An extraordinary record: we salute the rider contesting her 30th senior eventing championship this week at Blenheim

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Karin Donckers at the Blenheim European Championships
Karin Donckers and Ceres De La Brasserie at the Blenheim European Championships in 2025.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

This week’s Agria Blenheim European Championships is a landmark event for Karin Donckers – she’s riding at her 30th senior eventing championship. The 54-year-old Belgian rider has only missed two Europeans since 1993, an extraordinary record that tells of great skill in repeatedly producing horses to this level and persistence in a tough sport.

“It keeps me fit, it keeps me passionate, it keeps me motivated to do this,” said Karin after her dressage test yesterday. “As long as I enjoy it so much and as long as I love to work with horses and I feel good and I have a horse to do championships, then I’d love to do more of them.”

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

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.