Under-25 champion tops young rider short-list
New under-25 national champion Emily Galbraith (pictured), 19, and her mount Crown Alliance head the short-list for the British squad at the young rider European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle (23-26 August).
As host nation Britain can take a squad of 12 to the championships — a team of four and eight individuals — instead of the usual six. Sixteen riders have been short-listed and 21 horses.
Bramham under-25 championships runner-up Georgie Spence, 18, is listed with four horses. They are her Bramham mount Running Brook II, the former Sarah Cohen ride Cottage Craft Spirals, last year’s Avenches CCI* winner Trenear and Song For Gull, with whom she was on the junior silver medal winning-team last year.
Nicola Wilson, short-listed with Oingy Boingy, says it is “hit and miss” whether she will be fit if she is called up for the championships after breaking her pelvis in a fall from another horse at Longleat last weekend.
Nicola is expected to be out of action for five weeks, so is very unlikely to make the final trial, at Knaptoft on 28-29 July. She was 12th and the third best young rider at Houghton CCI** — after Georgie and Laura Collett, who is still a junior.
The other short-listed riders are Charlotte Agnew (Little Beau), Charlotte Castle (The Cointreau Challenge), Jolyse Clancey (On Air II), Dani Cuomo (Ballin Willow), Sophie Griffith-Jones (Seaboy), Flora Harris (Double Image II), Guy Herbert (Ramazzoti M), Ben Hobday (Uptons Who), Ginny Howe (Cavort), Tamsyn Hutchins (Drama Queen III or Opposition Springtime), Nicola Malcolm (McFLy or Greycote Merlin), Melissa Shawcross (Swansong II) and Daniel Sibley (Sheer Jest).
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.