Hopes that the 2026 World Eventing Championships could come to Britain are alive as Burghley is on the shortlist of host contenders.

It was announced in February that Burghley planned to bid to host the championships in 2026, and today (24 August) the FEI revealed the shortlisted bidders across the disciplines, with five organising committees in the running.

Aachen, Germany, has applied to host the showjumping, dressage and para dressage, eventing, driving four-in-hand and vaulting. Boekelo, the Netherlands, and Burghley have applied to host the eventing, and Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, and Samorin, Slovakia, have bid for the endurance.

The FEI board will allocate the World Championships at its board meeting on 18 November in Mexico, following a “thorough review by the FEI evaluation commission and taking into account recommendations by the technical committees”.

Burghley has held the World Championships twice before, in 1966 and 1974. It has also hosted six European Championships (1962, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989 and 1997) and one young rider European Championship (1978). The 2026 World Championships are the first opportunity for countries to qualify for the showjumping, dressage, para dressage, and eventing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.

A spokesman for Burghley said the bid has the full support of British Equestrian, British Eventing, and UK Sport.

“With our long association with championships, unbeatable parkland setting, huge loyal following and world-class course we know we can run a brilliant World Championship here, and very much look forward to making our final bid presentation to the FEI board in Lausanne next month,” said Burghley event director Martyn Johnson.

FEI president Ingmar De Vos said the FEI is “very pleased with the variety” of bids it has received.

“Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organised in Denmark, Italy and the UAE, we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event,” he said.

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The British team retains its unbeaten record this year at senior international level, while a rising German star shows her class to win at Boekelo CCI4*-L, the Netherlands

BRITAIN’S international eventing teams have been nothing short of invincible this year and their victory march continued for Boekelo’s Nations Cup, the final leg of the series, which they dominated from start to finish with three riders in the top eight – all on nine-year-old horses.

William Fox-Pitt and Amanda Gould’s super mare Grafennacht finished second, while Nicola Wilson and Coolparks Sarco bagged fourth, Izzy Taylor and Hartacker eighth, and squad newcomer James Rushbrooke rounded off the top 20 on Milchem Eclipse.

“To have a team of nine-year-olds that can bring it home bodes very well for the future,” said technical delegate Philip Surl. “Coming here with the crowds and atmosphere was a proper growing-up experience for these young horses and they all rose to the occasion.”

William, who won here in 2003 and 2005, admitted that he recognised very little of the venue since his last visit here eight years ago.

“I’ve had a bang on the head and they’ve built a motorway through the middle of the site since the last time I was here, but it was a real treat to be back and competing in front of such a huge, vocal crowd,” he said, referring to the 75,000 spectators on cross-country day. “[Course-designer] Adrian Ditcham’s course was not particularly big or technical, but it was plenty educational enough and the ground was probably the best it’s ever been.”

He added of Grafennacht, who missed Blenheim when a blood test revealed she was not 100%: “She’s a super-easy mare – anyone could ride her – and she ran really well. After she missed Blenheim I had considered taking her to Pau, but Oratorio and Little Fire are also going there and I’m far too old now to be riding three round a five-star. Grafennacht’s owner, Amanda, has American connections, so the plan is for her to head to Kentucky three-day event in the spring, which will be exciting.”

William was beaten by Germany’s Sophie Leube and Jadore Moi, who led from pillar to post. The 34-year-old’s star has been in the ascent since she won the seven-year-old World Young Horse Championship at Le Lion d’Angers last autumn with Sweetwater Ziethen.

“I am overwhelmed. I am still new to this level, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” she admitted after riding in her second CCI4*-L.

France’s Sidney Dufresne and Tresor Mail finished third.

• This report will also be available in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 21 October

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Opinion

Boekelo is unique. No other event has an atmosphere like it on cross-country day, and it is famous for its parties. The organisers want to do everything possible for the riders, and the new all-weather arena for dressage and showjumping is fantastic.

I was a little disorientated when I arrived, because the whole site has moved and changed around, but it still has a very special feel.

It is disappointing, therefore, that despite ongoing improvements in so many areas, the cross-country track doesn’t seem to move on in the same way. I know the track runs over a great many small plots of land belonging to different people, and it must be difficult to coordinate working on it, but more could be done on the footing. This is one of Europe’s leading CCI3*s and, with the money the event must get from the vast Saturday crowd and the great sponsors it attracts — enough to install that excellent main arena this year — they should be able to afford to invest in the ground.

The subject of how often events should change course-designers has been discussed a lot this year. I have absolutely no personal problem with Sue Benson, but she has designed Boekelo since 2000 — surely, on a flat track with few natural features to work with and encourage inspiration, that is too long?

Last year there was a tight, turning combination on an S-bend that didn’t work — this year it was repeated but made even tougher. Twenty-five horses faulted at it; that’s a quarter of the field. For me, you can’t argue with numbers — is that good course-design?

It’s fine to create a difficult fence, but why not, considering it was only fence eight, give everybody a get-out-of-jail option as well?

I felt for the track to go into the main arena at fences three and four was much too early. Why, when it is such a focus point for the crowd, not use it later in the course and create more of a spectacle?

Riders have been suggesting to the organisers that it might be time for a change for several years now. We still come to Boekelo because the calendar dictates that it make sense to compete there — but I think if you put an event like Millstreet on a week later, you’d see a big shift.

There is so much that is great about Boekelo. If the horse side of things evolved in the way other aspects of it have, it could be the best event in the world.

Ones for the future

My Boekelo horse, Ridire Dorcha, is hugely exciting. He now belongs to good supporters of mine, Tim Boland and Karyn Shuter, and probably has more power than any event horse I have sat on before. Like my Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class, who at 10 is a year older than Ridire Dorcha and who also came to Boekelo to do his first CCI3* last year — and had a run-out at what this time was fence eight — he is very much one for the future.

Ridire Dorcha only did his first advanced at Blair five weeks ago; he didn’t start eventing until he was seven and because we think the world of him we’ve been overcautious with him, really. He did the best dressage test he could at this stage, and jumped a double clear. I’m very pleased with him and excited about next year.

Ref Horse & Hound; 12 October 2017

Britain won the final eventing Nations Cup of the series at Boekelo, the Netherlands, this afternoon (Sunday, 9 October) and took second in the series behind Germany. Oliver Townend also achieved an individual podium finish with third place.

“I couldn’t be happier — it’s a long series and we’ve been all over the world; this is a great way to finish,” said British chef d’equipe Philip Surl.

Team GBR entered the final showjumping nearly 30 penalties ahead of their competitors and widened their lead in this phase.

Laura Collett was the first British team rider to jump and went clear on eight-year-old Mr Bass to move up four places to fifth individually. The eight-year-old, who surely has a bright future, belongs to his rider as well as Keith and Louise Scott and Nick and Lyn How.

Izzy Taylor was next in the ring and just had fence four down on Dr Patricia Turner’s Trevidden to slip one spot to individual seventh.

Oliver Townend finished up the British team effort with a fault-free performance on Angela Hislop’s Cooley SRS. This confirmed Britain’s team victory and earnt the pair an individual podium finish in third.

Oliver, who also had just one down today on Ballaghmor Class (40th), said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with both of them — they’ve gone up two leagues.”

The Netherlands went into today’s showjumping in second, but one fence down for Tim Lips (Keyflow) and 14 faults for Elaine Pen with Dostowjeski dropped the home side to third. Alice Naber-Lozeman went clear with Coral Estate Harry Belafonte to provide the best team score in eighth and win the Dutch national championship.

Jocelyn’s near miss

New Zealand moved up to second with a clear from Blyth Tait and Xanthus III, plus four faults apiece for Dan Jocelyn (Beaucatcher) and Mark Todd (Kiltubrid Rhapsody, sixth). Dan was nearly thrown from the saddle at the last fence and crossed the line hanging on and leaning down his horse’s shoulder, although he did manage to get back in the plate rather than falling off.

Young German rider Stephanie Böhe kept a clean sheet today to confirm her individual victory with Insa Kristina Weddige’s Haytom.

“I felt confident but I wasn’t sure how he’d jump today as yesterday was a long course and it was his first CCI this year,” she said. “But he wasn’t tired — he wanted to go round the cross-country again!”

Continued below…

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Her compatriot Andreas Dibowski also recorded a clear to take second on his experienced campaigner FRH Butts Avedon.

The USA’s Lauren Kieffer was second overnight with Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, but the upright at fence nine came down and this dropped the pair to fourth.

Britain had a fourth top-10 individual finisher in Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne, who moved up one place to ninth when they just had fence eight down today.

Full report from Boekelo in H&H next week, out Thursday, 13 October.

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Ireland’s hopes of recording a good finish in the final eventing Nations Cup of the season faded this morning at Boekelo when Jim Newsam’s ride Magennis was eliminated at the trot-up.

The 14-year-old gelding by Limmerick jumped clear across country yesterday with 12.8 time-faults for 24th overnight. But this morning the ground jury — Wayne Quarles, Ciska van Meggelen-Peek and Sándor Fülöp — sent the horse to the holding box. Jim re-presented him, but Magennis was spun.

Ireland now only has Padraig McCarthy (Bernadette Utopia, 18th) and Tegan White (Texan Style, 49th) in the competition as James O’Haire did not present China Doll this morning. Having been sixth overnight in the Nations Cup, they will now drop down the order to ninth.

One British individual horse, Charlotte Bacon’s ride Last Touch, was sent to the holding box, but he was accepted when he was re-presented. Sweden’s Christoffer Forsberg withdrew Wanskjaers Carlsson from the holding box.

Two other individual horses were withdrawn overnight — Tourmaline Du Fief, ridden by France’s Nicolas Mabire, and Phoenix D’Amigny, ridden by Italy’s Umberto Riva.

Outcome of British appeal

There was good news for Britain last night as an appeal against the time-faults given to Nations Cup rider Laura Collett was successful. Laura was recorded as having 3.6 time-penalties when she finished the cross-country on Mr Bass, but she and team officials Philip Surl and Yogi Breisner believed there had been a timing error.

“I knew I was about five seconds inside the time so I was easing off as I finished,” she said. “Yogi had the same time for me, but when Philip looked at the results I’d be given 3.6 time-faults.

“We appealed and the officials looked into it, but to start with they didn’t find anything and it looked like the penalties would stand. That was a bit gutting as he didn’t deserve time-penalties. But when they went through it again they found what had gone wrong.”

Laura has now been given a time of 10 minutes 47 seconds, which puts her three seconds inside the optimum. She lies ninth individually (instead of 13th with the faults). Her score combined with that of Oliver Townend (Cooley SRS) and Izzy Taylor (Trevidden) puts Britain 29.6 penalties in the lead in the Nations Cup before today’s showjumping.

Continued below…

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The time of Italian rider Umberto Riva, who went out six competitors before Laura, was also amended from nine minutes 15 seconds to 10 minutes 15 seconds.

Full report of Boekelo in H&H next week, out Thursday 13 October.

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Britain leads the Nations Cup at Boekelo, the Netherlands, after today’s cross-country (Saturday, 8 October) shook up the leaderboard.

Team GBR held third after dressage, but Sue Benson’s cross-country track proved influential and it was all change at the top.

Oliver Townend got Britain off to a good start with a clear and just 2.4 time-faults with Cooley SRS. This performance left him fifth individually and best of the Brits at the end of the day.

Second team rider Flora Harris had a fall at fence 5ab, two tables on a 90-degree turn, with her 2015 Bramham CCI3* winner. This put the pressure on the last two British competitors, but both delivered.

Laura Collett had 3.6 time-penalties on the inexperienced Mr Bass, but was appealing her time-faults as she and British chef d’equipe Philip Surl believed she was five seconds inside the 10 minute 50 second optimum, as did performance manager Yogi Breisner. However, the penalties remain on the leaderboard at present, which puts Laura 13th individually — should they be removed, she will move up to ninth. (Read about the outcome of this appeal)

Only eight pairs went inside the time today and Izzy Taylor had the equal fastest round on Trevidden, moving up from 22nd after dressage to sixth.

Two Aussie falls

Australia were the dressage leaders, but falls for both Paul Tapner (Bonza King Of Rouges) and Sammi Birch (Hunter Valley II) put paid to their team chances. The only Australian who remains in the top echelons is Sam Griffiths, now 10th on Beaurepaire Nemo. Emma Dougall, fifth after dressage, dropped out of contention after a run-out at fence 11b on Fernhill Tabasco.

“It’s disappointing because it was my error not his — he was very good and didn’t deserve it,” she said.

The German team, second after dressage, had a mixed day and slipped down to fourth in the Nations Cup after pathfinder Anna Siemer had a fall at fence 7b with Chloe 21 and Ben Leuwer (NZB Port Royal) incurred two run-outs at skinnies, including at 7c. Fence 7abc, which consisted of three triple brush arrowheads on an S-bend with no alternatives, proved extremely influential.

However, Germany’s other two riders hold two of the top three spots individually. Stephanie Böhe, seventh after dressage, now sits in first place with her recent Waregem CIC3* winner Haytom after stopping the clock at 10 minutes 33 seconds, the same time as Izzy Taylor.

“I had respect for the course, but I wasn’t nervous,” said 23-year-old Stephanie, who was the penultimate rider on course. “He’s a big character and really motivated — he loves cross-country so much.”

Andreas Dibowski was also fault-free today and moved up from 10th to third with the experienced FRH Butts Avedon.

The USA’s Lauren Kieffer is sandwiched between the two Germans in second, her 2.4 time-faults on Rio reserve horse Meadowbrook’s Scarlett costing her the lead.

“I’ve had her since she was four and we have quite a partnership — I really trust her,” said Lauren, the last rider to go. “Going last gave me the opportunity to see what was and wasn’t working.”

Mark Todd holds fourth for New Zealand with the grey Kiltubrid Rhapsody, who had 4.4 time-penalties today.

“He’s quite a new ride to me — I’ve not had him that long,” said Mark. “It’s his first long format three-star and he’s not thoroughbred so I was a bit unsure how he’d cope. The twisty course didn’t suit him — he’s too slow to turn and too slow to get away from fences — but he was very good and kept galloping all the way to the finish.”

Toddy is also spearheading the New Zealand team effort — they are in third, with the Netherlands in second place. Britain has a 26-penalty lead ahead of tomorrow’s showjumping, but there is only 2.6 penalties between the home side and the Kiwis.

Continued below…

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Britain’s dressage leader Bella Innes Ker had a smooth round with Carolyn at the pair’s first CCI3* together, but they incurred 14.4 time-faults to drop to 16th.

Three riders were taken off course in ambulances today. Germany’s Anna Siemer remains in hospital for observation, while Dutch rider Jordy Wilken was taken to hospital after his fall at the rolltop at fence 20, but then discharged. Italy’s Pietro Sandei, who fell on landing at fence three in the arena near the end of the day, was taken off course in the ambulance but did not need to go to hospital. There were no serious horse injuries.

Full report from Boekelo in H&H next week, out Thursday, 13 October.

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Young British rider Bella Innes Ker leads the dressage in the CCI3* at Boekelo after two days of action.

The Dutch CCI3* is always popular and this year 94 horses came before the ground jury. Bella, 22, performed her test yesterday morning with Carolyn, but the pair’s mark of 42 could not be bettered. Their closest challenge came from the very last competitor when the USA’s Lauren Kieffer (Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett) wound up her test just 0.1 of a penalty behind Bella.

“I feel like I’m in a dream and have to wake up soon,” said Bella earlier today. “Carolyn didn’t put a foot wrong. I’m really pleased — normally she has a few quirky moments when she gets distracted.”

The rider was given some advice by British eventing team dressage trainer Tracie Robinson before her test.

“I’ve never had a lessson with Tracie, but she gave me a couple of tips about the arena and also said the judge at H [Ciska van Meggelen-Peek] was marking quite harshly so to concentrate on straightness and not give any marks away,” said Bella.

The 12-year-old bay mare Carolyn belongs to Bella’s mother, the Duchess of Roxburghe, and has been with the rider five years. The pair were on the British gold medal-winning young rider team last year.

Aussies lead Nations Cup

Australia have the upper hand in the Nations Cup, the final leg of the 2016 series. Paul Tapner leads the way in third individually on a mark of 42.2 riding Angela Scott, Jenny Waller and his own Bonza King Of Rouges. He is backed up by Emma Dougall in fifth on Fernhill Tabasco and Sam Griffiths, who holds sixth on Beaurepaire Nemo.

Emma said: “I’m really pleased — he’s been going really well, but I expected him to light up more in the atmosphere. He kept his head down and stayed focused.”

Australia has all her team riders in the top 12 as Sammi Birch is 11th with her Rio travelling reserve Hunter Valley II.

Britain sits in third place in the team competition, 3.5 penalties behind Germany in second but just 0.2 of a mark ahead of the fourth-placed Kiwis — led by Mark Todd, third individually on Niki Ryan and Dr Elizabeth Donald’s Kiltubrid Rhapsody.

Oliver Townend heads the charge for the British team in individual ninth on Angela Hislop’s Cooley SRS. Team GBR’s other riders are Flora Harris (Bayano, 12th), Izzy Taylor (Trevidden, 22nd), Laura Collett (Mr Bass, 33rd).

Continued below…

Related articles:

Britain’s young event riders claim two golds and a silver

Oliver Townend crowned Event Rider Master to win £30,000 series first prize

Which cross-country fences caught riders out at Houghton’s Nations Cup CIC3*?

Oliver also holds eighth place individually on MHS King Joules, as well as 36th on Ballaghmor Class.

“I’m excited about the future of all three of these horses — they are not by any means established, but talent-wise they are as good as I’ve had for a long time,” said Oliver.

Individual results

Team results

Full report from Boekelo in H&H next week, out Thursday, 13 October.

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It’s the time of year when everyone is winding down and looking forward to having a break — especially when it’s been an Olympic year, which is always particularly full-on.

It’s a time when people start thinking about their horse power for next year, and beyond that, for the World Equestrian Games in 2018 and the 2020 Olympics. The Event Rider Masters series seems to have had a positive effect — riders only need to look at the amount of money series leader Oliver Townend has won over the past few weeks to realise that it is worth having a good horse to aim at the series in the future.

People with Tokyo 2020 aspirations will be looking at smart six-, seven- and eight-year-olds — but then, a horse like my Leonidas II will only be 16 then, which is the age of the individual gold medallist in Rio, Michael Jung’s La Biosthetique-Sam FBW.

But no one seems to be spending lots of money yet — the strongest market seems to be for young horses. These days, because of having to jump through various qualification hoops, you can’t just buy a top horse and be ready to go.

The change-round in who is coaching or managing which team is causing lots of speculation, but no announcements have been made yet. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the next month. A few new teams seem to be emerging, too — Barbados have employed Joss Gray to help them, and the Japanese, of course, are looking to strengthen their firepower ahead of their home Games.

Hospitable horse trials

I’m off to Boekelo for my last international event of the year. Everyone loves going to Boekelo; it has to be the most hospitable horse trials in the calendar. The organiser, Frans van Meggelen, sets the benchmark and does everything he can for us riders, but the whole community gets behind it. And having the Grolsch factory in the back yard helps!

Boekelo has an amazing network of sponsors, and it is all about hospitality and looking after sponsors, owners and riders. They are innovative and try to go that extra mile; Rodney Powell remembers a year when the ferries went on strike, and they organised special planes to get competitors there.

The shopping area is undercover, which is handy in October, and there are bands playing in different places — people just don’t seem to want to go home. I think other events can learn a lot from Boekelo.

The Tuesday night grooms’ party is one to avoid if you don’t want a hangover; these days I try to get there for Wednesday morning and smile at the sorry faces around me…

Giving back

I enjoyed my trip to South of England last weekend. It’s an event that has been around for a long time, and organiser Jenny Nolan and her team do a very good job. The cross-country still caused quite a bit of trouble, but it had been modified from previous years and I thought it was a bit friendlier; I was very happy to ride my first-time intermediate horse round it.

It’s Dauntsey this weekend, and I’m looking forward to my “volunteering” stint — organiser Beanie Sturgis has press-ganged a lot of us riders into helping for several years now. My favourite job is being cross-country collecting ring steward. I get very bossy and won’t let anyone run out of order, no matter who they (think) they are. It’s good fun and nice to be able to give something back every now and then.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 29 September 2016

I was interested to read that the FEI is talking to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the Olympic showjumping qualification process.

This is particularly pertinent with regards to Belgium and Ireland, two strong countries in the Nations Cup this year, who have not qualified. Common sense says both nations should be at the Games, but everyone understands it’s too late to make changes for Rio next year.

In a similar vein I’ve been perturbed for some time by the eventing system, especially when Australia and/or New Zealand have a bad World Equestrian Games.

They then have to qualify for the Olympics against Japan, South Africa and others at a CCI3* — the Asia Pacific Championships — the following year.

Again, common sense tells us that both Australia and New Zealand should be at the Olympics. To ask them to qualify against the developing world is a real “own goal” as we seek greater global participation.

This year’s qualifier was at Boekelo, which is always a softer CCI3* because of Holland’s horse welfare concerns. So much for the FEI’s cries for high and consistent standards of qualifications.

Because New Zealand, arguably the world’s number two nation behind Germany, were seeking qualification at Boekelo, other countries did not even bother to go to the expense of attending.

If New Zealand or any other country have four riders high enough up the Olympic athlete rankings they can field an Olympic team anyway — almost a certainty for New Zealand had they not qualified at Boekelo — so why make them do this one-sided process and kill off the aspirations of the developing nations?

The same principle could be used at the Pan Ams, where too often the US and Canada snuff out South American hopes, although in 2016 Brazil will compete as host nation.

This conundrum needs to be on the Olympic 2020 Agenda.

What will we sacrifice?

Mark Todd recently made his frequent plea for more prize-money, maybe from a percentage of the gate, and enviously eyed Scott Brash’s $1m Rolex Grand Slam.

Sadly, we are looking at apples and oranges. It is really difficult to make significant money out of running horse trials. Badminton and Burghley manage it, but do most people pay for the sport or the social side and shopping?

All events are in the entertainment business. Showjumping is cheaper to stage, easier to televise — attracting more sponsors — and spectators get a result every two hours or so.

In eventing we are slowly moving in a positive direction. Piggy French said my course at Kelsall flowed well, but was twisty. Yes, because the whole objective is to make it spectator friendly, so most jumps can be seen from one spot.

One of the most successful events I was involved in this year was the advanced-level showcase at Wellington in Florida, which offered compact viewing, was cheap to televise and gave a quick result.

We have to assess how we can make eventing easier to understand, cheaper to stage and more TV and spectator friendly — questions the IOC has put to us. We can only achieve this on smaller acreages — if we go this way, we may see more prize-money. But it will mean a different sport to the one we know in the traditional British parkland.

Ref: Horse & Houd; 15 October 2015

An all-female British eventing team just missed out on victory in the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup series in Boekelo, Netherlands, at the weekend (8-12 October)

The team of Laura Collett, Gemma Tattersall, Sarah Bullimore and Emilie Chandler finished just 1.6pen behind a strong New Zealand line-up.

The Brits led after dressage and jumped four clear rounds cross-country, but time penalties allowed the Kiwis (pictured) to slip into the lead by 0.7pen.

Gemma piled on the pressure on the final day by jumping a clear round with Dinky Inky, but New Zealand’s Lucy Jackson also jumped clear to secure the win and finish second individually.

The class was won by France’s Thomas Carlile with Sirocco du Gers.

“I have a fantastic horse,” he said. “He’s only eight and this was his first CCI3*. They don’t come much braver and more honest than him. My main aim was to give him confidence.”

Emilie Chandler finished best of the British team for 11th in the CCI3* first-timer Coopers Law.

“This is one of the most amazing events I’ve had the privilege to be part of,” Emilie said.

“The course rode really well, the presentation was immaculate and everyone has worked very hard on the ground, considering the weather turned it into a bog last year.”

Fifteen nations took part in this year’s series which was held over nine legs across Europe with the top seven results counting towards the overall placings.

Team GB finished in second place in the series just four-points behind the Germany.

“This has been a brilliant finale to what has been a very exciting and successful FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing season,” Catrin Norinder, FEI director of eventing, said.

“It’s particularly pleasing that so many nations contested the final.”

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Eventer Laura Collett is confident she will compete at Boekelo next month despite breaking her foot in a fall last Tuesday (9 September).

The horse she was riding, Ouzo, was being vetted for the Brightwells auction at Blenheim Horse Trials (12 September) when the accident happened.

“I was galloping for the vet to listen to his wind when he spooked and reared to one side,” said Laura.

As he turned away, he slipped and fell trapping Laura’s foot underneath him. She broke four of the five metatarsal bones in her foot.

Impressively, Laura still managed to ride in the dressage at Blenheim on Friday (12 September) before getting treatment for her injury.

“I tried jumping Controe on the Thursday afternoon (who was not competing) but it was too painful, so I did the dressage on Grand Manoeuvre on the Friday and then went to hospital,” said Laura.

The foot specialist in Bath told her to rest for the next few weeks.

Laura said she should be fine to take Grand Manoeuvre to the CICO3* at Boekelo in Holland on 9-12 October.

Her plan is to go on from there to Le Lion d’Angers in France for the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships for young horses.

“My leg is too swollen for a cast so I have to keeping icing it and keep it up in a boot which luckily I don’t have to sleep in,” Laura told H&H.

Last year she was in a coma for a week after a fall at Tweseldown, but was riding soon after coming home.

“It wasn’t so bad last year because I could still get on and ride. I am very bored,” she admitted.

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Britain will field the following horses and riders at the FEI Nations Cup final in Boekelo, the Netherlands, which starts today (10-13 October):

• Laura Collett on Philip Walker’s Allora 3
• Izzy Taylor on KBIS and Jo Meyer’s KBIS Starlet
• Kitty King on Jane Murfett and Frank Inns’ Persimmon
• Gemma Tattersall on Christopher Stone’s Chico Bella P (pictured leading the Brits to Nations Cup victory at Houghton)

The Brits have used this year’s Nations Cup series to give up-and-coming riders team experience and are sticking to this strategy despite being just 1 point ahead of the Germans going into the final.

Yogi Breisner said: “We have 6 of our CICO team riders out here and it wasn’t at all easy to select 4 of them since they are all on equally good form. It is a really exciting team and it is great to have a team of such talented horses and riders.”

107 starters line up at the popular CICO3* at Boekelo, including 21 Brits. Laura Collett rides Noble Bestman as well as team ride Allora 3, William Fox-Pitt brings Gaucho and Blenheim 8- and 9-year-old champion Fernhill Pimms and Dani Evans competes on Raphael II, which whom she won young rider individual bronze last year.

They can expect strong opposition from, among others: Mark Todd (NZL) and the Bramham runner-up Leonidas II, Lizzie Brown (NZL) on Blair CCI2* winner Henton Attorney General, Peter Thomsen (GER) with London 2012 team gold medallist Horseware’s Barny and Camilla Speirs (IRL) with Portersize Just A Jiff, 2nd here in 2011.

Results and entries

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Boekelo international horse trials in the Netherlands have taken a unique approach to advertising, with a mock romantic video clip guaranteed to catch attention currently doing the rounds on the internet.

As a happy couple take a romantic cycle through the woods, they decide to indulge in a bit of ‘horseplay’ in a pond. Literally, it turns out, when their moment is interrupted by a discerning looking grey horse – and its equally unimpressed rider – sploshing through the water.

The couple has in fact stumbled across a water jump on the cross-country course.

The Military Boekelo Enschede takes place in Holland next month (6-9 Octover) and hosts a CCI***. British riders entered include Oliver Townend, Zara Phillips, Matthew Wright and Tina Cook.

Full list of Boekelo entries

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Rodney Powell carried off the €12,500 first prize at Boekelo CCI*** in Holland (11-14 October) on Zinzan II. The combination added just one time-penalty to their dressage score to finish on a mark of 41.4.

German rider Frank Ostholt jumped a super clear round on the final day to take second place with Mr Medicott on 44.1.

Tina Cook finished third on Miners Frolic. Just one rail down in the final phase moved Tina up a place from fourth after cross-country.

Germany’s Kai Rüder finished fourth with the 10-year-old Selle Francais Jeans. And Oliver Townend had victory within his grasp, lying second to Rodney overnight, but two rails down dropped Jackson D’Allez to fifth.

Sweden’s Linda Algotsson dropped from third to sixth with two fences down on her 17-year-old old Stand By Me, and New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson finished seventh with Silbury Hill.

Zara Phillips was eighth with the New Zealand-bred Glenbuck, who used to be competed by Sherelle Duke.

There was sad news when Oliver Smith’s Monarch’s Aristocrat, ridden by William Fox-Pitt, shattered his pastern irreparably while galloping in the woods between fences 21 and 22.

Read H&H’s full report from Boekelo, including fantastic photographs, in tomorrow’s magazine (18 October, ’07)

• For details of how to join the Event Horse Owners Association visit: www.ehoa.orgThe EHOA will be holding it’s annual dinner and awards night at the Inner Temple central London on Thursday 1 November. The guest speaker this year is Richard Waygood. For tickets contact Monika Hunt (tel: 07802 498786) or email: monika@monikahunt.co.uk

Download your free 12-page sample of Eventing magazine (September issue)

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Call it a good sense of timing. William Fox-Pitt managed to make it back from the three-week suspension he got at Gatcombe just in time to win the CCI*** at Boekelo, in The Netherlands, with his Bramham winner, Mr Dumbledore (pictured).

Britain was immediately off to an auspicious start at the Dutch event, with Ruth Edge and Two Thyme, Pippa Funnell and Walk on Star and Fox-Pitt and Mr Dumbledore landing first, third and fourth place in dressage. Clayton Fredericks and Nullabor provided an Australian interlude in second place.

But the picture changed dramatically after the cross-country. Fox-Pitt had an excellent round and jumped to first place on his dressage score. Edge disappeared from the top end of the leaderboard, while Fredericks rode a better cross-country round with his other mount — Master Felix—than with his dressage leader. Their places at the top were nabbed by Germany’s Andreas Dibowoski and FHR Little Lemon B, who were second, and Lucy Wiegersma and In the Purple, who were third. Funnell, who had ended 15th in the cross-country phase, clung to fourth place with Walk on Star.

Another shake-up was to take place in the show jumping round — but it didn’t touch the top combinations. Fox-Pitt and Mr Dumbledore breezed through the course to finish in first place on his dressage score of 47.20pen. Dibowski also jumped clear and ended second at 49.20pen.

“William pretty much dominated the season,” says Kirsty Grant from British Eventing. “He was second at Badminton, won a one-two at Bramham, was our Premier League inaugural champion, won the British open title and Burghley, and was second and won the team gold at the Europeans. Add to it that he has got a baby boy — and it was a pretty full year for him!”

Britain went close to getting another rider in the top three, but the end of the show jumping round saw Wiegersma slide from third to sixth place, while Funnell went down to eighth place. This opened up the way for France’s Nicolas Touzaint, who conquered the third and fourth spot aboard Joker d’Helby and Hethi Bey respectively.

The French rider also spearheaded his squad onto winning the team competition. Although there were a lot more British than French riders in the first 20 places, only Fox-Pitt and Funnell were part of the British team. The other two team members — Francis Whittington with Spin Doctor and Edge — ended in 56th and 65th place. France, by contrast, had three out of four team members — Touzaint, Karim Florent Laghouag and Jean-Renaud Adde — in the top 20. This allowed them to bring home the team title with a total score of 192.90. Britain was second with a combined score of 208.60, followed by Germany with 233.60.

“It only takes a couple of results and you are second rather than first, but that’s eventing for you,” says Grant. “Still, we can’t complain too much. It’s nice to see so many British riders doing so well.”

• Don’t miss H&H’s full report on all the action from Boekelo in this Thursday’s magazine (13 October, ’05)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now