Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza at Haras du Pin in 2022. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
What a week for Europeans team-spotters! Not only do we have the full list of nominated entries for each country, but another nation – and this time, the home one – has revealed its final squad of six for next month’s FEI European Championships, which will be held at Haras du Pin in Normandy from August 9–13.
The Championships will be used as “a full-scale rehearsal” for the French for next year’s Olympic Games, which are also set to be held in France and will also feature a cross-country course designed by next month’s designer, Pierre le Goupil.
The six selected horses and riders, in alphabetical order by surname, are as follows:
- Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine, owned by Philippe Lemoine, Guy Bessat, S.A.R.L. Ecurie Karim Laghouag and Camille Laffite
- Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau* Ride for Thaïs, owned by S.C.E.A. Ecurie du Cerisier Bleu
- Gireg Le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge, owned by Frédérique Grand and Augustin Grand
- Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre Z, owned by Bénédicte Le Guern and Philippe Le Guern
- Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza, owned by Jane Young and Martin Thurlow
- Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold*HDC, owned by Haras des Coudrettes
OR
Diabolo Menthe, owned by Mézard Sports and Françoise Niclaus
Chatsworth winners Stephane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The French Equestrian Federation (FFE) sat down for a chat with team chef d’equipe Thierry Touzaint upon the reveal of his squad, which features seasoned Olympians such as Nicolas Touzaint and Karim Florent Laghouag, as well as exciting up-and-comers, such as 2022 Bramham Under-25s CCI4*-L victors Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre, World Champs top-ten finishers Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza, and Chatsworth CCI4*-S winners Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau* Ride for Thaïs, who has been poignantly renamed to honour the young rider by whom he was produced and loved before her tragic death at Haras du Pin.
“My choice was, above all, focused on couples who have been successful for two years,” he explains. “If we take them one by one, they all shone at a very high level. This selection is therefore quite logical when you look at what they have shown. These are couples who present well on dressage and who are reliable on cross country.”
That, he hopes, will help them to clinch a podium finish and put valuable mileage on the clock ahead of next year.
“The objective is to bring back a medal above all, and why not to win? For that, you will have to be good from training. We will have nations like Germany and England to watch closely. We have a very good team, I am quite optimistic, I hope we will do something good,” he says, explaining that he will make his decision on which four will ride on the team itself, and which will compete as individuals, after the first horse inspection on the Wednesday of the event. “I like to see the terrain first, walk the cross country, see the quality of the ground… it can influence my choices. The team line-up and running order will be announced as usual after the first horse inspection on Wednesday August 9th.”
All the horses and riders named are, crucially, part of the ‘A’ list development squad for next year’s Olympics, and it’s telling that Thierry is choosing to put them forth for this challenge – but with a year yet to go before the Olympics, their names are not set in stone for that selection process, nor should riders who are conspicuous only by their absence here, such as Astier Nicolas, currently sidelined due to horse injury, or Tom Carlile, be considered out of the hunt for Paris.
“It is obviously an important step before Paris. Now we know that the Olympic format is very different, with only three pairs and a profile of the cross course that is generally not very difficult. Dressage will be really decisive next year. There are still couples who can join the group for selection. There will be 4 and 5 star international events at the end of the season which will give me a lot of information.”
European Championships team announcements:
