Listen to Euro Dressage theme

Current Olympic individual gold medallist Anky van Grunsven will showcasea brand new kur with her new partner Gestion Salinero at the European Dressage Championships (Hickstead 13-17 August).

The kur has been composed by Anky’s long-standing musical director Cees Slings, who was responsible for the famous Bonfire routines, including the West Side Story Programme, as well as for writing the Bonfire Symphony.

Anky has been named as a member of a strong Dutch team for the European Championships which includes veteran Ellen Bontje with Gestion Silvano, team stalwart Arjen Teeuwissen with Gestion Goliath T, and first-timer Antoinette Falandt with Jarwo. Reserve is Edward Gal with Gestion Lingh. The team manager is Jan Peeters. The British team has also been announced.

Those short-listed for the German team are Ulla Salzgeber (Rusty/Wall Street); Klaus Husenbeth (Piccolino); Isabell Werth (Satchmo); Heike Kemmer (Bonaparte); Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff (Renoir-Unicef); Nadine Capellmann (Gracioso) and Hubertus Schmit (WansuelaSuerte).

It is still not clear whether Ulla Salzgeber will be participating, as the issue of Rusty’s positive test for a prohibited substance has still not been resolved with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

Sadly, Farbenfroh, Nadine Capellmann’s individual European gold medal-winning horse, has not been short-listed. He has not been seen in competition since the World Equestrian Games last September.

• The European Championships will have its own theme music. Anky’s musical director Cees Slings has co-written the music for the European Championships with Mike Rutherford of Genesis fame.To hear the Hickstead Symphony, click on the arrow by the image above.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now