, who ordinarily averages in the low 30s.

“He’s always been a super talented horse in this phase, but I’ve always kicked myself that my test tactics haven’t been strong enough, so he hasn’t done enough in this atmosphere. But today he nailed it.”

Despite high hopes, some of the hot favourites in the class failed to reach the upper echelons of the leaderboard. It was crunch time for Australia’s Bill Levett, who sits second in the 2019 rankings and, with leader Jonelle Price not competing, has an opportunity to take the top spot. But a slightly tense and underpowered test with his stalwart campaigner Shannondale Titan saw him score a 30.9, which puts him in overnight 18th. Just ahead of him on 30.2 sits his countryman Chris Burton and Graf Liberty, who are also on the hunt for the series leaderboard this weekend.

“He probably wasn’t feeling quite himself,” says Bill, whose horse has scored in the 20s in his previous eight international runs. “It’s just a reminder that they’re not machines. Yesterday, he felt a little out of sorts, but I don’t know what happened in there – he just doesn’t really like this test as much as the other one. He’s a tall, leggy horse and the walk pirouettes and the way the patterns work don’t suit him. Hopefully he’ll be back on form for Lignieres. For now, I haven’t got the score I’d normally get, so I have to try to jump a clear round [tomorrow morning] and then take it from there.”

A family effort: Alex Bragg with his wife and daughters after his test. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

2018 Jardy winners Alex Bragg and Zagreb looked set to challenge for the lead, with scores trending around 22 at the halfway point of the test. But an unscheduled flying change saw their canter work begin to unravel, and they ultimately had to settle for 28.2 and ninth place overnight. But riding horses at this level isn’t just a job or a hobby, it’s a lifestyle – and as Alex knows all too well, when something affects another part of your life, it’s hard not to carry that into the ring with you.

“We had two big mistakes in the canter work, which he’s very secure with normally, but I’ll be dead honest – it’s been a very tough week for me,” says Alex, who rode to ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman after discovering – through Facebook –  that one of his owners had decided to pull all of her horses from his yard. “I got in there and I got a bit emotional – I’d picked the music because of it. But these things happen, don’t they? This is eventing; this is life – we can crack on and jump tomorrow, and that’s super.”

This report has been adapted from a press release.

Millstreet International Horse Trials: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores, Event Rider Masters, ERM Live Stream, Non-ERM Live Stream

The full leaderboard at the conclusion of day one in Millstreet’s ERM leg.

‘Some of Them Scare Me, As Well’ – Preview Burghley’s Course with Captain Mark Phillips

By on Aug 18, 2019 1:00 pm -

Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy en route to winning Burghley last year. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Somehow, we’ve managed to fast-forward through 2019 and find ourselves on the cusp of yet another Burghley. How? How, I ask you?!

Never mind – for all the end-of-season tidings it brings, we can’t help but feel like a kid hurtling towards Christmas when the biggest B rolls around again. And just to make sure we don’t forget about it in all the European Championships excitement, Burghley has released a first look at the course for this year’s running.

This is course designer Captain Mark Phillips’ fifteenth consecutive year working on the Burghley course, but he picked up plenty of experience prior to that, too – his first stint took place from 1989-1996, and his second from 1998-2000. A long history with the event certainly doesn’t mean he shies away from change, either. Last year, we saw him introduce an innovative flyover, which allowed the course to be run in a figure-of-eight, and introduced a new challenge for those riders who have ridden more Burghley courses than even they care to count.

Now, we’re getting an insightful look at the challenge that’s been set for this year’s field in a comprehensive course-walk video, featuring the Captain himself and jump jockey Bryony Frost.

“It’s completely different to what I’m used to,” says Bryony as the video opens. “It makes my job look easy – just going over a birch fence!”

We’re not sure about that, Bryony, but we’re glad to see that we’re not the only ones who piddle ourselves a little bit over the dimensionally enormous track that Burghley always delivers.

Yes, like this. Photo by Julia Shearwood Equestrian Photography.

“Some of them scare me as well,” admits the Captain with a chuckle.

So what can we expect from this year’s course?

“This year is big – in fact, it’s not just big, it’s very big,” he explains. Good start, then. But despite the emphasis on really getting the horses into the air, it’s important to remember that Burghley is always a course that focuses on positivity – it rewards positive riding, and it asks for it without any visual trickery or punishment for the horses, either. [Author’s note: I was unabashed in my praise of the Burghley course last year, which I thought was one of the best five-star courses I’d ever seen – and I wasn’t alone in my assessment. Click here to read my notes on what, exactly, Phillips did so right.]

The 2019 course follows the same route as last year’s, starting with a large counter-clockwise loop and then using the flyover to swap to a clockwise one. There’s 27 numbered fences, as opposed to last year’s 30 – that works out at 45 jumping efforts, if all the straight routes are taken, and around 60 if every long route is chosen instead. At 570mpm, we’re looking at an optimum time of between 11:15 and 11:20, though this will be set in stone closer to the event – last year’s optimum time, as a reference point, was 11:11.

“I think every course should have a beginning, a middle, where the real meat is, and an end – the beginning is to help them get warmed up, settle them, and really get them going,” explains Mark in the video. “The middle is where the questions are. And then there are two or three questions at the end to finish them off with a bit of a feel-good factor.”

Last year’s penultimate fence becomes 2019’s first fence, and it’s a Burghley classic – Lambert’s Sofa is a straightforward chair, jovially guarded by the larger-than-life figure of Lambert himself. For the uninitiated among you, it’s well worth familiarising yourself with the strange and rather sad story of Lambert who, at the time of his death, was the largest man in England. Formerly a gaoler, he steadily gained weight until he hit 52 stone, 11 pounds – or 739lb – and became a recluse. As he descended into abject poverty, he realised that he could profit from the very thing that had driven him into hiding in the first place, and he headed to London to put himself on show. Though he was a Leicester man, he remains part of Stamford lore for a rather grizzly reason – it was here that he died, while on a trip to the races. Raise a glass to him at Stamford’s famous George Hotel, where you’ll find his portrait in the front hall.

Daniel Lambert, as painted by Benjamin Marshall. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Anyway, moving swiftly on from Lambert, fences two and three on this year’s course certainly aren’t small – 1.20m tall, to be precise – but they’re straightforward, with forgiving profiles that encourage horses to really get themselves up in the air. Both fences will be the same as last year, but for some new decoration.

At the one-minute mark, we see the first real question on course, and just like last year, 4ABC takes us into the main arena. This year, the anniversary owl hole has been swapped for an upright wall, which will need to be jumped on an angle to manufacture the correct three-stride distance to the B element, a cascading fountain. Then it’s a further three strides to jump another angled wall.

Once again, Discovery Valley pops up at fence 5AB, which looks more forgiving this year – that big, beefy log we saw last year is followed up by a tall but straightforward brush fence, rather than a skinny B element.

The Captain makes up for it pretty quickly, though. Last year, fence 6 was a set of angled rails, which were considered a bit of a ‘gimme’ fence by everyone except poor Andreas Dibowski, who took a surprise tumble here. This year, they’ve been replaced by an incredibly skinny triple brush, which Mark recommends tackling at a slight angle to make it optically wider for the horse. This is the direct route, but there is an option here, which takes us over a slightly less intimidating triple brush and out over a brush upright on a curving line.

Randy Ward, Buck Davidson and Lillian Heard at the Leaf Pit in 2018. Photo by Chelsea Eldridge.

So far, so good? Welcome to the Leaf Pit, once again appearing at 7. Last year’s question included two skinny wooden arrowheads after that colossal drop, and we saw plenty of drive-bys through the day. This year, though, looks set to be the year the brush took over – once our competitors land from the bank (“a trot is fast enough [for the approach],” advises Mark), they’ll bowl on to a brush oxer followed by another skinny triple brush. And the striding?

“This is the one place you wouldn’t count,” explains Mark. “You don’t have a choice – you just have to go with whatever gravity gives you.”

There’s a lengthy alternative route here, but it looks time-consuming, and we’ll likely see most riders attempt to tackle the straight route – unless, of course, it starts causing problems.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, am I right? 8 takes us back to Discovery Valley again, but this year, we’re met by one of the widest log oxers we’ve ever laid eyes on. Four strides after clearing its six-foot top spread, there’s a beefy left-handed open corner – but, as Mark explains, the camber of the terrain will naturally direct the horses to the right spot. Or, of course, they could take the option, which will see them snake over logs and ditches.

The next big questions pops up at fence 10 and 11, the Trout Hatchery. Anyone remember last year’s jam-packed question? Allow us to refresh your memory – the first three fences saw horses jump in over a skinny cottage, pop a triple brush in the water, and then drop into the second section of the pond over a hanging log. Then they popped up a little bank – 12A – and turned tight into another triple brush. Phew. This year, the first fence is an airy timber oxer, which will see competitors take off and land on dry ground – but set on a downhill slope and with the water coming up fast, it’ll take some seriously positive riding. Then, there’s another of its ilk in the water, and because of the drag of the water, it could be quite hard to get enough momentum – so for those who think they’ll have problems, there’s an alternative route on dry land. Then, it’s a hanging log back into the water, just like last year, and then back up that step – but once again, the triple brush into the top pond has been replaced by some airy timber.

Ciaran Glynn and November Night tackle the Joules at the Maltings complex in 2018. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Joules at the Maltings at 13ABCD is the next serious question once again, and as usual, it begins with an absolutely colossal maximum dimension white oxer. Then, there’s a left-handed turn to another oxer, before a fiendishly tricky turn to a huge open corner. There’s a circuitous long route here, but it’ll add ten to fifteen seconds on the clock – so anyone who’s hunting for a win will go straight. Good luck to ’em.

The sea of finished timber at the Rolex Combinations (14ABCD) poses much the same question as last year, with one big difference – the oxers of the first and third elements have been replaced by open corners. But the skinny, airy, Vicarage Vee-style rail and ditch of the second element stays the same.

With the Rolex Combinations behind them, our competitors hit the six-minute marker, and here, Mark says, “it’s not over – but things start to get a bit easier.”

If you say so, Mark. It’s time to head over the flyover, with its new jump on top, and then onto Land Rover at the Lake at 16AB, which looks largely unchanged from last year – once again, it’s just two angled uprights with a variable stride pattern that depends on the line taken. A long pull up Winners’ Avenue follows, once again with a big, square ‘breather’ fence to break up the scenery, and then we’re into classic Burghley territory.

A note to course designers everywhere – if your feature fence hasn’t been made into a meme, it’s not terrifying enough. Photo via Libby Head.

The Cottesmore Leap at 18 is one of the world’s most infamous rider frighteners, but despite looking truly, wildly horrifying, it never tends to causes any issues. Standing at 3m wide and 4’9 high, though, it definitely takes a positive ride. Oh Captain, my Captain, why are you smirking?

The Keepers Brushes at 19ABCD, too, are much the same, with imposing hedges on curving lines and an option up for grabs, too – but the true difficulty here is in thinking ahead. The decision about which route to take will have to be made the second our competitors land from the biggest ditch-and-hedge in the world – so closing one’s eyes and kicking like stink simply isn’t an option.

Harry Meade and Away Cruising jump the egg boxes at Clarence Court, the final combination on Burghley’s 2018 course. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Clarence Court (20ABCDE) was the one combination on course that Mark wasn’t happy with last year, and he vowed to change it before 2019 – and he has done. Last year, it featured two wide egg boxes on a curving right-handed line, down to a skinny final element. This year, it’s an uphill approach to a coop, followed by three strides back down to the first eggbox. Then it’s a left-handed turn of nearly 90 degrees to the second eggbox. The alternative route, set for horses who are lacking some momentum, features an upright gate, a coop, two steps down, and another coop, which should allow them to regain some of that ‘go’.

Richard Jones and Alfies Clover at the Collyweston Slate Mine. Photo by Peter Nixon.

The last big fence, as Mark puts it, appears at 22, the Collyweston Slate Mine. A mainstay of the Burghley course, this enormous spread is visually imposing but effectively acts as a let-up fence. At the Anniversary Splash at 23AB, there are decisions to be made – do you go left-handed over the first upright brush fence, which walks as five long strides and requires a very forward ride to the second brush into the water, or do they go right-handed and take a second or two longer to ride an easy seven? It’s the last decision they’ll have to make – from here on out it’s just about trying to avoid a miss over the last handful of single fences.

The consensus? It’s a track that doesn’t differ hugely from last year’s excellent effort, which is a phenomenon we see quite often. But this can work in one of two ways – either those repeat visitors will have its questions largely sussed before they leave the start box, or they’ll think they do, and be lulled into a false complacency as a result. One thing’s absolutely certain: as always, Burghley will be the ultimate test of stamina, boldness, and forward riding – and we can’t wait.

#LRBHT19: Website, Entries, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Friday Video from SmartPak: High Drama (and High Winds) at Hartpury

By on Aug 16, 2019 5:00 pm -

Harry Meade and Tenareze at Hartpury. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Here at EN, there are few things we love more than a Harveywetdog video. It doesn’t get much more comprehensive, really – you get to see every rider, and you get to see multiple angles and several different approaches at every fence. For me, as an eventer in the UK, his back-catalogue is a unique and useful way for me to pick new courses to run at, and it’s also a great – and totally free! – way to learn from the comfort of my sofa.

So when David and I crossed paths in the media centre at the NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials, I was delighted – the stage was set for a hard-fought competition over a relentlessly tough course, and I welcomed the opportunity to be able to analyse it more closely after the fact.

Now that we’ve well and truly closed the book on Hartpury, we know how it all played out – and to no one’s surprise, it was hugely influential. Hartpury may ‘only’ be a CCI4*-S, but it’s very much designed with a certain autumn five-star in mind, and course designer Eric Winter ensures that horses and riders are thinking positively from the word go. Like Burghley, it’s a test of stamina and balance, making use of the undulations of the Gloucestershire countryside, and like Burghley, it doesn’t shy away from using maximum dimensions to really get horses in the air. Many of the horses we saw tackle it are entered for major long formats in the coming month or so, and so it provided an invaluable opportunity to watch them run and get an idea of their form as we head into autumn.

But it would be rude of me not to share the wealth, wouldn’t it? So pour yourself a glass of wine, settle in, and check out some of the world’s best horses over one of the summer’s beefiest four-stars. (And yes, you’ll get to see that fence – and you’ll get to see some of our chosen riders jump it, too!) Don’t forget to give David’s Facebook page a ‘like’, particularly if you’re based outside of the UK and want an incomparable insight into what we get up to on these shores.

Hartpury: Website, Ride Times, Course Preview, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

Who Jumped It Best: The Ultimate Rider-Frightener at Hartpury

By on Aug 15, 2019 2:00 pm -

Who Jumped It Best?

There are certain fences that every rider wants a photo over. At the uppermost levels, Burghley’s Cottesmore Leap and Kentucky’s Head of the Lake top the bill, while Withington Manor’s iconic ditch-and-table has been the subject of many a Brit’s profile picture. While covering the NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials last weekend, I came across a new addition to my own (admittedly extensive) wish-list.

Fence 16, the Birketts Bunker, came two-thirds of the way around Hartpury’s CCI4*-S track. Set just two fences after the influential corner question at 13 and 14, it provided a short reprieve from accuracy questions – instead, the focus here was on forward, bold riding. Like Belton in the spring, Hartpury is a CCI4*-S that’s designed to be a funnel to a five-star. And, like Burghley to come, it relies on enormous galloping fences interspersed with tough combinations – and a clever use of terrain – to do so.

This fence is a classic rider-frightener: it’s objectively enormous, with an almost bottomless ditch that I couldn’t even fit in my photos. Its hefty timber lends it a timeless feel, although I can guarantee that not a single one of the 90 or so riders who tackled it on Saturday were thinking too much about its aesthetics. Instead, it was all about the attack. We saw a couple of different rides to this fence – there were the final-stride fixers, who turned to the fence and upped the impulsion dramatically, and there were the cool and collected types, who maintained their pace throughout the turn and popped the fence out of stride. (We also saw plenty of helicopter horses, who couldn’t resist the opportunity to bascule their way into another galaxy…!) Despite its dimensions and its general vibe of “thanks, but no thanks”, the Birketts Bunker, like many rider-frighteners, didn’t cause any issues. And boy, oh boy, did it make for some fun photos.

I couldn’t resist hunkering down against the wind here to snap a few horses and riders inspecting the ozone layer. So now it’s over to you, readers – take a look at the photos below, and then scroll down to vote on the pair that you think makes the best overall impression.

Lauren Blades (GB) and Jemilla. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Holly Needham (GB) and Forever Noble. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Millie Dumas (GB) and KEC Deakon. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Bubby Upton (GB) and Cannavaro. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sarah Bullimore (GB) and Corouet. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Price (NZ) and Bango. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

James Avery (NZ) and Aloha. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tina Cook (GB) and Billy the Red. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kevin McNab (AUS) and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lexi Scovil (USA) and Chico’s Man VDF Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Hartpury: Website, Ride Times, Course Preview, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

The Netherlands, Spain and Poland Reveal European Championships Teams [Updated 23/08]

By on Aug 15, 2019 9:00 am -

Pawel Spisak and Banderas. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

And then there were three. The final teams have been revealed for the Longines FEI European Championships at Luhmühlen, where we’ll be heading from the 28th of August to the 1st of September. Both Spain and the Netherlands will be on the hunt for Tokyo qualification, a quest that sees eight nations battle it out for two available spaces. Poland, on the other hand, can rest a little bit more easily as they head into the Championships – with their Tokyo ticket secured in the special Group C qualifier at Baborowko this summer, they can focus on using Luhmühlen as a way to solidify their squad and gain valuable experience on the world stage.

Congratulations to the following riders, who have been named to Poland’s team:

  • Malgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2, owned by Marzenna Walden
  • Jan Kaminski and Jard, owned by Marcin Kaminski
  • Mateusz Kiempa and Grand Supreme, owned by Paula Mancak
  • Pawel Spisak and Banderas, owned by Marek Jodko

The squad is led by the enormously experienced Pawel Spisak, a former Young Rider team member who has since been to four European Championships (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2017), two World Cup Finals (2005 and 2009), two World Equestrian Games (2006 and 2018), and four Olympics (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016). Based with German superhuman Michael Jung, Pawel Spisak and Banderas have plenty of experience competing against a world-class field: they finished 15th at Kentucky in 2018, 22nd at Tryon last year, and they won the qualifier at Baborowko before heading to Aachen, where they jumped a classy clear round to finish 24th.

Malgorzata Cybulska makes her senior squad debut after a fruitful under-21s career, which saw her contest two Young Rider Europeans (2017 and 2018) and two Junior Europeans (2015 and 2016). She and Chenaro 2 made the move up to CCI4* last season, recording two clears out of two runs at the level, and have spent this season solidifying. They’re inexperienced, sure, but with her squad experience, 21-year-old Malgorzata knows how to deal with pressure.

Jan Kaminski, too, will be heading to Luhmühlen with just Young Rider team appearances behind him – though his call-ups were back in 2012 and 2013. He finished third in the Baborowko qualifier with Jard, a nine-year-old Polish Half-Bred.

Mateusz Kiempa has just one championship appearance under his belt, but he notched it up in tandem with his partner for Luhmühlen, Grand Supreme. They contested the 2017 Strzegom Europeans, finishing 45th after nine rails slightly negated their clear round across the country.

[Update 23/08: The Polish team is down to three riders after the unfortunate withdrawal of Pawel Spisak, who has suffered an injury in the lead-up to the event. In a statement on Facebook, the rider said: “Unfortunately, this year’s European Championships in Luhmühlen are not for me. After many visits to medical clinics, and endless tests, an oblique abdominal muscle tear has been confirmed. I hope that the rehabilitation and recovery will run smoothly, and that I will get back in the saddle as soon as possible. I would like to thank Marek Jodko for his support, as well as Michael Jung in helping with Banderas’ preparation up to the last minute. I would further like to thank Marcin Konarski along withthe horses owners who entrusted me in their training, as well as PZJ for understanding and trying to help me at a difficult time. I am sorry that I will not be able to support my teammates during this start. At the same time, I have my fingers crossed and wish them the best results and scores.”]

Maria Pinedo Sendagorta and Carriem van Colen Z. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Just three riders will come forward for Spain, and so all three will need to start – and, ideally, finish – if the up-and-coming eventing nation is to remain in the hunt for a Tokyo ticket. Congratulations to:

  • Esteban Benitez Valle and Milana 23, owned by Jose Canedo Angoso and the rider
  • Maria Pinedo Sendagorta and Carriem Van Colen Z, owned by Santillana Paddocks S.L.
  • Manuel Senra Chova and Cruising, owned by Yeguada la Horcajada

Two of the three named combinations went to last year’s World Equestrian Games: Maria Pinedo Sendagorta and Carriem Van Colen Z finished 54th after delivering a slow clear, while Manuel Senra Chova and Cruising finished just behind them in 55th after doing much the same. Both pairs competed at the Strzegom Europeans, too, where they were joined by Esteban Benitez Valle, who rode Pizarra 28 50. That was Esteban’s first senior Championship experience – he’d ridden at the Junior Europeans in 2007 and 2008, and the Young Rider Europeans in 2010. Now, his fifteen-year-old mare Milana 23 will make her own championship debut after jumping a quick and classy clear around the CCIO4*-S at Strzegom in June. Manuel and Maria both return to Luhmühlen having contested its last European Championships in 2011, while Maria also competed at the Blair iteration in 2015 and Normandy’s World Equestrian Games in 2014.

Tim Lips and Bayro. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The Netherlands are one of the hot favourites to take one of those two coveted Tokyo tickets, although their line-up does yield a couple of surprises – namely, that the incredibly experienced Merel Blom isn’t named with her usual partner-in-crime, Rumour Has It N.O.P. Instead, the rider who at just 33 has competed at three senior Europeans (2011, 2015, and 2017), two World Equestrian Games (2014 and 2018), and the Rio Olympics, is named with Chiccolino, who will make his championship debut after returning from injury in the latter half of 2018. Congratulations to the full Dutch line-up, featuring:

  • Merel Blom and Chiccolino, owned by M.C. Blom-Muilwijk and J.M.J. Blom
  • Laura Hoogeveen and Wicro Quibus N.O.P., owned by Crimould B.V. and the rider
  • Ilonka Kluytmans and Image of Roses, owned by V.H.C. Erkamp
  • Raf Kooremans and Henri Z, owned by Pol Colpaert and Nina Tuytelaers-Kooremans
  • Tim Lips and Bayro, owned by Lips Stables, H.Meulendijks, C.V. Ham, N.V. Splunder, and W. Holvoet
  • Aliene Ruyter and Bomba, owned by A. J. Ruyter

In Tim Lips and Bayro, the Dutch team has a real asset: this combination have earned themselves the title of Dutch National Champions for the last two years on the trot, and they finished just outside the top twenty at the Rio Olympics, too. Before Bayro, Tim represented the Netherlands at four senior Europeans (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015) and two World Equestrian Games (2010 and 2014, the second of which saw the team earn a bronze medal). He also went to two Olympics prior to Rio – he was on the team for London 2012 and rode as an individual at Beijing 2008. As a pair, Tim and Bayro head to Luhmühlen with two international wins already under their belts in 2019 – they took top honours in the CCI4*-S at Strzegom and the CCI4*-L at Strzegom.

Raf Kooremans and Henri Z finished 41st at last year’s World Equestrian Games, and this will be a fourth senior Europeans appearance for the former rider and producer of Hannah-Sue Burnett’s RF Demeter. He contested the 2005, 2009, and 2011 championships. Both Aliene Ruyter and Laura Hoogeveen will be making their senior championships debuts after Junior and Young Rider team appearances (2016 and 2017, and 2012 and 2015, respectively), while Ilonka Kluytmans receives her first championship call-up.

Belgian Team Named for European Championships

By on Aug 14, 2019 4:00 pm -

Karin Donckers and Fletcha van’t Verahof. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

After an unlucky thirteenth-place finish at the World Equestrian Games last year, and with a current ranking of sixth in the 2019 FEI Nations Cup series, Belgium has a big job ahead of it as we rocket towards the Longines FEI European Championships – this will, realistically, be their last chance to qualify for a team ticket to Tokyo. The nation, which is better known for its showjumping prowess, failed to send a team to Rio, but its Luhmühlen team is certainly a relatively strong one. Congratulations to:

  • Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof, owned by Carl Bouckaert, Joris van de Brabandere, and the rider
  • Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Alpaga d’Arville, owned by Larga SPRL
  • Laura Logé and Absolut Allegro, owned by the rider
  • Constantin van Rijckevorsel and Beat It, owned by Mr and Mme von Rijckevorsel
  • Joris Vanspringel and Imperial van de Holtakkers, owned by Catharina Holtrust-Speerstra and the rider
  • Kris Vervaecke and Guantanamo van Alsingen, owned by BVBA Alsingen

Team stalwart Karin Donckers has also been named with a reserve horse, the homebred Lami-Cell’s Iris, owned by Victor Donckers and Lea Sterkens. Karin is easily the most experienced rider on the squad, and her partner, the fourteen-year-old Fletcha Van’t Verahof, the most experienced horse. Karin has competed at six Olympics (1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, the latter of which was with Fletcha Van’t Verahof), seven World Equestrian Games (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 – the final two with Fletcha Van’t Verahof), six FEI World Cup Finals (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009), and eleven senior European Championships (1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017. In 2015 and 2017, she rode Fletcha Van’t Verahof). The duo wrapped their 2018 season with a win in a CCI4*-S at Le Pouget, and began 2019 with a win in the CCI4*-L at Barroca d’Alva. Though they’ve had a quiet season since their sixth-place finish at Houghton CCIO4*-S, they’ll be the most formidable weapon that Belgium has at this championship.

It’ll be a fourth senior Europeans appearance for Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who competed at Strzegom in 2017 with Alpaga d’Arville, finishing 29th. They then went on to the 2018 World Equestrian Games – Lara’s third – and finished 42nd. Their best result this year has been a fifth-place finish in a CCI4*-S at their home event, Arville. Constantin van Rijckevorsel brings forward plenty of squad experience, too – he’s contested three Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004) in which he’s recorded two top-ten individual finishes, three World Equestrian Games (1998, 2010, 2014), and six Europeans (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009). This is the former showjumper Beat It‘s second full season of eventing, but he’s proving an exciting prospect – he finished seventh in his last run, the CCIO4*-S at Camphire last month.

Joris Vanspringel and Imperial van de Holtakkers. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Joris Vanspringel, too, provides a compelling amount of championship experience for the Belgian front: he’s competed at seven Europeans (2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017), the World Cup Final at Malmö in 2006, two World Equestrian Games (2014 and 2018), and four Olympics (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016). With Imperial Van De Holtakkers, he jumped clear around Tryon last year.

Kris Vervaecke contested the World Equestrian Games way back in 1998, and in more recent history, he’s gone to three European Championships (2001, 2011, and 2017). With Guantanamo Van Alsingen, he’s jumped clear in four-stars at Sopot and Strzegom this season. Laura Logé makes her championship debut after a successful summer that has seen her record top-ten finishes at Marbach and Strzegom with the eleven-year-old Absolut Allegro.

[Europese Kampioenschappen jumping, dressuur, eventing en paradressuur – Lees er hier alles over!]

Austria, Finland, Denmark, and Hungary Name Riders for European Championships

By on Aug 14, 2019 1:00 pm -

Austria’s Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Cosma. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Hang onto your hats, dear readers: the deadline has passed for federations to name their teams for the Longines FEI European Eventing Championships (28 August – 1 September), and we’ll be force-feeding you a heaping helping of announcements over the next day or so. This morning, we’ll be looking at two of the underdog nations on the hunt for Tokyo qualification.

Both Austria and Finland will field a team at Luhmühlen, all being well — Austria has named four horse and rider combinations, while Finland has named just three, so all three will need to present at the first horse inspection to be eligible to join the qualification hunt.

This will be the first time we’ve seen Austria field a full team since the 2007 European Championships at Pratoni, where they finished ninth. Congratulations to:

  • Harald Ambros and Lexikon 2, owned by the rider
  • Daniel Dunst and Loriot F, owned by Peter Pichler
  • Rebecca Gerold and Shannon Queen, owned by Arnulf Gerold
  • Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Cosma, owned by the rider

Harald Ambros brings forward the most significant championship experience, with a resume that includes trips to four senior European Championships (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009), two World Equestrian Games (2006 and 2010), and three Olympics (2004, 2008, and 2012). The subsequent injury of his London 2012 ride O-Feltiz meant that it took Harald until 2018 to re-establish himself at the CCI4* (then three-star) level. With the ten-year-old Lexicon 2, he’s since collected top-twenty finishes at CCI4*-S competitions at Strzegom and Vairano, as well as a win in Dunakeszi’s CCI4*-L and second place in a CCI4*-S at Montelibretti.

This will be a second senior Championship appearance for Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati, who rode Cosma as an individual at the 2017 Europeans, finishing 24th. The plucky chestnut mare was just an eight-year-old then, and in 2018, as a nine-year-old, she contested her first five-star. Her first attempt, which took place at Burghley, didn’t go quite to plan, and Katrin opted to retire on course, but the duo then rerouted to Pau, where they jumped clear across the country for 26th place.

Daniel Dunst makes a return to championship competition – alongside Harald, he was part of the last Austrian team at the Europeans, back in 2007. He then competed at the Blair Castle Europeans as an individual in 2015, though he was eliminated on both occasions. This time, he’ll ride the ten-year-old Loriot F, who began his international career last season and contested his first CCI4*-S just six months later. He’s since finished 14th in a CCI4*-S at Strzegom and 5th in the CCI4*-L st Dunakeszi.

Rebecca Gerold will make her first senior Championship appearance after a successful young rider career that saw her contest three Pony Europeans (2011, 2012, and 2013), three Junior Europeans (2012, 2013, and 2015), and two Young Rider Europeans (2016 and 2018). The latter was completed in partnership with Shannon Queen, the nine-year-old Trakehner mare she’ll ride at Luhmühlen. They head to Germany with a second place finish in Dunakeszi’s CCI4*-L and a clear round at Strzegom CCI4*-S behind them.

Pauliina Swindells and Ferro S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Finland, who have been solidifying their squad under the guidance of top trainer Lizzel Winter FBHS, will debut their very first team at a senior Championship. With just three combinations on their list, the pressure is most certainly on: all three will need to start the competition, and without a drop score, all three will need to do their very best to complete it, too. Congratulations to:

  • Elmo Jankari and Duchess Desiree, owned by Sanna Siltakorpi, S. Hacklin, and the rider
  • Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click, owned by TMI Ratsuvalmennus and the rider
  • Pauliina Swindells and Ferro S, owned by Sharon Graves, Jari and Pirjo Martilla, James Swindells, and the rider

Both Elmo Jankari and British-based Pauliina Swindells bring forward championship experience – the former competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Senior Europeans in 2015, and Young Rider Europeans in 2012 and 2013, all with Duchess Desiree. Though the fourteen-year-old Oldenburg mare sat out the 2018 season, she’s clocked up a top-ten finish in the CCI4*-L at Strzegom so far this year. Pauliina Swindells and Ferro S headed to Tryon last year and the Strzegom Europeans the year prior to compete as individuals, although they’ve had a quiet 2019 season, with just two international runs. They jumped clear around Belton’s CCI4*-S Grantham Cup in March, but picked up a 20 in the CCI4*-S at Burgham at the end of July.

Sanna Siltakorpi is, perhaps, the rider with the most championship experience on the squad – she’s competed at two World Equestrian Games (2010 and 2014), four senior Europeans (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015), two Young Rider Europeans (2007 and 2008), and a Junior Europeans (2005). The ten-year-old Bofey Click makes his championship debut at Luhmühlen. Both Sanna and partner Elmo had been named to the team for Strzegom, but Duchess Desiree and Sanna’s mount, Bofey Bridge, picked up minor injuries just days prior to the competition. Now, the German-based couple and new parents are looking forward to completing what they started in 2017.

Denmark is sending just one horse and rider combination forward — Irene Mia Hastrup and her own Constantin M will contest their third European Championships. They were part of the team at the 2017 Strzegom iteration, and competed as individuals in 2015’s Championship. The fifteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding completed his prep run in Strzegom’s CCI4*-S this month with a planned slow clear.

Hungary, too, will send just one pair. Péter Tuska represented his homeland at Junior and Young Rider level, but his appearance at Luhmühlen with Pal Tuska’s fourteen-year-old Hungarian Sport Horse Ben Bendeguz will mark his first senior call-up. The pair hasn’t notched up a cross-country jumping penalty in an international since 2015, nor finished outside the top twenty since 2014, though they have a tendency to flit back and forth between CCI2* and CCI4* with little provocation.

Swedish Team Revealed for European Championships

By on Aug 13, 2019 7:17 pm -

Louise Romeike and Waikiki 207 at Tryon. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Hot on the Tokyo trail, Sweden has announced its squad of six horses and riders ahead of the Longines FEI European Eventing Championships, which will take place at Luhmühlen from the 28th of August through the 1st of September. Congratulations to:

  • Ebba Adnervik and Chippieh, owned by Sara Sjöborg Wik
  • Malin Josefsson and Golden Midnight, owned by Karin Berglund
  • Niklas Lindback and Focus Filiocus, owned by Tun Albertson
  • Philippa Magnusson and Cesar, owned by the rider
  • Louise Romeike and Waikiki 207, owned by the rider
  • Ludwig Svennerstål and El Kazir SP, owned by Shamwari 4 Ltd.

“An Olympic ticket is the obvious goal and this is a strong team that has all the prerequisites to fix it,” says Swedish chef d’equipe Fredrik Bergendorff. “The focus in the selection has been on consistent results and reliable cross-country horses.”

Like Italy, who announced their team last week, Sweden has also been heavily targeting the FEI Nations Cup series as an alternative route to the Olympics. With five of the series’ seven legs complete, they currently sit second in the rankings. But their squad for Luhmühlen represents an interesting cross-section of experience and young talent, and the Scandinavian nation is one of the hot favourites to take one of the two available tickets to Tokyo.

Two of the listed combinations were part of Sweden’s ninth-placed team at last year’s World Equestrian Games: Louise Romeike and Waikiki 207 finished 29th, while Niklas Lindback and Focus Filiocus took 35th place, both off the back of clear cross-country rounds. Both have had significant championship experience beyond Tryon, too – Louise has competed at two senior European Championships (2017, with Wieloch’s Utah Sun and 2015, with Viva 29) and two Pony Europeans, in 2005 and 2006. Niklas has four senior Europeans under his belt: he was part of the silver medal-winning team in 2017 with Focus Filiocus, contested the 2015 Championships with Cendrillon, and rode Mister Pooh in 2009 and 2013. He clocked up a top-ten finish in the FEI World Cup at Malmö in 2006 and completed both the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2012 Olympics.

Ludwig Svennerstal and El Kazir SP. Photo by Lorraine O’Sullivan/Tattersalls.

Ludwig Svennerstål has amassed a significant amount of team experience too, though this will be a first championship appearance for El Kazir SP, who Ludwig started riding in 2017. The prolific Swede began his team career in the young rider ranks, during which he contested two Junior and two Young Rider Europeans (2007 and 2008, and 2010 and 2011, respectively). He’s been on senior Championship squads ever since, including three senior Europeans (2013, 2015, and 2017), two Olympic Games (2012, 2016), and last year’s World Equestrian Games.

Ebba Adnervik will be making her senior Championship debut after a busy young rider career that included a trip to the Junior Europeans (2014) and two to the Young Rider Europeans (2015, 2017). Her mount, though, has plenty of experience on the world stage – Chippieh competed at the London Olympics with Japan’s Kenki Sato as well as the 2014 Young Rider Europeans with Hedvig Wik. Malin Josefsson follows up on her 2017 Europeans debut with Allan V by partnering her Badminton mount Golden Midnight at Luhmühlen, while Philippa Magnusson makes her Championship debut, as does her horse, the nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood Cesar.

[EM-laget i fälttävlan klart]

A Pig-Pile at Hartpury: Piggy French Continues World Domination Tour in CCI4*-S

By on Aug 11, 2019 8:01 am -

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo cash in the rider’s 10th international win of the season at Hartpury. Photo by Celeste Wilkins/NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials.

“Are you going to start crying now?” whispered Pippa Funnell, sotto voce and grinning, to Piggy French as the national anthem started playing.

“Of course not,” hissed Piggy, a smile spreading across her face. After all, who’d want to waste time blubbing when there are the spoils of victory to enjoy – and one of your closest friends beside you to enjoy them with?

By all accounts, it’s been a good day for Piggy, who earned her tenth international victory of the season in the NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials today. Riding Jayne McGivern’s Quarrycrest Echo, who will head to Luhmühlen later this month to contest the European Championships, she was the only rider to stop the clock inside the seven-minute optimum time – and she did so by an impressive margin, too, finishing easily in 6:53.

“’Red’ was fantastic – he’s just such a pleasure to ride cross-country,” says Piggy, who finished in runner-up position in this class last year with the gelding. “He’s very easy, to be honest, and so it’s easy to be economical and to be quick.”

Piggy French and Brookfield Inocent – another impressive string to Piggy’s incomparable bow. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy also took second place with Brookfield Inocent, a relatively new ride who joined her string in the middle of the 2018 season. When her husband Tom told me earlier in the day that the horse would be next year’s Burghley winner, I joked that I’d have to quote him on it – and after seeing the ten-year-old make easy work of today’s tough track to add just 1.6 time penalties, I’m sticking to my guns on this one. I expect Tom is, too.

Piggy certainly thinks a lot of the horse: “He may well follow in Red’s footsteps [in being a quick and easy cross-country ride], to be honest. People say I’m so fast, but I’m really not – with some horses, you can get in a gear and change the gear so quickly. When they’re confident, you can ride so much quicker in the rhythm and in the lines, because you leave the adjusting so late. That’s what I can do with those two, and having the quality of gallop that they have helps, too. They’ve been great today, and to finish first and second is really exciting.”

Tina Cook and Billy the Red deliver another incredibly classy clear around the scene of last year’s victory, but a misstep on landing from the final fence sees them add an unfortunate elimination to their record. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In eventing, you get by with a little help from your friends, as Piggy well knows – and so even as she was accepted her bounty of prizes, her mind was on Tina Cook, who had taken an incredibly unlucky tumble from Billy The Red as he pecked over the last fence. The fall came at the tail end of a quick and classy round, the sort we expect from this combination over this course – after all, it was a win here last season that saw them secure their ticket to Tryon.

“I just hope Tina’s okay, because she likes to come and win at Hartpury, and she was in a great position, so I know she’d have been trying,” says Piggy. “I wound her up at the start, saying ‘go on, old bird, kick on!’ So it’s always worrying when you hear that your mate’s had a fall. But we’ve heard that she’s fine – she just had a rattle, but it’s never nice.”

Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street take third, marking a promising streak of good behaviour from the reformed character. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell may have relinquished her two-phase lead on time penalties, but solid rounds with the reformed MGH Grafton Street, who added eight time penalties, and overnight leader Billy The Biz, who added ten, saw her finish third and fifth respectively nonetheless. The latter round, which came at the tail end of a long and phenomenally windy day of cross-country action, was achieved despite a forty-minute hold due to a fall for Tom Jackson, which stopped Pippa just after the open corners at 13 and 14.

“It’s never a good thing for someone my age,” she says wryly. “You have all these things going through your head – but my main concern as I was being held was for Tom Jackson, who I’ve helped a lot over the last few years. I was really worried about him, and so you have that going through your mind, and suddenly the dangers of the sport become very real, and it’s difficult – you just have to stay focused and positive and pick up and get on with the job. A few years ago I was held in exactly the same place with Biz, and then he picked up a little fresh, overjumped into the water, and I had a fall – so that was going through my mind as well. I was sort of a psychological mess by the time I started again! But I had a great spin on all of mine – I’m chuffed. I was never going to threaten Pig, I knew that, but I had great rides.”

Pippa Funnell and Billy the Biz tackle the formidable Birketts Bunker after a lengthy hold on course. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Both Piggy and Pippa’s top two horses in this class also managed clear rounds over an influential showjumping course, which was moved, unusually, to the university’s indoor arena. Whether as a result of tighter and thus more technical lines, or because of a lack of match practice indoors, many reliable showjumpers knocked rails – and Toledo de Kerser and Tom McEwen, placed second after the dressage, opted not to showjump at all.

Badminton winner Vanir Kamira acts as pathfinder for Piggy’s string, cruising around in some of the worst conditions of the day in preparation for Burghley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The reason for the move was the extreme conditions that moved over the Cotswolds overnight, bringing with them relentless winds that shunted and burst over the course at speeds of up to 50mph. With them came intermittent heavy rain showers, creating suboptimal conditions for several combinations.

“You feel very against the elements when it’s like that,” says Piggy. “In two of my rounds, I started off and the rain was sideways – it was face-on wind. I was galloping to fence four on Brookfield Inocent and I said to him, ‘I hope you can see something, because I can see nothing! You’ve just got your head down. No one likes the wind – it’s spooky, it’s tiring, and it’s noisy, and of course it changes the game a bit. The conditions vary from drying to slippery.”

Pippa Funnell and Billy The Biz navigate the tricky first water. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

But as Pippa points out, the efforts put in by Hartpury’s expansive ground crew ensured that despite the weather’s best efforts, the footing and the questions asked remained suitable, allowing for a positive and educational experience.

“A few places got a bit cut up, but I thought they were great courses, and they encouraged positive riding,” she says. “We saw a few falls and no, we never like to see falls, and maybe it was a bigger track than we normally see, but we need to have these bigger tracks if we want to go to Burghley or to a big three-day. It was a very good track, and I thought Eric did a great job. Horses had to be fit because of the conditions.”

Alex Bragg, who finished fourth on the inexperienced King of the Mill, agrees.

“The ground was great – they’d watered well anyway, and the grass coverage here has just gotten better and better over the last few years,” he says. “Yes, it was tiring for the horses towards the latter end, and you head to be careful, but they’ll be very comfortable tomorrow, because the rain really took the sting out of the ground.”

For King of the Mill, who contests just his sixth international at Hartpury, it’s another huge step in the right direction, and confirms the solidity he displayed when finishing seventh at Barbury last month.

“I’m thrilled for my young horse to finish fourth in a field of over 100 – he’s done great,” says Alex. “I’ve had him for a couple of years, and when I started him at BE100 he was always spooky, and I thought, ‘will I ever get him to Novice?’ And then he went Novice, and he was spooky at Novice, and then he went Intermediate, and he was spooky at Intermediate, and now he’s Advanced, and he’s spooky at Advanced! But he’s so talented – he’s one of the most agile horses you could ever sit on. He’s 17.2hh, and he’s a really big, rangy galloping horse, but he’s as sharp as you like with his legs, which is great for the cross-country. But he can also be sharp with his leg and dance around when you don’t want him to, so we need to master that a little bit! He’s a horse I would hope would contend Badminton and Burghley – he’s a real long-format character, and is over 80% Thoroughbred, so he has the stamina. You need a real blood horse to excel at places like Burghley. I’d like to have a podium finish there one day, and I think he could be the horse to do it.”

Tom Jackson and Pencos Crown Jewel. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sixth place went to Tom Jackson and Pencos Crown Jewel, who cruised home in 7:09 to execute a stratospheric climb up the leaderboard. The celebration, unfortunately, was short-lived – as Tom reached the latter stages of the course on his final ride of the class, Newmarket Prospect, he ran into trouble at fence twenty, causing the forty-minute hold that plagued Pippa. We’re pleased to report that Newmarket Prospect is absolutely fine, and all of us at Team EN wish a speedy recovery to Tom, who’s currently undergoing X-rays for a suspected broken leg.

Tim Price and Bango enjoy a steady run in preparation for Burghley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Problems were widespread and not infrequent across Eric Winter’s track, which is built with long-format prep in mind.

“It’s not unlike Burghley, in that it starts out big, which gets the horses into a stride and really jumping in a bascule,” explained Tim Price yesterday. (His own horses, for what it’s worth, jumped planned slow clears to prepare for that big B.) “Then you’ve got to make some decisive action plans, particularly at the first water, where you see all sorts – it can be four and four, or four and five, or five and five…you almost want to see a flying Frenchman go through it and make it look really easy! The hill is a big influence too, so they have to be fit – it’s a good preparation.”

The course criss-crosses the hill in question, asking horses and riders to negotiate questions on both inclines and declines, as well as on a camber. 88 combinations started, while 69 would ultimately finish – and of those 69, 48 would cross the finish line without incurring jumping penalties, flag penalties, or knocked-pin penalties.

Sarah Bullimore and Conpierre turn in the air over the first element of the first water, preparing themselves for the tricky bending related distance to the two skinny elements to follow. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Fence 8AB, a hanging log to the first of two skinny triple-bars on a downhill related distance, proved the most influential, with six eliminations and two retirements occurring here. The first water at 6ABC saw four refusals or run-outs, which took place largely at the latter two skinny elements within the water, but in at least one case, the issue occurred at the first element, a rolltop in the water.

Pippa Funnell and Maybach negotiate the open corners at 13 and 14. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The open corner at 14, which acted as the second part of a related distance from another open corner, amassed five run-outs, two eliminations, and a retirement, while the final combination at 22AB – a brush to a corner in the woods, just two from home – notched up nine run-outs.

Lexi Scovil and Chico’s Man VDF Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

While the day might have felt like rather a dramatic one, the course was well-designed, well-built, and – if we’re allowed to embrace the superficialities for a moment – beautifully well-dressed, lending a three-day feel to this late-summer short-four. And for those riders preparing for bigger runs in the coming months, its difficulty will have served as a positive wit-sharpener. As US rider Lexi Scovil, who picked up an unfortunate 20 on courses, wisely says, “numbers are important, but they aren’t everything, and they certainly don’t encompass the positivity I feel about this weekend – Sprout jumped bravely around a spooky indoor showjumping, and felt amazing around most of another 4* cross-country, except when we both forgot to attach the big open corner. Still feeling on track for Blenheim!”

Brimming with gumption: Katherine Coleman and Monte Classico through the water. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It was a great day for our other US representative, Katherine Coleman, who produced one of the most positive rides of the day at that tricky first water, proving how much the exceptionally talented Monte Classico has matured this year. This combination looks set to be an exciting option as we stride down the trail to Tokyo.

That’s all for now from Hartpury, which has been an exciting and enlightening last look at many of our Burghley and Luhmühlen entrants. We’ll be analysing how they did this weekend – and across the summer – in two enormous form guides, coming to you soon. For now – wrap up warm, avoid the winds, and Go Eventing!

The final top ten in the NAF Five-Star Magic CCI4*-S at Hartpury.

Hartpury: Website, Ride Times, Course Preview, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Hartpury: Funnell Plays Swapsies Amid Five-Star Frenzy

By on Aug 9, 2019 7:49 pm -

Remember the buzz in the air back in March, when we careened towards Belton (may it rest in peace) and the first UK four-star of the season? As it is every year, its entry list was so full of five-star names that you almost daren’t step away from the arena for a moment – amidst the previous season’s plethora of champions, could we find the next Badminton winner? With the 2019 season a barely-birthed thing, it was a week in which everything was still a possibility. Now, as we head into the final months of the season, it sort of feels like we’ve found that sweet spot again at Hartpury. The entry list is a thing of beauty: there were more five-star winners and gold medallists passing in front of my camera lens than I could count, a bevy of five-star and championship-bound combinations on display, and a harsh March wind, which was, you know, atmospheric.

Pippa Funnell and Billy the Biz head an adjusted leaderboard after the conclusion of dressage. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

On Thursday we reported a Pippa Funnell-led leaderboard and now, as we head into the jumping phases, not a lot has changed – except this time, her leading ride isn’t MGH Grafton Street (relegated to 5th on his score of 24.8), but rather the great grey Billy The Biz, who delivered a 23.3 to help re-establish his rider’s dominance.

Tom McEwen and his Europeans-bound Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In second place, we enjoyed the inarguable treat of seeing Tryon team members Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser in their first international run since Badminton. And what a return to the spotlight it was: they posted a 23.6, marking one of Tom’s career-best results in this phase. One of the things that makes Toledo such a special and exciting horse is the fact that it’s always felt as though there’s much, much more to come – and today, with his more open frame and stride pattern, we got a tantalising glimpse of what could be next if Tom’s willing to take a few risks.

For now, though, with the European Championships on the horizon, it’s all about keeping the gelding healthy, happy, and confident enough to produce the goods in Luhmühlen later this month.

“We had a couple of early mistakes but really, I’m super happy with him,” says Tom, who has quietly notched up some national-level placings with Toledo over the summer. “It’s all just been about keeping him ticking along – if he hadn’t had the Europeans on the cards, he’d have been heading to Burghley.”

Sarah Bullimore and her homebred Corouet. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Despite finding himself facing off against some of the sport’s top horses, Sarah Bullimore’s Corouet rose to the challenge and posted an international personal best of 23.6 in his four-star debut. This is enough to see him hold third place as we head into showjumping, and while Sarah has enjoyed three sub-30 tests with over the course of the day, this one is particularly special.

That’s because eight-year-old Corouet is the first foal from her former five-star mare Lilly Corinne, who retired in 2018 after a career-ending injury. Though she already has six babies on the ground from embryo transfers, she’ll now adopt a more traditional broodmare role – and while she’s busy cooking up the next generation of top competitors, she’s lapping up the affections of fellow five-star stalwart Valentino, who also retired last season.

“It was a big year of changes – to retire both Lilly Corinne and my lovely old boy Valentino was a massive blow,” says Sarah. “It was always on the horizon with him, although that doesn’t make it any easier emotionally, but with her, it was a total shock. But now, even though it’s been really sad, she has another job – and she’s enjoying her love nest! They’re so sweet together – she’s very much her own person, and wouldn’t usually like other horses, but she’s always liked him. He’s a real ladies’ man, and he’s always looked out for her – when they were in next-door fields, they’d graze near each other. So it’s lovely to see them enjoy life together.”

Sarah Bullimore and Corouet. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Nicer still is the chance to continue the mare’s legacy. In 2017, Corouet and Lilly Corinne put on a remarkable double feature – the former contested the six-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers, finishing sixth, while the latter finished 13th the following week at the CCI5*-L at Pau. Though tricky, the chestnut mare has been a pivotal part of Sarah’s career, and the promising journey her son is on has given the enormously talented and consistent rider an impressive second string, following in the footsteps of top horses Reve du Rouet and Conpierre.

“He’s a freak of nature, really,” she says of the diminutive gelding. “It’s not perfect yet, certainly, and there’s still lots to come, but he always says, ‘okay, yep, what’s next?’ And he’s so class that even if he has little mistakes, he still scores well. He’s small, but he’s clever and he’s feisty like his mother – but in a slightly different way.”

Sarah’s fledgling breeding programme has already proven to be a case in point for the power of dam lines, with Lilly Corinne’s offspring adopting her looks, her temperament – and her talent.

“There was never really a grand plan, but I thought, if you have a mare this good, you ought to breed from her,” says Sarah. “I kept hearing people talk about certain stallions and I just thought, well, this is what seems to be passed along.”

Though the rest of his weekend will be an educational one, Corouet is certainly one to watch for the future. All being well, he’ll head to Blenheim for the eight-and-nine year old CCI4*-S – “and I haven’t ruled out a trip to Boekelo, either,” says Sarah with a smile.

Piggy French and Vanir Kamira. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In fourth place, European squad members Tina Cook and Billy the Red produced one of their best tests, scoring a 23.7 and showing no hint of the occasionally reactive behaviour that’s dogged them in the past. They sit fourth overnight. Meanwhile, Badminton winner Vanir Kamira was another top horse to reappear on the main stage today, and her score of 25.8 has her in ninth place – a worthy leader of Piggy’s four four-star entries, all of whom delivered sub-30 scores.

“I’m delighted with Tilly – she was so chilled, and came out and did a really sweet test,” says Piggy, who heads to Badminton with the mare next month. “There weren’t any moments I was complaining to myself about. She’s hard to keep straight, and I know that, but she’s so sensitive and delicate that I don’t want to overdo the straightening and upset her. It’s a fine balance.”

So, too, is the balance between using a short-format international test as a springboard to bigger things, while still applying enough pressure that she can accurately gauge her horses’ capabilities.

“You definitely still want to get the best test you can out of them, but I don’t try to chase marks – if they make a mistake, I’ll try not to freeze, but rather to use it as a training exercise. And actually, a lot of it is about figuring out how to get the warm-up right so they can perform at their best.”

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Scoring 26.6 for 11th place was Europeans-bound Quarrycrest Echo, who once again showed his remarkable consistency in this phase after a slightly longer-than-normal warm-up.

“He was a bit concerned about the flower pots, because it’s so windy,” says Piggy with a laugh. “But other than being very attentive of some of them, he felt so good and did some great work.”

Piggy French and Calling Card. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Quarrycrest Echo’s owner Jayne McGivern had plenty of reason to celebrate – her four-star debutante Calling Card also delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 28.6 for 20th place. Like Corouet, he’s young, inexperienced, but absolutely bursting with try – it’ll be exciting to see what he does next this weekend, and further down the line in his fledgling career.

Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

You know you’re looking at a strong field when a sub-30 score can only guarantee you a top-30 provisional placing, but despite the fact that he sits in 13th overnight, it would be a shame not to mention the efforts of 2018 Burghley winners Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy. They sit in 13th place overnight on a score of 26.8, proving that they’re back at their best just a handful of weeks before they prepare to defend their title. Objectively? A 26.8 is always a great test. Subjectively? This was some of the most pleasant, active, and uphill work we’ve seen from the gelding, who consistently delivers good performances between the boards. If Burghley comes down to a Piggy and Tim match-race, it certainly won’t be short of close-fought excitement.

Katherine Coleman and Monte Classico. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Two US representatives made their way down the centreline in the CCI4*-S today: Katherine Coleman and Monte Classico overcame some early sharpness to score 30.3 for overnight 29th, while Lexi Scovil and Chico’s Man VDF Z settled for a 37.9 and 83rd after some unexpected sparkle.

Lexi Scovil and Chico’s Man VDF Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Hartpury marks a return to international competition for Lexi and her nine-year-old gelding, who enjoyed a top-twenty finish in the CCI4*-S at Bramham earlier this summer.

“It was way more than I ever expected,” says Lexi, who is based at William Fox-Pitt’s Dorset yard. “I feel like he’s come back so well – he went to an OI and was phenomenal, except some idiot jumped the wrong fence! But while that was unfortunate, he really did feel the best he ever has. Last week I had a dressage lesson with Tracey Robinson and we absolutely got the most quality work out of him, so I definitely think we’re on the right track.”

That right track will lead them to Blenheim, where their original plan to contest the CCI4*-S has now morphed into a CCI4*-L goal. After that, Lexi hopes to extend her visa for another year.

“It’s all been way better than I expected it to be – I keep waiting for something to go wrong,” she laughs. “But it just seems like the programme is so good – it’s that good that it actually continues to work. It’s all really exciting – but it also feels like we’ll get to our goals, even if they’re bigger goals than I’d planned for. We feel so ready.”

With high winds forecast for tomorrow, showjumping has been moved into the college’s spacious indoor arena, with cross-country beginning at 11.20a.m. BST. We’ll be bringing you a closer look at Eric Winter’s course, and of course all the coverage from the day’s action – stay tuned!

The top ten after dressage in Hartpury’s CCI4*-S.

Hartpury: Website, Ride Times, Course Preview, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

A Very *Chef’s Kiss* Italian Team Announced for European Championships [Updated: 08/14]

By on Aug 9, 2019 12:30 pm -

Simone Sordi and Amacuzzi. Photo courtesy of FEI/Libby Law.

Hollow out your cheese wheels and pass us the extra virgin (that’s olive oil, you heathens) – the Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri has announced its squad of six riders for this month’s European Championships in Luhmühlen (28 August – 1 September). Congratulations to:

  • Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious, owned by Lucy Allison, Deborah Bevan, Juliet Donald, and the rider
  • Umberto Riva and Tim de la Lande, owned by Claudio Riva
  • Pietro Roman and Barraduff, owned by Antonella Ascoli
  • Arianna Schivo and Quefira de l’Ormeau, owned by Thomas Bouquet and the rider
  • Simone Sordi and Amacuzzi, owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi
  • Giovanni Ugolotti and Note Worthy, owned by Andrew Cawthray

[8/14 update: Marco Biasia and Junco CP will replace Umberto Riva and Tim de la Lande on the Italian squad.

“Sadly no [European Championships] for us,” said Umberto in a statement on his personal Instagram account. “Tim did not full recover after [his] last competition at [Haras du Pin] and the short period of time left to the EU event leaves us with no other choice. We will be taking care of Tim and make sure he will be back stronger than ever before!”

New call-up Marco has a wealth of team experience: he’s competed at four senior European Championships (2001, 2003, 2007, and 2011) and four World Equestrian Games (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), though this will be a first call-up with new ride Junco CP, who finished 24th at last year’s WEG with Spain’s Carlos Diaz Fernandez. In four internationals together so far, they’ve finished inside the top twenty at each – though their last international run, at Pratoni CCI4*-S in June, did see them clock up twenty penalties across the country.]

Italy is one of several nations that will be fighting for a Tokyo qualification in Luhmühlen, though they’re hedging their bets – they’ve fielded a team at every leg of the FEI Nations Cup series so far, and in doing so, they’ve accumulated enough points to lead the standings. With three legs left to go and the Swedes hovering just five points behind, it’s no sure thing, but it’s an impressive insight into chef d’equipe Kathrine Lucheschi‘s commitment to the cause.

The team is headed up by stalwart Vittoria Panizzon, who has represented Italy in two Olympics (2008, 2012), a World Equestrian Games (2014), four senior European Championships (2005, 2007, 2013, 2017) and two Young Rider Europeans (2003, 2004), as well as innumerable Nations Cups. Her ride at Luhmühlen isn’t top horse Borough Pennyz, but rather the British-bred Super Cillious. At just ten years old, he’s already notched up top ten finishes in CCI4*-S competitions at Blenheim, Belton, and in the Nations Cup at Camphire, and an exciting CCI4*-L debut saw him take eleventh place at Blenheim last year.

Giovanni Ugolotti, too, has amassed some crucial team experience, riding for Italy at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and both the 2013 and 2015 European Championships, but it’ll be a first championship call-up for new ride Note Worthy, previously piloted by Oliver Townend. They head to Luhmühlen off the back of an eighth-place finish at Camphire, which helped the Italian team to third place in the Nations Cup.

Arianna Schivo and Quefira de l’Ormeau. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Arianna Schivo also brings forward championship experience, though unlike Vittoria and Gio, hers has been in tandem with her named horse: she and Quefira de l’Ormeau have competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, last year’s WEG, and two European Championships (2015, 2017). This spring, they finished just outside the top 20 at Badminton. Pietro Roman and Barraduff are a similarly experienced duo – they joined Arianna and Quefira at all four championships. Their last international run was at Luhmühlen, where they finished ninth in the tough CCI4*-S class.

Umberto Riva will be making his senior championship debut after a successful under-18s career that saw him contest two Junior European Championships (2009, 2010) and two Pony Europeans (2007, 2008). The 27-year-old will ride Tim de la Lande, a 12-year-old Selle Français on whom he took the ride at the end of 2017. Since then, they’ve maintained a spotless cross-country record at internationals, jumping clear – and fast – around tracks including Boekelo CCI4*-L and Luhmühlen CCI4*-S. The other two phases aren’t quite as strong, but as far as senior championship debutantes go, they’re a promising pair. Simone Sordi will be making his second championship appearance – he and Amacuzzi started at, though didn’t complete, Tryon last year. This season, they can boast a top-twenty finish in Luhmühlen’s CCI5*-L.

[Campionati Europei: Ecco la Short List Degli Azzurri]

Hartpury: Funnell Pips King at Post in Dressage Showdown

By on Aug 8, 2019 5:27 pm -

Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“The first Hartpury I ever came to, it was just a little event in the back field – there wasn’t an indoor or anything, it was just a very small agricultural centre,” says Pippa Funnell with a smile. Now, of course, the NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials looks rather different – held within the grounds of a university campus, best known for its industry-leading equine degrees, it’s one of the best-equipped internationals going.

As you stand atop the mound overlooking the expansive, green-fringed outdoor arena, the international-standard indoor, a bevy of classrooms and lecture theatres, and one of the best-stocked equine therapy centres in the world, you can be forgiven for thinking, “seriously – people go to university here?!” It’s hard to imagine anyone doing a keg stand here (not least because this is England, not an American Pie film), or stumbling bleary-eyed out of residence halls at 2 in the afternoon. In today’s sparkling sunshine, it’s all rather joyous and surreal, the architectural embodiment of two fingers up at anyone who ever said you can’t go to college for horses.

“It’s astonishing how it’s grown over the years,” Pippa says. “It’s one of our top venues in the country now – we come here jumping, too. We’re so lucky to have it.”

Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s not just a sightseeing trip for the enormously experienced British stalwart, though. A characteristically competitive score of 24.8 with MGH Grafton Street started Pippa’s day on an enviable – and not unfamiliar – track.

“He’s a really good boy, and he’s improving and getting stronger with every test he does,” says Pippa. “He’s always been pretty solid in this phase, so it’s just about getting the other bits together – but he’s improving, and fingers crossed by the time I get to Burghley he might be good. We’ll see!”

She also rode the nine-year-old Maybach to a provisional top-ten spot, scoring a 28.8 despite a break in the counter-canter.

“He wouldn’t have the same strength, but I was really delighted with his trot work. He just got a little bit bright in his canter and struggled a bit with that counter-canter. He recovered it, but a lot of his issue is just getting stronger. The system I’m doing with him is absolutely right, and now it’s just about being patient and not getting too greedy.”

Armed with an endless string of homebred and sourced showjumpers and eventers at her Surrey base, Pippa is arguably one of the country’s leading producers of young horses. When you see her ride two very different horses, each occupying a different end of the experience spectrum, it’s easy to see why.

“When you ride so many different horses each day, one of the things you always have to bear in mind is that you might have a system you believe in, but every horse is so individual in the way they think and how they’re built that you have to change the way you ride to help them,” she explains. “99% of horses don’t want to be naughty – it’s up to us to get inside their heads and work out how to get the brain on side. The brain comes on side when you ride them to help them, to help their physical build. Some people might have come out of that test on Maybach and been cross about the fact that he’d changed, but actually, he didn’t change because he’s naughty, he changed because he struggles to sit in the canter. Where I possibly went wrong is that I spent five minutes too long on him – that’s it. He had a bit of time off in the spring and although he’s cardiovascularly fit, he’s lost some of that topline muscle tone. It’s a bit of a thinking game – you have to think about each individual horse.”

Emily King and Brookleigh. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Despite an enormously successful day, Pippa certainly can’t rest on her laurels – Emily King and Brookleigh might have to be content with second place overnight, but their score of 24.9 keeps them well in the hunt. This will be a fourth international start for the pair after a tendon injury saw the seventeen-year-old gelding sit out three seasons. Earlier this summer, though, he proved that the break hadn’t dulled his competitive spirit when he added just a single time penalty to his dressage score of 23.6 to finish third in Bramham’s CCI4*-S.

“It’s so nice to go out there and feel like he’s enjoying his job – he had a bit of a wiggle at one point, but it’s great, because it shows how well he’s feeling,” says Emily, who made her five-star debut aboard the former Clayton Fredericks ride in 2015, finishing fourth. They then headed to their first Badminton in 2016, producing the goods yet again to lie second after dressage. But it wasn’t to be: a fast and classy clear round across the country was scuppered by a surprise fall at the penultimate fence. But after three years without her horse of a lifetime, Emily isn’t wasting a moment on regrets.

Emily King and Dargun. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emily also sits equal third on 25.4 with Dargun, her 2018 Bramham Under-25 winner.

“It’s so lovely to just have my two boys here this week,” laughs the 23-year-old, who left her family home in Devon to set up shop with boyfriend Sam Ecroyd in Cheshire last year, and is kept busy producing, competing, and selling a string of exciting young horses.

Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emily shares third place with Australia’s Kevin McNab, riding Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. This is one of a small string of horses provided for Kevin by the luxury footwear company, which also owns some of Holly Woodhead’s mounts, as well as several international showjumpers.

“[The partnership with Scuderia] is something we’ve been working on for a few years, and it’s really coming along now,” says Kevin. “It’s gradually getting to the point where we’ve got some horses to a fun place, so the work is beginning to show, but it’s actually not that new of a relationship.”

Originally produced by Hannah Bate, Don Quidam contested the Blenheim eight-and-nine-year-old class in 2017 before Kevin took over the ride. He returned to international competition the following autumn, showjumping internationally in Lier before making a calculated ascent back to four-star. Though Kevin opted to withdraw him before cross-country in his last run at Barbury, he’s enjoyed three top-ten finishes at CCI4*-S (Luhmühlen, Burnham Market) and CCI4*-L (Sopot) previously this spring.

Will Furlong and Collien P 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Young British rider Will Furlong showed a continued proclivity for this phase with Collien P 2. The 2019 season has seen the pair push their low-30s scores down into the 20s, and while today’s score of 26.5 doesn’t quite match the lofty heights they hit when posting a 23 at Burnham Market this spring, it does set them up well for their week. They sit fifth at the halfway stage.

Consistent dressage performers Millie Dumas and Artistiek lie in sixth place provisionally on a score of 27.5, while Will Rawlin and his Bramham podium partner VIP Vinnie showed that they’re not just a flash in the pan. Their score of 27.8 sees them hold onto seventh place.

James Avery and Aloha. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

New Zealand’s James Avery proved the potency of a new partnership, delivering a classy test with Aloha for a 28.1 and overnight eighth. This is just James’ third international with the fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse, the ride of which he took over from Matt Heath at the beginning of this year. They’ve racked up top three finishes in three-stars at Tattersalls and Camphire, and this weekend, they’ll make their four-star debut as a partnership. This is one of those interesting horses who seems to have been ridden by just about everyone at some point – he was produced by Jonelle Price, and then briefly ridden by Irish rider Brian Cournane and Oliver Townend before Tiana Coudray took over in 2015. She had the ride for a year, and then the gelding had a year out before Matt took over. Now, with James in the irons, he seems to be going the best he ever has: in their two internationals together, they’ve produced dressage scores well below his average and they’ve delivered two FODs – the only FODs of Aloha’s career.

The 104 strong CCI4*-S is fully stocked with major names, among them some of the horse-and-rider combinations we’ll be watching at the Longines FEI European Championships and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Among tomorrow’s showpieces are Sarah Bullimore and Reve du Rouet, first reserves for Great Britain’s Luhmühlen squad, as well as Piggy French and her two top horses – Burghley-bound Badminton victor Vanir Kamira and team ride Quarrycrest Echo. We’ll also get a chance to see World Number One Tim Price, who brings forward Bango and Ringwood Sky Boy, both of whom head to Burghley next month. Tom McEwen and Tina Cook will also enjoy final runs on Toledo de Kerser and Billy the Red, respectively, before a trip to Luhmühlen in two-and-a-half weeks’ time. We’ve got two Americans in the mix, too – Lexi Scovil will ride Chico’s Man VDF Z, while Katherine Coleman pilots Monte Classico.

There’s no live stream from Hartpury, unfortunately, but keep it locked on to EN – we’ll bring you everything you need to know from this pivotal event.

Until tomorrow – Go Eventing!

The top ten after the first day of dressage at Hartpury.

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