Medals galore for British pony teams
Medals for the British teams came thick and fast across all disciplines at the Pony European Championships in Arezzo, Italy at the weekend (26-28 July).
Yasmin Ingham 16, riding Craig Mor Tom, secured both individual and team gold in the eventing. The Charles Owen-sponsored team were in bronze position heading into the last phase, but a clear from final Brit Yasmin ensured both the individual and team honours.
“What a fantastic result for the British ponies,” said British Eventing’s Mike Etherington-Smith. “Huge congratulations are in order for the riders, trainers, owners, support staff, selectors sponsors and everyone involved with the ponies for their part in this wonderful achievement.”
Lying fourth after dressage and cross-country, the Irish team also managed to move up the order to take bronze.
In the dressage it was double gold for Britain’s Phoebe Peters on SL Lucci. She secured the individual test gold on Saturday (27 July) with a personal best score of 79%. She then went on to set a new pony freestyle record of 84% to win her second gold the following day (Sunday 28 July). These were the first individual pony dressage gold medals Britain has ever won.
The team also won bronze, finishing behind Germany and the Netherlands. This was the first medal for Britain’s youth dressage teams since 2007.
The Team Fairfax showjumping team narrowly missed out on gold finishing 4pen behind Germany. The team were in the lead after the morning, but a strong second round performance from Germany and an unfortunate toe in the water for 15-year-old Millie Allen and Song Girl, meant they had to settle for silver.
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GB pony chef d’equipe, Katrina Moore said: “It’s always upsetting to be that close to a gold medal and to lose it from your grasp at the last minute, but it shouldn’t detract from the tremendous achievement we’ve had here today.”
The Irish team, who went into the final round in second place, finished in bronze position just one fence behind the British.
In the individual competition Ireland’s Susan Fitzpatrick took the individual gold leaving 5 riders to jump off for silver and bronze. Britain’s Millie Allen, on Song Girl, put in the fastest clear to take silver.
British pony European teams
Eventing: Yasmin Ingham, Rose Nesbitt, Libby Seed and Charlotte Bacon
Dressage: Rose Hugh-Smith, Phoebe Peters, Rebecca Bell and Erin Williams
Show Jumping: Amy Inglis, Emily Ward, Faye Adams and Millie Allen
Irish teams:
Eventing: Lucy Latta, Shannon Nelson, Donnacha O’Brian and Nessa Briody
Show Jumping: Susan Fitzpatric, Tim MacDonagh, Matt Garrigan and Killian Norris
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.