Classic Eventing Nation

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk establish their dominance atop a heavily British-leaning leaderboard. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s never a surprise, really, when we see Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH atop a leaderboard, particularly in this phase — and so, perhaps, what makes their decisive lead on 19.4 remarkable today is that it puts a firm stop to an almost entirely British top ten. Despite the major change in conditions today, which swapped yesterday’s balmy sunshine for a steady, ground-saturating rein, they looked every inch their consistent best — and, says Michi, felt it, too.

“My feeling is very good,” he smiles. “I’m very, very happy about fisherChipmunk. He was amazing to ride. He was super in the warm up, and in the preparation time last week; he’s given me a very good feeling.”

That ‘good feeling’ wasn’t necessarily guaranteed, though, and Michi had to revert to damage limitation tactics to ensure he was back on side before he entered the arena.

“He was very calm, but in the beginning he was a little bit tense,” he says. “But that’s the reason why I went in [the ring] so early, so that I have a bit more time. I think that was very good for him. And then when I went into the test, he felt perfect. The canter was for sure a highlight for him.”

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

But if a 19.4 sounds pretty close to perfection, Michi is quick to point out that there are always improvements to be made.

“I think the walk could be better. It was a bit long and low in the neck and the connection was not perfect. But it’s difficult to have it all 100% the way you want it in a test, and I think the very powerful canter, which is so uphill, is very nice, and in the trot work he was very soft, so I had great feelings. Maybe the walk could be better, but I think there’s always something.”

And, he points out, even if you’re part of one of the most competitive partnerships in the world, “Every test is a bit different, and the preparation sometimes is different. The competition is sometimes different. So it’s always a new game, and a new start.”

Watch Michael’s test below:

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There’s a reason you should always stay ’til the bitter end of dressage day, even when the weather makes quite literally any other option more appealing – and today, that reason was penultimate competitor and queen of nominative determinism Ros Canter and her Badminton champion, Lordships Graffalo. They danced their way to a 21.3 – the eleven-year-old gelding’s best-ever FEI score, even despite a minor bobble in the right shoulder-in — and will go into tomorrow’s cross-country in second place.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with Walter,” says Ros, who acts as British team anchor this week — arguably the most highly pressurised role, but also the one that requires the most waiting around. “It’s been a very long wait for me these last two days — I don’t think I’ve been very easy with Ian Woodhead, my trainer, yesterday and this morning! But when I got on today I felt much better that I actually had a job to do at last.”

And she got right to work as she came into the main arena, producing a test that showcased how the gelding has matured in his short but sparkling upper-level career.

“When I had so much time on my hands I was looking back at old videos from the spring when we were building up to Badminton, and I can’t believe how much he’s come on, even from then. He’s a truly amazing horse, and I’m very, very lucky to have him,” she says. With so many accolades to his name already at such a young age, including fourth in the World Championships last year, second at Badminton last year before returning to win, and six four-star top tens, it could be easy to forget that he still has so much ahead of him – but Ros explains that keeping that at the forefront of her mind is important, even while trying to ride for a competitive result.

“When you think back to last year and even the start of this year, he was a ten year old, so physically, he’s a lot weaker than the horses that are hitting their teens. And I did have to give myself a bit of a reminder yesterday not to have to higher expectations and stick to the process and remind myself actually, he’s still a horse that physically isn’t fully matured yet. I wanted to stick within the boundaries of what he was capable of. But actually, he gets stronger all the time. It’s little things, like his changes are getting better and better. His halts and his reinback were a real weakness last year, and when I started this year, and this summer, they’re just really starting to feel like they’re getting very consistent. It’s really exciting.”

Watch Ros’ test below:

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Still, she says, she’s taken away learning opportunities from the test, too.

“I definitely think his right to left change could be better. They’re not always regular yet, but it’s getting much, much better,” she says. “Everyone thought [the judges] were a bit harsh on my first centerline today, but I think I took it a little bit early, because he was ready to stop early and I got to the point where I couldn’t keep going much longer. So there’s little things I would tweak for next time but on the whole, I think our training is just just gradually going in the right direction.”

The big conversation of the day around the venue has been that of the ground – and what it might look like come tomorrow, after today’s consistent rainfall on what was already notably soft going. But for Ros, this is less of a concern: she and ‘Walter’ won Badminton this year in arguably the toughest conditions possible, and he both dealt with and recovered from the intensity of the ground there in fine style. After a particularly wet season so far, the British contingent is feeling calm and capable – because they’ve had plenty of chances to get used to conditions like these across the breadth of 2023 so far.

“I think that’s very important not just for the horse, but also for the rider and the rider’s mentality,” muses Ros. “It’s something that the Brits have had to cope with a lot this year, and so we’ve almost been able to override the talk on the ground and things like that. We’ve ridden in this going so many times that hopefully, we can stay in our own bubble and concentrate on our job. We’ve been very positive as a team so far about the course — our course walks have been extremely positive. There hasn’t been too much talk about the things we don’t like, or the ground that we don’t like, and I think that’s really good for team spirit.”

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

All six members of this week’s British squad sit in the top ten at the culmination of dressage, including both individuals — and the best placed of those is Tom McEwen and the reigning European Champion, former Nicola Wilson ride JL Dublin. Their resultant score of 22 might not be JL Dublin’s own personal best — that’s the 20.9 he got at the 2021 European Championships with Nic — but it is the new partnership’s best-ever international score together.

“He’s just simply stunning on the flat,” says Tom, who goes into cross-country in third. “He shows a real story in there. He captures the eye; he fills the eye. He swings through, and bar the tiniest few things he was absolutely excellent.”

Those things, he says, include “probably the halt before the rein back — I could hear the judges marking it, and then he moved,” says Tom. “But I’m delighted; I thought the changes were a serious highlight. And as per usual, that extended trot – if we could do five more of those, I think we’d be in the lead by tomorrow!”

While there may be some surprise to see British team stalwart Tom riding as an individual, it’s a savvy move: this will be just their sixth international cross-country start together, and while their results so far have included second at both Boekelo and Kentucky, they also had a shock 20 at Aachen while fighting for the win. There’s every chance they can — and should, arguably — end up on the individual podium, and without the additional responsibility of having to ensure a clear for the team, they’re able to follow their own plan of action – but, Tom says, it’s still not a job he takes lightly, nor one he considers unpressurised.

“It’s still it’s very much a team. It’s still part of the wider structure. Our feedback will be just as critical to for the last two riders in the team and obviously Tom [Jackson] as well,” he points out.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Generally, when we see an entry list that includes both fischerChipmunk and London 52, we all just sit around asking one another the same question as we work away in the media centre: which one will lead the first phase? And so it was some surprise to see the ordinarily ultra competitive ‘Dan’ and Laura Collett this far down the leaderboard, in a still very respectable fourth place with 22.4 – but, as Laura explains, they were cursed with a bit of bad luck in the form of the weather and the admirable enthusiasm of the audience, who had come prepared to fend off the rain.

“He was a little bit fragile and he absolutely hates umbrellas, and obviously it started raining and then as I went in he noticed where the umbrellas were,” says Laura, who made a great effort of trying to regain his focus while working around the outside of the arena. “So he felt like he was very aware of of that, where normally he’s 100% with me in the arena, so I had to try and coax him into remembering to listen to me and not think about where the umbrellas were. Obviously it wasn’t his best test he’s ever done, but I’m just glad it was good enough to be close enough. He’s been a really good form; it’s just about trying to keep his his mind happy, and I feel like we’ve done that. He’s never going to love umbrellas, so I don’t think I can really do anything other than just try and do the best we can in those situations. But he’s come a long way; last time there were really bad umbrellas he totally lost the plot. So we’re getting there.”

Even with that minor lack of focus, which took some of the usual sparkle out of his work, he still performed exceptionally to deliver a mistake-free test — and he certainly brought some of the errant sparkle back in the canter extension, with a big, bold, risk-taking transition into a step that ate up the long side.

“Most things are [a highlight of his]; he doesn’t really have too much of a weakness other than when I lose his mind. It was fragile, and maybe felt more fragile than it looks, but I think his extended canters and his extended trot are always his his kind of party piece, and he felt like he really showed himself off with those.”

Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The second British individual combination, Senior Championship debutant Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, performed well beyond expectations, earning their best-ever international score of 25.7 and overnight sixth place behind day one leaders Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir with a smart, animated test in some of the worst of the afternoon’s weather. For Tom, who finished second at Burghley and fifth at a very wet Badminton with the Irish-bred gelding, the feeling of bringing it home when it counts was no small relief — particularly as his best phases are yet to come.

“I’m really happy to get that that done and dusted and out of the way,” he laughs. “And for him to be as good as he was is a testament to all the training and everything that we’ve had building up to this from the World Class Programme.”

Like Laura, though, Tom found his horse took some offence to the sea of umbrellas that went up throughout the closely-bunched crowds of spectators around the ring: “I think I found out today he’s not a massive fan of umbrellas. When we came out, he was bit uptight, which is really unlike him, because normally he’s super laidback.”

Regardless, the plucky gelding kept his attention on the task at hand, thanks, in part, to longstanding help from Tom’s trainer and mentor, Pippa Funnell.

“I think hopefully Pippa will be happy – she’s always on about the little details, and I hope I nailed most of the hopes and everything. His good change was very good, and his bad one is still a work in progress. But there was much better damage limitation on that, and I thought all his half-passes and the expression in his trot just really went up a gear in the last sort of six months or a year.”

While this is Tom’s first Senior Europeans appearance, it’s not his first time riding for Great Britain — he’s done so previously on two Young Rider and one Junior Europeans. And in the nine years since his last squad appearance, the 30-year-old has been hard at work on making sure it happens again.

“I feel like we’ve always been on a trajectory to get there, and it’s maybe taken us a bit longer than I necessarily wanted when I was an 18-year-old lad coming out of Juniors, but that makes it even more special, now that we’re here,” he says.

Having the experience of a great run in that exceptionally wet Badminton is giving Tom a particular boost as we look ahead to tomorrow’s inevitably saturated field of play, which encompasses plenty of terrain and no shortage of big, bold, technical questions.

“I’m excited; I think it’s a really good course,” he says. “I think it really suits him, and his way of going in the ground is going to be a big factor, but it’s given me a bit of confidence knowing that he dealt with that quite well at Badminton earlier in the year.”

Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

With all those Brits crowding the top ten, there wasn’t much room for any other nations to put on a show — and that really shows when you look at the team leaderboard, which sees them head into cross-country on a score of 67.1, 9.2 penalties ahead of second-placed Germany. That one-two will come as a surprise to absolutely none of you form guide reading, stats following eventing-aholics – but what is interesting is seeing how everything below those two superpower nations is playing out, particularly as concerns the four nations – Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Austria – who are battling for the two available Olympic qualifications here.

Yesterday, we saw the Netherlands heading up that fight thanks to the efforts of Andy Heffernan and Gideon, now 15th on a score of 29. Today, though, it’s all about Belgium, who stepped up into bronze medal position on their score of 90.9. That was thanks in large part to stalwart team member Karin Donckers, who piloted the most experienced horse in the field, eighteen-year-old Fletcha van’t Verahof, to a score of 26.5 and overnight eighth, just half a penalty behind Germany’s Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice, and ahead of Kitty King and Vendredi Biats in ninth and Germany’s Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S.

“Fletcha knows his job — it’s not the first time we ride a championship, but he was really good. He was concentrating, focused, and the rain didn’t really bother him, I think, so we had a great time in the dressage,” says Karin, who is making her eighth championship start with the gelding, and her own 28th Senior championship start.

“It’s always nice to ride for your country and your team — that’s why I’m still doing this, I guess,” she laughs. “It’s great to be here with the team, to ride together, to support each other, and to help the younger ones. I’m very happy to still be a part of it.”

Helping her team qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2012 would certainly be a happy moment for the rider – and for now, they’re looking good, with the Netherlands two places, though just 2.3 penalties, behind them, and Italy and Austria sitting eighth and ninth, respectively, on 99.1 and 103.5. If that sounds tightly bunched, wait ’til you crunch the numbers on the individual leaderboard: just 20 penalties separates the top 54 competitors, and tomorrow’s course would be tough by any standards even in dry conditions. Expect to meet some new faces at the business end of proceedings, and prepare yourself for some seriously exciting sport, beginning at 12.00 p.m. local time (11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST), and available to stream in full on ClipMyHorse. We’ll be bringing you all you need to know about the challenge to come — so keep it locked onto EN, and Go Eventing!

The top ten at the culmination of the first phase at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships.

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

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Swirly Temptress – Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA)

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

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

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

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

Capels Hollow Drift – Tom Jackson, GBR

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

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

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

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

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

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Toblerone – Nadja Minder (SUI)

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

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

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

Gaspard Maskud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Zaragoza – Gaspard Maksud, FRA

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

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

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

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

Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.

Timmo – Nicolai Aldinger (GER)

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

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

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

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

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Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir take an early lead at the 2023 FEI European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The first day of dressage is in the bag at the 2023 FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin, France – and to nobody’s surprise, the competition has kicked off with a serious show of British dominance as the nation seeks redemption from a disappointing (on a team level, at least) World Championships. But one person who certainly didn’t disappoint in Pratoni showed up again today to deliver the goods for her country: Yasmin Ingham, our reigning World Champion, came into the sandbox near the tail end of the day’s proceedings, and produced an exceptional test with Banzai du Loir to take the overnight lead on a score of 23.4, 2.6 points ahead of her nearest competitor.

“It was very atmospheric in there, but he was amazing – he didn’t put a foot wrong,” says a delighted Yas, who rides the twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding for the Sue Davies Fund. Their test came during the peak of the day’s heat – a heat that European competitors, and particularly the meteorologically maligned Brits, haven’t experienced this year. But the very blood Banzai is well-bred to cope with tricky temperatures, and Yas opted not to change any of her plans based on the weather – a choice that was proven sage by her result.

“We’ve kept everything fairly similar for the past few events now; we seem to have got a nice system that works for him, and obviously he’s not a horse that would particularly struggled the heat – he seems to not have a bottom to him,” she says. So he doesn’t really mind, and he felt really extravagant in there; just floating around the boards. He really is such a pleasure to ride in every phase, and his trot work was beautiful. He was just so floaty, and he’s very accurate into the markers, so that was great. And the extended trot at the end, he’s always got such a nice reach in his shoulder and carries himself so well and so much cadence. So hopefully the judges liked it!”

Yas and Banzai come to Haras du Pin off a win in the ultra-competitive CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S, a victory that made them the first British combination ever to win the event — and one that was a redemption song for the pair. They’d headed to Kentucky earlier this spring to try to better their second place finish there last year, but after a lengthy hold in the starting box, they had an early and uncharacteristic run-out at a skinny element within a coffin. But rather than chalk the mistake up to the bad luck of that hold – which would have been fair, and arguably understandable – she got back to work, solidifying her basics and foundations with Chris Bartle and dressage coach Richard Davidson, cantering cavalettis and simply ensuring the left, right, and straight getaways were all as smooth and equal as they could be.

That paid off then, and will hopefully do so again, but also pertinent was that Yas and Banzai rode the same dressage test – FEI CCI4* B – there that they did here.

“We rode the same test at Aachen and so I’ve been trying to get better at that four star test,” she says. “I’m pretty sure we came out with the same mark which is slightly frustrating, but I mean, I couldn’t fault him. He was brilliant. So I’m delighted with this one. It’s definitely very positive.”

Yas Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

If Yas is starting to sound like a seriously committed student of the sport, that’s because she is – and even with the confidence that comes with being the World Champion, she’s not about to get complacent for even a second.

“I’ve had some really great results leading up to this, and I think it’s really important to gain as much experience as possible,” she says. “I’m still only very young in the sport and every time I’m learning – I’ve had two really good runs on two different horses at five star and probably the best four star short in the world, so it’s definitely it’s filling me full of confidence, which is good. But I definitely won’t be taking it for granted. There’s lots to do, and I’ll definitely be working hard to have a good result here.”

And, she continues, even her big wins offer the chance to learn, and to put more tools in the toolbox.

“Actually, just today, before I did my dressage, I watched my Pratoni test, and I just tried to sort of channel the same sort of feeling that I had before that,” she explains. “It’s still amazing to look back on that and I still put just as much pressure on myself – nothing really has changed in that fact. I’m just very competitive and want to make sure I always do my best and make sure that I can ride Banzai to the best, and show him off and make everyone see how good he is.”

Now, as she looks ahead to cross-country on Saturday, she’ll be using her previous experiences to her best advantage over terrain that’s new ground for her.

“Pratoni was very very undulating and twisty. I think this track brings similar sort of vibes to that. It’s still undulating and twisty, but it’s very much very big and bold out there. There’s lots of quite big ditches and brushes and everything dimensionally is quite big, so I’m very lucky to be sat on an excellent jumping horse. That is definitely a good thing!”

Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice take second place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The last rider of the day isn’t quite a Championship debutant – he’s amassed plenty of experience at the Junior and Young Rider levels – but for Jérôme Robiné, this is a huge week: it’s his first-ever Senior Europeans call-up. While he’ll be riding as an individual this week, he’s one who’s already making a bid not to be overlooked – and, like Yas, he’s using confidence, acquired when finishing in the top ten at his five-star debut at Luhmühlen this year, to his advantage.

But even he probably didn’t quite expect to find himself in second place at the end of the first day, and in such experienced company. He laid down his personal best four-star dressage score, a 26, after delivering a test that brimmed with the self-assurance of a rider who’s truly learned to believe in himself – and learned, truly, what makes his talented horse tick.

“Actually, it’s pretty amazing,” he says with a broad grin, after having been swept up by the expansive and excited German squad at large. “Everything was a lot of hard work for a lot of people. There’s a big team around us for this moment, and so I’m more than happy that it worked the way we wanted it. He’s felt better and better from day to day here, and so I was I thought it’s going to be good when I was in the warm up. My dressage coach just said to me, ‘just enjoy it. There was a lot of pressure before and now just enjoy it.’ I think that was a good last sentence for me.”

That’s exactly what the Warendorf rider did, balancing focus with evident pleasure as he piloted the gelding, who he’s had for three seasons, around the ring.

“I felt the whole way around the test the feeling that I wanted to have, and so I was more than happy,” he says. “He’s not a type that’s perfect as a dressage horse, because he’s an eventer; he’s an Irish Sport Horse. We have to try to get him more in front of me, and even more up and I think  that’s something he really learned over the years, to go for it in the test and to be up and running with me. I think the first flying change was great; the working canter, the working trot. That’s some good stuff for him. Actually, the second flying change was not that good because I went to be that bit too fast; I should do one more stride and then do a better flying change. I think that was the only mistake.”

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Third place overnight went the way of British team pathfinders Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who posted a 27.2 after a test that was full of things to like – except, perhaps, the numbers rewarded for the pair who have previously led at Burghley in this phase.

“That’s disappointing, and I hope the judges don’t get too generous after a nice long lunch!” she jokes, conceding that she did lose a couple of valuable marks when adding an extra step in the reinback. “He was really onside and didn’t really make any mistakes, but the rein back was a shame because he’s really good at those — there wasjust a little bit of miscommunication between us both, but otherwise, he was really super and tried the whole time, so I’m really proud of him.”

Kitty, who has been a real banker for Britain at previous championships with ‘Froggy’ – helping her country to gold at Avenches in 2021, for example, and taking seventh and best of the Brits at the 2019 Europeans – has a big job this week as the first out of the box for the Brits. But she’s pragmatic about how she’ll tackle the role, which will require her to bring valuable intel back to her teammates.

“I’ve done it once at Blair [Europeans in 2015],” says Kitty, who’s been enjoying the enormous team spirit — including team-bonding volleyball sessions — with the rest of her compatriots. “I actually didn’t think I’d enjoy pathfinding, but it’s not as bad as it seems. And a friend of mine reminded me that actually, probably my best rides have been when I haven’t sat around all day watching. So I’ve got to think about that and try and replicate Luhmühlen [five-star this summer, where they were second]. I was early there; Blair I was early. I’ve been early at Blenheim and the Luhmühlen again before and they’ve probably been some of the best rides. So hopefully it’ll be good!”

Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For Germany’s Christoph Wahler, this phase has been something of a Jekyll and Hyde story with the uber-talented Carjatan S: on his day, he can deliver in the mid-20s, and Christoph, who runs his family’s dressage breeding stud and has a huge amount of experience in this phase, is the perfect jockey to bring it out of him. But since fine-tuning the gelding’s fitness regime during the pandemic, which has turned him into one of the country’s best, fastest, and most reliable performers in this phase, the knock-on effect has been a tendency to bubble over in the ring.

Today, it looked as though they’d found the balance, and three-quarters – actually, perhaps it’s fairer to say seventh-eighths — of the test was exactly as they’d have wanted: clear, calm, decisive, and with just the right amount of pizzazz. As they crossed the ring for the trot extension, the last movement before the final centreline, everyone dared to crack a smile: there was float, there was power, there was everything we know Carjatan can be. But then, as they neared the end of the movement, it happened: the Clearway son broke into canter. The crowd, fixated on what had been such a joyous test to watch, groaned; Christoph’s disappointment was etched into his face.

But, for what it’s all worth, here they are – still so good elsewhere that they could earn a 28.3, seeing them take fourth place overnight.

“Just to begin with, I was super pleased with the horse, because he stayed absolutely relaxed – and maybe even a little bit too relaxed in there, because he started to poo in the first half-pass, so that’s a shame,” says Christoph wryly. “But the walk was good, the canter was good; I think there were good flying changes, though we didn’t really get the marks we were looking for. And then a big mistake in the last extended, because I just lost a little bit of rhythm crossing the centerline and then he just went into canter – but overall it is what it is and we keep on going for Saturday.”

Saturday will see Christoph and Carjatan, who were part of last year’s gold medal winning German team at Pratoni, leave the startbox second of their team, over a course that the rider describes as “very demanding on the fitness side” – but in Carjatan, he doesn’t just have a run and jump machine, he has a horse whose final Pratoni prep run at Haras du Pin saw him romp home clear inside the time. We like those odds.

Great Britain is currently leading the team competition on 23.4, while Germany is second on 28.3 after the first two rider rotations – but in third place, currently, is a happy and perhaps unexpected surprise: the Netherlands sit in bronze position thanks to the excellent efforts of British-based Andy Heffernan, who stepped out of chef d’equipe duties this week to ride his exciting Gideon. And what a smart choice that was: he delivered a 29, putting himself in the hunt at this early stage but also giving the Netherlands a great start as they vie for one of the two Paris Olympic qualifications up for grabs here.

“To be fair, I was pleased with the horse, but I was slightly disappointed with the mark,” says Andy. “I thought it would be a couple of marks better, but, you know, it’s in the 20s. And I think it’s a decent track out there — I don’t think it’s a dressage competition. So you know, I hope that I’ll be close enough that I should have an influence.”

Of the marking, he says, “His trot work is always quite flash. He’s quite an eye catching horse, and so I’m bit disappointed because they went straight from the trot down to like five for his walk and he normally gets eights for his walk. And even the sort of people that helped me were a little bit perplexed by that. His canter is his most difficult gait; he can get a little bit stampy in his hind leg, so I sort of sometimes I could see that being a bit of a challenge, but I didn’t expect the walk. But anyway, it is what it is!”

The Netherlands join Italy (currently fifth), Belgium (sixth), and Austria (ninth) in fighting for those Olympic spots — and Andy hopes that positive Dutch history could repeat itself, as the nation won a bronze medal here at the World Championships in 2014, earning them a qualification for the Rio Olympics.

Tomorrow’s dressage will see the last two riders on each team take to the ring, beginning at 10.00 a.m. local time (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST). You can check out the times here, tune in to watch the action via ClipMyHorse, and, as always, pop right on over to EN for all the news you need to know. And in the meantime? Check out our individual and team form guides to find out exactly what’s to play for, and how it might play out. Until next time: Go Eventing!

The individual top ten at the end of day one of dressage at the European Championships.

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#Euros2023 : Website | Live Stream | Entries | Startlists & Scoring | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Form Guide | EN’s Coverage

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

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

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

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

TILLY BERENDT

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHEG DARLINGTON

Team Podium: 

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

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

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

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

Individual podium: 

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

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

Dark Horse: 

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

One to Watch: 

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

Spoiler Alert:

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

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

DIANA GILBERTSON

Team Podium: 

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

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

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

Individual podium: 

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

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

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

Dark Horse: 

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

One to Watch: 

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

Spoiler Alert:

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

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

ALLIE HENINGER

Team Podium: 

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

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

Individual podium: 

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

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

Dark Horse: 

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

One to Watch: 

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

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

SALLY SPICKARD

Team Podium: Team GB

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

Individual podium: Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo

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

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

Dark Horse: Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza

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

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

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

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

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

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