Maria Eilberg is final dressage team member for Windsor Europeans
Maria Eilberg has been named as the fourth rider to join the dressage squad to represent Team GBR at the Alltech FEI European Dressage and Jumping Championships at Windsor this summer.
Maria (25), from Redditch, and her horse Two Sox, will join Laura Bechtolsheimer, Emma Hindle and Carl Hester in the team for the competition at Windsor (25–30 August).
Fiona Bigwood (33), riding Wie Atlantico, has been selected as non-travelling reserve.
Maria, a member of the BEF’s lottery-funded World Class Performance Programme, was travelling reserve for last year’s Olympic Dressage team in Hong Kong.
On her return, she produced her best ever result to win the grand prix freestyle at the National Dressage Championships to take the national title.
Maria said: “I’m thrilled to be chosen for the team, it’s been an ambition for a long time so it was an amazing feeling to get the call.
“Two Sox is such a consistent performer and absolutely at his peak, we’ve had him since he was a three year old so he’s really one of the family.
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“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to perform in front of a home crowd at a European Championship and I’m so pleased he’s finally got his chance.”
Richard Davison, British team captain said: “With the competition only 25 days away it’s good to have the final member of the team decided so we can focus on the job in hand.
“In her role as reserve rider for last year’s Olympic Games Maria was an excellent team member and it’s great that she has made the cut this year.
“Maria’s selection now completes a very strong team and, although we cannot be complacent, I believe we are fully justified in having a medal clearly in our sights.”
For more information visit www.alltechwindsoreuropeans.com
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.