A nine-time youth medallist, Laura Collett, 36, has won three five-stars and five senior championship medals with her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52, including two Olympic team golds and individual bronze in Paris. At the Agria European Eventing Championships at Blenheim in September this year, the pair finally won the senior individual gold medal that Laura has coveted for so long.

In the 13 November issue of H&H magazine – in shops now – Laura tells H&H’s editor Pippa Roome about the final build-up to her epic performance. Here’s a taster of a week that ended so much more gloriously than it started…

The run up to Blenheim in Laura’s own words…

On Tuesday before the championships began, I had a dressage lesson with Ian Woodhead before I left home. It was a total disaster and I had a complete meltdown. Ian kept laughing and saying, “Don’t panic,” and I was like, “Panic? I’m going to the Europeans and I can’t do a flying change.”

He said, “Don’t worry, I’ve ordered 20 flying changes special delivery on Amazon.”

I was not in the best mood arriving at Blenheim.

We’d been told who was riding on the team and as individuals, plus the order, the week before, but it’s always open to change until after the trot-up. We’d been asked our ideal position – I said I didn’t mind third or fourth, but I’d like number four and I felt the horse had earned that. On my pony, junior and young rider teams I was always number four… so perhaps I need that spot to get an individual gold.

On Wednesday morning, Tom McEwen and I went hacking together for about 90 minutes and then I did five or 10 minutes stretching with Dan, but I wasn’t ready to try a flying change.

I had a lesson with Ian on Thursday morning, thinking that if necessary I could school Dan again in the afternoon. But the flying changes were perfect, so I was a lot happier after that!

Championships are funny – you are fitting in course walks, which took a long time with the water crossings and timing them to walk the arena fence when the dressage isn’t running, watching team-mates and riding your horse. At the end of the day, you feel like you haven’t stopped, but equally you haven’t done that much.

On Friday morning, I took Dan up the canter track and then did some canter poles, all in his jump saddle. It’s a way to get some energy out without having to drill him and it gives him some playtime.

I replayed some of my previous tests to get in the zone, and went through everything I needed to remember in my head.

“He needs the crowd”: Laura Collett at the European Championships

I got on Dan just over 40 minutes before my test time and trotted up to the arena. Sometimes we’ve overdone it in the warm-up, so I kept giving him little breaks. It was quite hard mentally – you feel like you should be doing something, but I know him so well and I was adamant I wasn’t going to overcook him.

As I circled in the final warm-up, Dan grabbed the bit and shoved his head in the air. I was thinking, “Oh no, I wish I hadn’t given him so many walks.” He loves to wind me up.

The test went to plan except the last centre line, where Dan started to park up early. Ground jury president Sandy Phillips was laughing and I was too – I felt like I was kicking to keep him in canter after such a beautiful test!

We scored 20.6 to sit second behind Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH. I was relieved. There are such high expectations with Dan and every test he’s done this year has been nice, but lacking the wow feeling. He needs the crowd – he’ll only give it his all when it really matters and that’s fine by me.

• Read Laura’s moment by moment review of her Europeans week in this week’s Horse & Hound (13 November).

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Chance Encounter, who helped Ireland secure its historic team silver medal at the Agria Blenheim European Eventing Championships last month, has died aged 16.

The Irish Sport Horse gelding, owned by Belline Estate Equestrian and his rider Robbie Kearns, was taken to an equine hospital and treated for colic and sepsis, but could not be saved.

Robbie and Chance Encounter, known at home as Harry, made their championship debut at the European Championships where they helped the team win silver, the country’s first senior European eventing team medal in 30 years. The pair finished 18th individually.

Richard Ames of Belline Estate told H&H the team is “absolutely distraught”.

“Harry was a member of the family and he was just coming to the top of his career. He had his loving groom Maxine Rae, who always looked after him, and Robbie, who got on exceptionally well with him,” said Richard.

“My wife Tanja and I, and the rest of the team at Belline, all loved him to bits.”

Richard bought Harry as a three-year-old and his career started with Caroline Powell, when she was based with Richard and Tanja in Suffolk. Caroline and Harry finished eighth in the six-year-old class at the young horse World Championships at Le Lion in 2015.

The Ames family moved to Ireland, where Harry was ridden by Belline’s former riders Daniel Alderson and Gillian King, then Robbie took over the reins in 2022. The pair made their five-star debut together at Luhmühlen in June 2023, jumping clear across country, and they completed their second five-star at Pau that autumn. This summer they finished 10th at Luhmühlen. They also had top-10 placings at four-star, including fourth in Ballindenisk CCI4*-S in April.

“Robbie and Harry absolutely gelled together, they just seemed to click,” said Richard.

“It was almost like a human relationship, where you just meet the right person. You wouldn’t have said it was love at first sight, but they got to know each other, which made it a very special relationship. They trusted each other implicitly and it enabled them to do what they did. It was wonderful to see.”

Chance Encounter leaves his connections with lots of happy memories.

“Finishing 10th at Luhmühlen, then helping the Irish team get their silver medal with a fabulous performance, those were the two big highlights of the year – but there’s lots of other highlights,” said Richard.

“At Pau last year when we all needed our wetsuits, Robbie and Harry just clicked. He was one of those horses that when he finished, whether it be a five-star or whatever he was in, within two or three minutes he’d say, ‘Come on, let me go and do it again’.

“It’s been a family affair; from Tanja and I, his groom Maxine, and Robbie, we couldn’t be a closer family. But the tribute is to Harry, he had an amazing character, was an amazing jumper and he was a lovely horse to have around. We’ve been very lucky to have lots of good horses and some good ones pensioned off here, but Harry was just that very special person and he’s been robbed of us too short.”

Robbie, who is in his first year at vet school in Surrey, told H&H that Harry was “my best mate for the last three years”.

“Even though I only met him a few years ago, it was like I knew him my whole life. I can’t quite put into words how much he meant to me,” he said.

“He was an incredible horse. There was no character like him, every time you saddled him up he gave you 100%. He almost tried too hard on the flat sometimes, which made him a bit excitable, but he became way better over our time together. He was a super cross-country and jumping horse, he hardly ever had a rail.”

Robbie said the European Championships was “an amazing experience”.

“It felt like a culmination of years of hard work that came to fruition and it was really nice because that doesn’t always happen. It was so special to do it with Harry, and to have his groom Max, who has looked after him his whole life, there helping me with him,” said Robbie.

“I had a fall at Blenheim the first year I rode Harry there in 2023, so I had a few little demons going out on the cross-country and the same fence was on the course this year, but he just soared through. He was amazing, and nothing ever felt like a challenge. I was hoping to line him up for Badminton next year, and I’m really sad that didn’t happen for him because he deserved to go.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Ireland eyes up Aachen worlds – and beyond – after celebrating first Euros eventing team medal in 30 years

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Individual Olympic bronze medallist and Burghley and Badminton winner Andrew Nicholson, who is currently cross-country coach to the Swiss eventing team, reflects on an exciting European Championships at Blenheim

European Championships course-designer Mark Phillips should be very pleased with what he did. I thought it was a good track when I walked it, and it was very enjoyable to watch the riders tackle it.

It must be an unbelievable feeling for Laura Collett to have beaten Michael Jung – especially as she won it on speed across country. The right three riders got the individual medals. The form was there to be studied beforehand; hardened championship partnerships and five-star winners were going to come out on top.

My role as cross-country coach for the Swiss meant that I didn’t watch everything that happened to each competitor on cross-country day, but from what I did see, it was a very good day for the sport. Yes, there were fallers, but they weren’t struggling round the track and then falling – the majority were going beautifully, making for pleasant viewing and then something happened to make them fall off. The riding was good and horses continued to look fitter than they have done in the past, finishing well, which makes me think that things are going in the right direction.

It was unfortunate for the Brits that four of them ended up on the floor, but these things happen. I was part of the team at the World Championships in 1994 that were favourites to win and yet at least two of us – Mark Todd and I – fell off at the same fence. Vaughn Jefferis saved us by taking individual gold, and we still qualified for the Olympics, but we fell off left, right and centre.

Piggy March was going too well, making it look so easy, which goes to show that sometimes it’s better when you have a couple of little hairy moments to keep you and your horse sharp.

I was impressed with the part of the course from the three-minute mark to four minutes, from the main arena to the end of the section on the South Lawn of Blenheim Palace. There were seven jumping efforts within that time – and, despite the big solid corners in front of the palace causing the majority of the worried chatter beforehand, they jumped really well.

Having so many jumps within a short space of time was clever; it made riders slow down, so do they then speed up and potentially make other places on the track more difficult than they had appeared on walking?

It’s a normal occurrence – when riders are worried about fences, they ride them well. They ride where they walk in those circumstances, whereas it can be easy to get a little casual about bits of the track which don’t seem so difficult.

The door is open

Three months ago, there was a lot of chat about the British being able to field three teams and still win at Blenheim. Now you’d think they perhaps might not have the power and depth they thought they did. It’s healthy – the door is open to be on the British team for the World Championships next year, and for other teams to win medals.

A young German team, with Michael Jung as the 43-year-old “grandfather”, won; good for their chef d’equipe Peter Thomsen, who would have got grief for returning from Paris 2024 with no team medal.

The Irish were impressive to win silver with a largely new-look team, although after Austin O’Connor’s second place at Defender Burghley, they are bound to want him back in the fold for the worlds in Aachen.

Cédric Lyard and Jean-Luc Force are a new partnership managing the French team and, in a new post-Thierry Touzaint era, they would have been under a lot of pressure to win a medal, which they did with some new faces on the squad.

Our Swiss team were so close – they could taste, see and feel that medal, but they didn’t get it. However, at least they are putting themselves in a position to be able to win – and lose – it, which is better than being nowhere near it. Their time will come.

● What are your thoughts on the Europeans shake-up? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also be interested in:

‘This tops everything’: glorious gold for Laura Collett and London 52 at Blenheim European Championships

Ireland eyes up Aachen worlds – and beyond – after celebrating first Euros eventing team medal in 30 years

‘The bubble had to burst – but they’ll come back even stronger’: eventing performance manager reflects on Britain’s elimination at Blenheim European Championships

Mark Phillips’ would ‘still bet on the Brits for world gold’ despite four rider falls at Blenheim Europeans

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The Irish squad’s success at the 2025 Agria Blenheim European Eventing Championships is cause for celebration and an exciting start to this Olympic cycle.

The Irish team secured its first senior European eventing team medal in 30 years at Blenheim last week (report, 25 September). It followed hot on the heels of Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue’s second place at Defender Burghley – Ireland’s best finish at the Lincolnshire CCI5* since 1963 – and weeks after Ireland won team silver at the young rider Europeans (20–24 August).

The 2025 senior European Championships are the first in the cycle building towards the 2026 World Championships in Aachen and the LA28 Olympics. And for Ireland to have won a medal when the majority of horses on the squad are only 10 or 11 years old is promising for the future.

“We’ll enjoy this result but I think it’s fair to say we are building an excellent eventing programme and obviously now Aachen will be the next major target,” said Dag Albert, Ireland’s high performance manager for young riders and seniors, who took on the role this spring.

“We have an incredible pool of riders and horses now, it was actually very tough to pick six to come here – so you would have to be very excited for next year.”

Ireland has not been far off the podium in recent years. The team finished fourth at the previous Europeans in Haras du Pin, and has had major success to celebrate elsewhere including at five-stars and on the Nations Cup circuit. Irish rider Cathal Daniels won individual bronze at the 2019 European Championships.

Although the horses were new faces at senior championships, with the exception of individual Susie Berry’s campaigner Clever Trick, this was a side that had a wealth of valuable experience coming into Blenheim.

Experienced championship rider Padraig McCarthy, part of the world silver medal-winning side at Tryon in 2018, was riding 11-year-old Pomp N Circumstance. He was joined on the team by senior championship debutant Robbie Kearns, 27, with seasoned campaigner Chance Encounter, and Ian Cassells, who was part of the squad as an individual in 2023 and on the team for the first time at Blenheim with 11-year-old Millridge Atlantis. Aoife Clark completed the quartet with 10-year-old Full Monty De Lacense, a new ride this year with whom she has built a super partnership and was unlucky to have a fall during an otherwise great round at Blenheim. Sarah Ennis joined Susie as the other individual on the squad, riding rising star 10-year-old Dourough Ferro Class Act to finish 15th.

Padraig told H&H the team silver medal was a “massively significant” moment for Irish eventing.

“We had the medal in Tryon, and again it was a coming together of a very good bunch of horses at the right time,” he said.

He added that the difference this time was “maybe we didn’t have horses that could challenge for an individual medal like we did in Tryon”, but rather the strength as a team.

“We spoke a lot with the chef about that, and how for instance, last year [at Blenheim], one horse made the time in the long format out of more than 100 starters, which was a nearly [full] thoroughbred horse I had,” he said.

“So Blenheim is very hard to get the time traditionally. Added to that was the fact that Mark Phillips was designing the course; we knew that it was going to be ratcheted up in terms of difficulty. So our big focus this year was getting fast, experienced horses there.”

He added: “We knew that good, quick cross-country horses would probably get us very close to the podium on Saturday night. We went in there thinking we could, if everything went like it can do for us, that we should be in the top three at that point.

“For us, this week was all about the team.”

Looking ahead, he added that this is an exciting time for Ireland, nodding to the fact these horses now have championship experience, to the wider pool of talent, and Austin’s result at Burghley.

“Were punching well above our weight in terms of funding and support that other teams have and that’s not insignificant,” he said, adding that the majority of the backing comes from their owners, for which they are hugely grateful, and riders themselves. “I think we’re in a good place.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The former Olympic team gold medallist, four-time Badminton winner and one of the world’s leading cross-country course-designers reflects on the past few weeks in eventing and issues at the FEI

The eventing Europeans at Agria Blenheim were great and provided a super cross-country day – unless you were on the British team. Not since 1993 have the Brits not finished as a team at the European Championships and never before have four of six Brits had an unscheduled visit to the turf. All the four were going well, then suddenly made rider errors that will haunt them for months.

If I was a betting man I’d back the Brits at the worlds in Aachen next year. The experience gained here will be invaluable and they won’t repeat those same mistakes.

Laura Collett and Tom McEwen showed the benefit of their experience and put in personal-best performances on cross-country day and immaculate showjumping to secure individual medals.

Ros Canter put on a masterclass at Defender Burghley when she and Lordships Graffalo made a difficult five-star cross-country look like a walk in the park. In sport, we are seldom lucky enough to witness such things.

I felt sorry for Oliver Townend with Cooley Rosalent, who was only at Burghley at the behest of owner Paul Ridgeon’s dying wish as he thought he wouldn’t still be alive to watch her at Blenheim. A slightly trusting moment at the Maltings and a fence down on Sunday meant the fairy tale wasn’t going to happen.

“I was dismayed”

I went to Hartpury in August, as a selector and to watch the British open championship I created, ran and promoted for nearly 30 years at Gatcombe, before it moved to Hartpury last year.

I was dismayed and embarrassed. There were so few in the class and almost more foreign riders than Brits. The prize money of £407 for first won’t have covered the winner’s costs and third prize of £192 won’t have covered the entry fee.

The cross-country was identical to in 2024, bar one fence – but Hartpury did do an amazing job with the footing despite the drought.

The CCI4*-S – in which the leading Brits ran – had over £7,000 of prize money. If the British open means nothing to Hartpury and British Eventing (BE), then scrap it or give it to an organiser who wants to make something of it.

My comments take nothing away from winner Katie Magee – beating Tim Price and Vitali is no mean feat. But when I think back to the greats who’ve won the title – Mark Todd, Blyth Tait, Lucinda Green, Ginny Elliot – it’s sad that BE have allowed this competition to fade into the backwaters.

Issues at the FEI

The FEI level four officials programme, designed to pick out those fit to take roles at five-stars and championships, has been much vaunted and probably misconceived from the beginning and many advised the FEI to scrap it.

I believe nearly all course-designers who applied for level four have now been or are being approved. I guess this was the easiest way for the FEI to save face! We’re now pretty much back to where we started – officials for five-stars and championships will once again be chosen by the FEI committee and the organisers, as all are available.

The FEI still refuses to talk to the International Eventing Officials Club, which represents the vital role of officials, since it arbitrarily cancelled their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

This long-running saga, borne principally over the level four programme, is going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 8 October. This is beyond belief – surely everyone is on the same side, sharing the best interests of eventing?

The intransigence of the FEI reached new heights in August when they dismissed the director of eventing Frédérique Reffet Plantier as she initially wasn’t sure she could accept the new combined role of director of eventing and driving and spend enough time with her family.

Fred has been a breath of fresh air since she took over in January, working overtime to pursue what is best for eventing, and has universal support. Despite lobbying from all stakeholders the FEI have refused to reverse their decision. Maybe one day we will see a good decision come out of Lausanne…

● What was your highlight of the European Championships? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also be interested in:

Individual glory for Laura Collett, a resurgent Irish team, and other news to wrap up the Blenheim European Championships

Four British falls, shades of 2005 and a leaderboard in turmoil: everything you need to know about Blenheim Europeans cross-country day

Britain in silver as big three nations hold the podium after Blenheim Europeans dressage, plus the final riders who helped other countries challenge

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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

What a fitting climax it was as eventing fans at Blenheim Palace were treated to two British individual Blenheim European Championships medals. Germany were in a league of their own in the team competition, but we expect the celebrations in the Irish camp to be extensive – both on location and back home – after their first Europeans team podium in 30 years.

If you haven’t been able to follow the day as it unfolded, then we have all the highlights here for you to enjoy…

Who won the Blenheim European Championships medals?

While Germany had a large cushion to claim team gold, a momentary lapse in concentration for Malin Hansen-Hotopp did get hearts beating a little bit faster.

• Find out what caused Malin to “lose her line and her brain”

Tom McEwen put in a masterful performance on JL Dublin in the final phase to add bronze to the horse’s previous gold medal.

• Tom was philosophical about competing against “possible two of the greatest horses in our sport”

After Michael Jung produce a clear round inside the time, all eyes were on Laura Collett, but she showed no signs of feeling the pressure and jumped a brilliant clear to win.

• “I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this,” said Laura after winning gold

Laura’s gold medal-winning ride London 52 won the Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S back in 2018, and this year’s class was once again packed with horses oozing with potential to become championship stars of the future.

• Find out how the cross-country phase of Blenheim’s young horse class played out

To catch up with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website, and for our in-depth analysis of how all the Europeans action played out, pick up your copy of Horse &Hound magazine, in shops from Thursday 25 September

Take a look back our daily Blenheim Europeans summaries

Four British falls, shades of 2005 and a leaderboard in turmoil: everything you need to know about Blenheim Europeans cross-country day

One sub-20, the key to a horse-shy mare and get ready for cross-country: everything you need to read from Friday at the Blenheim Europeans

Frustrating mistakes, a tussle at the top and Blenheim memories: everything you need to know from Thursday at the Europeans

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

The German eventing team produced a masterclass to land their seventh team gold at the Agria Blenheim European Championships with a nine-fence margin.

Germany appeared to have an unassailable lead after four solid cross-country performances gave them nine fences in hand over Ireland, which extended to 12 by the time the German riders – at the top of the order – came to jump.

There was a brief moment of drama – despite their enormous cushion – when Malin Hansen-Hotopp nearly went the wrong way after knocking down a fence in the double, but the crowd’s gasp set her straight and she managed to redirect without crossing her tracks.

“I had the pole down before the turn, which was my first in I don’t know how many competitions and I lost my line and my brain!” said Malin, who dropped from seventh to 11th. “Everyone was screaming, so I thought I have to turn! It was good Germany had a lot of poles in hand. But I was as bit sad because he’s such a good showjumper but the jockey was not as good today.”

Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice also lowered a pole (remaining on eighth place), but when Michael Jung jumped clear on FischerChipmunk FRH to secure individual silver, the team gold was safely in the bag.

“A great week!” said Michael. “To win the gold medal in England is a very special thing, it’s such a big country in the sport of eventing. Luck was on our side.”

Historic team silver for Ireland

Ireland were bidding for their first team medal since the 2018 World Equestrian Games, and had a two-fence buffer to hold on to silver. They had added pressure as all scores had to count following the cross-country elimination of Aoife Clark on Saturday.

They used up one of their fences in Robbie Kearns’ round on Chance Encounter, but Padraig McCarthy conjured a superb round from Pomp N Circumstance for a clear inside the time. Their third and final pair of Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis marred an otherwise lovely round when the horse kicked out the plank. They added 6.8 faults to the team score, but maintained silver, 5.6 penalties clear of France.

“My horse has 10 or 11 consecutive clear rounds at four-star level, and it’s an amazing feeling coming into showjumping with that bank of clear rounds behind you,” said Padraig, who moved up from 16th to 12th individually. “It’s a historical day for Ireland to clinch silver.”

French take home team bronze

It was very tight for the bronze, with Switzerland only once fence ahead of France, after the highly experienced Swiss anchorman Felix Vogg being their discard score from cross-country.

France laid down the first marker with Sebastien Cavaillon and Elipso De La Vigne jumping the first clear inside the time. Their number two Astier Nicolas (Alertamalib D’Or) was also clear, with just 0.4 of a time-fault.

“My horse was a bit tired, but gave his utmost to please me and the team,” said Astier, who moved up three places to 16th.

Alex Goury, the final French rider, took a few heart-stopping strides out on Je’Vall but nonetheless escaped penalty-free to secure his country a place on the podium and a climb to individual sixth.

Switzerland slipped to fourth, having been up against it with France’s three clears. Despite Felix Vogg and Robin Godel’s clear rounds, Switzerland’s grasp on the podium faded when their pathfinder Nadja Minder’s Toblerone knocked down an early plank, the first in the treble and the first in the double. Mélody Johner and Erin had two down which ensured Switzerland dropped no further.

“Of course I wanted to be clear for myself and our team, but this is still an unexpected result, I was just here to gain some experience with my young horse,” said Mélody. “To come here in England, I was afraid, but in the end it’s been unbelievable. And we have a great partnership for the future.”

Blenheim European Championships team results

To catch up with all the news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Four British falls, shades of 2005 and a leaderboard in turmoil: everything you need to know about Blenheim Europeans cross-country day

Michael Jung leads Germany to team gold at close of Blenheim Europeans cross-country as rest of team leaderboard juggled

‘The bubble had to burst – but they’ll come back even stronger’: eventing performance manager reflects on Britain’s elimination at Blenheim European Championships

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

You could have heard a pin drop in the Palace Arena as Laura Collett and London 52 delivered the showjumping round that secured her that coveted individual gold medal at the Agria Blenheim European Championships.

As she soared over the final fence, the crowd erupted. Laura lifted her arm and pointed down to salute her fabulous partner, throwing her arms around him as she trotted out to an emotional support crew.

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this,” said Laura. “Mainly for the horse, because I feel sometimes I’ve let him down and he’s finally got the championships he deserves. This is for him, it’s all him.

“There are no words to explain what this horse means to me. I said when he won my first five-star in Pau in 2020 if he never wins anything again he’s done more than I can ever dream of. What he’s done more in those five years is just a dream – I say dreams come true but I didn’t even dream this.

“This tops everything. I came so close in Paris last year, and to come back and have another head to head with Michi [Jung], it’s what makes this sport so special. These horses are so unbelievably special to keep coming aback and producing the results they do time and time again.

“It’s unreal – and extra special to be at a home championships, a local event for me. To be sat on a horse like him and for him to come up with the goods in all three phases, it’s just wow.”

Laura and Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett’s London 52 already held two Olympic team golds, European team gold and Olympic individual bronze, plus three five-star trophies, but the one notable omission in the legendary horse’s cabinet was an individual gold.

In Paris last year, the pair had a rail down which cost them the individual title, won by Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH. And so again this championships was billed as a showdown between two of the great horses of our time, who have so often battled it out at the top of major contests. The tally was in Chipmunk’s favour 4-1, but London turned the tables this time.

Laura had moved up from second after dressage to hold the gold medal spot overnight, thanks to her fast clear across country, but she did not have a fence in hand over Michael, only room for 1.7 time-faults. One fence would drop her to silver, and she’d still be on the bottom step of the podium with two down. But gold was what she was here to win.

Laura had joked the night before, “I let Michi win Olympic gold when I knocked down one there [in Paris], so maybe he could do the same to me this time?”

London has only had two rails down in total over the past three seasons, but pressure can do funny things. In the morning session, the clock had a big impact, with only two riders going clear inside the time, so Laura couldn’t be too cautious. She was brilliant under pressure, conjuring a foot-perfect round, to cruise home for just 0.4 of a time-fault without a moment’s concern.

Blenheim European Championships medals and final results

Gold: Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR): 27

Silver: Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH (GER): 28.3

Bronze: Tom McEwen and JL Dublin (GBR): 33

4th: Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (GER): 36.5

5th: Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P (AUT): 36.5

6th: Alex Goury and Je’Vall (FRA): 46.7

Teams

Gold: Germany

Silver: Ireland

Bronze: France

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Tom McEwen secured the individual bronze medal at the Agria Blenheim European Championships with a magical clear showjumping round on JL Dublin.

Tom was one of the fastest rounds on cross-country day with James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin to secure the bronze position he had held from the dressage phase. The horse himself has already won individual European gold, in 2021 with Nicola Wilson, but after finishing fourth at last year’s Olympics, Tom was out to do even better.

When the two below him – German individual rider Calvin Böckmann (The Phantom Of The Opera) and Austria’s Lea Siegl (Van Helsing) – clinched rare clears inside the time, Tom had no leeway. But JL Dublin was one of the best jumpers in the field, who hadn’t had an rail down in any of his internationals for over 18 months. And match that with Tom, who has always had a cool head and the pair duly produced a stunning clear to ensure at least bronze.

And bronze it stayed, as the two above – new European champion Laura Collett and the silver medallist Michael Jung – also jumped clears inside the time to maintain their advantage.

“We are competitive by nature,” said Tom. “We all have amazing horses and we all believe our own is the best. Dubs has done phenomenally well; he couldn’t have done any better and was just beaten by two better horses, possibly two of the greatest horses in our sport. You work your best and that’s where we are at.

“I couldn’t be happier with every single aspect. We made a small mistake in the dressage, but that hasn’t cost us.”

Olympic champions take European silver

Michael Jung had a fence in hand to guard silver, but didn’t need it. The 17-year-old FischerChipmunk showed no weariness after yesterday’s exertions to jump an easy clear and put the pressure on Tom’s team-mate Laura. Michael added team gold for Germany to his individual silver.

“A really good day and a great week, I’m really happy,” said Michael. “FischerChipmunk was amazing in the dressage and cross-country, and also the showjumping. It’s amazing to have such a nice horse to ride, and compete at nearly every championship. It’s really not normal.

“It was a tough showjumping course,” he reflected. “The time was very tight, but it was nice to ride and the ground was perfect. We were lucky with the weather and conditions for both cross-country and showjumping.”

Despite Michael’s haul of medals over the years, he said: “It never gets easier – you always start on zero.

“Chipmunk has so much talent in every phase. I enjoy riding him every day. He is getting older but the feeling he gave me yesterday [on cross-country] is that he is getting better and better, more experienced, more balanced and stronger. Coming out today, he feels as good as a young horse and he’s super strong. So fingers crossed we are looking forward to next year [the world championships].”

And so Britain go home with two individual medals, which goes a long way to make up for the disappointment felt after the team was eliminated on cross-country day.

“After a week that hasn’t been our own, to come home with two medals is absolutely fantastic,” said Tom. “We came as a [squad of] six and we leave as a six and it’s team spirit all the way. I’m delighted for Laura.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

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One horse was withdrawn before the Agria Blenheim European Championships final trot-up today (Sunday 21 September).

Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti did not present Duke Of Champions, owned by Philip Hunt, Jo Preston-Hunt and Joyce Snook. The pair were 32nd overnight after picking up 26 jumping faults and 19.2 time-faults across country yesterday.

As Giovanni was riding as part of the Italian team and one of his fellow teammates was eliminated across country yesterday, this means that the Italians drop from sixth to eighth in the team standings on a score of 1,133.2. This pushes Great Britain up to sixth on 1,059.6 and Belgium up to seventh on 1,109.

Blenheim European Championships final trot-up update

All 41 remaining horses were accepted at the Blenheim European Championships final trot-up, which got underway at 8am in chilly but dry weather. They were presented before the ground jury of Sandy Phillips (GBR), Katrin Eichinger-Kniely (AUT) and Valerie Pride (USA).

Every horse was accepted without being asked to re-present and all looked fresh and well.

The showjumping gets underway at 11am with those placed 41st to 21st jumping in reverse order. There will then be a break, with the top 20 jumping in reverse order from 2pm.

Britain’s Laura Collett leads the way individually aboard London 52 on a score of 26.6, while Germany’s Michael Jung and Fischer Chipmunk FRH are in silver on 28.3. Laura’s teammate, Tom McEwen, is in third on JL Dublin with a score of 33.

The Germans lead the way in the team standings on 113.7, while the Irish team are in silver medal position on 150.7 and the Swiss team in bronze on 161.3.

Be sure to tune into all of the action if you can’t be at Blenheim in person to watch the action unfold.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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It wasn’t the Brits’ day at the Agria Blenheim European Championships, with four British rider cross-country falls and the team being eliminated.

Britain have won team gold at the past two Olympics and were bidding for a hat-trick of European golds. However, this week reminded us of the unpredictability of sport and that even brilliant horses are not machines. Just as at the Pratoni World Championships in 2022, the Brits came in as favourites and will emerge without a team medal.

Following the cross-country phase (Saturday, 20 September), Britain’s eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood reflected on the performance of the squad, which was running in partnership with Agria.

“Today is not the day we were hoping for, but the most important thing is that all riders and horses are back in camp and none the worse for wear,” he said.

“Good sport is never knowing the outcome until the final competitor has crossed the finish line. Sometimes, the smallest things can completely rewrite the leaderboard and that’s what makes eventing so exciting.

“The British team have had a fantastic run of success in recent years, but sport goes in cycles and the bubble has to burst at some point. For that to happen at a championship on home soil is unfortunate – our riders are gutted for themselves, their horses and their connections, but also for the British public, who have turned out in their thousands to support us and now won’t see us in a position to defend our team title.”

British falls at Blenheim European Championships will give riders “even greater drive to succeed”

Dickie paid tribute to team riders Yasmin Ingham and Piggy March, as well as individuals Caroline Harris and Bubby Upton, who were the fallers.

“Yaz, Caroline, Piggy and Bubby all came out today and gave it 100%, but it just wasn’t their day. However, the sign of a true sportsperson is being able to turn disappointment into a strength and I know that they’ll come back from this stronger and with an even greater drive to succeed as we campaign towards the FEI World Championships next year and LA 2028.”

And of course, Britain still has a great chance of winning individual medals, with Laura Collett currently in the gold position, and Tom McEwen in bronze.

“Tomorrow is another day and we’ll now turn our focus to cheering on Tom and Laura as they campaign for a spot on the individual podium,” added Dickie.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Yasmin Ingham is unhurt after her fall today on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course, saying “the main thing is we’re both ok and we will live fight another day” as she reflects on what happened.

The British team pathfinder was eliminated with Rehy DJ, who belongs to Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund, at the FEI Mounds at fence 22ab. The fence consisted of an open parallel followed by an open corner, both on hillocks, at the turning point of the course.

“He was absolutely magnificent on the first part of the course and we were up on all our minutes,” said Yasmin. “We got to minute six and he was up on his minute [there] and had made it all feel really, really good – as I’d planned everything.

“We just got to the rails at the top field and I rode the line I’d planned to ride, rode the distance I’d planned to ride and he didn’t quite read the corner as I’d hoped he would. He just caught his left front leg on the back rail, which then caused him to crumple on landing and I just came off out the front door.

“So it was through completely no fault of his, no fault of mine and it’s just unfortunately one of those things, but the main thing is we’re both ok and we will live fight another day.”

The early fall of Yasmin Ingham on the Blenheim European Championships cross-country course marked the start of a tricky day for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, as her team-mate Piggy March (Halo) and individual riders Caroline Harris (D. Day) and Bubby Upton (Its Cooley Time) also had falls.

However, Laura Collett (London 52) and Tom McEwen (JL Dublin) both put in good fast rounds and they hold individual gold and bronze going into tomorrow’s showjumping.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Well, cross-country day at the Agria Blenheim European Championships is over and the results are in. It was exciting, action-packed and, for British fans, slightly traumatic.

There were shades of 2005 with a British rider galloping through the rain to hold individual gold overnight but, sadly, falls for a number of home side competitors have taken a team medal off the table. Meanwhile Germany continue to hold the team gold – while behind them, the rest of the countries have shifted around. Read on for all the news…

Britain’s day got off to an unfortunate start when team pathfinder Yasmin Ingham fell.

• Where did Yasmin run into problems and what did she say caused the fall?

Meanwhile trailblazers for the other teams had mixed fortunes.

• How did the first German fare and how did the course ride in the initial stages?

British individual Caroline Harris also came to grief in the early part of the day.

• More on Caroline’s round

And Britain’s day continued on a downward streak when second team rider Piggy March was eliminated.

• Find out about Piggy’s problem

Germany was holding firm and Switzerland was on the up in the second rotation of team riders.

• What did Malin Hansen-Hotopp say about her round?

Tom McEwen provided a bright spot for Britain with a fast round on JL Dublin.

• Did Tom change his approach because of the team situation?

Jérôme Robiné kept Germany’s hopes high in this part of the day, with the reliable Black Ice.

• But what happened to Ireland’s Aoife Clark and Switzerland’s Robin Godel?

Fans found it hard to believe their eyes when a fourth British rider, Bubby Upton, fell.

• Where did Bubby’s competition come to an end and what did she have to say afterwards?

But Britain’s day ended on a high when Laura Collett stormed round with the second fastest round of the day.

• Find out what Laura said about her performance today

Michael Jung was the only rider who could go ahead of Laura in the Blenheim European Championships cross-country results, but in the end his slower round meant he slotted in behind her.

• How the final rider rotation affected the team standings

It wasn’t the Brits day today. But we still salute the work of all the British team, riders and backstage staff. Over the past two days, we’ve caught up with those grooms who are at their first championship.

• Hear from Caroline Harris’ groom Nellie Smith
• Read about Piggy March’s groom Hannah Chowen

Britain’s eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood reflected on today’s performance and looks ahead to tomorrow.

• “The sign of a true sportsperson is being able to turn disappointment into a strength”

The top four after dressage in the GFS Saddles eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S have not changed after showjumping.

• Catch-up on today’s action in this highly competitive young horse class

The second horse inspection will get underway at 8am on Sunday morning, followed by the all-important showjumping phase to decide the final individual and team medals. The H&H reporting team will be here to bring you all the news as it happens.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Bubby Upton confirmed that both she and her horse Its Cooley Time are “fine, all good” after being eliminated for a rider fall in the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country phase.

This year’s Bramham winners were competing as individuals for the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria, and were up with the leaders in eighth after dressage on a score of 28.9.

The 10-year-old grey, owned by Bubby and the Five Time Syndicate, were cruising round until the Agria Water Crossing at fence 19. Here, horses had to gallop through the lake and out over a sharply angled brush, where Its Cooley Time stumbled to his knees on landing after a slightly awkward jump, giving Bubby no chance of staying in the saddle. There were no other penalties at this fence.

“I was probably a bit deep [into the fence] and then he jumped it really well, but obviously landed with not enough momentum, and pecked on landing,” explained Bubby. “It was a real shame, because he was giving me an incredible feel and I was full of confidence and excited to tackle the rest of the course.”

“I’m gutted for him”: Bubby Upton on Blenheim European Championships fall

Bubby was straight back up on her feet, and led Its Cooley Time off the course.

“The most important thing, obviously, is that he’s absolutely fine – and I’m fine,” she said. “We live to fight another day. I’m just gutted for him because he was just flying, and made it feel so easy. I guess it doesn’t always go your way.”

It was a tumultuous day for the British riders, with four of the six-strong squad having rider falls. Bubby went late in the day, the 43rd rider out on course, by which time only Tom McEwen had jumped clear for Britain.

“I watched the first out, the Swiss rider [Nadja Minder] and she did an incredible job, and she did everything I was planning on doing,” Bubby explained of how she spent the day leading up to her round. “I probably should have just watched the first one and walked away, but you’re there to support your team, so I watched the rest of the [Brits].

“You try not to take notice of it and I had my own plan. It was all going swimmingly. I have no doubt he would have eaten up the rest of the track as well. Such a shame that it happened at a bit of an insignificant fence.”

This was Bubby’s first senior championships but there is no doubt many more lie ahead. In the meantime, it’s her compatriot Laura Collett who is bidding for gold in tomorrow’s showjumping phase (Sunday, 21 September), with Tom sitting handy in bronze position behind Germany’s Michael Jung.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Bubby Upton becomes fourth British rider to fall on extraordinary Blenheim Europeans cross-country day

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How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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Germany holds team gold in the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country results, with a fast clear round for Michael Jung confirming their team place and giving him individual silver overnight.

Michael piloted FischerChipmunk FRH round with 10 time-penalties, the sixth fastest round of the day, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his individual lead and he has dropped behind Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52, who hold the gold. Britain’s Tom McEwen sits in bronze with JL Dublin.

“I tried not to override him in the beginning and to keep a good feeling,” said Michael. “I tried to ride as fast as possible in a few places, but also to let him breathe and have the last few jumps still under control. The feeling was amazing – he was full of running to the last fence.”

There was plenty of action in the final rotation of team riders, before the Blenheim European Championships cross-country results were confirmed.

Germany has a commanding 37 penalties over the rest, with Malin Hansen-Hotopp (Carlitos Quidditch K, seventh) and Jérôme Robiné (eighth) joining Michael as the counting scores.

Behind Germany, the following three teams are grouped within 16.4 penalties, setting the stage for an exciting showjumping showdown tomorrow.

Ian Cassells was the very last rider of the day on course and added 13.6 time-faults with the 11-year-old grey Millridge Atlantis to secure silver overnight for Ireland (and 10th for himself), with Padraig McCarthy (Pomp N Circumstance) and championship debutant Robbie Kearns (Chance Encounter) providing the other counting scores.

“It’s my second championships, so to be part of the team, with a little bit more experience than last time, is amazing,” said Ian. “There was a bit of pressure on for the team, but thankfully the orders came across and we delivered. We’re in silver now, and top 10 individually.

“It didn’t completely go to plan –I lost a stirrup at The Raging Bull Roller Coaster and he kind of drifted left and caught me by surprise, and then in the pond [fence 20abc] I’d planned to go on five strides, but he jumped in so big I thought I’d better commit and ride the distance – but that’s cross-country riding and you have to make it happen.”

Felix Vogg had a stop at the triple brush into The Suregrow Dew Pond (fence 6abc) with Frieda. This took the possibility of silver overnight away from Switzerland, but they could afford for him to become the discard score and still finish the day in bronze, moving up from fourth after dressage. Their counting scores come from Mélody Johner (Erin, sixth individually), Nadja Minder (Toblerone) and Robin Godel (Global DHI).

France’s final rider, Astier Nicolas, broke a frangible at the middle rail of the triple bar arrowhead out of the The Suregrow Dew Pond (fence 6abc) with Alertamalib’Or, which was damaging to France’s hopes of staying in the podium positions. They drop to fourth overnight.

Lea Siegl’s 9.6 time-penalties with Van Helsing P confirmed a good day for the three-man Austrian team, which moves up to fifth, having been sixth after dressage. Individually, Lea ends the day in equal fourth, sharing the place with German individual rider Calvin Böckmann (The Phantom Of The Opera).

Lea was stopped after fence 14 because the rider before her, Vittoria Panizzon (DHI Jackpot), had broken a frangible device at fence 22.

“The people standing there were quite nice, and they had sponges and cooled him down. He stayed calm and relaxed a bit, as far as it’s possible. I tried to keep the rhythm afterwards, because it’s a bit of a rhythm breaker if you have a stop in the middle of the course, keep going forward and I came into the rhythm again. I was super happy with how brave he was,” said Lea.

Italy is the other nation still in the team contest in the Blenheim European Championships cross-country results, sitting sixth, their effort spearheaded by Vittoria in 27th.

Falls for Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) and Piggy March (Halo) mean the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, is out of the team competition.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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‘One hell of a feeling’: Laura Collett seizes the lead on a topsy-turvy cross-country day at the Blenheim European Championships

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Tom McEwen puts in fast round to take the lead as Blenheim Europeans cross-country day continues

Bubby Upton becomes fourth British rider to fall on extraordinary Blenheim Europeans cross-country day

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

Laura Collett has revived British hopes at the Agria Blenheim European Championships with a superb cross-country round that secured the overnight lead ahead of showjumping. They clocked just six time-faults – on a day when no one made the optimum time – which would relegate dressage leader and Olympic champions Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH into second.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more from London,” said Laura. “He kept on fighting, though he was feisty at the start which put me off as I couldn’t find a rhythm. Halfway through I gave him a terrible ride through the rollercoaster, then he was magic and galloped all the way to the end.”

Laura was the final Brit out of the startbox on a quite extraordinary cross-country day, when the formbook turned upside down. Four of the five Brits thus far had fallen off, with only Tom McEwen flying through the finish flags with one of the fastest rounds.

“It’s been hideous waiting today but once I got on him, I felt he’s my horse of a lifetime and gives me no reason not to trust him,” she said. “I can put him on the line and let him do the rest, that’s what he likes. He’s an amazing jumper, so to have that belief in him and he rewards me like that is one hell of a feeling.”

Laura was nursing her second-placed dressage score of 20.6, and although her team duties had evaporated, the pressure still rested on this fabulous pairing to lift the nation’s hopes.

“It was a tiny bit less pressure without the team riding on my shoulders but I’m gutted for them, so it’s mixed feelings,” she said. “Once I was on I had a job to do, we still wanted the same result – clear and fast.”

How Laura Collett galloped into gold position over Blenheim European Championships cross-country

It’s testament to the pair’s smooth rhythm as Laura was having to rein in the hard-pulling London a little, but this combination only know how to go in fifth gear and they duly sailed home for the second-fastest time all day.

“It’s a bit of a blur,” Laura added. “I had great advice from Tom, who said ‘save a little bit for the end, and really get stuck in’. It was hard work out there, but we’ve really worked on London’s fitness since Luhmühlen, as I felt I hadn’t quite got him to the point I had before – he’s more laid back now and a bit older – so we’ve kept him really fit, so hopefully he’ll feel amazing tomorrow.”

It was a confident and feisty round throughout, with London really attacking the technical arena and front lawn fences, where Laura had to ask him to wait. She held for five at the corner at the water (fence 20) where team-mate Piggy March was unseated earlier when Halo took a stride out, but London has such a massive stride and scope, he made this influential track look fairly straightforward. He even jumped the high part of the brush at the final fence, showing how much energy he still had left in him.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 21 September), Laura and London will bid to win their first individual gold. But there’s little breathing space ahead of Michael Jung – she has no fences in hand and only 1.7 time-faults to take the title.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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Bubby Upton has fallen on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course, as Britain’s nightmare day continues to unfold.

Senior championship debutante Bubby and Its Cooley Time were going well, with the young horse’s grey ears pricked, until the Agria Water Crossing, the angled brush shoulder out of the first long run through the lake.

As most combinations have, the pair brushed through the higher brush on their left, but “Finn” tripped on to his knees on landing, tipping Bubby off. She was quickly back up on her feet.

Bubby Upton is the fourth British rider to be eliminated for a fall on Blenheim European Championships cross-country day. Team pathfinder Yasmin Ingham came off Rehy DJ at the FEI Mounds (fence 22abc), Piggy March was catapuled from Halo in the GFS Saddles Water (fence 20abc) and individual Caroline Harris was also ejected from D. Day at the FEI Mounds.

Seven pairs have been eliminated on the cross-country course, four of them British. The others are Irish team member Aoife Clark, who had a horse fall with young Full Monty De Lacense, Italian individual Dan Bizarro, who fell off Stormhill Riot, and Belgian team rider Wouter de Cleene, who fell from Quintera.

In the tranche of individuals around Bubby, Germany’s Calvin Böckmann, 24, put in the fastest round so far, riding The Phantom Of The Opera. Calvin, the youngest rider here, incurred 5.6 time-faults.

Tom McEwen, who finished with 6.8 time-penalties, is the second fastest rider of the day so far and the one bright point for Britain so far. He has the best score of those who have finished, with another 10 pairs or so to go. Calvin holds second of the “in the clubhouse” scores, with Switzerland’s Mélody Johner in third after she clocked eight time-faults with Erin.

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How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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With Britain out of the picture, Germany is stretching further ahead as the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country phase nears its conclusion. Switzerland has consolidated to guard the silver medal position at the end of the third rider rotation in the team standings.

Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice were Germany’s discard score prior to cross-country on 30.4, lying 15th. But this is a pair that come into their own in the jumping phases, and so it proved today (Saturday, 20 September) over Mark Phillip’s influential track.

Black Ice dived a little at the brush corner of the GFS Saddles Water at fence 20, where Piggy March earlier took a tumble. The horse had to stretch to make the four-stride distance, but all in all this was a round to savour.

“He’s quite an honest horse, you steer and he’ll go over,” said Jérôme. “I was happy with my time at the start, the middle part is intense with question after question and the lake crossing costs a lot of time.

“At the water [fence 20] I planned to ride four forward strides, I always ride forward. But he landed steep, and so I thought maybe it will be five, so I sat back and he decided we’ve got to go for four. It’s better he decides than I push him!”

Switzerland’s Robin Godel did not enjoy as smooth a round as his earlier team-mates. Riding Global DHI, who was lying 43rd, he had a stop at fence six, and dived at the rail before the ditch (25a) but somehow the horse got his landing gear out in time. However, they were the discard score before cross-country and have at least ensured Switzerland has three riders home.

“We knew that fence 6a was the first question,” said Robin. “The horses see the water very late, so that was my problem. I came up the hill then the horse saw the water and all the people and he was a bit surprised.

“After that I tried to be as fast as possible for the team. I think I would have had a very good time as he’s a fast horse. It’s a shame for the team.”

Even with the stop, Robin clocked 18 time-faults, faster than many of the clear rounds.

Irish podium hopes in the balance during Blenheim European Championships cross-country

Ireland had moved up into the bronze position after two riders, but the country’s hopes took a nosedive with elimination for their third pair.

Aoife Clark only took on the ride Full Monty De Lacense this season, and had rapidly built up a partnership to be selected for the Irish team. However, they had a fall at the influential fence 20 and so Ireland must rely on their final rider Ian Cassells riding Millridge Atlantis, who is last out of the start box. Aoife and Full Monty both walked off the course.

This means Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance’s score will count, having previously been the discard. They jumped a clear for 16.8 time-faults.

France’s bid for the podium had stalled somewhat, with mediocre completions for their first two riders – Luc Château and Sebastien Cavaillon. The French number three, Alex Goury and Je’Vall, made amends with a fast round for 14.8 time-faults but with flag penalties under review. Either way, they will not move above Ireland into third at this stage.

Je’Vall landed in a heap after the skinny in the first water crossing, which is where they kicked out the flag, but picked up and carried on as if nothing had happened. Je’Vall then launched into the GFS Saddles log into water, and Alex made a quick decision to take the long route instead of the corner without penalty.

Belgium’s bid came to an end when Wouter de Clene fell off Quintera. Belgium were only fielding three riders, so this puts an end to their team hopes. They have Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, lying in fifth after dressage with Hooney D’Arville, to come later in the day.

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Tom McEwen has put in the fastest round so far over the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course, becoming the first British rider to complete the track and taking the lead at this stage.

Tom piloted Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin through a very economical round, bringing him to each fence on a great take-off spot with seemingly minimal adjustment and they finished with just 6.8 time-penalties. They were initially given 15 penalties for a flag penalty at the corner at the FEI Mounds (fence 22ab), which were quickly removed.

“I’m delighted with ‘Dubs’. He was superb throughout. He cruised around. It’s lovely being on a five-star pony on a four-star track. He was reading all the lines and the combinations near the palace were actually just a bit of fun, really, for him. So I was rather spoiled to be on top of him,” said Tom.

Tom added that he was advised to let the speed build round the track, rather than let Dubs’ follow his natural desire to run on at the start.

“There are plenty of hills, plenty of combinations to jump towards the end, so it’s keeping some petrol in the tank,” he said, adding that the positive, forward distances suited him and Dubs.

After the elimination of Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) and Piggy March (Halo), the first two riders for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, Tom was riding soley for individual honours.

Talking about that situation, Tom said: “It’s like we’re taking penalties, so we are all supportive of each other, but technically we’re taking care of our own penalty, so you only need to focus on yourself. I thought all three girls [including individual Caroline Harris] rode fantastic rounds. And some days, as I’ve definitely experienced, are not your days.”

JL Dublin skipped slightly into the triple bar on a mound into The Suregrow Dew Pond (fence 6abc), before a foot-perfect trip through the arena fences, the Joules Pavilion and Palace View tables (fences eight and nine) and the shoulder brushes at the Agria Angles (fence 10abc)

Tom rode a beautiful flowing line into the big box on the brink of the hill at the BE Support Trust Healing Garden (fence 17ab), before hailing a cab over the narrow hedge into the lake at the Subaru Splash (fence 17c/18ab).

The rider brought JL Dublin back to make sure of a careful five strides to the corner in the water at the GFS Saddles Water (fence 20abc), where team-mate Piggy March fell. He then rode a moving four strides through the FEI Mounds, the fence where Tom’s compatriots Yasmin Ingham and Caroline Harris fell earlier today.

He took the alternative at the CrossCountry App Wooded Hollow (fence 25abc), which adds an extra jumping element with two skinnies rather than one before the ditch, but very little time.

Tom was in individual bronze position after dressage. Those 6.8 time-penalties over the Blenheim European Championships cross-country course open the door for other riders to get ahead of Tom McEwen, but the clock is proving a real challenge for riders today, so it’s quite possible he will still be in contention for a medal at the end of the day.

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With the favourites Britain eliminated from the team competition on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country phase, the quest for medals has really opened up. Switzerland in particular are making a bold challenge with two riders round fast and clear, and have moved up to the silver-medal position at the midway point of the team competition.

By the time Germany’s second team rider, Malin Hansen-Hotopp, left the start box on Carlitos Quidditch K, Germany were well clear in the lead after two rider falls for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria.

Quidditch took a few liberties early on, with a bad stride into fence two and then cat-leaping the skinny into the Dewpond at fence six. But when it came to the more technical fences in the arena and on the front lawn, this big, rangy horse was on his game.

“I really love this place, and my horse too,” said Malin, who won the CCI4*-L here in 2022. “He carried me around and was so focused on all this technical fences and I could ride him as I wanted to.

“He’s grumpy in the stable, like he’s the king and we all have to work for him, but once you’re on him, his ears are pricked and he wants to do everything right.

“It’s a really tough course. When we first walked it, we thought it doesn’t feel too big, we’ve done five-stars, but there is a lot of really angled, technical stuff. It’s typical for the Captain [Mark Phillips].”

Switzerland the stars of Blenheim European Championships cross-country

Mélody Johner bolstered the Swiss challenge with a quick clear on Erin, with her team-mate and cross-country pathfinder Nadja Minder having logged one of the faster rounds. Mélody was initially awarded 15 penalties for a flag at fence 22, the FEI Mounds, but these were soon removed. They clocked the fastest time of the day so far for just eight time-faults.

“At the start I was just thinking of not falling off, but I could ride everything as I planned,” said Mélody, who was lying 18th after dressage. “I like the more technical courses, and this atmosphere – there are so many spectators in England, it’s crazy!

“The oxer to the corner [fence 22] was not so easy, as he didn’t understand where he needed to go, but he trusted me. He is just wonderful to ride.

“I lost a shoe, so it was a little slippery on the turns, and I couldn’t go as quickly at the end as I wanted but he is fast. The plan was really Aachen, the world championships; the Europeans wasn’t really the plan but I think our future is bright.”

Ireland sit in the bronze position after two riders. Robbie Kearns saved his round with some quick thinking when Chance Encounter stumbled after leaving a knee on the first element at fence 30, the Zip Travel Tray. The horse stayed on his feet and Robbie spun round to the alternative, incurring no penalties, to log a second clear for Ireland.

Belgium have moved up to fourth, though they only have one round in the bag, following Senne Vervaecke’s withdrawal. First up for Belgium was Karin Donckers, competing in her 30th senior championship, and she nursed Ceres De La Brasserie round.

Karin hailed a cab jumping into the lake for the first time, taking the long route out. Belgium need all three of their riders to complete, and Karin brought the mare home for 30.4 time-faults, despite losing a stirrup.

“In the beginning she was a little green, which is normal for her first championships,” said Karin. “But she locked on well and was super in the main arena and corners, and that gave me a lot of confidence.

“Then you have to deal with the fact they get a bit tired and longer [more strung out]. I had a funny situation where I lost my stirrup at the coffin, and it really flipped behind my saddle and took me a while to get it back, but she finished super and I’m ready to go faster next time.”

Other nations still in the hunt for medals

Sebastien Cavaillon and Elipso De La Vigne kept France in the running with 21.2 time-faults and 15 penalties after flag, after their first rider Luc Château (Cocorico De L’Ebat) logged a completion with 20 penalties. France sits in fifth at this stage.

Italy’s young mare Zinny produced a lovely clear for Paolo Torlonia. It wasn’t quick, but this nine-year-old horse is one of the future, and their round keeps Italy in the hunt, with two riders’ scores on the board. They have moved up to seventh from last place, now that Britain and Sweden (Sofia Sjöborg’s withdrawal and Christoffer Forsberg’s retirement on course) are eliminated.

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Britain is out of the team competition after a fall for second team rider Piggy March on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course.

Piggy was enjoying a great round with Jayne McGivern’s lovely grey stallion Halo, until he took off a stride early at the filled-in brush corner in the GFS Saddles Water (fence 10abc). He launched himself at the fence, hitting it low down on the front face and struggling awkwardly across it, throwing Piggy out of the saddle. She was soon up on her feet.

The elimination of Piggy March on the Blenheim European Championships cross-country track follows a fall for Yasmin Ingham from Rehy DJ earlier today. With each of these riders now carrying 1000 penalties, the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, has lost any chance of team medals this week.

Britain’s other team riders, Laura Collett with London 52 (second after dressage) and Tom McEwen on JL Dublin (third after dressage), will now try to salvage some medals for Britain by fighting for individual honours. Bubby Upton, an individual at her first senior championship, is also in the mix in eighth after dressage with Its Cooley Time.

Britain’s failure to bring home a team medal from this European Championships after the success of team gold at last year’s Paris Olympics mirrors the lack of team medals at the 2022 World Championships in the season following the team gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. On both occasions the British team started as favourites, but the unpredictable nature of eventing has been on show in both post-Olympic years.

No British riders have finished the cross-country course yet today – first individual rider Caroline Harris was also eliminated for a fall at the FEI Mounds from D. Day.

Mark Phillips’ cross-country track is proving tough and no one has made the 10min 1sec optimum time yet. There have been 10 jumping clears from 17 starters.

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There was a sense of déja-vu as Caroline Harris, Britain’s second rider out on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course, fell foul of the same fence as her squad-mate Yasmin Ingham.

Fence 22, the FEI Mounds, features an oxer on a mound on a related distance left-handed to a corner, which proved influential all day. Caroline looked to be enjoying a super round on D. Day – owned by Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle – until it unravelled on the top part of the course. First she had a run-out in the GFS Saddles water (fence 20), followed by a second at the corner at fence 22, which pitched Caroline out of the plate.

The 2024 Pau winner was lying 30th after dressage on 34.4. She was riding as an individual for the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria, on her senior championship debut, so this elimination does not affect the British team result.

Known for their speed across country, Caroline set out in determined fashion on this brilliant cross-country campaigner and got off to a great start.

Caroline didn’t have the ideal stride at the first table on the front lawn, and had to steer him through on a long rein, but D. Day was straight as a die through the related angled corners, having to stretch but negotiating them easily.

But he just misjudged the fence which caused his first run-out, before arriving at the big corner at the FEI Mounds on an awkward half stride. The horse looked like he would try to jump it, then thought the better of it, dislodging Caroline in the process. She landed on her feet and led D. Day away.

Irish individual rider Sarah Ennis caught the eye with her bold round on 10-year-old Dourough Ferro Class Act. He gave the fences so much air, galloped keenly throughout and finished full of running for 18 time-faults – the second-fastest round in this early section. This should move them up from 17th place after dressage.

“What a horse he is!” said Sarah. “I was a little concerned as he was jumping too high, ballooning everything. But you could put a two-year-old on. You just say, ‘go here’, and he says, ‘OK, there’s the flags’. I never had to squeeze him, he’s just so honest, and he loves it. He’s one in a million.”

Update: eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood shared his reflections on the British squad at the end of cross-country day.

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The first riders for each team have had mixed fortunes over the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course.

From the top of the dressage leaderboard, Germany’s first rider Libussa Lübbeke (seventh individually overnight) is home with a jumping clear but significant time-faults. Piloting Caramia 34, championship debutante Libussa, 24, had a couple of tricky moments on course, including standing well off the first corner at the Subaru Sensation (fence 11b), after which she thought quickly to take the long route at the final corner. She finished with 30 time-penalties.

Libussa was a counting score for the German team after dressage, but the rider providing the discard score, Jérome Rôbiné, was only 2.1 penalties behind her, so his score may well come into play if he has a good cross-country round.

“It was intense. We had a lot of fun, but you really had to work to finish.The horse was so honest and brave like always,” said Libussa.

“I took the option [at 11abc] because I didn’t have the rhythm I wanted to the first table and then the corner, and I decided to turn left [to the long route] because of the points for the team. The rest was all direct and really good.”

Britain was in silver after the first phase and has had an unfortunate start to the day as Yasmin Ingham was eliminated for a rider fall at the FEI Mounds (fence 22ab), from Rehy DJ.

For France, the bronze medal holders after dressage, Luc Chateau (Cocorico De L’Ebat) – the discard score after dressage – had a run out at the narrow hedge element of the challenging second water, the BE Support Trust Healing Garden and Subaru Splash at fences 17abc and 18ab. This consists of a downhill box brush and then the narrow brush into the water on the direct route. He also incurred 30.2 time-faults.

Nadja Minder of Switzerland has had the best round so far. She was the very first rider out and she added a fifth stride to the second corner at the Subaru Senstation (fence 11abc). Nadja then had to sit tight when Toblerone left a leg and caught a flag at the corner in the GFS Saddles Water (fence 20abc). She finished with 12.8 time-faults, 32 seconds over the optimum time.

“I’m over the moon with Toblerone,” she said. “He’s just the most honest cross-country horse. He tries all the way, he has 1000 legs to get me to the other side. He’s so balanced and it’s just a joy and a big honour to ride a horse like him and I owe him everything.

“At that combination in front of the palace, I added one stride – because we’re number one of the team, we had to adapt and make it happen. He’s really a horse for that, another one would run off maybe. Our cross-country coach, Andrew Nicholson, says there’s only one way and it’s to go and try to be fast. So I tried that, but tried to be safe too.”

Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance also put in a jumping clear, with 16.8 time-faults.

“He lost a shoe before the main arena so I had to be really careful in all the turns,” said Padraig. “I’m not sure anyone will get the time today. I could have been a lot quicker, but I had to make sure I kept him on his feet and jumped all the jumps.”

Italian pathfinder Giovanni Ugolotti’s Duke Of Champions had a rather dramatic round over Mark Phillips’ Blenheim European Championships cross-country course. The horse twisted and landed on the back bar of The Ha Ha Oxer (fence 16), throwing Giovanni forward, but the rider managed to get back in the saddle, getting away with 11 penalties for breaking the frangible device.

He continued, with one of the horse’s boots down around his hoof, and had another risky moment at The Estribos Table (fence 24), finishing with 19.2 time-penalties, as well as the 11 faults for the frangible and a flag penalty at fence 10abc (the Agria Angles in the main arena).

Swedish pathfinder Christoffer Forsberg pulled up Hippo’s Sapporo TSF around fence 21, the BE Triple Bar, after taking a couple of long routes and having 40 jumping penalties.

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The pressure is on the home team in the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country phase after Britain’s first rider Yasmin Ingham had a fall from Rehy DJ two-thirds of the way round the course.

This leaves Britain with no room for error as the scores for all three of the remaining combinations (Tom McEwen, Piggy March and Laura Collett) will count.

Yasmin was the third rider out of the startbox after the withdrawal of Senne Vervaecke, with the target set by the trailblazer Nadja Minder and 18-year-old Toblerone jumping clear for 12.8 time-faults over Mark Phillips’ 5,710m track.

It started well for the British pairing. They jumped neatly through the Suregrow Dewpond at fence six, adding a tidy extra stride, and were copybook through the technical angled and corner fences in the arena and on the front lawn. Rehy DJ is such a straight, honest horse, Yasmin was able to present him on fences on tight angles – particularly coming over the angled brush out of the water at fence 19 –and the horse kept rising to the task.

But they had a problem at the tricky combination at fence 22, the FEI Mounds, an oxer on a mound turning left-handed to a corner also on a mound, causing a rider fall.

Yasmin, the pathfinder for the British team, running in partnership with Agria, was lying ninth after dressage on Rehy DJ on a score of 29. Fourth at the young rider Europeans in 2018 together, this was their first senior championship as a partnership.

Yasmin’s score was counting, so Piggy’s score of 29.4 will now come into play for the British team result.

Update: Yasmin gave her reflections on her fall at the end of cross-country day

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There has been a second withdrawal ahead of cross-country at the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country.

Senne Vervaecke has pulled out his 14-year-old chestnut mare Google Van Alsingen, which means that the Belgian team is down to three riders. As only three scores need to count in this format, it means Belgium are still in the running but have no more leeway should any of their remaining team members not complete.

Senne was satisfied with his start in the dressage phase at Blenheim, his third championship with the Watch Me-sired mare. They had logged solid completions at both the 2022 worlds and the 2023 Europeans and he had been looking forward to tackling the Blenheim track.

“Dressage is the hardest part for us, but everything went the way I would have liked it to,” said Senne, who was the pathfinder for his nation and had been the third rider due out of the start box on cross-country day (Saturday, 20 September).

Senne was lying 28th on a score of 33.8, which was a counting score for Belgium, who were lying fifth in the team contest after dressage. This brings the previous discard score rider, European Championship veteran Karin Donckers, into the fray on Ceres De La Brasserie, who was 34th after dressage on 34.9. The team standings are unaltered by this change. Karin rides alongside Wouter De Cleene (Quintera), 28th, and Lara De Liedekerke-Meier, who is holding fifth place on Hooney D’Arville.

The previous night, Sweden’s Sofia Sjöborg withdrew Govalent from the competition after she was not happy with how he felt following the dressage phase, after which they were lying in 43rd. This leaves a field of 53 to go forward to cross-country over Mark Phillips’ track. Cross-country starts at 11am.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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There has been one withdrawal ahead of cross-country at the Agria Blenheim European Championships today (20 September).

Britain-based Swedish team member Sofia Sjöborg has withdrawn the 10-year-old Govalent, who scored 36.8 for 43rd individually after dressage. Sweden’s team placing, eighth, is not currently affected by Sofia’s withdrawal, but with their team down to three, they have lost their leeway for error in the next two phases.

Sofia said: “Sadly it wasn’t meant to be this year. ‘Zack’ tried for me in the dressage, but felt like he struggled a bit and wasn’t his normal self, leading to the lack of self carriage. I didn’t think too much of it but today [Friday] when I came out to ride him and give him a stretch he still just didn’t feel normal.

“We don’t quite know yet what it could be but he just feels not himself and under the weather. It is very disappointing not to be able to help my team mates tomorrow, but at the end of the day, it is the right decision. We have decided to withdraw before the cross-country.

“He is young and for whatever reason he isn’t feeling his best right now and we don’t feel it is in his best interest to take on the biggest track of his career not feeling 100%.

“A very big thank you to team Sweden who made this decision infinitely easier by being so understanding. We are all here for our horses and to show what amazing athletes they are. So if something isn’t right there is always another day.

“I will be there supporting the team in every way I can, cheering on from the sidelines.”

Cross-country starts at 11am.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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Britain sits in overnight silver at Blenheim Europeans as Laura Collett and London 52 charm the judges – and the crowd

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“He’s a good egg – if he were a person he’d give me vibes of Hugh Grant in Notting Hill,” says Nellie Smith, groom of Caroline Harris’ ride D.Day, who is contesting the Agria Blenheim European Championships this week. “He’s quite quiet and introverted, but once you get to know him he’s charming and funny!

“He’s insular, but he knows his people – his four owners [Fiona Olivier, Heather Royle, Lucy Matthews and Marie Anne Richardson], Caroline and me – and he turns into a complete brat! He’s never rude, but he demands treats and shouts for his dinner. Whenever he sees his ladies he’s all chatty! But he’s a pleasure, so easy to look after and he eats anything that goes, but especially a Polo.”

Although D. Day doesn’t have any peculiar quirks, he “won’t go within a mile of a tractor”. But the biggest surprise is his diminutive stature.

“He’s listed as 16hh but he’s diddy,” Nellie says. “He has the massive corner stable and his little head pokes out. Everyone is surprised he’s the tiny little one.”

Nellie, 22, stepped up into the role as Caroline’s travelling groom only this season, and describes her experience at the Europeans as “surreal”. She started working for Caroline two years ago, having responded to an ad on Facebook, and “loved it from the day dot”.

But she’s had to learn to rein in her emotions.

“I’m working on the nerves – when I first started even Caroline had to tell me to stop being so nervous,” she says. “I cry all the time watching D. Day! I have so much respect for him; he wasn’t bred for this and he just throws his heart over and the rest follows.

“I’m learning to be more of a shell until they’ve set off, but once the jumping phases start, I start crying. Seeing them come into the main arena at Aachen I welled up so much, and Bramham coming up the hill. He just loves his job, I’ve never known a horse who wants to go so much.”

Nellie Smith’s path to being groom to Caroline Harris at the Blenheim European Championships

Nellie grew up in a horsey family.

“My mum did Badminton and Burghley on her old hunting horse, my aunt used to groom for Jenny Pitman, my uncle’s a farrier, my other aunt groomed at Badminton,” she lists. “My godmother’s an eventing journalist in Australia. So I’m fortunate that I was plonked on a horse at about three months old.”

Nellie herself did ponies and started out in horses, but after some “bad luck” tried out an office job for a short while.

“I hated it!” she said. “The people were nice but even when it was raining I just wanted to be outside playing ponies.”

Grooming at elite level is second nature to Nellie.

“I grew up in a professional horsey environment, so everything was done top notch,” she says. I never learned to do anything half-hearted so that’s stood me in good stead although of course I have learned a lot.

“Caroline is a big inspiration, and I’m really happy where I am – the places that D.Day and Caroline’s other horses have taken me this year. I had to pinch myself at Aachen and say, ‘I am here for my job, I am working!’ It’s unbelievably exciting to be at Blenheim, too.”

Competing at the Blenheim European Championships, Caroline Harris is an individual rider in the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria. She is due out on cross-country on D. Day at 11.55am today (Saturday, 20 September).

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Who goes when? Check what time all the Brits and leading contenders will be tackling the European cross-country course

‘It smacks you in the face – we’ll see a lot of mistakes’: riders give their initial verdict on ‘intense’ Blenheim Europeans cross-country

What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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Hannah Chowen, travelling groom for Piggy March, has the responsibility of looking after the only stallion on the British team this week at the Agria Blenheim European Championships.

“He’s a real-life unicorn, gorgeous in every way,” said Hannah of Jayne McGivern’s Halo. “You wouldn’t really know that he’s a stallion because he’s so well mannered and behaved, so you could almost get a bit complacent. You do always just need to be switched on so that everyone is aware and you’re aware of who’s around you.”

Hannah added: “This time of year is usually quite good for Halo – it’s not like mares are coming into season like they do at the start of the season.”

When she takes Halo out grazing, Hannah tries to keep him away from everyone else.

She said: “I also try and find some quite good grass that not too many other people have been on, because otherwise he spends a lot of the time just sniffing, just trying to follow the scents of everyone else, and you want him to eat! So it’s just managing that, but we’re very fortunate. He is very good, as easy as they can be at this level.”

Halo is also a grey, so Hannah said there’s “a lot of purple shampoo used to keep him very white”.

“He will use his muck as a pillow sometimes,” she said. “He used to be really tidy, as stallions generally are in their boxes. But the last couple seasons, I definitely think he’s got a bit more casual and he likes to have a good roll. It makes my job a little bit harder, but we don’t mind. It’s all part of it.”

Hannah is from New Zealand and moved over to Britain around three-and-a-half years ago, working for Jesse and Georgie Campbell originally. She is in her third season working as a groom for Piggy March, having originally been a home groom and rider.

She explained: “Then this season, she asked if I would do her travelling for her, so I’ve taken on that role and we’ve had a pretty exciting year. I was the number two for travelling before, so I’d go along if there were three or more horses, so I’d had a taster of it and knew the drills, so it was quite an easy role to slip into.

“Obviously being a home rider groom is still just as important. But it is nice to come and be among it on the day and see your ponies perform and support Pig.”

Hannah loves to watch Halo and Piggy perform.

“I always have a really good feeling with him. I always feel very confident, that they’re safe and they’re a great team. They know each other so well now – she’s had the ride on him for quite some time. It’s really exciting that he’s got to this stage. Hopefully there are many more cool things that he will be doing with us.”

Three of the grooms on the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria, are new to championships, including Hannah, while three are old hands.

“We’re very lucky – the British team are amazing, even at your normal events. They’re always around to support us in the wash downs and so on,” said Hannah. “This week there’s just a bit more camaraderie and it’s nice to feel at the heart of something.

“And if you ever need anything at all, there’s always someone to help. Obviously we all know each other from the circuit and it’s a great opportunity for us grooms to kind of bounce off each other and know that we’ve got that support from the more experienced grooms as well.”

Hannah said that her role as groom for Piggy March makes her feel that “my little Hannah would be so proud to see what I’m doing now – this was her dream”.

“I just love being a part of it all, being among any elite level live performance, and to feel like you’re taking part and contributing,” she said.

Asked the most challenging part of her job, she said: “I don’t think there’s anything challenging in a negative way, because challenges are good. I think it’s just working under the pressure. You work long hours and it’s making sure that you look after yourself and the horses and being that athlete manager, to be at your best at all times so that you’re always well prepared.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage is over and the results are in for this first phase – Britain holds both silver medal positions and individual bronze, with Germany leading the way in double gold.

Catch up on all Friday’s action from the Oxfordshire venue below…

Tom McEwen got the party started for Britain this morning.

• What was Tom and JL Dublin’s one mistake?

Meanwhile Germany’s third rider Jérôme Robiné was disappointed with his test on Black Ice.

• Jérôme’s thoughts plus hear from Ireland’s Aoife Clark

British individual Bubby Upton impressed as she made her championship debut riding Its Cooley Time.

• How did Bubby change her warm-up after a run through at Burghley?

The big guns came out at the end of the day, when Laura Collett and London 52 put in a super test for Britain.

• Why did Laura have a meltdown three days ago?

Two horses later, Germany’s Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH delivered the sole sub-20 score in the Blenheim European Championships dressage results.

• All about Michael’s test

Finally, check out our round-up of the final team riders.

• How Switzerland’s Felix Vogg found the key to his horse shy mare

Get ready for cross-country tomorrow

• When do the Brits and other key contenders start?
• Look at the course, designed by Mark Phillips
• Rider reactions to the track

And more…

Take a moment to salute Karin Donckers, who is at her 30th senior championship.

• And find out if Karin’s ride, Ceres De La Brasserie, is like her dam, who was also a championship horse

We also caught up with Kirsty Campbell, who is grooming for Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time this week.

• How does Kirsty find eventing after working in showjumping?

And Samantha Lissington leads the GFS Saddles eight- and nine-year-old class on Quantas R…

• What did Samantha score a 10 for?

That’s it folks! Happy reading and see you tomorrow.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

Britain in silver as big three nations hold the podium after Blenheim Europeans dressage, plus the final riders who helped other countries challenge

Who goes when? Check what time all the Brits and leading contenders will be tackling the European cross-country course

Bubby Upton moves into fourth after her Blenheim Europeans dressage test: ‘We got the warm-up right today’

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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

Germany, Britain and France hold the podium positions in the final Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage results.

As always, the standings came down to the anchor rider for each nation. Michael Jung delivered a superlative 18.3 penalties on FischerChipmunk FRH to give Germany a 1.4 penalty lead over the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria. Laura Collett and London 52 put in an excellent test for 20.6 as the final pair for Britain.

France is 14.9 penalties behind Britain, helped by a 29.8 (13th) from anchor rider Astier Nicolas, the Rio Olympic individual silver medallist, with Alertamalib’or. His good marks were interrupted only by a slight drop in the mid-test halt and walk tour and a glitch in the second flying change, for which he scored a six and two fives.

Switzerland are well in touch, sitting just 4.5 penalties behind France. Experienced rider Felix Vogg took their anchor leg and scored 29.2 for 11th individually with championship first-timer Frieda. The rider missed Defender Burghley Horse Trials two weeks ago after a fall at Saulieu left his arm completely paralysed.

“I fell on the shoulder and some big stones in the water went into it and then the nerves were blocked,” he said. “I did four hours physio every day. It was quite uncomfortable, painful, but it helps that she is a light horse to ride.”

Felix also spoke about the journey he has been on with Frieda, who was bought from Britain’s Willa Newton.

“She always had all the qualities you need, but she’s very horse shy and she is a bit long in the body and unbalanced, so it was quite tricky,” he said, explaining that the now 12-year-old did well at the lower levels but it didn’t seem right to step up to four-star.

They tried “different stuff – cowboys, horse whisperers”, but in the end the solution was sending the mare to former German team rider Bettina Hoy for six months.

“She only had two horses and so she had time,” said Felix, who then decided to make the mare a priority and target the Europeans with her this year, although many doubted at the start of the year that she would be ready.

“I ride her first in the morning when no one is there so she’s not getting distracted and she just connects better that way,” he said.

Blenheim European Championships dressage results: Belgium fifth

Belgium’s 2024 Luhmühlen Horse Trials five-star winners Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney D’Arville were a stride late with their first flying change in an otherwise strong performance for 27.7 and fifth place. Belgium now sit fifth as a team too, just 0.1 of a penalty behind Switzerland.

Lara said: “She tries really hard, but everything needs to happen the right way for us and today it did. When Lea [Siegl] went out of the arena, it felt a touch electric, which maybe helped me, because she got a little bit up and above the bit, which I think is now the image the judges want to see. But she stayed with me, which was really nice. There’s still much more to come, but for today, I’m over the moon.”

Austria’s Lea Siegl was hugely impressive this afternoon, producing a neat, energetic test with Van Helsing P and earning 26.9 and individual fourth after this phase. She rides for the three-man Austrian team, which now holds sixth.

“I know he can be really good in the dressage, but I also know I have to be on point for him to deliver such a test, so while you come here and try your best, I wasn’t expecting it,” said Lea, whose father Harald rode at the 2005 Europeans here.

“When Van Helsing P comes to a place where there are a lot of people, he really enjoys it. He wants to be the superstar. He’s made for competition and gives 120% at them. So I can always count on him at events, because I know he performs much better than at home.”

Ireland hold seventh, with Ian Cassells (Millridge Atlantis) their best team rider in 22nd, with Sweden in eighth and Italy ninth.

Blenheim European Championships results: individual standings

Michael Jung and Laura Collett hold the top two spots individually, with Tom McEwen (JL Dublin) in individual bronze for Britain.

Lea Siegl (Van Helsing P) is fourth for Austria, with Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (Hooney D’Arville) fifth for Belgium and German team rider Malin Hansen-Hotopp, yesterday’s leader, in sixth on Carlitos Quidditch K.

Three other British riders sit in the top 12, with team pathfinder Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) in ninth and fellow team rider Piggy March (Halo) 12th. Individual Bubby Upton (Its Cooley Time) holds eighth. Britain’s second individual rider Caroline Harris (D. Day) is in 30th place.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

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The Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country times have now been released for tomorrow’s action (Saturday, 20 September).

The first horse out of the start box will be Nadja Minder with Toberone, Switzerland’s first team pairing, who will head off at 11am. The last rider on course is due to be Ireland’s team number four Ian Cassells, who is expected to start at 3.30pm with Millridge Atlantis. Horses will be sent on their way at five-minute intervals, and will run without any breaks until the conclusion.

The first pair for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, are Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ. They are due out at 11.15am.

A total of 55 horses are expected leave the start box to tackle Mark Phillips’ track, which is 5,710m long and features 31 numbered fences.

Blenheim European Championships cross-country times

British squad riders

• Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ, ninth equal: 11.15am
• Caroline Harris and D. Day (individual), 30th: 11.55am
• Piggy March and Halo, 12th: 12.25pm
• Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, third: 2pm
• Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time, eighth: 2.40pm
• Laura Collett and London 52, second: 3.10pm

Other leading contenders

• Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia 34 (GER), seventh: 11.25am
• Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K (GER), sixth: 12.35pm
• Sebastien Cavaillon and Elipso De La Vigne (FRA), ninth equal: 12.40pm
• Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice (GER), 15th: 2.10pm
• Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (GER), 16th: 2.30pm
• Felix Vogg and Frieda (SUI), 11th: 2.50pm
• Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P (AUT), fourth: 3pm
• Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney D’Arville (BEL), fifth: 3.05pm
• Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH (GER), first: 3.20pm

The optimum time for the cross-country course is 10min 1sec, so if there are no major delays during the day, the action should finish soon after 3.40pm.

Full times

• Cross-country times
• All Blenheim results and times
• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

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What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

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

Michael Jung leads overnight at the conclusion of the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage, with his test also putting Germany into the team gold position after the first phase.

The final session today (19 September) featured a likely repeat of the Paris head to head between Michael and Britain’s Laura Collett, and after Laura scored 20.6, three-time European champion Michael needed a mark of 19.6 or better to give Germany the edge in the team standings. He delivered that and some with 18.3 on the now 17-year-old Olympic champion FischerChipmunk FRH.

Chipmunk showed a superb uphill outline, with lovely cadence and suspension in his paces, and made no mistakes in a virtually flawless performance. He earned nines across the board for his mid-test halt and nine other nines through his test sheet.

“I’m excited and very proud of FisherChipmunk, he’s just an amazing horse,” said Michael Jung after his Blenheim European Championships dressage.

“It’s just lovely to ride this horse and also today in the dressage. He was really good and listening well. I was always able to ride him with my legs and yes, there were just a few things to do [differently] – but I think there’s always something. So far so good and I’m very happy also to get the marks from the judges.”

Michael said he had “a little mistake after the first medium trot – this was a wake up”, perhaps referring to a tiny wobble at the start of the first shoulder-in, but it was certainly barely perceptible to watchers and his marks never dropped below 7.5 in this part of the test.

Asked about the pressure of riding such a horse, Michael said: “I’m very thankful to have such a horse and I’m very thankful to the Fischer Group for helping me with him. He’s a fantastic horse and I enjoy every day riding him. I enjoy riding him in every phase, so I enjoy it more than I feel the pressure.”

Michael said he is looking forward to tomorrow’s cross-country.

“We are in England, and it’s a big history country with the sport and horse people. I really love to compete in England. It’s a beautiful course and the ground is perfect,” he said.

This is the fifth time Michael and Chipmunk have led the dressage in their championship career together – but the only time they didn’t hold pole position after this phase, in Paris last year when they were bested between the white boards by Laura Collett and London 52, is the only time they’ve claimed the individual gold.

Britain, with a squad running in partnership with Agria, holds the other podium positions after the first phase, with Laura Collett (London 52) in silver and Tom McEwen (JL Dublin) in bronze.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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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

The final rider rotation produced a big shake-up as the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage came to its climax today (19 September). British fans have come to expect magnificence from Laura Collett and London 52, and once again this multi-garlanded pair delivered a sparkling performance to sit in second place individually ahead of cross-country.

They came in to cheers and went out to a standing ovation, and as the leading score – at that point – of 20.6 flashed up, London jogged out, ears pricked with Laura beaming and pointing down at her horse of a lifetime.

“I’m very relieved,” said Laura. “The expectations on him are huge to go in and perform like he has done. He doesn’t do a wow test until he’s got the people watching and cheering him on – and that’s a great quality.

“I haven’t had that feeling since Paris – he’s felt nice, but not the goosebumps feeling. He likes the crowd cheering to make him smile and show off.”

The pressure was on – last summer Laura and London conjured a record Olympic dressage score to lead in Paris on 17.5. When Laura went into Blenheim’s Palace Arena, fifth from the end, the target to beat was the 26.9 held by her team-mate Tom McEwen on JL Dublin. Laura is the anchorman on the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, and was in the middle of a glut of top team riders in the final dressage session.

London puts best foot forward in Blenheim European Championships dressage

The Landos-sired gelding goes in such a beautiful, uphill frame, and the combination of Laura’s skill and accuracy with the horse’s expression and submission produced a truly stunning picture in the autumn sunshine.

Judges have not been throwing marks at the scoresheets, but Laura drew out a nine at the outset, for her first halt, followed by a second for her extended to collected trot transition. Her marks never dropped lower than seven, but ever the perfectionist, Laura managed to find room for improvement.

“It’s always possible to get more – that last centre line, as he’s done this test so many times, he’s got a bit wise to it so he thinks ‘we could halt at X’ [rather than G],” Laura said. “I tried to keep him going but he knew the halt was coming! The rest he felt so with me and rideable, with a smile on his face, enjoying being in front of the palace with lots of people, which is where he thinks he belongs.”

Laura admitted that London has tested her wits in the lead-up to this superb performance, with a “disaster” of a lesson just three days prior.

“I lost every flying change and had a complete meltdown – it was a disaster!” she said. “I was having a serious breakdown, but he’s quite a character still. He’s cheeky out here. Just as I went to go in to [the arena] he grabbed the bit and went to run off. Then goes in there and it’s like butter wouldn’t melt – he’s like ‘everyone’s here and I’m ready’.

“So he does test the nerves in that respect; I have to trust he knows when it matters and he winds me up the rest of the time.”

The battle with Chipmunk is on

Laura is bidding for her first individual gold medal with her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52. The pair already have two Olympic team golds, European team gold and Olympic individual bronze in their trophy cabinet. London also has course form, winning the young horse four-star class here in 2018.

“He was a baby back then and it was a very different track,” countered Laura. “It’s a serious challenging cross-country track and the time will be tight. I’ll have to get stuck in and get it done.”

London’s great rival, Michael Jung’s Olympic champion FischerChipmunk FRH, took the lead two riders later. The German horse needed 19.6 to regain his country’s overnight lead in the team competition, and scored 18.3. Currently he leads 4-1 in the Chipmunk vs London rivalry, but it’s alway tight and any time-faults on the cross-country will be pivotal. It’s all to play for.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Bubby Upton impressed in her Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage test this afternoon (Friday 19 September) to take fourth at this stage, with seven more horses to go.

The 10-year-old grey gelding Its Cooley Time, owned by his rider and the Five Time Syndicate, presented a very attractive, elegant picture in the arena as he and Bubby made their senior championship debut and they scored 28.9. She slips ahead of fellow Brit Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) and French team member Sebastien Cavaillon (Elipso De La Vigne), now equal fifth, by 0.1 of a penalty.

Its Cooley Time looked to have progressed in his work since winning the CCI4*-L at Bramham Horse Trials in June, appearing softer, more supple and relaxed, with better self-carriage and less reliance on the rein. It was unfortunate he tripped into the mid-test halt, although it was perfectly square.

“Its Cooley Time was fantastic in there,” said Bubby. “He’s a very sharp, sensitive horse, so the timing of the warm-up was really important with him today. I feel like we really got it right today, me and my coach Amy Woodhead – I’m so grateful to her for everything she’s done. She’s seen him right from the start and knows what we’ve come through to get here.

“The stumble into his halt was a real shame, because trot halts are a big highlight for him. That obviously interrupted the halt and then also the rein back as well, but obviously it was no fault of his. Then in his medium canters, I think he saw the boxes, saw the crowds, and was like, ‘Ooh’, I was like, ‘No, concentrate.’

“But I’m just so proud of him. It’s such a fine line with him because of his sharpness and sensitivity, so overall we’re thrilled with how he coped and I guess, more than anything, how exciting it is for the future.”

Bubby Upton talked after her Blenheim European Championships dressage test about how she refined her warm-up after a practice two weeks ago at Defender Burghley Horse Trials, when all the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria, had the chance to ride their tests in the main arena after the dressage on Thursday.

She said: “We worked him quite ‘down’ [in his frame] at Burghley in the warm-up, then we didn’t give him enough time to establish in his test frame, which showed in the arena, whereas here we had him ‘up’ for a bit longer, so he had time to settle into his test frame, which seemed to work really well.”

Bubby added that the test used here doesn’t suit Its Cooley Time as well as the one used at Bramham in June, but that she has been working since then to improve various aspects of the horse’s work, including the connection.

“Also at Bramham, we worked him so that he was a bit quieter in the arena, whereas now we’re riding on a bit more power,” she said. “But you can’t ride too much, because then if he gets a little bit hot and bubbles over, you lose the connection and length of the neck. So it’s a really fine line with him.

“He’s quite immature still for a 10-year-old and inexperienced, so he’s strengthening and changing the whole time and it’s just ensuring that the training evolves with him as well.”

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Germany has lost some ground in the fight at the top of the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage leaderboard after fielding Jérôme Robiné in the third team rotation this morning.

Jérôme and Black Ice – who were seventh at the 2023 Europeans as individuals and make their team debut this week – put in a solid test, but their mark was pegged by small mistakes and areas of tension such as in the positioning of the first shoulder-in, a mid-test halt which wasn’t square and low marks in the first flying change.

“Unfortunately, he was bit tense, in a way which isn’t normal for him,” said Jérôme Robiné after his Blenheim European Championships dressage test.

“He’s normally very relaxed. We’ve been in Aachen, we’ve been at Badminton this year, which are both big stadiums. But this time he was a bit more tense. Sometimes it’s like this, sometimes it’s the other way and you don’t want to do too much so the horses feel tired. I’ve got a good system with him now. But it’s not the result we hoped for.”

Jérôme’s score of 30.4 puts him seventh as an individual at this stage. With Tom McEwen taking the lead shortly before Jérôme’s test, the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, is now 2.3 penalties ahead of Germany with both nations counting all three riders so far.

But the best pairs for both countries – Michael Jung for Germany, Laura Collett for the home side – go this afternoon and each nation then discards its worst score, so there is still everything to play for as the dressage wraps up.

The French maintain the bronze position held overnight after Alexis Goury and the attractive grey Je’Vall scored 31.9 this morning (10th individually), their mark brought down by being late behind in the first flying change.

Belgium make gains in third rider rotation

Behind the three leading teams, Belgium have made gains and now sit level with Switzerland, with the two teams on equal scores to share fourth.

Belgian rider Wouter de Cleene scored 33.8 on Quintera this morning, while Switzerland’s Robin Godel contributed a mid-field 36.5 riding the championship first-timer Global DHI.

“I’m very happy with my horse today. We know that he can be a bit tense in the arena and today it was a bit like that, but he’s improving every time. We know that the dressage is not our best part, so we will try to be fast on the cross-country,” said Robin.

Meanwhile a score of 34.7 from Aoife Clark and her relatively new ride Full Monty De Lacense has helped Ireland, with that nation now just 0.7 behind Switzerland and Belgium.

“He’s quite a sensitive blood horse and just held his breath a little bit, so I felt I couldn’t quite ride him out as much as I wanted to,” said Aoife. “I just missed the first change, which is so irritating. I feel like I probably just left a few marks in there, which is a bit disappointing as a rider. But I’ve only been riding him since March, it’s a big atmosphere in there and he’s only 10 – and he really did try and held it all together.”

Aoife took over the ride on Full Monty De Lacense from New Zealand’s Jonelle Price.

The Irish rider explained: “He is a worrier and Jonelle felt, rightly so, he wasn’t as suited to a bigger yard, that he would be better with someone more one on one on a smaller yard, where I’d be the one who rides him every day. He’s always been a talented horse and it’s just getting all the pieces in place, mentally firm, just to relax into it.”

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Tom McEwen has gone into the lead at the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage today (19 September), riding former European champion JL Dublin. Tom and the 14-year-old by Diarado – owned by James and Jo Lambert, and Deirdre Johnston – scored 26.2, to move 1.6 penalties ahead of overnight leader Malin Hansen-Hotopp (Carlitos Quidditch K).

“Delighted – the centre line and the trot work was all brilliant,” said Tom. “[This test] is quite hard work especially for these big-moving horses as it is so compact and collected – the D test is meant to be quick and efficient, whereas in the five-star test if you make a little mistake you have time to make it up later. This is bang, bang, bang.”

How Tom McEwen took the lead in Blenheim European Championships dressage

It was by and large a super test, a class apart from the rest of the field so far, with Dublin’s natural cadence and expression earning strings of eights. However a brief blip in the final canter half pass, when the gelding lost balance and briefly broke into trot, has given some breathing space for the top dressage horses in the field.

Tom, 34, and “Dubs” made a great first impression on the judges with a beautifully straight entrance to draw an 8.5. They managed to hold it together despite an early stumble round a corner to earn plenty of eights in all paces – extended walk, collected trot and canter – and their changes were clean. Until three movements from the end they were trending on 23–24 and it was just that one error that precluded an even higher score.

“Shame to have the obvious mistake – we were just trying to get a bit straighter,” said Tom. “But he was absolutely awesome – to have that mistake and still to get his change in; I was really pleased.”

The horse himself has already won double European gold, with his former rider Nicola Wilson in 2021. However, Tom will be keen not to repeat his fall at Haras Du Pin Europeans in 2023. “Dubs” remains one of the favourites, with team gold and individual fourth on their last championship appearance, at the Paris Olympics, besides two CCI4*-S wins this season.

The British team, running in partnership with Agria, were lying second behind Germany after the second rider rotation, but Tom’s result has put Britain ahead of the time being.

Tom is not predicting Blenheim will be a dressage competition.

“I think there will be little problems all the way round [the cross-country course],” he said. “The combination by the palace is big and technical, the waters are decent – you’ll have to keep your wits around you.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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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.”

Karin was here at the Blenheim European Championships in 2005, when Zara Tindall took the individual gold. Karin finished fourth on her great campaigner Gormley – her best individual championship placing (alongside also being fourth at the 2010 World Championships), but also a painful one, being so close to medals.

“It was a wet year and the ground was tough. In term of conditions it was a real effort. Gormley showed his quality – he was Irish and he handled it well,” she said of the chestnut Irish sport horse, by the thoroughbred Sandalay.

Karin Donckers will pilot championship first-timer Ceres De La Brasserie this week at the 2025 Blenheim European Championships.

The 13-year-old mare is by I’m Special De Muze and out of Gazelle De La Brasserie. Gazelle was a super championship horse for Karin, contesting two Olympics (ninth in 2008, 15th in 2012), two World Championships (fourth in 2010, 13th in 2006) and two Europeans (sixth and team bronze in 2009).

Karin says: “Ceres has a bit the same brain as Gazelle, in that she takes care of herself. She’s a clever mare. She pays attention a lot. She knows what she’s doing and that’s what I like going cross-country – that the horses think and take care of themselves and take care of their riders.”

Karin is particularly looking forward to tomorrow’s cross-country and said it’s “really nice” to be back in Britain.

“Since Brexit, we don’t come here so often because it’s all a bit more complicated. Everything is so horsey here in England and so green. It’s beautiful to ride in a park like this,” she said.

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Kirsty Campbell, groom to Bubby Upton and her ride Its Cooley Time at this week’s Agria Blenheim European Championships, has only worked for the British event rider since last November, having been in the showjumping world before that.

“Showjumping is more relaxed. In eventing, with the three different phases, you’ve got to be a lot more on it,” she says. “Showjumping was quite chill – if you’re a little bit late it doesn’t really matter, but here you’ve got to be on time. So it’s harder, but I do think it’s more rewarding.”

Kirsty was born in Scotland, but grew up in New Zealand. She worked for the Gredleys on the thoroughbred stud side before moving across to Tim Gredley’s showjumping yard, where she groomed for stable jockey Joe Clayton.

“Joe taught me a lot – he’s an amazing rider and amazing with the horses. Then Bubby sent me a message on Instagram, because she had heard Joe was leaving, so we had a conversation. We got on really well, so I thought I’d give it a go,” she says.

“I’ve only just learned how to sew plaits and do quarter marks! But I love it. It’s my favourite job so far, I’m so happy. And Bubby’s amazing, she’s been very patient with me.”

Kirsty’s charge this week is the Bramham Horse Trials winner Its Cooley Time, known as “Finn”.

She says: “He’s so easy, chilled and happy to be here. He loves to go for a walk around and he’s so nosey – he likes to see what’s going on. He’s such a lovely horse to work with and I’m very lucky to be able to look after him.”

Finn spends a lot of time in the field at home, so Kirsty tries to replicate that at competitions.

“I try get him out as much as possible. I’ll give him an hour at lunch to rest and have some some feed and chill out because horses need their time to be left alone as well. But he likes being active,” she says.

With Finn being grey, washing is likely to be a big part of Kirsty’s week.

“He’s been quite clean so far! But normally he loves rolling in a hole of mud so I’m sure he’ll do that before his dressage tomorrow, which is a bit stressful. He likes being muddy.”

Kirsty can ride and does some hacking out, but looking after the horses from the ground and then seeing them excel with Bubby is more her style.

Asked what is most rewarding about her role as groom for Bubby Upton, Kirsty says: “Just watching the horses do their thing. Bubby works so hard with them and then to be able to see them go out and perform and see how happy Bubby is after she’s done a test or a round is so rewarding. When you put so much work into making them look great and do all the hard work, then to see the end result is just amazing.”

Kirsty had a shock when she walked the course at Burghley Horse Trials earlier in September.

She says: “It never looks as big on screen, so I didn’t realise how big the cross-country jumps were, so after that, I’m very nervous about watching the cross-country. I love the dressage and the showjumping.

“I’d like to walk the course here – we always say we’ll do it afterwards but there isn’t time so we have to do it before, but if I walk it I probably won’t watch it.”

She adds that the British camp has been very welcoming, saying: “Everyone’s so helpful. I ask so many silly questions, but everyone’s there to help you and look after you, so you feel at home.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage has drawn to a close for day one and it’s tight at the top of the leaderboard, with Germany just edging Britain to hold both gold medal positions at this early stage.

Let’s catch up on all the action…

Yasmin Ingham was the first Brit into the arena, on Rehy DJ, and she got things off to a good start.

• How does Yasmin feel about being the pathfinder?

Germany took an early lead, with championship debutante Libussa Lübbeke impressing.

• Read about Libussa’s test and her home-bred mare

After lunch, Britain’s second team member Piggy March came before the judges with stallion Halo.

• Why was Piggy frustrated after her test?

At the end of the day, German rider Malin Hansen-Hotopp cruised into top spot, confirming Germany in double gold overnight.

• More on Malin’s test and the full lowdown on team scores at the end of the day

British individual rider Caroline Harris made her championship debut today, on D. Day.

• What was the expensive moment in Caroline’s test?

Riders have been sharing their initial reactions to Mark Phillips’s cross-country course.

• What Yasmin Ingham and Piggy March said about the track

The second half of the Blenheim European Championships dressage action takes place tomorrow.

• When do the Brits go? 

We also caught up with Kumru Say today – she’s making history for Turkey this week.

• Check out Kumru’s fascinating story

Did you forget the GFS Saddles eight- and nine-year-old class, with all the Europeans excitement? We didn’t!

• Who’s leading in the young horse showdown?

And finally, if you want to take a trip down memory lane, exclusively for Horse & Hound subscribers…

• Relive Zara Tindall’s week taking double gold at the 2005 European Championships at Blenheim

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website from just £1 a week

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A Turkish rider who had never evented prior to the Covid pandemic has made her senior championship debut at the Agria Blenheim European Championships. Kumru Say, 24, is also the first rider to compete for Turkey at a senior Europeans.

Riding her own Baladin De L’Ocean LA, who was produced to four-star by Astier Nicolas, Kumru scored 37.1, which puts them 21st at the end of the first day of dressage.

“I’m delighted to be here,” says Kumru, who was born and raised in New York though her mother lives in Istanbul. “To be the first ever Turk, aged just 24, it’s so exciting. But I’m not an experienced event rider – let’s see what happens!

“I was delighted with my horse’s test, he was composed and focused. We had small mistakes here and there from my side. But there’s plenty to jump on Saturday. We don’t have much scope to spare, but plenty of heart.

“He’s a very arrogant horse, he doesn’t need anyone, doesn’t need me! He’s very full of himself, but he’s lovely and easy-going.”

Kumru Say’s path to the Blenheim European Championships

Kumru moved to Germany when she was 14 years old, where she has been living every since, working in “large showjumping operations”. She competed at junior and children-on-horses championships in showjumping, only switching to eventing almost on a whim five years ago. Her first horse trials was a one-star in August 2020.

“I sold a bunch of my showjumpers and was left with one relatively complicated horse,” says Kumru. “A friend of mine suggested I should take him cross-country schooling to help him. As I didn’t know where to go schooling, I took him to a one-star in Poland and he finished on his dressage score. He’d never cross-country schooled and never jumped into water!

“After that I thought maybe showjumping is difficult for him, but he is a fantastic event horse and it just kept going.”

Kumru Say currently works in a German showjumping yard backing horses, and rides her string of five eventers after work.

“It’s difficult because I have to ride my event horses after work – we work 6am to 5pm – so after feeding I have to ride my event horses,” she explains. “It takes a lot of energy and motivation to ride until 10 or 11pm.

“But I have a nice string of five younger and older horses.”

However this week plays out, Kumru Say has already played her part in the sporting history of her nation.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Malin Hansen-Hotopp holds the individual lead and spearheads German’s team lead at the close of the first day of Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage today (18 September).

Malin and Bodil Ipsen’s Carlitos Quidditch K – winners of the CCI4*-L here at Blenheim in 2022 and European team silver medallists in 2023 – put in an active test, marred only by a rather abrupt mid-test halt and some slight resistance in the upwards transition to canter. They scored 27.8.

“I’m really happy,” said Malin. “I was a little bit afraid that he was too switched on when I came down, because he was just getting up and up with his head and just looking around. But then I pushed him a little forward and it was okay.

“He was good in the half-passes and really up in front. I wanted to open the neck a little bit more, but I think that was because he really had the power on.”

Although the officially released team scores use only the best mark from each team, discarding the second rider from today, it is traditional to count both riders at this stage of eventing team competitions. The top four nations at this stage are the same whether one or two competitors are counted.

Counting both scores, Malin’s marks combines with Libussa Lübbeke’s 28.3 from this morning to give Germany the upper hand over Britain overnight by 2.3 penalties. Libussa and Caramia 34 currently hold second individually.

Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) and Piggy March (Halo) sit equal third and fifth overnight to confirm the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, in team silver after day one. But with the best dressage pairs for all teams to come tomorrow, much can change on the second day of Blenheim European Championships dressage.

Blenheim European Championships dressage: France hold bronze

France’s Sebastien Cavaillon was the best of those in this afternoon’s final session, scoring 29 with the elegant bay Elipso De La Vigne for individual equal third overnight. He also confirmed France in bronze position after two riders.

“The score was not good for me – 29 is a bad score for him,” said Sebastien. “He scored 26.9 at Bramham and for me he was better here, so I’m a little bit disappointed.

“He was more uphill in trot and canter, and the canter is amazing on this horse. I didn’t see the marks in the canter, but I saw on the big screen he was under 70% after the trot. I don’t understand why, but I need to accept that.”

Switzerland’s second rider Mélody Johner put in a smooth test this afternoon with the “sensitive” championship first-timer Erin – her mark of 31.5 puts her seventh at this stage and as a team, Switzerland hold fourth overnight.

“I’m really pleased. The horse gave his best for me today. He stayed polite and quiet, and it was really what I wanted,” said Mélody.

The 10-year-old Erin was bred by Spain’s Ramon Beca, with whom Swiss cross-country coach Andrew Nicholson – who produced Erin to three-star and introduced the horse to Mélody – has a long association, having had horses such as the five-star greats Armada and Nereo from him.

Irish championship first-timer Robbie Kearns piloted Chance Encounter to 33.3 this afternoon, putting his nation into fifth overnight (counting two scores per team or sixth if counting one).

“I’m just on such a high, to be honest, he was incredible,” said Robbie. “He stayed with me all the way through the test. He can be a bit of a tense character, but he just stayed with me and he tries so hard. I’m so proud.

“This is my third season riding him and he’s had a few riders before me. We just gel together. I think my horizontal character helps him. He tries almost too hard and if you went to ask him too much on the flat, he would get into a tizz.”

Belgium sits sixth counting two scores (seventh counting one), after their second rider Karin Donckers kicked off her 30th senior championship with a score of 34.9 on Ceres De La Brasserie, their test marred by a jog at the end of the walk and slightly stilted flying changes.

“Her flying changes are not confirmed yet – she’s almost there, but it’s all a little more exciting in this environment, so I need to work on that. But overall, I’m very happy,” said Karin.

Italy hold seventh overnight counting two scores, or fifth counting one, having fielded British-based pairs Giovanni Ugolotti (Duke Of Champions) and Paolo Torlonia (Zinny) today.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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British championship debutante reflects on Blenheim Europeans dressage: ‘We could have done better, but this isn’t our strong point’

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Riders have mixed opinions after a first look at the test Mark Phillips has set for the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country phase. While Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy – a double world silver medallist and contesting his third Europeans – described it as “a pretty serious track”, fellow championships stalwart Senne Vervaecke of Belgium said it “looks fun; I think it’s nice”.

Several riders pinpointed the main arena as where the challenge ramps up, at fences 9 (the Joules Palace View) and 10abc (Agria Angles) – an imposing yellow and blue table ahead of skinny angled hedges.

“It’s a pretty serious track,” said Padraig. “There’s an easy enough start to get the horses breathing and into a good rhythm, but when you come up to the main arena and on to the front lawn, it really smacks you in the face.”

The front lawn features the Subaru Sensation (fence 11abc), Palace Treasure Chest (fence 12) and Jewellery Box (fence 13) – more chunky tables and tricky lines to corners, coming hot on the heels of the questions in the arena. Mark himself described this area as “probably the most difficult fences on the course… it demands absolute precision, balance and commitment to stay on the line”.

“It’s very typical Mark Phillips, he puts you on one line and you have to accept a lot of angle, and there’s no deviation from it,” Padraig adds. “So I think we’re going to see plenty of mistakes. It’s a championship, so I think it’s going to be good sport on Saturday.”

Germany’s Nicolai Aldinger, who rides the 15-year-old grey Timmo, also picked out this section.

“The course is tough; it’s intense when you come to the main arena, with the angled hedges,” he said. “For me, the key combination is the table and two corners [Subaru Sensation] – it’s really big and you’re not allowed to leave your line.”

Switzerland’s Nadja Minder, riding 18-year-old Toblerone, was another scratching her head at this question.

“When I first walked it, especially the corners in front of the palace, I thought, ‘what does the designer want us to do?’,” but after walking it with [Swiss cross-country coach] Andrew Nicholson, everything became clearer. There’s no better horse than Toblerone to tackle this track.”

British riders give their verdict on the Blenheim European Championships cross-country course

Three riders on the British squad, in partnership with Agria, gave their comments on the challenge.

British number two team rider Piggy March predicted “sneaky problems to be had anywhere”. She highlighted a few fences with frangibles, particularly in front of water or on mounds, that will be easy to activate.

“It’s crafty coming out of the water with the little angled brush [fence 19], they’ve been clever with where they’ve put the flower pot,” she said. “It’s a really good track, they’ve definitely spiced up Blenheim for a championships. We’ll see bits and pieces spread out – it should be a thrills and spills day.”

Caroline Harris, who is making her senior championship debut with D. Day, said: “It’s a proper championship track. The angles are strong; it’s going to take a lot of riding, you need to be bold and to attack it.”

Britain’s pathfinder Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) described it as “intense from start to finish”.

“There’s one minute with eight jumping efforts in it, so there are some [areas] where you’ll have to be very aware of your clock. I think time is going to play a big part.”

But while that main arena and front lawn section is intense, there are plenty of other tests around the course.

Nicolai picked out the first entry to the lake: “It’s pretty skinny and naked, and then the hedge out is on a sharp angle.”

Senne Vervaecke indicated that the course builds up to a crescendo before easing off.

“The course looks fun and I’m excited to ride it,” said the 28-year-old. “You have a flowing start, with one big question, the log skinnies [fence 6, the Suregrow Dew Pond], then an incredibly intense middle part with a finale with the two mounds – the oxer turning to a corner.”

This combination at fence 15 – the Raging Bull Roller Coaster – features an oxer on one mound then a corner on a second mound, so horses have to deal with the rollercoaster element of the terrain as well as the accuracy question.

“And then if your horse still has the energy, you have a fluid finish again,” adds Senne. “I think it’s nice.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Piggy March’s bold riding on the stunning stallion Halo secured a sub-30 score in the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage phase, keeping the competition tight between Britain and Germany at the top of the leaderboard. But a couple of blips took the gloss off what could have been an even better mark, leaving Piggy “frustrated”.

“I had a couple of really expensive, uncharacteristic mistakes,” said Piggy. “It’s really disappointing when you’re here [at a championships]. It means a lot, and I’ve been so excited to be here and he’s such a fab horse and you just want to do your best, so to have the mistakes we did is frustrating.”

They started with a bang, drawing eights for their first halt. Jayne McGivern’s stallion has lovely cadence and combined with Piggy’s accuracy and ringcraft created a beautiful overall picture.

Despite a sub-par halt and rein-back, they were trending in the lead when Piggy executed a brave and bold medium canter with Halo eating up the ground. However, he just lost balance moving into collected canter, breaking into a couple of strides of trot before the half pass, which plummeted what could have been exceptional marks to fours and pegged them back to 29.4. This slots them into fourth towards the end of the first day of the dressage phase.

“The good bits were really good,” said Piggy. “I’ll moan for 10 minutes but it’s still sub 30 and we’re here at the Europeans, part of a team, with a great horse. But it is frustrating – that’s sport, it’s horses, and life!”

Piggy is no stranger to the pressure of a European Championship, having already won five senior European medals. However, it’s been four years since she last represented Britain and Halo is a newcomer to the championship scene.

“It’s so special, really cool to be back on a team, and on home soil,” said Piggy. “I’ve got my nails done for the first time! I feel like I’ve been out of it for ages, so it’s an honour and I’m proud to be part of it.”

The 12-year-old grey has course form, as the winner of the 2022 young horse class at Blenheim, and he has proved exceptional in the dressage phase – finishing on a sub-20 on his last international run, at Burgham CCI4*-S.

Piggy was riding second in the British team, in partnership with Agria, and built on pathfinder Yasmin Ingham’s competitive score of 29 earlier on day one of the Blenheim European Championships dressage phase.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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British individual rider Caroline Harris holds seventh at the lunch break on the first day of Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage (18 September).

Riding D. Day, owned by Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle, Caroline scored 34.4 for her test this morning. The 35-year-old competitor makes her championship debut this week, having sprung to prominence when she won the French five-star at Pau Horse Trials last autumn.

The 11-year-old D. Day looked quite bright in the arena today, with his ears firmly forward, and his work was at times a little tense. But he and Caroline Harris presented a neat picture in their Blenheim European Championships dressage, with D. Day showing a good uphill frame.

They had one expensive moment when the horse jogged at K toward the end of the walk work – he scored fours across the board for this movement.

“I think we could have done the whole thing a lot better to be honest, but it’s our first championship, we tried hard, and this isn’t our strong point, so hopefully the cross-country will prove tricky on Saturday,” said Caroline.

“He actually got more tense than I thought he would going in there. He’s normally very relaxed and he did just go a bit, ‘Oh gosh’ when he went in and then he jogged in the walk, so that was a real shame.”

Caroline described D. Day as “a real happy character”.

“You’ll never get a picture of him without his ears forward. He’s a lovely person and he tries really hard, but he’s not built to do any of this stuff,” she said.

“He’s felt brilliant coming into this, on really good form. I’m just so proud of him for being here, because he’s not a big, flashy horse. He is what he is and we do our best, but he always gives me 100% so I can’t ask any more.”

On her first team experience so far, Caroline said: “It’s amazing and it’s so lovely to be at a home championship. I have so many people here supporting me

“Everyone [in the British camp] has been so supportive. I couldn’t really ask for a better group of people. It’s lovely to be involved in a team, really special.”

Britain’s first team rider, Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ), holds second at this stage, with Germany’s pathfinder Libussa Lübbeke (Caramia 34) in pole position. The next rider for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, is Piggy March (Halo) at 2.58pm.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Blenheim European Championships dressage times: find out when the British team start

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The two leading nations – Britain and Germany – have made solid starts in the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage phase with Germany holding a narrow lead after the first rider rotation.

This comes courtesy of Germany’s first team rider Libussa Lübbeke, a three-time youth medallist, who opened her senior championship debut with a correct and balanced test for 28.3 to put herself and her country top of the leaderboard. Britain’s pathfinder Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) lies second at this early stage on 29.

Libussa’s home-bred mare, Caramia 34, is a good, uphill mover who goes in a lovely frame and the pair seemed unfazed by the big occasion.

“She’s a quiet horse, but always focused in competition,” said Libussa, 24. “I was really happy with the walk and the horse’s concentration. She is so honest and always tries her best.

“My parents bred her and this wasn’t the plan for her in the beginning. Our relationship has been growing over the years – it’s a dream come true to go up the levels and now it feels like there is no limit.”

Blenheim European Championships dressage: first rotation of riders

Switzerland’s Nadja Minder was first before the judges – Sandy Phillips, Katrin Eichinger-Kniely and Valerie Pride – on Nicole Basieux’s 18-year-old Toblerone, and set the standard of 35.3.

“Kicking off a championship like that with the backdrop, with everyone watching — there is no better horse than Toblerone to do that, so it’s fun and an honour,” said the 25-year-old rider.

“I wasn’t 100% happy [with my test] – normally even in the big stadiums we make up points with harmony and calmness, but he was quite tense. I even gave him a jump this morning to make him move a little bit. But I’ll try to see it as a positive for Saturday, he’s fit and ready to go.”

France’s podium bid suffered a blow with a disrupted run-up to the championships when their Paris silver medallist Nicolas Touzaint withdrew Absolut Gold HDC last week. Their first team rider Luc Chateau and the athletic Cocorico De L’Ebat produced 35.6 with a couple of minor mistakes – but this pair typically make up ground in the jumping phases.

Padraig McCarthy came forward on Pomp N Circumstance as the pathfinder for Ireland, another nation in the mix for medals. The 11-year-old looked a touch tense today, jogging in the walk which earned them a string of fours, to score 35.2, sixth at this stage.

“On the whole I was pleased with him – he’s a real trier, almost tries too hard,” said Padraig. “That coupled with him not being the best mover in the world, he gets heavily penalised, especially in the walk and we were trying to claw it back from there. He did a lot of good trot work.

“The judges don’t give any bonus points, you have to do a clear round. But it’s not going to be a dressage competition so I’ll try to finish as close to my dressage score as possible.”

Team standings after one rider rotation

So, after one rider of the four, Germany is in the lead; the British team, in partnership with Agria, is second; and Italy is in third, thanks to Giovanni Ugolotti’s score of 32.8 with Duke Of Champions.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Who’s on the British team – and who’s an individual – at the Blenheim European Championships? Plus team order revealed

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The dressage phase of the Agria FEI Eventing Europeans Championships is now underway at Blenheim Palace and fans can look forward to expert insight from familiar voices in the eventing Europeans commentators.

Tina Cook and Steven Wilde will be lending their vocal expertise to FEI TV, powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, throughout this week, as well as to the BBC’s Blenheim coverage on Saturday and Sunday.

Eventing Europeans commentators: 2009 European champion and Olympian Tina Cook

Tina Cook was a British eventing team regular during her illustrious career, which has left her with an impressive trophy cabinet. Her accolades include Olympic bronzes and a silver, as well as world team golds, but among the highlights is her individual gold at the 2009 Europeans in Fontainebleau with Miners Frolic, which helped secure the team gold that year.

Tina is by no means a stranger to Blenheim as a rider, and she has plenty of first-hand experience of the terrain. She achieved 12 completions here since 2001, most notably with Miners Frolic in 2007, where she finished runner-up.

Since retiring from top level competition in 2022, Tina has graced in the commentary box at numerous high-profile events, most recently at Defender Burghley Horse Trials where she provided commentary for the BBC.

Globetrotting equestrian commentator Steven Wilde

Steven Wilde returns to the commentary box for another European championship at Blenheim. He commentated the last time the Euros were held here in 2005, when Zara Tindall won individual gold and led Britain to team gold.

Steven has lent his voice to many of horse sport’s most illustrious occasions, including CHIO Aachen and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, over the past 20 years. More recently, he commentated at the European Showjumping Championships in A Coruna and joined the on-site team at Burghley this month.

Germany’s Helene Holloway, eventer since childhood

German commentary on FEI TV, powered by ClipMyHorse.TV, will be provided by Helene Holloway, a former German pony team member, who remains a close follower of the sport.

On-site commentators

The on-site commentators are Roly Rickcord, Tadhg Ryan and David Milligan.

Stay up-to-date with Horseandhound.co.uk

We’ll be providing multiple reports throughout each day of competition at Blenheim with our expert team of journalists on the scene.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

Blenheim European Championships dressage times: find out when the British team start

What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

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Yasmin Ingham has started the British team off on a good note in the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage this morning (18 September).

The reigning world champion and the 15-year-old horse, owned by Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund, scored 29, the first pair to break the 30-barrier at this early stage.

Yasmin came down the first centreline with a huge smile on her face and steered Rehy DJ through a solid, consistent test. The bay was a little unsteady in his head and through the contact at times, but pulled off clean flying changes and an accurate performance.

“We’ve been working super hard with Chris Bartle and Sarah Higgins on the flat, said Yasmin. “They’ve been instrumental in my dressage training and just trying to gain those small margins – an extra half percent here or there and then you’re down into where you want to be.

“It’s just trying to be as accurate as possible. I’m not riding a big, flashy horse, so to be accurate and try to maximise each mark for each movement is where we aim to be with ‘Piglet’.”

Blenheim European Championships dressage: Yasmin Ingham and Piglet’s “special partnership”

Yasmin has a longstanding partnership with “Piglet” – the pair were fourth at the 2018 young rider Europeans and have since finished third twice at five-star. This is the first time he has been to a senior championship. Yasmin rode Banzai Du Loir to win individual gold at the World Championships in 2022 and team gold at the Europeans in 2023.

She said: “I’ve had Piglet for many years now, and I feel incredibly lucky to have such a special partnership with him. He’s just been an absolute stalwart, so it feels very special to be given the opportunity to ride for the team here at Blenheim. Hopefully we’ll give it our absolute best and we can come out on top on Sunday.”

Yasmin said there is a great team spirit in the British camp and that Blenheim holds good memories for her.

“This was where I had my first major win as a senior on Banzai Du Loir in 2021 and our trajectory then went upwards from there, so it’s an incredibly special place. It’s an iconic venue,” she said.

“I remember when I was very, very small, watching Zara Tindall win the European Championships here so it’s definitely one that I’d love for one of us British lot to win, to maintain that British European title. I’m delighted to be here and with such a fantastic team as well, led by [performance manager] Dickie Waygood and [coach] Chris Bartle.”

Talking about being the pathfinder for the British team, Yasmin added: “It’s a huge pressure to go out and get that all-important clear round inside of time, but I feel like we’re well prepped for it. I’ve been a few championships now, so I feel like I know the drill.

“I went out earlier in Pratoni [at the 2022 World Championships] as an individual, and that didn’t seem to bother me, so I think we’ll just go out and ride as planned – stick to the system, as Chris would say. We’ll go out with one plan in mind and that’s clear inside the time.

“I believe that each rider has their own system and they know their horse best, but I will be there afterwards to provide any information that they might want to hear.”

Piggy March and Halo are the next pair to go for the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria. They will perform between the white boards at 2.58pm this afternoon.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

‘I had the naivety of youth’ – Zara Tindall relives her week winning double gold at the 2005 European Championships at Blenheim

Blenheim European Championships dressage times: find out when the British team start

What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

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As we enjoy the Agria European Championships at Blenheim this week (17-21 September), 20 years on from the last championship at the Oxfordshire venue, Zara recalls that week in an exclusive feature for Horse & Hound subscribers

Zara Tindall and Toytown galloping through lashing rain to win the gold is the enduring image of the 2005 Blenheim European Championships, remaining in the minds of many who were spectators on that memorable cross-country day. Here’s this special story of those few days in Zara’s own words…

Zara Tindall tells her 2005 Blenheim Europeans story

Back in 2005, the home nation could take 12 riders to a European Championships. Leslie Law, Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt and Jeanette Brakewell were selected for the team and four of the individuals were named straight after Badminton Horse Trials, then the rest of us were called up later.

Toytown – who we called Noddy or sometimes Ginge – and I had been under-25 champions at Bramham Horse Trials in 2002, then young rider individual silver medallists that year, followed by second at Burghley Horse Trials in 2003. He was injured in 2004 and in 2005 went to Luhmühlen Horse Trials for the first five-star there. We finished second to Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo, earning selection initially as individuals.

It was an amazing feeling to get that call-up for a first senior championship, especially on home turf, and I knew Toytown was worthy of being there.

In early August, Pippa Funnell’s selected ride Primmore’s Pride was withdrawn as he wasn’t quite right and I was moved into the team, with Pippa taking an individual spot with Ensign. It’s always sad that someone gets a chance because someone else has to miss out – it was so unfortunate for Pippa.

One of the most exciting parts of being on a squad is always the moment when you get your kit – I think it’s the bit that makes it all feel real. We had team training at Eddy Stibbe’s and with 12 of us there it was particularly fun. I had come through young riders with Kitty Boggis (now King) and Matthew Wright, and we had incredible people to learn from like Pippa and William Fox-Pitt.

There was a lot of support, knowledge and experience at that training session and around the team in general. The older riders reminded us to keep doing what we were doing, as it was clearly working and, as obvious as that sounds, it was important to hear to remind us to stick to the basics. Watching experienced people is important in any sport; I’m sure just being around them was a big positive in our performance.

“Noddy loved a crowd”

Blenheim was my first encounter with the European Championships tradition of a welcome evening where all the teams dress up and do a song – it was hilarious!

The British squad stayed in their lorries and I had two boxes there over the weekend. One was for me and my groom, Catherine Owens – she used to drive me everywhere because I didn’t have my lorry licence at the time – and the other had mates in it. Because it was local, everyone could come and watch.

The crowd all week were incredible. It was so busy and there was a lot of noise. There was a long hack up to the dressage arena and we had to time it perfectly so

as not to overdo or underdo how much work the horses needed.

Yogi Breisner was the British chef d’equipe and Tracie Robinson and Kenneth Clawson were the chief British team trainers for dressage and showjumping. Tracie’s great just before you go into a test as she concentrates on getting the best out of you in the moment.

Noddy was never really chilled, but he loved a crowd. He adored being the centre of attention and thought everyone was there for him. There was always a moment in every test where he liked to tell you he was in control and he was constantly on the edge of doing something he wasn’t meant to be doing – each time, he’d break or anticipate, but then we’d pull it back together.

I remember flashes of the test – just the impression of being in the arena with the house behind – and that he was pretty good. Our only mistake was a blip in the rein-back. He was a great mover, expressive, with natural impulsion, so those marks came easily to him. But he could struggle with balance and then overcompensate.

We scored 38, which put us equal third alongside Frank Ostholt and Air Jordan, with their German team-mates Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo out ahead on 31.3 and Pippa second on Ensign.

“I didn’t have much grip on the reins”

I definitely had the naivety of youth back then – I was 24 – and it’s an amazing feeling. You can never recapture it once you’ve lost it. I remember that first-time buzz of not knowing what might go wrong, just going out across country and getting on with it. It was definitely a precious moment.

I was excited for the cross-country. Toytown was so good in that phase and also quick. Although it was my senior team debut and first time at Blenheim, we all love going to these big events and a championship creates so much excitement. I was third out for the team, after Jeanette Brakewell with Over To You and William Fox-Pitt on Tamarillo, with Leslie Law the anchorman on Shear L’Eau.

The rain was insane. We were drenched. I went through three pairs of gloves in the warm-up and once I started, it was so heavy it was impairing my vision, but you just had to ignore that.

I knew Toytown so well and I was confident – he was the horse of a lifetime, the pinnacle of horses, and going out on him, you felt like you could take on anything. He didn’t enjoy the first two minutes – he was shaking his head because of the rain, with his ears flat back, and I was like, “You have to concentrate mate!”

I probably didn’t have much grip on the reins and rode with them longer than normal, but I let him get on with it. He banked the boxy tables at fence four, but I don’t remember any other dodgy moments and we came home inside the time. He even kept all his shoes on, surprisingly.

For a long time afterwards, whenever it rained, people would say, “Zara’s great in the rain,” and I was like, “It was one time…”

“It was special to put that right”

The most pressure of the week was going into the showjumping. I was leading individually, but the Brits had had a good cross-country day, so as a team we had a comfortable lead.

The final phase was always stressful with Noddy. He was so good across country and quick over a fence, but that didn’t help in the showjumping. He did the bare minimum and wasn’t good at taking fences more slowly and making a shape.

When I first had him, he was so weak and we used to have about four down. We’d done a lot of work trying to build his strength. As he became older, he perhaps just wanted to keep everyone on their toes by having fences down. That was his character. I had to try to keep everything smooth during the round, rather than being too careful as that would backfire.

A rail down at Burghley and the young rider Europeans had cost us those wins. It was special to be able to put that right and nail a clear at a long-format championship event, alongside my peers and all those older guys who I looked up to over the years, with so many family and friends there.

Zara Tindall at the Blenheim European Championships: “Mum presented the medals”

You feel so much relief when you win, it takes away from the actual excitement. Now, I look back and think, “That was pretty cool” – at the time, you just fall in a heap and think, “Thank God for that.”

I remember Ginge was really strong on the lap of honour. We had him all bandaged and booted for the prize-giving as he was such a fragile person and we didn’t want him to do anything stupid. We had a big wreath – it felt like racing in America where they put laurels round the horses’ necks.

Mum presented the medals and it was a really nice family story that she had also been European champion, at Burghley in 1971.

My messages were off the charts and the lovely thing about it being close to home was we were back an hour after leaving Blenheim, so the whole team could be involved. When we got there, everyone was in the yard and we went down to my house. I’d been given some big bottles of Laurent Perrier champagne and we drank those, and a lot was drunk out of the cup! It was a great night.

Toytown never competed at Blenheim again, but we led the parade of champions to celebrate the event’s 25-year anniversary in 2015, when he was 22 years old.

I’ll definitely pop up to Blenheim this year to watch. My father will probably make me drive round the cross-country course with him. It’s nice that he’s been able to design a championship there towards the end of his career, with all his experience and knowledge.

As told to Pippa Roome

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage times for the next two days of action (Thurdsay 18 and Friday 19 September) have been released.

The first test is at 10.30am tomorrow, with the last horse of the day down the centreline at 4.22pm. Friday follows exactly the same pattern in terms of first and final times. The action is split into four blocks of six or seven riders on each day.

Blenheim European Championships dressage times: British riders

• Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (team): 10.51am on Thursday
• Caroline Harris and D.Day (individual): 12.18pm on Thursday
• Piggy March and Halo (team): 2.58pm on Thursday
• Tom McEwen and JL Dublin (team): 11.59am on Friday
• Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time (individual): 2.51pm on Friday
• Laura Collett and London 52 (team): 3.54pm

Other key contenders

• Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance (Irish team): 11.50am on Thursday
• Karin Donckers and Ceres De La Brasserie (Belgian team): 2.51pm on Thursday
• Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K (German team): 3.12pm on Thursday
• Sebastien Cavaillon and Elipso De La Vigne (French team): 3.40pm on Thursday
• Robin Godel and Global DHI (Swiss team): 11.05am on Friday
• Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice (German team): 12.13pm on Friday
• Aoife Clark and Full Monty De Lacense (Irish team): 12.27pm on Friday
• Felix Vogg and Frieda (Swiss team): 3.05pm on Friday
• Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney D’Arville (Belgian team): 3.47pm on Friday
• Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH (German team): 4.08pm on Friday
• Astier Nicolas and Alertamalibo’Or (French team): 4.15pm on Friday
• Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (Irish team): 4.22pm on Friday

Full times

• Times and results from Blenheim

The guinea pig rider is Britain’s Selina Milnes on the promising Cooley Snapchat. She will run through the test at 10am, to allow the event and judges to test the systems, but she is not part of the competition and will not take part in the other phases.

Fifty-five competitors will come forward for the dressage, with nine nations fielding a team. The ground jury, who judge the dressage and oversee the rest of the competition, consists of president Sandy Phillips (GBR), Katrin Eichinger-Kniely (AUT) and Valerie Pride (USA).

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

News from blustery Blenheim trot-up as European Eventing Championships gets under way

Brits, bows and bling browbands – check out our favourite trot-up photos from the Blenheim European Championships

What will the British Europeans eventing squad jump this week at Blenheim? Check out every fence on the cross-country course

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Want to see pictures of the Brits and other contenders at the Agria Blenheim European Championships first trot-up? Of course you do!

The British eventing squad, in partnership with Agria, looked smart and dressed for the weather in their navy team rain coats.

Laura Collett and London 52 were first up for the British squad. Laura owns her three-time CCI5* winner with Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett.

Senior championship debutants and reigning Pau five-star champions Caroline Harris and D.Day, owned by Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle, were next before the ground jury. Caroline and D.Day are competing as individuals this week.

Yasmin Ingham followed with her top-level stalwart Rehy DJ, owned by Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund.

Piggy March then presented Jayne McGivern’s adorable five-star stallion Halo.

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin were next. JL Dublin, who was part of the Olympic gold medal-winning team at Paris 2024, is owned by James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston. JL Dublin won European individual and team gold with his former rider, Nicola Wilson, in 2021.

Completing the British line-up was Its Cooley Time, presented by rider Bubby Upton. The pair won Bramham CCI4*-L this summer and are both making their senior championship debuts as individuals this week. Its Cooley Time is owned by Bubby and the Five Time Syndicate.

Norway’s Yasmin Olsson Payne was the first competitor to present her horse before the ground jury. She rides Cos Me Will, owned by Paul and Victoria Clark and Jane Lucas, and was wearing a patriotic bow in her hair at the Blenheim European Championships first trot-up.

Ireland’s Susie Berry also went for a hair bow, her one green, when presenting her own, Anne Marling and Sue Wilkinson’s Clever Trick.

Three awards were given out at the first horse inspection. Dourough Ferro Class Act, ridden by Susie’s compatriot Sarah Ennis and groomed by Emily Singleton, won the British Horse Feeds award for best turned out.

The prize for the best dressed man, sponsored by Hiho Silver, was awarded to Italian rider Pietro Majolino, who rides Vita Louise DH Z this week.

Austria’s Lea Siegl won the prize for the best dressed woman, also sponsored by Hiho Silver. Lea rides Van Helsing P, who is owned by her parents.

The Swiss riders looked sharp in smart grey blazers. Nadja Minder presents her great campaigner Toblerone, owned by Nicole Basieux.

Kumru Say is the first rider to compete for Turkey at a senior European Championship and will partner her own Baladin De L’Ocean LA this week.

Belgium’s Karin Donckers is contesting her 30th senior championship and rides Ceres De La Brasserie, owned by her parents Victor Donckers and Lea Sterkens, and Christine and Michel Pellaux.

Several horses featured patriotic browbands, including this pretty ribbon design sported by Andréas Johansson’s Stonehavens Baby Blue, the ride of Sweden’s Frida Andersen…

…and this crystal style, as shown here by German rider Calvin Böckmann’s horse The Phantom Of The Opera, who Calvin owns with Jason, Liam, Roger and Simone Böckmann.

All 55 horses presented were accepted and for the full report head over to H&H’s news story on the Agria Blenheim European Championships first trot-up.

Pictures by Peter Nixon.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from the Blenheim Europeans, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to watch the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim live, wherever you are

News from blustery Blenheim trot-up as European Eventing Championships gets under way

Who’s on the British team – and who’s an individual – at the Blenheim European Championships? Plus team order revealed

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