Ros Canter led the British team to a comfortable gold medal in the final reckoning as the eventing World Championships results were decided in Aachen. She also took individual silver with a superlative performance in every phase on Lordships Graffalo (Walter).
“This feels very special – relief and excitement all wrapped into one,” said Ros. “We know Walter is getting on for one of the best of all time and every time I ride him the pressure builds in an atmosphere like this. I know I’ve won a lot but I get to know him better each time.”
Ros came within a whisker of double gold, completing on her dressage score of 23.4, just 0.4 of a penalty behind the new world champion, Germany’s Michael Jung.
With the three British counting scores lying second, third (Laura Collett) and fourth (Tom McEwen) ahead of showjumping, it was an enjoyable watch for British fans, without too much jeopardy. The team had three fences in hand before the final phase, and finished 11.6 penalties clear at the top of the leaderboard.
However, when Laura and Tom both incurred faults at fence 12, two from home, it started the nerves a-jangling.
Fence 12 in the final showjumping phase of the eventing World Championships
(Image credit: Future / Pippa Roome)
Happily for Laura, her rail didn’t cost her a podium finish, and she repeated her individual bronze and team gold medal haul from Paris.
Tom’s four faults proved more expensive, dropping him to seventh with JL Dublin, who jumped such a beautiful round, just rubbing that one rail.
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“Dubs jumped really well, I was delighted with him,” Tom said. “I was a little bit tight at the water tray, I probably should have had more leg. It’s a shame but it didn’t cost the team anything. And I’ve finished fourth so many times, I’m rather pleased not to have done it again!
“Most importantly we have come away with what we came to achieve, which was team gold.”
“We know Walter is getting on for one of the best of all time and every time I ride him the pressure builds”
Ros Canter on Lordships Graffalo
Eventing World Championships results: the winning round
The German team took silver, with the US completing the podium in bronze.
Germany’s riders – the winner Michael Jung, ninth-placed Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Julia Krajewski in 17th – thrilled the home crowd with their silver medals, but it was Michael Jung’s nail-biter that roused them to their feet in sheer jubilation.
When he went into the ring, Michael knew he could not even a time-fault to retain his lead.
The first half of the course was scratchy, with Chipmunk clonking one fence so hard the rail came right out of its cups – and landed neatly back in them. He rubbed a few more but they stayed put.
Four years ago at the worlds, this pair lost the individual gold medal over the last two fences. This time luck was with them, and they set the record straight that the horse surely deserves.
This iron man of eventing made a rare show of emotion afterwards. The enormity of his achievement, with his 18-year-old partner, was plain to see.
“I’m speechless! I was definitely emotional at the end. Having the World Games at home, with this horse...” he said.
“He was jumping amazingly. Normally a double of verticals at the end of the course is not Chipmunk’s favourite thing but he was super. And you need luck on your side.
“Chipmunk is unbelievable. He’s doing great dressage, running fast cross-country cross-country, showjumping like a showjumper: careful, powerful and athletic. It’s a dream to ride him.”
US completes the podium: final eventing World Championships results
The US won silver in Pratoni four years ago, but had to climb through the field to finish third this time. Three showjumping clears sealed the deal.
Sixth after dressage and fifth after cross-country, they had a tussle on their hands with Switzerland and Ireland for the bronze medal.
Will Coleman and his Kentucky winner Diabolo (Dab) look a seriously class pairing. They finished on their dressage score of 30 for fourth place.
“Dab was a star,” said Will. “He’s never jumped in an atmosphere quite like that. Kentucky is one thing but Aachen is kind of another.
“He was a little on his toes when he went in there, but he just knows the job. I knew he was going to do everything in his power to leave the rails up.”
Eventing World Championship results: team standings
Gold: Britain Silver: Germany Bronze: US 4th: Ireland 5th: Switzerland 6th: New Zealand
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
