At “19 years young and with a billion miles on the clock from eventing”, double Olympic medal-winning horse Toledo De Kerser has been enjoying a quieter life in recent years.

But, judging by his electric performances over the coloured showjumping poles at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of London this week (7-9 August), Toledo is clearly relishing being back in the limelight with rider Tom McEwen.

“He’s a horse for a big stage and it’s very rare - especially when they’re slowing down in later life - that they get the chance to come out and jump again on the bigger stage. So he absolutely loved it,” Tom told H&H after competing in front of the packed grandstands at this prestigious show in central London, acquitting themselves extremely well against a field of seasoned CSI2* showjumpers.

Toledo De Kerser: a new chapter

The curtain came down on Toledo’s stellar eventing career in 2023 owing to an injury but Tom has continued to “find things for him to do” in his retirement.

“It’s good for him mentally and physically,” he explained of the superstar Diamant De Semilly gelding, owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali.

Toledo’s first venture into the world of pure showjumping came in a 90cm British Showjumping (BS) class at Rectory Farm in August last year, before they made a surprise appearance, jumping HC, at Wellington Riding Centre in October. The pair then stepped up the levels in national classes this summer and Toledo has even been enjoying some dressage with young US rider Jack Curtis, who is based at Tom’s Gloucestershire stables.

Tom is in the final countdown to next week’s eventing World Championships in Aachen, where he has been selected to represent Great Britain with JL Dublin. However he leapt at the chance to compete in the CSI2* LGCT classes in London, also bringing Ian Barratt’s lovely showjumping mare Kilcannon Mischeif, with whom he qualified for Horse of the Year Show last year.

"Toledo feels like exactly the same horse" says Tom McEwen

Despite an unassuming entrance for their international showjumping debut - Toledo De Kerser was simply announced to the crowd by his name and breeding - excited murmurings rippled through the stands as those in the know recognised the Tokyo Olympic team gold and individual silver medal-winning combination soaring over the coloured poles in front of them.

Clearly buoyed by the big crowds he craved, Toledo jumped a spectacular double clear with a gleam in his eye and a swagger in his stride during Friday’s 1.25m two-phase to take fifth place. They then finished in the prize money again in Saturday’s 1.30m Hyde Park Stables trophy. Never has a horse looked so happy to be cantering round on his lap of honour.

“Toledo may be getting a bit older, but actually he doesn’t feel any different from his eventing days - he’s the exact same horse, which is amazing,” added Tom, who was joined by wife Harriet and son Dougie at the three-day show.

“Toledo showed that, at 19, he can still come out and jump like that. I know it’s only a 1.25m class, but we’ll do the 1.30ms over the weekend and just have a nice time.

“I think it’s good for both sports - it shows that a horse’s life doesn’t have to be over when he’s finished eventing,” added Tom. “There’s plenty more that horses like him can go on and do and he is having a great time doing something different.”

We loved Toledo De Kerser during his distinguished eventing career and we might adore him even more as he enjoys his new past-time as an international showjumper - one who still believes he can conquer the world.

You can read the full report from the London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour in next week's Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 13 August.

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The British squad for the eventing World Championships in Aachen (12-16 August) has been revealed, following much speculation. Unsurprisingly, the effort is spearheaded by the trio who won team gold at the Olympics two years ago.

Laura Collett (London 52) and Tom McEwen (JL Dublin), the individual gold and bronze medallists at last year’s Agria European Championships, are joined by their Paris team-mate Ros Canter (Lordships Graffalo), who missed the Europeans owing to her pregnancy but made a spectacular comeback at Mars Badminton Horse Trials with her third win there.

Their selection will shock nobody and will not be in any way controversial.

Gemma Stevens had emerged as a favourite for a place on the squad this spring with Flash Cooley and they have duly landed a spot.

The West Sussex-based rider and this smart grey have banked lots of super four-star form in the past few years, including experience at Aachen. This will be Gemma’s first senior championship since she was on the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 worlds in Tryon with Arctic Soul. Flash Cooley is the only horse or rider on the squad making a championship debut.

One has to assume the fifth and final spot was a tough decision – and whoever received that magic phone call, several others could feel aggrieved.

Caroline Harris is the one heading to Aachen, her recent win at Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials with D. Day evidently sealing the deal. Their two five-star wins bracket five top-10 four-star short results over the past two seasons – and a single, high-profile error at the European Championships at Blenheim Horse Trials.

It will be announced once the British squad are in Aachen for the eventing World Championships which four riders are on the team and who rides as an individual but at this stage, it’s probably fair to assume Caroline, the least experienced rider of the squad, will be the individual.

The reserve list gives us an idea of who narrowly missed out on a spot – alphabetically, David Doel (Galileo Nieuwmoed), Yasmin Ingham (Gypsie Du Loir), Tom Jackson (United 36) and Harry Meade (Cavalier Crystal).

The obvious omission from the combined squad and reserve lists? Bubby Upton with Its Cooley Time. Selectors obviously decided their run of falls couldn’t be overlooked, despite their win at Defender Bramham Horse Trials. It will be a harsh blow to Bubby, but she will no doubt come back fighting and has plenty of team appearances in her future.

British squad for the eventing World Championships 2026

Ros Canter with 14-year-old gelding Lordships Graffalo
Owners: Michele and Archie Saul
Breeder: Lordships Stud and Pennie Wallace
Breeding: by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz TSF, out of a mare by Rock King
Groom: Sarah Charnley

Laura Collett with 17-year-old gelding London 52
Owners: Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett and rider
Breeder: Ocke Riewerts
Breeding: by Landos, out of a mare by Quinar Z
Groom: Tilly Hughes

Caroline Harris with 12-year-old gelding D. Day
Owners: Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle
Breeder: Fiona Olivier
Breeding: by Billy Mexico, out of a mare by Dilum
Groom: Nellie Smith

Tom McEwen with 15-year-old gelding JL Dublin
Owners: Deirdre Johnston and Jo and James Lambert
Breeder: Volker Goettsche-Goetze
Breeding: by Diarado, out of a mare by Canto 16
Groom: Adam Short

Gemma Stevens with 14-year-old gelding Flash Cooley, 14
Owner: Pru Dawes
Breeder: Jim O’Neill
Breeding: by CSF Mr Croon, out of a mare by OBOS Quality
Groom: Georgie Driver

Reserves in alphabetical order

David Doel with 15-year-old gelding Galileo Nieuwmoed
Owners: Mary Fox, Gillian Jonas and rider
Breeders: J. W. and A. P. Jurrius
Breeding: by Carambole, out of a mare by Harcos

Yasmin Ingham with 10-year-old mare Gypsie Du Loir
Owners: Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund
Breeder: Pierre Gouye
Breeding: by Herald 3 out of a mare by Canaletto

Tom Jackson with 10-year-old gelding United 36
Owner: Michael Stenning
Breeder: Heinrich Bohmke
Breeding: by Ucello out of a mare by Espiri

Harry Meade with 16-year-old mare Cavalier Crystal
Owners: Charlotte and Peter Opperman
Breeder: Thomas Horgan
Breeding: by Jack Of Diamonds out of a mare by Cavalier Royale

The entries are announced in collaboration with the British Eventing selectors and World Class Programme principal partner Agria.

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H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome rounds up what last week’s Yorkshire showcase means for the British and others hoping for a ticket to Aachen

And so, with Defender Bramham Horse Trials over, we take stock again on where we are with regards to eventing World Championship selection.

Let’s start with the easy part. Tom McEwen and JL Dublin’s win in the CCI4*-S surely confirms their place in the British team. They are unbeaten in their four runs this year, two of them at CCI4*-S in competitive company, and those results added to their championship record over the past two years must be enough to put them on the lorry to Aachen.

Beyond that, it’s more complicated and the question for many nations will have to be, “What are selectors willing to forgive?” Few combinations offer perfect form so it’s all about what errors can be overlooked or what known weaknesses they would prefer to take on.

Britain’s Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time were very impressive winning the CCI4*-L. A year ago, their victory gave them a straight path to the Europeans. But from there, it all went pear-shaped, with three falls. Bubby talked brilliantly at Bramham about reassessing, starting training with Andrew Nicholson and putting a new system into action. And she put the talk into action.

One good result doesn’t wipe out past problems. The selectors will have to decide if that’s really behind this pair and if they’re willing for the World Championships to be the next testing ground for that.

Bubby and “Finn” offer the ability to win an individual medal on their best form and that has to be attractive. The selection policy says places “may be used to provide championship experience”, which plays in their favour – both horse and rider are young and Bubby is a serious, well-supported professional with more young horses coming through and potentially decades of British team service ahead of her.

My hunch? I think Bubby has a real chance of a spot.

I don’t think CCI4*-L runner-up Selina Milnes is in the running; she is not on the World Class programme and, while she and Cooley Snapchat have had other good results, they don’t have a consistent body of form.

Yasmin Ingham and Gypsie Du Loir, who were fifth? I think the 10-year-old mare is quite likely Yasmin’s next British team horse – and her great first-phase performance would be valuable at a championship – but I also think she’s still inexperienced and her few time-faults and single fence down at Bramham confirm that. They may well be among the nominated entries (nations can submit up to 15 at this first entry stage) but I don’t think they’ll be selected.

I didn’t mention Katie Magee, fifth at Badminton on Treworra, in my last selection piece and perhaps I should have. That result has to put her somewhere on the British selection radar, but she isn’t on the World Class programme and, much as eventing is a sport where athletes have longevity, as a rider who has come to five-star later (she’s 44), it’s harder to reconcile a rider with Katie’s profile with the “experience for the future” aspect of selection. Her seventh at Bramham on the beautiful Cushlas Indigo adds weight to Katie as a true top-level rider, but I don’t think she’s going to Aachen.

Ultimately, the Brits are lucky – there were no serious disappointments at Bramham from those in the running and with those who have played their hand already this spring, those who were at Bramham and Caroline Harris at Luhmühlen Horse Trials this week with D. Day, they are probably spoilt for choice.

If I’m forced to choose, I think the British squad will be Laura Collett (London 52), Ros Canter (Lordships Graffalo), Tom McEwen (JL Dublin), Gemma Stevens (Flash Cooley) and Bubby Upton (Its Cooley Time), with Tom Jackson (United 36) and Harry Meade (Annaghmore Valoner) as first reserves.

Eventing World Championship selection: beyond the Brits

Bramham was more interesting for some other nations.

For Ireland, Aoife Clark was extremely impressive with her dressage score finish for fourth in the CCI4*-L on Full Monty De Lacense. They were a relatively new combination when they fell at the Europeans last year and this puts that firmly behind them.

Joseph Murphy has had three years away from the team scene, but Calmaro was 12th last time he made a squad appearance (2023 Europeans) and eighth in the huge CCI4*-S at Bramham must give him a chance.

Also for Ireland, Susie Berry looks to be building a good partnership with new ride Strangford (14th in the CCI4*-S) and Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (17th in the CCI4*-S without being foot to the floor) consolidated their European team silver last year.

A run-out at the influential Defender combination for MGH Zabaione, the 2024 Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old champion, will have been frustrating for Padraig McCarthy. Would selectors prefer to take him on Pomp N Circumstance – who led last year’s team silver but had 20 jumping penalties across country at Kentucky Three-Day Event this spring – or will they pass him by completely?

New Zealand mixed good results – second in the CCI4*-S for Samantha Lissington, who bids for her championship debut on Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, and fifth for Jonelle Price, who surely confirmed her spot with Millstreet CCI4*-S winner Senor Crocodillo – with the curveball of a dressage lead but cross-country run-out for Jesse Campbell and Speedwell. Again, what will selectors forgive?

For the USA, Tamie Smith was well up after dressage in the CCI4*-S on Lillet 3, Kentucky winner at the same level, but misjudged her line to a corner and fell across country. Can the selectors look past that? Maybe. None of the USA’s developing riders were outstanding at Bramham to elbow her out and Wiltshire-based Tiana Coudray, third in the CCI4*-L on D’Artagnan, hasn’t been to a championship since London 2012 and isn’t part of their performance structure.

What’s next on eventing World Championship selection? Nations have to put in their nominated entries – up to 15 combinations – by 6 July and then their definite entries (the actual squad, bar injury or illness) by 27 July. While we expect some nations to announce squads before that deadline, there’s another month of speculation ahead…

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Tom McEwen surely confirmed his World Championship berth in the British squad when he topped the CCI4*-S results at Defender Bramham Horse Trials today (13 June).

Only one pair made the time over Andrew Heffernan’s cross-country track, but Tom kept the lead he seized with a showjumping clear when he came home with 2.8 time-faults on Deirdre Johnston and James and Jo Lambert’s JL Dublin. The pair were team gold medallists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and European individual bronze medallists last year.

Tom said: “I thought he was epic this morning – jumped really, really well, really smooth. Then cross-country, obviously we had a good bit of gap [in scores, to the rest of the field] – which is not a bad thing around a course that I think was very technical and plenty to do – and I thought he was brilliant again.

“The ground was amazing and the fences were brilliant – especially the Defender combination [at fences 6ab and seven, pictured above] – I thought that was a really good combination and hopefully it was a good prep for maybe being selected.”

Bramham Horse Trials results: Lissington makes her move

Once Tom had posted his score, only New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington, another with her eye on the worlds, could beat him – and she had to go inside the time to do so. She and Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, who had been third after showjumping, ultimately finished two seconds over the 6min 57sec optimum to end up second.

“It all came up really fast – I thought it was a really tough track and for us it was mostly about having a good performance to put our best foot forward for selection,” said Samantha.

“So when I finished that second to last combination, I was thinking ‘okay, take a pull’, just to make sure of the last few fences. To come home in second was a bonus, but I was just really stoked with the performance as a whole.”

Samantha bought the horse as a five-year-old with her first ever owner, Pip McCarroll.

“It’s been a real journey up to five-star level and hopefully fingers crossed we might get the opportunity to go take him to a World Championships,” she said. “He’s 15 now and he’s put up with all of my young rider years of making mistakes and going again and being genuine, so I owe him a lot of credit for my career.”

Sam Ecroyd and the 11-year-old Bloomfield Manuscript, owned by Joe and Kate Walls and Tricia and Rob Sargent, were the only pair who made the time and they finished third.

A year off

“People keep telling me that I’m fast, but it’s pretty easy on him – he’s quick, economical, doesn’t pull. He’s just a really good cross-country horse,” said Sam of the 11-year-old, who had last year off as a result of having a bone chip taken out of his leg; a small swelling appeared on his leg in a “weird place” after Burnham Market.

Another New Zealand World Championship hopeful, Jesse Campbell, conceded his dressage lead in this class when he and Speedwell had the final part of the treble, the penultimate fence, down in the showjumping.

He dropped to fifth at that stage, but cascaded further down the leaderboard when he had a drive-by at the skinny box hedge in the Womble Bond Dickinson Pond (fence 9c).

Kitty King was third after dressage and rose to second with a showjumping clear on her new ride Renkum Jitterbug, but she was one of a number of riders to have a run-out at the Defender combination (fences 6ab and seven), a skinny brush box followed by a turn to two angled brush shoulders on three or four strides. She then retired.

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World Championship hopefuls dominate at the top of the Defender Bramham Horse Trials dressage leaderboard for the CCI4*-S class, with Jesse Campbell first and Tom McEwen second.

Jesse and Speedwell – owned by Karen Coumbe and Deborah Strang, mother of Jesse’s late wife Georgie, who previously rode the horse – scored 25.5 to take the lead soon after lunch.

“It’s not often you can get the work you do at home out of the horse in the arena and he really gave me that. Bar one mistake, everything else just felt really rock solid and I could place him where I wanted, and he was soft around my leg. It was cool,” said the New Zealand rider.

Elaborating on his Bramham Horse Trials dressage error, Jesse Campbell said: “Because he was feeling great, I went for a little bit of a bigger step in my half-pass and he just broke into canter. I probably should have waited, got the balance and then gone. But he actually recovered it really quickly.”

Jesse said he has worked on the 12-year-old horse’s confidence.

“We’ve always known he’s a fantastically talented horse, but he needs to believe it as well,” he said.

Jesse said New Zealand high performance manager Jock Paget had told him he needed to do a long-format competition early in the year to be in the running for the World Championships in Aachen in August, so he went to Strzegom in April, which he won.

“I thought maybe Luhmühlen Horse Trials four-star short would be the thing, but when he won at Strzegom I thought I wanted to come to Bramham, which is a little bit busier and has the arena on grass – it mimics more what the World Championships is going to be like,” he said.

Tom McEwen had similar thoughts in bringing the Lamberts’ and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin here, after his European individual bronze last year and win at Kronenberg CCI4*-S in March. The British pair scored 26.8 to sit second.

“I thought he was fantastic. I’m absolutely delighted with him,” Tom said. “He loves performing in front of people, so the more people that came, the better he got.

“I thought that was a really, really nice test, so I am super disappointed with the mark. I looked up every time at seven, 7.5 and I was thinking ‘What do you guys actually want?’ The judges have obviously stuck to their grouping and that’s what they stayed at. But I’ve ridden two tests, on two different horses, so to know the difference between mine – I think they are a little bit out, which is a shame.”

Kitty King holds third on the late Elizabeth Golby’s 10-year-old Renkum Jitterbug, a new ride for her this year, having scored 27.7 today.

Samantha Lissington, another hoping for a World Championship call-up for New Zealand, sits fourth with Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ on 29.2, with last night’s leader, Cheshire-based Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian (Manjushri) fifth on 29.4.

US pair in sixth after Bramham Horse Trials dressage

There was much anticipation around the first test this morning, as US rider Tamie Smith and her Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S winner Lillet 3 took to the arena. This pair, too, are front runners for selection for the World Championships for their nation.

“I was hoping for exactly what she was – maybe I was hoping for a better score, but it’s hard to be first in and they’re judging strong, and I think that’s great. I think the standard needs to be high,” said Tamie, whose test, which scored 30 for sixth overnight, was only marred by the mare stepping backwards in her final halt.

Tamie has been riding Lillet 3 for about 18 months after she started her career with Germany’s Andreas Dibowski.

“She’s a real trier, but she can be both very sweet and really moody and opinionated. She tells you exactly how she feels at all times,” said Tamie.

Brotherton leads under-25 championship at Bramham

Barnie Brotherton heads the under-25 championship in seventh place overall in this class, with his mother Naomi’s DHI King Nelson, scoring 30.2.

“I was not expecting as good a test as that because I haven’t had much prep,” said Barnie, who broke his arm six weeks ago today when a horse he was feeding in the field kicked him.

“It turned around and double-barrelled out at my head, I put my arm up in the way and it luckily got my arm instead,” said Barnie.

The 23-year-old started riding again, just on DHI King Nelson, two weeks ago and is wearing a splint on his arm this week.

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David Doel scaled the leaderboard to finish up best Brit after the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country today (25 April).

The time on Derek di Grazia’s course proved achievable, with four riders making it – but only one of them, David with Galileo Nieuwmoed, was British and the other leading British combinations all had some penalties. David has moved up from 12th after dressage to fourth overnight.

David Doel was held at the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country start because US rider Mary Bess Davis had a fall at fence 16, after which she was taken to hospital to be checked. Her ride Imperio Magic walked away.

“He made me work today. That wasn’t quite as easy and free flowing as he has been sometimes – I think the 20-minute hold beforehand meant it just took a little while to get going,” said David, who was eighth at Kentucky on Galileo in 2023.

“And there are so many undulations and ups and downs, I think it just really took it out of his brain a little bit. Our last ride here was smoother.

“But he is a real galloping machine – he’s a bit of a freak when it comes to the galloping side of it – and he’s still towed me down the hill home. He lost his left front shoe too, which was a little bit annoying, but he’s such a cool horse.”

David went round the trees to the direct corner out of the Defender Head of the Lake (fence 19b) because he said the horse “just emptied on me a little bit, and I didn’t quite have the oomph to get the four strides up to the corner”.

David co-owns the seasoned Galileo with Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas, who is 93 years old and has made the trip to Kentucky to watch her horse.

Tom McEwen drops out of podium places

David’s compatriot Tom McEwen was third after dressage, but slid to sixth today with eight time-faults on John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality.

“Fence three here for the past two years, with the big ditch underneath, hasn’t been ideal for ‘Norris’. For any other five-star horse, it’s a perfect fence just to run and jump at, but with Norris it sends him up and it starts a catalyst of more ditches coming, and we just get higher and higher and slower and slower,” said Tom.

“But I was absolutely delighted with him – he was honest as the day is long. I don’t think I could have got many more inches or seconds out of him.”

Tom had a bit of a dicey journey through the rail, ditch, box shoulder hedge question at fence 7abcd, the Care Credit Question, saying his ride at the fence last year had been playing on his mind although he has jumped numerous ditches schooling last year.

“To be honest, for him to have such big spook at the ditch and to actually get out over the final part – I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s fantastic. He tried his heart out,” he said.

Harry Meade moved up from 10th to eighth with six time-faults on his own and Mandy Gray’s Superstition and slid from eighth to equal 11th with 11.6 time-penalties on Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

Tom Jackson finished the day in 16th, a rise from equal 23rd after dressage, having added nine penalties for taking out a flag and 12.4 time-faults with Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris’s Plot Twist B.

His fault came Pete’s Hollow, where the direct route was two triple brush arrowheads on a turn around a rise, after a drop from the initial log.

“It’s frustrating from a results point of view, but he didn’t really know that he’d done anything wrong,” said Tom.

“Just as he took off, he went left a bit and kicked out the flag with one of his front feet and I didn’t know whether I was quite on the line or not, so I had to go around and do the alternative. But he was up on his minute markers to that point and everywhere else he was straight as a die.”

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Britain’s Tom McEwen holds third at the conclusion of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage in the five-star class after scoring 25.1 today (24 April).

Tom punched in a fluent, consistent test with Brookfield Quality, who is owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn and who was fifth here last year.

Tom McEwen on Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: “He felt fresh”

“‘Norris’ always does everything he can and he formed another pretty much foot-perfect clear round,” said Tom McEwen after his Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage test. “I’m so delighted, I thought we put everything out there. He couldn’t have given me more.

“He knows absolutely everything, so it’s just to get it right on the day. He’s feeling really good, probably the fittest he ever been so he was a little bit different this morning to how he can be on dressage morning – fresh, brighter, which was very nice.

“Once he gets in there, he’s an old boy who knows exactly what he’s up to. So it’s just for me to try and get the rhythm, the balance and to try and show as good a performance as possible.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country over Derek di Grazia’s track, Tom said: “I’ve been really lucky to come here for the past four years and Kentucky is never to be underestimated; Derek is never to be underestimated.

“There are going to be combinations that look impossibly tough and then the same combinations will look incredibly easy for different horses and riders. I really do believe it’s a true five-star test.”

Monica Spencer now holds the lead on the thoroughbred Artist, with Tim Price second on Vitali.

Two in top 10 for Harry Meade

Harry Meade was Britain’s other performer in the five-star today, with his second horse, Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

The pair put in a good test with plenty of eights on the scoreboard, marred only slightly by the mare putting her head up in the third flying change, for which they scored three 6.5s.

Their final mark of 28.9 left them eighth, with Harry’s other ride Superstition in 10th.

The other Brits who did their tests yesterday were David Doel with Galileo Nieuwmoed, who now sit 12th, and Tom Jackson with Plot Twist B, who now hold equal 23rd place.

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World number one Harry Meade heads the British entries for the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (23 to 26 April).

Four British riders are among the 37 entries for the sole US CCI5* this spring.

Harry has four horses entered, including Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht, with whom he finished third and fourth respectively at Kentucky last year. He also has Superstition and Cavalier Crystal on the list for Kentucky at this stage.

All four of Harry’s possible rides are also entered at Badminton, and will not run at both, but holding entries at both spring five-stars keeps his options open at this stage.

Joining Harry in the British camp are Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality, who were fifth at Kentucky last year, 2025 Pau runners-up Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B, and David Doel with his great five-star campaigner Galileo Nieumoed. David and Galileo Nieumoed are also entered at Badminton.

New Zealand’s Tim Price is among the other key contenders set to cross the pond next month. He is entered with Global Quest and five-star stalwart Vitali. Ireland has three entered: five-star winners Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance, and Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit. Both Austin and Joseph are also entered for Badminton with their potential Kentucky campaigners.

World number two Boyd Martin leads the charge for the home side. Boyd’s Kentucky entries are his 2025 Kentucky runner-up Commando 3, as well as Miks Master C, who finished third in 2023 with Liz Halliday, and Cooley Nutcracker, whom Liz rode at Paris 2024 and who has twice finished in the top 10 at five-star.

“With so many world-class combinations entered in this year’s event, Kentucky will celebrate one of its highest-rated fields on record,” said a Defender Kentucky spokesperson.

“There are four CCI5*-winning riders in the line-up: Boyd Martin, Tom McEwen, Austin O’Connor and Tim Price, who will be looking for his seventh victory at this level. Price also has the highest-rated horse, Vitali, on the entry list, with both Vitali and Colorado Blue ranked among the world’s top 10 eventing horses.”

For the full 2026 Defender Kentucky entries list, visit: https://www.kentuckythreedayevent.com/5-entries-and-ride-times

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The rider flying between hemispheres for her spring five-star prep – and the fellow thoroughbred lover who makes it possible

Olympic gold and silver medal-winning eventer Toledo De Kerser has been out showjumping – looking fabulous and enjoying every moment.

The 18-year-old and Tom McEwen made a guest appearance at Wellington Riding Centre’s British Showjumping fixture yesterday (27 October), jumping double clear on a ticket, or hors concour, in the Blue Chip power (1.10m) qualifying class.

Toledo, who is owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali, has not evented since 2023, when he sustained an injury. He and Tom featured in a Carl Hester masterclass at Burghley this year when, as Carl said, he “still looked five years old”, fit, well and happy.

Tom told H&H his old friend was delighted to be out.

“He’s doing really well,” he said. “We’re finding things for him to do, without doing too much. He’s a good age now but he likes doing things, it’s good for him mentally and physically – and he really enjoyed being out.”

• Watch Toledo’s showjumping round

Toledo won Pau CCI5* in 2019 with Tom and had three other top-10 places at five-star level, not to mention his Olympic team gold and individual silver in 2021 and world team gold in 2018. He is by the legendary showjumping sire Diamant De Semilly, and he was flying yesterday – had his and Tom’s been a competitive rather than an HC round, they would have qualified for the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships next year.

“He’d been out once to Rectory Farm to do a 90cm or 1m class,” said Tom. “He loved his jump round, and he was looking for people watching him afterwards; I’m not sure there were many at Wellington! But he loved it.

“The idea is to do random bits and bobs, from the Burghley [demo] to a jump round; whatever it takes to keep his life interesting. And it shows the old boys can enjoy a life after eventing.”

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Britain’s Tom McEwen and Brookfield Danny De Muze clinched the prestigious seven-year-old World Championship in the Le Lion d’Angers results last week (15-19 October), while the six-year-old class was awarded to Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Tara Van Het Leliehof.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Tom was in second place after the cross-country with Chloe and John Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Irish Sports Horse by I’m Special De Muze. A clear showjumping round elevated them into first place after a rail cost long-time leaders Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Helios the win – and the Belgian rider a double victory.

“I felt we made a few mistakes on Thursday in the dressage, but he was brilliant yesterday and jumped foot-perfect today. He’s a very modern-day sport horse. He’s got a great gallop and a fantastic jump so for me he’s the full package,” said Tom.

Lara and the Belgian warmblood Tara Van Het Leliehof were second after the dressage in the six-year-old Le Lion d’Angers results. They rose to pole position after producing a clear cross-country and first-phase leaders Julia Krajewski and Ajana fell two fences from home.

The pair added just 0.4 of a time-penalty in the showjumping to triumph. It was Lara’s first victory at Le Lion after almost 20 appearances at these championships.

“It’s incredible – you work so hard for that. I knew the horse was exceptional, but there’s a difference between knowing it and doing it. It’s the judges liking your horse, a bit of luck on the course, and so many things you can’t control. It’s a sweet victory and I think she’s a superstar for the future,” said Lara.

Another competitor to enjoy a successful weekend was Ireland’s Ian Cassells who finished second with Rutland Flamenco in the six-year-old class and third with Noa W in the seven-year-old class.

US rider Hallie Coon and Tykillen Tango rounded out the six-year-old podium, while best of the Brits in this class were Max Warburton and Monbeg Condor, who rose from 18th after dressage to finish fourth.

Le Lion d’Angers results

Seven-year-olds

• Tom McEwen and Brookfield Danny De Muze (GBR)
• Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Helios (BEL)
• Ian Cassells and Noa W (IRL)

Six-year-olds

• Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Tara Van Het Leliehof (BEL)
• Ian Cassells and Rutland Flamenco (IRL)
• Hallie Coon and Tykillen Tango (USA)
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Tom McEwen with JL Dublin, Yasmin Ingham riding Rehy DJ and Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class are among the strong list of Pau Horse Trials entries for the French five-star (23–26 October).

Tom and the Lamberts and Deirdre Johnston’s 14-year-old JL Dublin come forward fresh off the back of their individual bronze medal-winning performance at the Agria European Eventing Championships at Blenheim last month.

They are one of 34 British combinations, with Tom also entered with the Perrys and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality. Both horses have form at Pau; JL Dublin was third there in 2023 and Brookfield Quality was third last year.

Fellow British Europeans squad members Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (owned by the Sue Davies Fund) and Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time (owned by the rider and the Five Time Syndicate) are entered, following unfortunate falls for both riders at Blenheim. Bubby is also entered with her long-term rides Cannavaro and Cola, owned by Bubby’s mother Rachel Upton.

Oliver Townend and fan favourite Ballaghmor Class, owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislp and Val Ryan, will be hoping to add a fifth five-star title to the horse’s name. The pair were third in the CCI4*-S prep run at Little Downham on Tuesday (30 September).

There are 69 combinations on the Pau five-star entries. Other Brits include European champion Laura Collett, who is entered with Dacapo (owned by Diana Chappel, Gillian Morris-Adams, Carolyn Taylor and the Smedleys) and Lucy Nelson’s Hester. Zara Tindall will ride Gleadhill Stud’s Class Affair and Emily King is entered with two rides; the Irlams’ Jackpot and Valmy Biats, owned by Emily and David and Paula Evans.

New Zealand’s Jonelle and Tim Price have four horses entered each, six riders will represent the US including Boyd Martin, and Padraig McCarthy is among the three Irish riders.

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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.”

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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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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.”

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The split of the British squad into team and individuals for the Agria Blenheim European Championships this week (17-21 September) has been revealed.

The British team will consist of Yasmin Ingham, Piggy March, Tom McEwen and Laura Collett. The individuals will be Bubby Upton and Caroline Harris.

At this week’s Blenheim European Championships, Yasmin Ingham will be the trailblazer for the British team – which runs in partnership with Agria – on Rehy DJ, owned by Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund.

Next out will be Piggy March with Jayne McGivern’s Halo. Although Piggy has plenty of championship mileage, the grey stallion is the least experienced horse of the quartet and the number two spot on a team traditionally goes to a less experienced horse or rider, as it should be the starting position with the least pressure.

Olympic team gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deidre Johnston, take the number three rank on the team.

Laura Collett and London 52, double Olympic team gold medallists and individual Olympic bronze medallists, will be the anchor pair for Great Britain. The 16-year-old gelding is owned by his rider, Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett.

Unsurprisingly, reigning Olympic champion Michael Jung is the final rider out for the German team so he and FischerChipmunk FRH will do their dressage and head out of the cross-country start box just two horses after Laura. Michael and Laura are likely to be the chief challengers for the individual gold this week.

British individual riders Bubby Upton and Caroline Harris both make their senior squad debuts this week.

Caroline pilots her 2024 Pau Horse Trials winner D.Day, owned by Fiona Olivier, Heather Royle, Lucy Matthews and Marie Anne Richardson, with Bubby riding her own and The Five Time Syndicate’s Its Cooley Time, who won Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-L in June.

The team order is as follows for the nine nations fielding a team:

• Switzerland
• Italy
• Austria
• Belgium
• Britain
• Sweden
• Germany
• France
• Ireland

Austria only has three riders so will not have a rider in the first rotation.

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Who are the favourites for the individual medals among the Agria Blenheim European Championships riders? Will a Brit take the title? Or will gold go elsewhere?

The best in Europe go head to head in Oxfordshire this week (17-21 September) and we have the lowdown on who to keep an eye on…

Blenheim European Championships riders: individual favourites

(in alphabetical order)

Sebastien Cavaillon (FRA)

Wild cards, as championship debutants, but Sebastien and Elipso De La Vigne have won twice at four-star and been third at Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-S – probably would have won if the rider’s stopwatch hadn’t stopped across country.

Laura Collett (GBR)

Laura and London 52 are the stars of the British squad, who should be set to battle with Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH again for the individual title, as they did at the Paris Olympics last year. They have no weak phase and recently added a 14th international victory to their tally, at the first CCI4*-S at Scone Palace, proving they are on song.

Malin Hansen-Hotopp (GER)

Strong Blenheim form as Carlitos Quidditch K and Malin won the CCI4*-L here in 2022. They were team silver medallists at the 2023 Europeans and can go better than the individual 19th they recorded then, with two top-six finishes at five-star since.

Michael Jung (GER)

The reigning Olympic champions, Michael and FischerChipmunk FRH will start as favourites, with a superb record and the almost certain prospect of being top-two after dressage. Michael is a three-time European champion.

Lara De Leidekerke-Meier (BEL)

Lara stepped into the elite ranks when she won at five-star at Luhmühlen Horse Trials last year on her ride here, the home-bred Hooney D’Arville, and followed up with 14th at Badminton. Could she get a medal at her seventh senior Europeans?

Piggy March (GBR)

Halo is a rare five-star stallion, who Piggy has been touting as “put on this planet for championships”, and he’s got Blenheim form, having won the eight- and nine-year-olds here in 2022 and been sixth in the CCI4*-L in 2023. This is Piggy’s first championship since individual silver and team gold in 2021.

Tom McEwen (GBR)

JL Dublin was a double European gold medallist with Nicola Wilson in 2021. He’s had a raft of great results since Tom took over the ride, spearheaded by Olympic success last year, as well as the odd blip, including a rider fall at the 2023 Europeans. Should be very useful team contributors and could be individual medallists on their day.

Astier Nicolas (FRA)

Astier, an individual silver medallist at the Rio Olympics, knows how to be competitive at championships. Alertamalib’Or’s only previous appearance at one was unimpressive, but on form with recent second at Bramham CCI4*-S.

Jerôme Robiné (GER)

Black Ice and Jérôme have a super jumping record (one frangible breakage being their only cross-country fault together and no more than one down since mid-2023). Seventh at the 2023 Europeans and 20th at Badminton this spring, when dressage let them down.

Bubby Upton (GBR)

A thrilling senior championship debut for Bubby. A fiercely determined and intelligent rider, who’s returned from a serious spinal injury, she has plenty of championship experience in under-21s and a smart partner in 10-year-old Its Cooley Time. This is a different league, but she could be a wild card for an individual medal.

Felix Vogg (SUI)

Another experienced championship rider, who pilots a horse debuting at the level in Frieda. She’s had good results, along with the odd blip. But Felix could surprise us on an under-the-radar mount, as at last year’s Olympics, where he was eighth on Dao De L’Ocean.

Blenheim European Championships individual medal predictions

For a full assessment of all the Blenheim European Championships riders and horses, buy this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (issue dated 18 September) for our complete form guide, plus an exclusive look back at the 2005 Europeans at Blenheim with Zara Tindall.

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Triple Olympic medal-winning event rider Tom McEwen took a detour from eventing at Chard to claim his first ever Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) showjumping ticket.

Competing at the Bicton Midsummer Festival in Devon, Tom teamed up with Kilcannon Mischeif to win the grade C qualifier.

Tom McEwen on HOYS qualification: “She has been jumping a couple of bigger classes”

The eight-year-old mare Kilcannon Mischeif was bought by Tom’s mother Ali from the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale as a three-year-old and had a strong eventing record up to intermediate level, but switched to showjumping this year.

“She has a very good jump, so we thought it was worth trying her [as a show jumper],” said Tom, who jumped clear on her for just one time-penalty in the two-star 1.45 grand prix at the London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) last month.

“Being an event horse, she’s used to grass and the arena at Bicton is amazing to jump on. She has been jumping a couple of bigger classes so it was an easier one for her.”

Eventers out in force

Tom beat fellow eventer/showjumper Jess Baugh riding Wellview Luxigraaf to the top spot, and Alice Watson and her home-bred Extra Zest TH, by Big Star out of her great mare Billy Lemon, were just 0.64sec behind Jess to be third.

Tom, who was also part of the gold medal-winning British eventing team at the 2018 world championships with his great partner Toledo De Kerser, hasn’t focused on HOYS qualification this year, but grabbed a ticket with just two qualifiers left to go.

“She tends to come second fiddle to 14 other horses, so poor ‘Maeve’ does have to fit in jumping her when we can, and luckily we were eventing just down the road,” he said. “She has a lovely personality and is very easy to deal with, which makes it easier. She’s flown up the ranks quite quickly.”

The grade C championship at HOYS takes place on the morning of Sunday, 12 October.

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Shiny, fit and well – Toledo De Kerser certainly didn’t look his 18 years in Carl Hester’s dressage masterclass at Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

“He still looks five years old, and so does his rider!” said Carl of the Olympic and world gold medallist and his equally decorated rider, Tom McEwen.

Although the crowd emitted a collective grumble after Carl confirmed the upcoming European Eventing Championships squad member is “going home after the demo”, the dressage maestro and his five-star pupil had the stands erupting with laughter throughout the Friday lunchtime session.

Carl said he’d been told the eventer-turned-family pet Toledo had been fresh to get on. “Tom offered me the ride, but I was busy!” he told the audience.

Toledo De Kerser in Burghley masterclass: three key takeaways

Fresh from the European Dressage Championships, Carl Hester treated spectators to his medal-winning training insights. He and Tom examined and revisited some of the movements from the Burghley dressage test.

1. First impressions count

A dressage test entrance and centre line constitute the judges’ first impression – and the rider’s first chance to wow.

“Common mistakes you see are quarters in, crookedness, and coming into the halt transition too fast,” said Carl. “We have a rein aid, leg aid and seat aid, so we have to use all three.”

Tom initially had some trouble demonstrating a “bad” downward transition, as Toledo was stepping well into a soft, square halt. But by using more hand than leg the second time, he showed what not to do. “The horse actually stepped back into the halt there – but it must always be a forward transition,” said Carl.

According to Carl, more than 90% of riders surveyed at the dressage Europeans enter the arena on the left rein. “It’s much easier to straighten horses out from left to right,” he said.

2. Shoulder-in can quickly become quarters-out

A common error Carl sees is a horse’s neck bending too much to the inside. “A horse needs to be straight in a shoulder-in, meaning the head is in front of the chest,” he explained. “You can’t ride shoulder-in off the rein; it must come from the leg.”

According to Carl if you look at a horse performing shoulder-in head-on, you shouldn’t be able to see the inside hind leg. “This is the leg that’s pushing the fore on an inside track,” he said. “The classic mistake is the rider’s inside leg pushing the hind end out of alignment. So the front legs are on the centre line, but the hind legs are on an outside track. That way, a shoulder-in can quickly become quarters-out.”

3. Transitions are made up of three parts

“Transitions must have a beginning, a middle and an end,” said Carl of Tom and Toledo’s extended canter. “It’s not just about how they extend; it’s how they come back, free from resistance.

Tom gave Toledo a break, coming back to walk with a transition that Carl gave a score of five.

“Dressage riders have to be obsessed with transitions,” he said. “On every single downward transition you should collect, bring the horse back on to his hind leg, and then give a long rein.”

To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout Burghley and other major shows this year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website, from £1 a week. Horse & Hound’s 20-page magazine report on Burghley is published in 11 September issue, including full analysis and exclusive comment from six-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt.

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The Tokyo 2020 individual silver medal-winning gelding Toledo De Kerser will be back in action with Tom McEwen at Defender Burghley Horse Trials, in a special main arena appearance.

The 18-year-old, who has not evented since pulling up with an injury at the five-star in 2023, will return to Burghley to participate in Carl Hester’s lunchtime masterclass with Tom in the saddle.

The masterclass, running at 12.30pm on Friday (5 September), will also feature Carl’s former Olympic teammate Richard Davison.

Toledo, who is owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali, had four top-10 finishes at five-star including a 2019 Pau win during his career, in addition to winning Olympic team gold and individual silver at Tokyo in 2021 and world team gold in 2018.

Tom shared an Instagram update in February 2024 to say his former Olympic mount was “one very happy boy” after being turned out again for the first time since his injury.

Speaking to Horse & Hound a few months later in August, Tom’s wife Harriet confirmed that while there were no plans for a return to eventing for Toldeo, they aimed to bring him back into work later in the year.

Tom’s masterclass on Toledo will be fans’ only chance to see the world number five in action at Burghley. Tom has been selected for this year’s eventing Europeans, which will take place at Blenheim Palace from 18-21 September, with JL Dublin.

How to watch Toledo De Kerser at Burghley

If you aren’t able to attend Burghley in person, you will be able to watch the masterclass live by subscribing to Burghley TV. The £25 annual subscription enables you to watch live or on demand, plus gives access to archive footage dating back to 1990.

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The squad of six aiming to retain gold for Britain at next month’s Agria FEI Eventing European Championships has been confirmed; a line-up “ideal for current and future performance”.

British Equestrian and British Eventing (BE) have released the six horses and riders who will head to the home championship, at Blenheim Palace (18-21 September). Britain won team gold at the 2023 championships, plus individual gold (Ros Canter riding Lordships Graffalo) and silver (Kitty King riding Vendredi Biats).

The British European Eventing Championships squad is:

Laura Collett with 16-year-old London 52

Owners: Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and rider

Breeder: Ocke Riewerts

Breeding: By Landos, out of a mare by Quinar

Groom: Tilly Hughes

Caroline Harris with 11-year-old D Day

Owners: Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle

Breeder: Fiona Olivier

Breeding: By Billy Mexico, out of a mare by Dilum XX

Groom: Nellie Smith

Yasmin Ingham with 15-year-old Rehy DJ

Owners: Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund

Breeder: Noell Russell

Breeding: By Tinarana’s Inspector, out of a mare by Big Sink Hope

Groom: Alison Bell

Piggy March with 12-year-old Halo

Owner: Jayne McGivern

Breeder: Bernard Hobe

Breeding: By Humphrey 61, out of a mare by Contender

Groom: Hannah Chowen

Tom McEwen with 14-year-old JL Dublin

Owners: James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston

Breeder: Volker Göttsche-Götze

Breeding: By Diarado, out of a mare by Cantano

Groom: Adam Short

Bubby Upton with 10-year-old Its Cooley Time

Owners: The Five Time Syndicate and rider

Breeder: Ennisnag Stud

Breeding: By Quality Time TN, out of a mare by Heartbreaker

Groom: Kirsty Campbell

Eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood said: “This is a really exciting group of horses and riders, which combines experience alongside new talent – both human and equine.

“We’re fortunate to have Laura and Tom returning with their accomplished Olympic rides, it’s a new championship ride for Yaz, while Piggy brings forward her next-generation championship horse. Both Bubby and Caroline have been in outstanding recent form and are worthy debutants – it’s exciting for our sport to have new faces in the squad.

“Overall, the line-up is ideal for current and future performance as we look toward next year’s FEI World Championships and LA28, while still being competitive at Blenheim. I’d also like to thank all of our owners for their support and the faith they put in our World Class programme.”

BE chief executive Rosie Williams said the team was delighted to confirm the squad.

“Hosting such a prestigious event on home soil is a huge moment for our sport, and we look forward to seeing the entire community – members, supporters, and fans – come together to cheer the team on,” she said. “We wish every member of the squad the very best of luck.”

Congratulations

Agria UK chief executive Vicki Wentworth sent “huge congratulations” to all those selected.

“They should feel immensely proud of what they’ve achieved to date, and we at Agria are honoured to be title sponsors of this iconic event, returning to home soil for the first time in 20 years at the magnificent Blenheim Palace,” she said. “Everyone here at Agria wishes the entire squad the very best of luck in these final weeks of preparation and of course, at the competition itself. I can promise we will be the ones shouting them on at the top of our voices from the sidelines.”

Selection decisions are dependent on horse and rider fitness and performance.

The BEF added that National Lottery and UK Sport funding is “pivotal” in preparing teams for championships, and that it is very grateful for the support from its partners Agria, Bates Saddles, D&H, NAF, SEIB and Toggi and team suppliers Equi-Trek and Lotus Romeo.

“We’re indebted for the year-round support they provide to the World Class programme and British teams, which helps us to best prepare for senior championships,” a BEF spokesperson said.

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The judges had yet to be set alight on day one of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials dressage phase when Tom McEwen woke them up with a glorious display late on Thursday afternoon. He steered his Paris Olympic partner JL Dublin into a massive lead on 22.4.

“He pulled together a super, super test, and got a mark he deserved,” said Tom of the 14-year-old, owned by James and Jo Lambert, and Deirdre Johnston.

They wowed from the outset, earning the judges’ first nine for their initial halt and several more as the test went on. They scored straight nines for the final halt, and their cadence and sparkle throughout set them apart.

It wasn’t perfect. Tom rode boldly in the extended trot, and Dublin lost his balance slightly, breaking into canter for a string of threes. It was the only blip in a delightfully soft yet flamboyant performance.

Badminton final scores

“Shame that our highlight piece, the extended trot was broken, but he was absolutely awesome,” said Tom. “He was relaxed, and showed all that power and rhythm yet still came out with that extended walk from the pirouettes.”

Tom explained how he’s kept the horse fresh, after a post-Olympic holiday with field-mate Toledo De Kerser.

“We know he’s unbelievably talented, but we’ve really saved him so he’s wanting to come out,” Tom said. “We’ve teased him by taking him to jumping and dressage, and he’s like, ‘this isn’t the real deal!’.

“Now he’s here, he’s been on it all week, he’s ecstatic to perform.”

Tom was grateful for his late start time towards the end of the afternoon on day one, as the horse thrives on atmosphere.

“The worst thing is if the stands are empty,” he said. “He’s a showman, and if it had been really busy he’d go up another level again.”

Debutant enjoys “electric atmosphere” of Badminton Horse Trials dressage

Next in was Yasmin Ingham, who had the hard act of following Tom and Dublin in full flow.

Yas was making her Badminton debut with Rehy DJ, who already has two podium results at five-star. In the shadow of his world champion stablemate Banzai Du Loir, this gelding is sometimes overlooked. But he produced a correct and confident test to score 29 and sit in fourth place overnight.

“He’s not naturally the biggest mover, but when he’s accurate and does things correctly he’s rewarded with the marks,” said Yasmin of the 15-year-old.

“It’s my first time at Badminton and it’s an electric atmosphere so I’m delighted with how he coped. He does react to noise and going in behind Tom was probably not ideal for me, but I was really pleased.”

Emily King moves into second spot

Emily King was another title favourite featuring on Thursday afternoon, riding Valmy Biats, who is owned by Emily, her father David, and Paula and David Evans.

Their test was accurate and smooth, with some lovely moments particularly in the canter work, but Dublin had set an unattainable standard with his flair and cadence. Emily’s score of 27.3 secured second at the end of day one.

“He held his breath a bit, so I was trying to get him to chill out,” Emily said. “He felt amazing [in the warm-up] and then just went a little tight when he went in, so I had to adapt to how he was in certain places in the arena. But the fact he tensed up and then stayed with me in the crunch movements made me so proud of him.”

Emily explained how she’s worked on Valmy Biats’ tension.

“I do a lot of test riding with him, not necessarily in the same order, but the set pieces, in different atmospheres,” she said. “He’s not scatty, but he tries so hard and holds his breath.

“So I’ve taken him to places this spring to try get him to imitate that [feeling], so I can pat him and tell him ‘don’t worry!’ He’s so sensitive and full of power, it’s been about trying to get him so I can put my leg on without going nought to 60.

“Today he trotted in and saw the cross-country fence, and I was like, ‘Val, come on, you know you don’t start with that!’ But I could feel his heart rate going up. So I turned him away from it and gave him a pat, to say ‘you’re not going out the start box now’.”

Badminton Horse Trials dressage leaderboard

The top six at the end of day one of the Badminton dressage are:

1, Tom McEwen (JL Dublin) 22.4

2, Emily King (Valmy Biats) 27.3

3, Tom Woodward (Low Moor Lucky) 27.9

4, Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) 29.1

5, Oliver Townend (Ballaghmor Class) 29.3

6, Gemma Stevens (Chilli Knight) 29.5

• View the full scoreboard

How to watch Badminton Horse Trials

If you want to watch the live action from Badminton Horse Trials from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. This year, Badminton TV has teamed up with ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch Badminton – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £21.99. Go to clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/badminton to subscribe or to activate your account as an existing Badminton TV subscriber. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. As part of Badminton TV, you can enjoy the documentary programme Legends and Legacy, a fly-on-the-wall insight into the 2024 event and preview of 2025.

Enjoy the best of Badminton with Horse & Hound

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Harry Meade finished third and fourth after two good rounds to hold his overnight places in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event showjumping on Et Hop Du Matz and Grafnnacht – and Tom McEwen also retained his provisional ranking, claiming fifth on Brookfield Quality in a good week for Britain.

“They were brilliant. I’ve been fifth, fourth and third here now,” smiled Harry, who was fifth on Superstition in 2021, leaving it for the journalists to fill in that perhaps we can expect second and first in the future.

Harry jumped out of order on Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht, who was fourth overnight. Memories of this mare’s last five-star showjumping round, when she had a cricket score at Badminton Horse Trials last year with William Fox-Pitt, costing the pair the title, were in many minds, although she did also jump plenty of good rounds with William, including when second at Maryland 5 Star in 2023.

She rattled a few fences today, but Harry was able to coax her round with just the oxer in the middle of the treble at fence 11abc down, which did not alter her final placing.

“I thought she was super,” said Harry. “I’ve got a little bit of a hypothesis about her, which hopefully is proving to be effective, about jumping her off a curve the whole time, as well as jumping nothing big outside. And I was able to do that the whole way through the course. The only fence I couldn’t come off a curve to was the middle part of the treble and she had that down.”

Harry jumped Grafennacht in a bitless bridle here, as he did when the pair won the CCI4*-L at Montelibretti in March.

“If I think something isn’t brilliant, I try and just un-complicate it as much as possible, like everything off, and she quite likes it,” he explained.

Harry’s second ride, Mandy Gray’s and his own Et Hop Du Matz, jumped a secure clear.

“He’s a really proper, proper horse, and he went in and nailed everything,” said Harry. “It was fun just to school him round and and he really exceeded expectations. I felt it could have gone two holes higher.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event showjumping: McEwen holds fifth

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry – just toppled the brown Appalachian mountains spread fence at number two.

“It was an uncharacteristic rail, but he jumped brilliantly and the rest of the round he was great,” said Tom “It’s his first time in this sort of atmosphere – he’s been down to Pau, which obviously is a cracking atmosphere in a full ring, but this is definitely the next step up so I’m really, really pleased with how his week’s gone.

“He’s feeling well fit and fresh and we’ve got a really cool five-star horse on our hands so it’s very, very exciting.”

Tom finished on the same score as Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. The pair could not be split by cross-country score as both had 10.4 time-faults, so the next differentiator in FEI competitions is dressage score, which gave Tom the edge, leaving him fifth and Boyd sixth.

Boyd also finished seventh on Luke 140 and second on Commando 3, behind winners Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH.

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

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Tom McEwen holds fifth place after the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country, having finished with 10.4 time-faults on Brookfield Quality.

“‘Norris’ is incredible and he was brilliant,” said Tom. “He’s unique in every way and there were some individual moments, but he’s as straight as the day is long and he’ll sort his legs out and do anything he can for you.”

Tom McEwen was third after his dressage but his 26 seconds over the 11min 20sec optimum time on the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course meant he dropped two ranks on the scoreboard, with Michael Jung (FischerChipmunk FRH), Boyd Martin (Commando 3) and compatriot Harry Meade’s two horses (Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht) in front of him.

Tom and Brookfield Quality, who belongs to John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, had an awkward jump at the ditch at the Care Credit Question, where the horse almost landed with his back legs before his front, and Tom said that rather set the tone of their round.

“I was dead set after trying to make the time, to be as smooth as I imagine Harry [Meade] was and I saw Mickey [Michael Jung] be, but sometimes you have to ride what’s in front of you,” said Tom.

“The only thing that I was disappointed with was my own decision to go long at the last water [Cosequin Cove] – maybe I should have gone straight, but I just felt that he was getting a little bit tired at that point. So I thought, you know what, he’s tried hard enough. Let’s give him a nice journey home and actually he jumped brilliantly all the way home.”

World number one Tom was “riding a finish” much of the way home and joked he’s now looking for a job with trainer Willie Mullins.

The rider said Derek di Grazia had “designed another brilliant track”.

“I thought the ground might have been a bit dead, but for me personally, it rode really well. I know our British horses are possibly more used to it than some others, but I thought it rode really good,” he concluded.

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

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Britain’s Tom McEwen has claimed third place for Britain at the close of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage today.

Piloting Brookfield Quality, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry, Tom scored 26.2, which was just bested by the final pair of the day, the home side’s Boyd Martin with Commando 3, who landed a mark of 26. Germany’s overnight leader Michael Jung still holds top spot on a commanding 18.6 with FischerChipmunk FRH.

The 16-year-old Brookfield Quality, who was third at Pau last year, is known as Nervous Norris at home.

“He’s never let anyone down – he’s Nervous Norris, but he’s an absolute legend of a horse and he was fantastic. I was so pleased with him. It really felt like we got the most out of the test,” said Tom.

“He dealt with it in there like a trooper because he can be a bit spooky. I still can’t get him past the tent outside, so I was just absolutely delighted with him.”

Tom McEwen produced the son of OBOS Quality 004 in a pleasing uphill frame in the Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage and said there were “a couple of little mistakes, but that’s there or thereabouts at this level”.

Tom landed plenty of eights with the marks just dropping down in one area for three fives, but the marks were inconsistent around these movements – he pulled in a five, an eight and a seven for his half-piroutte right and two fives and a 7.5 for the transition to collected trot that followed.

Tom’s preparation for Kentucky with Norris has been unusual in that he has run in two open novices and an open intermediate, rather than any higher-level classes.

The rider explained: “He always produces it when he gets there and confidence is key with him and actually just allowing him to be running around nice and smoothly. For him, the more relaxed he is, the more chance you’re going to have of producing a test like today.

“It’s very different to a lot of other people’s pathways to get to five-star. But he’s an absolute little legend and we have built a really good partnership over the last couple of years. We seem to understand each other. We are obviously quirky enough together and he’s just pretty mint, really.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: Harry Meade and Lucienne Bellissimo

Harry Meade and Grafennacht had some of the worst of the weather today, performing in heavy rain towards the end of the action.

Amanda Gould’s mare, who joined Harry last summer after William Fox-Pitt retired, seemed a little bright and distracted and the pair scored 35.2 for 18th overnight.

“Much of her test was lovely and I was pleased with her overall way of going, but there were a few costly mistakes. It’s early days in our partnership but there’s lots more to come,” said Harry.

Harry also sits in 17th on his ride from yesterday, Et Hop Du Matz.

The third British pair today, US-based Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri, scored 33.7 for 15th overnight.

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

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Kirsty Chabert will be the first down the centre line at the 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials (7–11 May) as the draw for the Gloucestershire five-star is revealed.

Kirsty will start as number one with Classic VI, and will wear number 89 with Opposition Heraldik Girl. Last year’s Badminton champions Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier will go second, and Caroline is 98th with her second ride High Time.

Britain’s Paris Olympic team gold medallists Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo are drawn 58th and Tom McEwen and JL Dublin are 44th. Their teammate Laura Collett, who is riding Bling, will wear number 87. Laura has withdrawn Hester. Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ are 45th.

Harry Meade still shows five horses on the entries list but Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht are in the US for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, so will not compete at Badminton. This means Superstition, Annaghore Valoner and Cavalier Crystal are still in the mix for Badminton and he will start on two of the three – Harry initially entered Badminton with a view to riding three horses if possible (riders can only compete a third horse if all the other horses have been accepted from the waiting list), but has now rejigged his entries to confirm he will only pilot two.

New Zealand’s Tim Price is drawn fourth with Viscount Viktor and will be last to go with Vitali; his wife Jonelle Price will go 13th with Grappa Nera. China’s Alex Hua Tian is 17th with Chicko, but has withdrawn his Paris Olympic ride Jilsonne Van Bareelhof.

Badminton final scores

Preparations for Badminton continue and event director Jane Tuckwell recently reported watering is well under way, following a dry few weeks.

“We’re on course for everything. My team and I are very much looking forward to welcoming all of you to what we think will be an epic Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2025,” said Jane.

View the full drawn order.

How to watch Badminton Horse Trials

If you want to watch the live action from Badminton Horse Trials from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world, you will need to subscribe to Badminton TV. This year, Badminton TV has teamed up with ClipMyHorse.TV, but you do not need a full ClipMyHorse.TV subscription to watch Badminton – you can just subscribe to Badminton TV for £21.99. Go to clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/badminton to subscribe or to activate your account as an existing Badminton TV subscriber. If you are already a ClipMyHorse.TV premium member, Badminton TV is included in your subscription. As part of Badminton TV, you can enjoy the documentary programme Legends and Legacy, a fly-on-the-wall insight into the 2024 event and preview of 2025.

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

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The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times for this week’s US five-star fixture (24-27 April) have been released, so you can plan your Saturday viewing.

The first horse out of the start box on Derek di Grazia’s five-star track will go at 1.30pm local time (6.30pm British time). Combinations are then scheduled to start at four-minute intervals until the final pair set off at 3.50pm local time (8.50pm British time).

Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times: British riders

• Harry Meade and Et Hop Du Matz: 2.38pm local time (7.38pm British time)
• Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality: 3.06pm local time (8.06pm British time)
• Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri: 3.38pm local time (8.38pm British time)
• Harry Meade and Grafennacht: 3.46pm local time (8.46pm British time)

Other ones to watch

• Tim Price (NZL) and Jarillo: 1.30pm local time (6.30pm British time)
• Boyd Martin (USA) and Fedarman B: 1.34pm local time (6.34pm British time)
• Michael Jung (GER) and FischerChipmunk FRH: 1.54pm local time (6.54pm British time)
• Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Menlo Park: 1.58pm local time (6.58pm British time)
• Tim Price (NZL) and Happy Boy: 2.34pm local time (7.34pm British time)
• Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist: 2.54pm local time (7.54pm British time)
• Tim Price (NZL) and Falco: 3.42pm local time (8.42pm British time)

Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times: full list

• All five-star times (cross-country times are on the right of the page, dressage times on the left)

The riders in the accompanying Cosequin CCI4*-S class go cross-country on Saturday morning at Kentucky, starting at 9am local time (2pm British time) and following on at three-minute intervals, with the final pair due on course at 11.48am local time (4.48pm British time).

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

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The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times for this week’s event (24-27 April) have been released.

Dressage in the five-star starts at 1.30pm local time (6.30pm British time) on Thursday, with the final horse on that day entering the arena at 4.04pm (9.04pm local time). The class resumes at 1pm local time (6pm British time) on Friday and the last pair will start their test at 3.34pm local time (8.34pm British time). Update on Friday at 9.15am local time: due to a weather delay, competition today has been put back to 1.15pm (6.15pm British time) – all times below have been updated to the new times.

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times: British riders

• Harry Meade and Et Hop Du Matz: 4.04pm local time (9.04pm British time) on Thursday
• Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality: 1.48pm local time (6.48pm British time) on Friday
• Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri: 3.09pm local time (8.09pm British time) on Friday
• Harry Meade and Grafennacht: 3.25pm local time (8.25pm British time) on Friday

Other ones to watch

• Tim Price (NZL) and Jarillo: 1.30pm local time (6.30pm British time) on Thursday
• Boyd Martin (USA) and Fedarman B: 1.38pm local time (6.38pm British time) on Thursday
• Michael Jung (GER) and FischerChipmunk FRH: 2.18pm local time (7.18pm British time) on Thursday
• Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Menlo Park: 2.26pm local time (7.26pm British time) on Thursday
• Tim Price (NZL) and Happy Boy: 3.56pm local time (8.56pm British time) on Thursday
• Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist: 1.39pm local time (6.39pm British time) on Friday
• Tim Price (NZL) and Falco: 3.17pm local time (8.17pm British time) on Friday

Tim Price and Boyd Martin both have three horses in the competition, while Harry Meade is the other multi-horse rider with two on the list.

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times: full list

• All times (dressage times are on left of the page, cross-country times on right)
• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from Kentucky and other major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

10 pairs to watch at Kentucky five-star, including a huge win chance and a comeback star

How to watch Kentucky Three-Day Event live from anywhere in the world

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Latest Badminton withdrawals revealed as top British-based riders confirm which horses head to the US: ‘I’m looking forward to having three in Kentucky’

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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

Want to know which Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event riders to watch at this week’s US spring five-star?

We’ve picked out some of the favourites for you so read on for a quick bluffers’ guide on who to keep an eye on – and tell your mates about – whether you’re on site at the event or watching from home.

Kentucky Three-Day Event riders: 10 pairs to watch

Number 1: Tim Price (NZL) and Jarillo

11-year-old chestnut gelding, by Dantos out of an Alicante mare, owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good

Jarillo is relatively inexperienced but extremely flashy – and it’s never wise to discount anything Tim rides. He was ninth at Pau Horse Trials last year on his five-star debut.

Number 3: Boyd Martin (USA) and Fedarman B

15-year-old bay gelding, by Eurocommerce Washington and out of a Fedor mare, owned by Annie Goodwin Syndicate

This pair’s five-star results comprise eighth and fifth at Pau and eighth at Luhmühlen Horse Trials and they were also 10th individually (best of the US team) at last year’s Paris Olympics. Data analytics experts EquiRatings rate them best of the home side, with a 5% win chance.

Number 8: Michael Jung (GER) and FischerChipmunk FRH

17-year-old bay gelding, by Contendro I out of a Heraldik mare, 0wned by Michael’s father Joachim, the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport and Klaus and Sabine Fischer

The reigning Olympic champions start with a huge 30% win chance according to EquiRatings. Their only five-star start together was here in 2022, when they won, finishing on their 20.1 dressage score and setting a new record finishing score at the top level.

Number 9: Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Menlo Park

15-year-old bay gelding, by Berlin out of a Faerie Queen mare, owned by rider and his parents Jean and Rob

Clarke pulled up on their only five-star start together at a very wet Pau last year, but they were 18th at the Paris Olympics and have good four-star results. World team bronze medallists in 2022, though as the discard score because they had 31 jumping faults across country. This is Clarke’s first return to Kentucky since he was a team bronze medallist here in 2010 on Orient Express.

Number 20: Tim Price (NZL) and Happy Boy

13-year-old black gelding, by Indoctro, out of an Odermus mare, owned by Susan Lamb, Therese Miller and rider

Last year’s Blenheim Horse Trials winner – and victor at another popular CCI4*-L at Boekelo 2022 – who has his first proper crack at five-star, though it’s not actually his debut as he did dressage at Pau in 2023 before being withdrawn. A former seven-year-old world champion, too.

Number 25: Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist

14-year-old bay gelding, by Guillotine out of a Volksraard, owned by Spencer Eventing

A pair who are becoming known for consistent five-star performances, with seventh at Maryland 2023, seventh here last year and 11th at Burghley in the autumn. Ex-racehorse Artist can do a great dressage test so it could all come together. Based in the US.

Number 29: Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality

16-year-old bay gelding, by OBOS Quality 004 out of a Cavalier Royale mare, owned by Alison Swinburn and Chloe and John Perry

World number one Tom has been second here twice on JL Dublin. He took over this ride from Piggy March in 2023, finishing third at Pau 2024. “Nervous Norris” is a character, but also has the quality his show name suggests.

Number 37: Lucienne Bellissimo (GBR) and Dyri

13-year-old dark bay gelding, by Diarado out of a mare by King Milford xx, owned by Horse Scout Eventing, LLC

This US-based pair are unlikely to win on their five-star debut, but they have good four-star form and their capacity to do a dressage test in the 20s means they may start out in a prominent position and are ones to watch as their experience grows.

Number 38: Tim Price (NZL) and Falco

16-year-old bay gelding, by Cardenio 2 out of a Weinberg mare, owned by Sue Benson and rider

Tim and Falco start as second favourite at 18% win chance on EquiRatings prediction centre, among the the Kentucky Three-Day Event riders and horses. He’s been second at Maryland, taken double world team bronze and finished sixth at the Paris Olympics – and is also notable for coming back from surgery to remove a tumour in 2023.

Number 39: Harry Meade (GBR) and Grafennacht

13-year-old bay mare, by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz out of a mare by Narew, owned by Amanda Gould

Harry took over Grafennacht after William Fox-Pitt’s retirement – she has recorded three top-15 five-stars with William – and won Montelibretti CCI4*-L under Harry this spring. An exciting new partnership – let’s see what they can do on this stage.

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

You may also be interested in:

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Who will be first out at next week’s Kentucky five-star and what numbers will the Brits wear?

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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 Eventing Spring Carnival took place at Thoresby Park last weekend and a host of top horses came out to play in the sunshine. We know how much you love to see the equine stars having their first big run of the season so we have a set of Thoresby photos for your enjoyment below…

The feature class, the Lycetts Grantham Cup, was won by Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, while Laura Collett and Dacapo landed the other CCI4*-S, which ran under the banner of organisers BEDE. Gemma Stevens was also on great form, taking second in both sections with Jalapeno III and Chilli King. For a full report, check out this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (dated 3 April).

Thoresby photos – top horses enjoy a run in the sun

Ros Canter and Michele and Archie Saul’s Lordships Graffalo, the Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials winners, European champions and Olympic team gold medallists, finished fourth in the Grantham Cup.

Kirsty Chabert and the 2022 Luhmühlen Horse Trials runner-up Classic VI, owned by Kate Ward, Carole Somers and Kirsty’s father John Johnston, took seventh in the Grantham Cup.

Ben Hobday and Shadow Man II, owned by his rider, his father Stephen and Jane Chambers, claimed fifth in the advanced section. Shadow Man was piloted by Australia’s Chris Burton to claim the individual silver at last year’s Paris Olympics, before moving back to Ben and finishing 12th at Pau Horse Trials under him at the end of the season.

Paris Olympic team gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin won the Grantham Cup, a strong result in their build-up to Badminton. The horse is owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston.

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight – sixth in the Grantham Cup – were the winners of the one-off Bicton Horse Trials CCI5* in 2021. The horse is owned by and was bred by Chris and Lisa Stone.

Emily King and Valmy Biats, owned by the rider, her father David and Paula and David Evans, picked up fifth in the Grantham Cup, having won the class last season. They were fourth at Badminton last year and will head there again in May.

Tim Price and last year’s Burghley runner-up Vitali, owned by Joe and Alex Giannamore, put in a steady double jumping clear in the Grantham Cup.

Popular and consistent five-star campaigners Alice Casburn and Topspin, a home-bred owned by the rider’s mother Caroline, jumped a double clear in the advanced section.

Rachel Upton’s Cola III, ridden by her daughter Bubby Upton, finished eighth in the advanced. This pair have been eighth and 10th at Badminton, 14th at Burghley and fifth at Maryland 5 Star.

Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and The Salty Syndicate’s Colorado Blue, who won Maryland 5 Star in 2023.

Last year’s Bramham Horse Trials under-25 champions Emma Thomas and The Buzz Factor, owned by Emma’s mother Rebecca Velarde, jumped a steady double clear in the Grantham Cup.

Zara Tindall and her five-star horse, Gleadhill House Stud Ltd’s Class Affair, finished on the podium in third in the advanced section.

Ireland’s Lucy Latta and Lesley Crampton’s RCA Patron Saint warmed up for a return trip to Badminton, where they finished second last year.

Tim Price opted for a steady double clear with Sue Benson’s Falco IV, the world double bronze medallist and 2021 Pau winner.

Tom Rowland and Dreamliner, owned by his breeders Mark and Angela Chamberlayne, put in a double clear in the Grantham Cup. They were seventh at Badminton last year.

World champion Yasmin Ingham rode Rehy DJ, owned by Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund, in the Grantham Cup and will make her Badminton debut on him next month.

Thoresby photos by Peter Nixon

• 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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British world number one Tom McEwen is among the top riders to have confirmed their plans for the spring five-stars.

Tom holds entries at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (24 to 27 April) and Mars Badminton Horse Trials (7 to 11 May) with both JL Dublin and Brookfield Quality.

Following his win in the CCI4*-S Lycetts Grantham Cup at Thoresby, Tom told H&H that all being well, the aim is to take JL Dublin to Badminton and Brookfield Quality to Kentucky.

“For the last couple of seasons I’ve done everything predominantly on a surface, in terms of dressage and showjumping, through going to Kentucky or championships,” said Tom, who rides the Paris Olympic team gold medal-winning gelding “Dubs” for Deirdre Johnston and James and Jo Lambert.

“Obviously Badminton is not on a surface, it’s very much grass so it’s great to come to a big show like this and jump on the grass, and the same with the dressage.”

He added: “I didn’t really know if I was going to have a quick run or slow run, but I knew I wanted to use this for [spring five-star] prep. But there was only one way Dubs was going today, which was quick. So I thought, ‘Let’s let him rock and roll’.

“He really utilised his huge long stride everywhere and was so free-flowing, and the course really played into that.”

Laura Collett told The British Eventing Show, produced by EquiRatings, that double Olympic gold and individual bronze medallist London 52 will go to Luhmühlen CCI5*, which he won in 2023.

Laura said that after everything the horse has done for her, she does not want to put him out of his comfort zone, noting that when he won Badminton in 2022 “all the stars aligned – everything was perfect and everything was in his favour”.

Instead, she will return to Germany to an event she knows suits him well to “try to win another five-star on the bridle”.

London 52, whom Laura owns with Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott, enjoyed a solid run at Thoresby as he builds towards CCI5* fitness, and finished third in the Grantham Cup.

Irish Olympian Joseph Murphy told H&H Badminton is the plan for his five-star and 2023 European Championship campaigner Calmaro, who is owned by Richard and Tanya Ames, Claire and Charlie Mayne, and Annette O’Callaghan.

The 14-year-old grey was entered at both the Gloucestershire and the US five-stars. He has now been withdrawn from Kentucky, where he finished ninth in 2022, and Badminton will be his target.

Joseph spoke to H&H after dominating Saturday’s OI section, with four top-six placings, headed by Calmaro’s winning performance.

“The dressage was good, he was in great form, very relaxed and jumped well,” he said.

“He just felt incredible across country. He’s really well established in that phase and he doesn’t necessarily need to run at the high level all the time, so that’s why he ran in the OI rather than the advanced.

“It’s just a case of checking everything, fitness and getting runs into him with people and atmosphere, and so on. For me, it’s just like putting on a pair of old shoes – it’s very enjoyable!”

He thanked his owners for their support in allowing him to come over to Britain with a number of horses for a spring tour in the build-up to Badminton and other major fixtures this season.

“I take my hat off to everyone at Thoresby – the courses they produced were a lovely level of confidence, technicality and difficulty. It was a lovely blend. Walking the advanced and the four-star, they had the same tone as well,” he said.

“There was a very high standard of riders. That’s a benchmark for us, so that’s why personally I find it very important to come and mix in that company – it gives you a good confidence boost going forward for the next big challenge.”

The full Thoresby report will be in the 3 April issue of Horse & Hound

• 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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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

Double Olympic gold medallist Tom McEwen went back to his roots to present awards to members of his former Pony Club branch – and share pizza with them.

Tom, who won team gold in Tokyo and Paris, and individual silver in Tokyo, hot-footed it straight from competing to the Vale of the White Horse (VWH) branch celebration evening.

Branch secretary Joanna Ramage told H&H organisers kept Tom’s attendance a secret in advance.

“He’s always really supportive of us, which is lovely,” she said. “He’d been jumping at Hartpury and he literally leapt off and high-tailed it here. We’d kept it secret but had said lots of ‘You need to come to the awards; it’s going to be a really amazing evening’. He’s so generous with his time; he must have been knackered – but he did get some pizza at the end!”

Joanna said the branch is competitive but that its ethos is very much being friendly and supportive, as well as about horsemanship and pony care, not just riding. The winter awards evening is about celebrating every level and achievement of the riders, but also the volunteers.

“We had long-service awards to present too,” Joanna said. “Pamela Ormond, our president, has hosted the mini and junior camps for years and it was important he gave her her 50-year Cubitt award as he’s known her for years too.”

Joanna said Tom is “very much interwoven” with the branch; on a previous visit he handed round his Olympic medals so all the young riders could see and touch them.

“I said I’d be possessive about them but he said no, because who knows, they might be future Olympians, and he shared them with everybody, which was lovely,” she said. “Last summer, we were running camp and he’d hired some of the facilities; he was there for a job but took the time to speak to them all, and signed their T-shirts – there were a lot of camp T-shirts that didn’t get washed afterwards!”

Joanna said some of the children at the awards were “in awe” of Tom, while others “took it in their stride”.

“He went to the mini and junior camps when he was little, and Pam and Ursula [Scott] and the other fantastic award winners have known him for years,” she said. “His mum teaches for us too. We’re so lucky to have that connection so the children can see that anything is possible.”

The group between them tucked into 56 pizzas on the awards evening including Tom, who became a father late last year.

“Our retiring district commissioner Georgie Davies managed to find a tiny VWH sweatshirt and gave it to him,” Joanna said. “So in a couple of years, maybe Tom will be back at mini camp as a parent, we will wait and see!”

• 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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‘Welcome to the world’: double Olympic team gold medallist becomes a father

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Double Olympic team gold medallist and world number one eventer Tom McEwen has become a father.

Tom and his wife Harriet welcomed a baby boy on 29 November, weighing 8lbs1oz. The couple have yet to reveal his name.

“Welcome to the world,” said Tom.

“This little guy changing our lives together. Harri is doing well and is already an incredible mamma.”

Tom thanked the “amazing” maternity staff at Gloucester hospital, and everyone for their “lovely, kind messages”.

Tom and Harriet married in autumn 2023, and in July, ahead of the Paris Olympics, they revealed they were expecting their first child; Tom said at the time it “definitely feels like we are getting towards the final parts of growing up”.

Harriet was with Tom in Paris, where he won team gold with JL Dublin, alongside Laura Collett and London 52 and Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. The Olympic medal was Tom’s third, having won team gold and individual silver in Tokyo in 2021 with Toledo de Kerser.

Tom has had a brilliant 2024, finishing second at the Kentucky Three-Day five-star in spring with JL Dublin, second at the Luhmühlen five-star in June with CHF Cooliser, and third at Pau five-star with Brookfield Quality.

In August he became world number one in the FEI eventing world rankings for the first time, having moved up from third.

“This wouldn’t be possible without some incredibly important people and horses in my life,” Tom said at the time.

Following the conclusion of the eventing season, Tom remains in the top spot, ahead of Tim Price in second and Ros Canter in third.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout major shows such as London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

‘I want to nail a few better results’: Olympic individual silver and twice team gold medallist Tom McEwen looks to the future

‘A massive thank you’: double Olympic team gold medallist becomes world number one

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In this exclusive, subscriber-only interview, Tom McEwen explains how becoming an Olympian has (and has not) changed his life, reveals some of his up-and-coming equine stars to look out for, plus what he’s focusing on for next season and beyond...

Dual British eventing Olympian Tom McEwen reconsidered his answer when asked whether the Olympics – most recently his efforts in Paris, where he helped secure team gold with JL Dublin (Dubs), also finishing fourth individually – has changed life for him at all.

“Someone asked me this the other day and I said no, but I think it probably has,” explains the 33-year-old, who also won team gold and individual silver at the Tokyo Olympics aboard Toledo De Kerser. “It doesn’t change your life in a monetary way, although it can help with sponsorships, and in terms of the business I’m running day-to-day, it changes nothing really.

“But then in other ways, it does change your life because an Olympics increases the public awareness of our sport – you can’t quite believe how many people have paid attention and watched. Like going to the gym, people that aren’t horsey there now know what it’s about to a certain degree and that’s because the Olympics means something to everyone. They might not know how you get a dressage mark, or what the hell a time penalty is, but they understand the principle.”

Tom adds that although new opportunities in the form of sponsorships and owners might arise off the back of an Olympic appearance, he feels a sense of wanting to give something back to equestrianism too.

“It provides us riders with the opportunity to give back to the sport, whether that might be teaching at Pony Club or helping at the RDA,” he explains.

Life after the Olympics

Upon arriving back in the UK from Paris, “Dubs” wasn’t put in a field for a holiday immediately, as Tom explains.

“We started letting him down by hacking him out and slowly reduced that, rather than just immediately putting him out on a holiday while he was at peak fitness. He then did go on holiday and spent time in the field with Toledo.”

Tom says that he had a conversation with Dubs’ owners, James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston about plans for the rest of the season.

“Obviously Paris finished so early in the season that there was a conversation to be had about whether Dubs would compete again this year, but it was an easy decision to make in the end to let him have a holiday as he had such a busy first half of the year,” states Tom, referring to the fact that their route to Paris included a win in the CCI4*-S in Kronenberg in the Netherlands in March, second in the CCI5* in Kentucky, USA in April and second in the CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen, Germany in June.

Tom McEwen’s equine stars of the future

Looking ahead, Tom has some other stars in his string that he says we should note for future reference. The first of these is Isa, a 10-year-old grey mare, who was imported from Germany at the start of this year.

“I really like Isa – she’s awesome and I think she really showed it at Blenheim,” says Tom, who finished seventh with this horse in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim in September. “She had done a lot of three-stars with a girl called Charlotte Whittaker, who lives in Germany, and James and Jo Lambert were looking for a horse to add to my string. It’s the first time I’ve looked for something a little older and I really struggled to find her – it took me an awfully long time and it’s also taken me a bit of time to get to know her as she’s very much a mare and always did whatever suited her and didn’t really care much for what I was asking her sometimes.

“We’re building a bond and she’s super-exciting. She will probably aim for the CCI4*-L at Bramham next season.”

As well as Isa, Tom has an arsenal of top-class seven-year-olds in his stable. The first of these is Shannondale Arnold, who, were it not for picking up eight faults in the final showjumping phase in the British Eventing seven-year-old championships at Cornbury in September, would have finished runner-up.

“Those two fences, both in the treble, were annoying, but he’s super-exciting; a very modern type and athletic through his body. His flatwork is forever improving too,” says Tom, whose next one to watch is fellow seven-year-old Maestro, with whom he won the British Eventing seven-year-old championship, and who is owned by Toledo’s owners Fred and Penny Barker.

“He’s a proper modern day sports horse – he’s quite blood but also quite small,” comments Tom. “He jumped at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses at Lanaken with his previous owners River Lodge under Michelle Kenny and is very smart.”

Tom’s final one for us to watch is another seven-year-old called Quintus, who recently finished 11th in the seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion D’Angers, and is owned by Deirdre Johnston and Jane Knight.

“He’s a huge, great big horse and a rangy mover,” comments Tom. “Everyone thinks he looks too big and rangy on the flat and then you watch him across country and he’s so light on his feet.”

Tom states that “all three of these seven-year-olds are incredibly exciting and each one brings something slightly different to the table”.

“It will be interesting to see how each of them progresses. Everyone told me when Toledo was a seven-year-old that he was too good a jumper and too careful and he’d never have enough blood to make it round a five-star, but look at the horse he turned into.”

Speaking of Toledo, Tom says that the now 17-year-old with whom he won his first five-star at Pau in 2019 is doing well following his career-ending injury at Burghley in 2023.

“Toledo is unlikely to event again but he loves being active as he gets bored otherwise, so he will definitely do something, whether that’s Harriet [Tom’s wife] carrying on hacking him out or a little bit more – no decisions have been made yet, but he’s currently being brought back into work.”

Tom McEwen on his future plans

In terms of future plans, big event success is at the forefront of Tom’s mind – including a third Olympic Games.

“I very much want to get to LA [for the 2028 Olympics] and achieve results like the ones we managed in Tokyo and Paris. Obviously Paris was amazing, but I didn’t quite do the dressage test I know I can do – not every day is going to be spot on, but the rest of the competition was absolutely perfect for us individually, but it is what it is – you can whinge and whine about it, but it’s not going to make any difference.

“The test wasn’t down to me feeling the pressure, it was just one of those things that didn’t quite work out. So yes, getting back to LA is a big aim. For me it’s also always about the team first – I was obsessed with any team sports I could do while growing up – I just love the team environment.”

While British team success remains a huge motivation, individual five-star success is also high on Tom’s to-do list, as he says frankly: “I want to stop mucking up around British five-stars at some point soon!

“I want to win Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky – it’s easy to say and a thousand times harder to do. I feel like I’ve been getting myself in really good positions – Kentucky this year [where a fence down relegated Tom and JL Dublin from first to second] was just one of those things in that he jumped really well and one part just wasn’t good enough on my behalf. Sometimes things like that happen, but if you can put yourself in that place more often than not, at some point, it will start coming off.”

But achieving major accolades on a horse isn’t the only thing Tom McEwen has in mind for the future.

“I’ve done a marathon and I was told I became really grumpy while training for it, so that part of my life is over!” he laughs. “Someone mentioned doing an Iron Man triathlon, and although I’m not a great swimmer, I thought it sounded like a cool challenge, but I think I better chill out with things like that as I can’t be moody and tired halfway through a season.

“I will definitely give myself more challenges to do though and Harriet and I are really happy to be welcoming our baby. In that respect, we’ve got new challenges ahead and I’ll try giving being a dad a go!”

What about Tom’s future within the sport of eventing further down the line?

“I really admire the people that hold down a job and go eventing too – people like Lauren [Innes], who goes around Badminton and Burghley, that’s super-impressive. Maybe later on in my riding career, I might go down different avenues and do different things. I don’t really know what yet – I’ve got things in mind – but eventing and riding is a hard world and I want to be open-minded about it.

“You have to be very single-minded while you’re a competitive athlete. I’d quite like to go showjumping later on in life or in a few years’ time, but at the moment, my main and sole aim is eventing and trying to nail out a few better results.”

You may also be interested in:

‘I start them at five, they all hack and we jump more in the winter’: Tom McEwen’s training ethos for young horses

‘I wouldn’t change anything about Paris, apart from the rain – that was a bit s**t!’: Tom McEwen on 2024 Olympics

‘We make a lot of sacrifices’: Lottie Fry on what it takes to achieve such success before turning 30, plus what’s next

‘If I couldn’t compete it wouldn’t bother me’: Olympian Abi Lyle’s training mantras, including why praise, variety and turnout are key

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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

In this exclusive, subscriber-only interview, Tom McEwen shares what he looks for in a young horse, why thoroughbred “blood” isn’t that important to him and how he trains his horses, including favourite exercises and the importance of hacking and turnout for every horse in his yard

Riders, no matter whether they are professional or amateur, have a preference on the type of horse they like to have in their yard and ride. British double eventing Olympic team gold medallist Tom McEwen is no different.

“When sourcing a young horse, I look out for two main things. Like with any athlete – human or horse – and no matter the equestrian discipline, soundness is the most important thing, which comes down to conformation,” explains Tom. “Within that, you can overlook some things but not others and sometimes things that put you off conformationally can then not affect a horse for years.”

Toledo De Kerser, the horse with whom Tom picked up team gold and individual silver at the Tokyo Olympics, has been somewhat of a flag bearer for Tom in recent years.

“Until his final event [where Toledo injured himself on the flat across country at Burghley in 2023], Toledo was the soundest horse I’ve ever had – the only time he missed an event was the Europeans in 2019 when he ran loose on the gallops and fell over onto some concrete. His soundness really contributed to him being such a special horse in that, year after year, he could compete,” states Tom.

Trainability is key

The second key component Tom looks for in a young potential top event horse is “trainability”.

“This encompasses their personality; can you work with them? Do they listen? There’s a million things associated with trainability but it basically comes down to whether or not you’re compatible with each other as everyone rides in slightly different ways,” explains 33-year-old Tom. “I’ve always been used to a slightly sharper type that takes a little bit more time and I really enjoy the bond that that creates and then they really trust you.”

You often hear event riders talking about the amount of thoroughbred blood a horse may or may not possess and for some, this is a deal-breaker. However this isn’t the case for Tom.

“For me, the one thing that’s changing over time is making sure you have a jumper. Blood isn’t a massive deal for me – I wouldn’t go off the percentage a horse has – if they have got the right stride, the right heart and correct approach in their mind, blood isn’t the biggest problem for me,” he says.

“Toledo De Kerser and CHF Cooliser don’t have high percentages of blood, for example, and those two have both shown that they can eat up big courses and actually find it quite easy. That has been down to me developing their stride and rhythm across country, because neither of them were naturally gifted with a long, easy galloping stride.”

Tom McEwen’s Gatcombe base

Tom credits his base at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire as being key to being able to develop his horses to become elite eventers.

“We’re really lucky being based at Gatcombe as we have lots of grass and that helps to develop a horse’s stride. We do a lot of longer, slower canter work, which means that over time, horses start to relax into it and stretch their stride out,” he explains. “We do a little bit of fast work every now and again, but we don’t do too much of it. I find that giving them more time and doing the longer, slower work teaches them to relax and breathe.”

Although they have been few and far between, Tom has taken on a couple of more experienced horses during his career, such as JL Dublin (“Dubs”), who he rode at the Paris Olympics, and more recently, Isa, who he took on at the start of 2024 and culminated this season by finishing seventh in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim.

“I was very lucky to be given Dubs later on in his career and also Isa,” says Tom. “I find taking on established horses trickier, because you have to try and work out your compatibility with them. You still want to look for the same things as you would with a young horse though, such as a good jump and the right temperament for the job.”

Tom McEwen on starting young horses

In terms of starting young horses’ careers, Tom says he has changed tactics over the years.

“When I was younger, I was very lucky to be able to go and work at The Billy Stud, which was great to learn more about starting a young horse. Back then, we started horses off at a younger age and did a lot of long reining, but now we don’t tend to start them until they are five.”

Tom explains that, as he generally has more time during the winter months to focus on training as he isn’t away competing, he utilises that time accordingly.

“We do more jumping in the winter than in the summer. All of our horses hack as I think it’s a really good way for them to relax – they go off into the woods on a long rein. Flatwork-wise, our six-year-olds are already working on shoulder-in and a bit of half-pass, but that’s as a training aid, rather than focusing on the dressage tests themselves.”

One of Tom’s go-to exercises at home features fillers in the arena.

“I like to put fillers on an S-bend – the younger horses will jump just two of those, while the older, more established horses will jump three – and I repeat that exercise for a couple of weeks before moving onto something else, such as a bounce grid.”

Cross-country schooling-wise, it once again depends on the horse and their character.

“If we have a young horse that isn’t quite so confident across country, depending on their nature, we would perhaps take them hunting, but also we’re so lucky at Gatcombe that there’s loads of little logs in the woods that we can go and pop as much as we need to.

“Oxstalls cross-country is also just down the road and I go there quite often to build confidence. The older ones I’ve started cross-country schooling more frequently than I used to and we often go to the Dumas’ facilities at Rosamund Farm to do more technical lines and build up from there. We also use the skinnies and brushes from Jump4Joy at home in the arena. It comes down to making it fun and easy for horses who learn to look for the flags.”

It’s clear from our chat that Tom is a big believer in hacking.

“Every horse’s routine is tailor made to suit their needs, but in the winter, every horse has Sunday off, and in the summer, they are all hacked before and after doing any work in the school. During February, we do a lot of long hacks, which are up to an hour and 40 minutes,” he explains.

“All of my horses hack and every horse gets out in the field every day, even throughout the winter, and I think that’s super-important.”

There is one key component, though, that Tom really drums home, and that is the importance of having a good team around his horses.

“Having a good, constant team of staff at home, who really love the horses, is also really important to me – the people that spend the most time with them are the most important people. It’s the day in, day out, knowing that everything is in a routine for the horses that really counts.”

You may also be interested in:

‘I wouldn’t change anything about Paris, apart from the rain – that was a bit s**t!’: Tom McEwen on 2024 Olympics

‘He tried his heart out’: Tom McEwen pipped to an individual podium place after winning Olympic team gold

‘I walked the cross-country course five times, I knew what I was going to do’ – how Yasmin Ingham prepared for the Olympic course she never got to jump

‘I’m good with mares because I am one’: Abi Lyle on her future stars, best advice and why she’s going eventing

Tom McEwen’s groom Adam Short on the Paris Olympics: ‘The medal ceremony was like when Adele steps out on stage’

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

Since Paris 2024, we’ve been catching up with the riders whose stories captured fans’ imaginations, to bring their experiences exclusively to H&H subscribers. Next we have Tom McEwen, who reflects on how his two Olympic Games compare

“Tokyo and Paris were completely different for me,” says 33-year-old British event rider, Tom McEwen, who won team gold and individual silver in Tokyo with Toledo De Kerser and team gold and individual fourth in Paris with JL Dublin.

“Tokyo was my first Olympics and I had no idea what to expect,” Tom explains. “It made me aware of how much more media attention there is surrounding an Olympics compared to a normal championship – and I think it’s super-important for riders to make the most of that.

“The other thing Tokyo taught me is that everyone pays attention – so all your friends that aren’t horsey or the people I went to school with who had no idea why I disappeared during term time sometimes, realised what I was doing. It made me realise the wider appeal the Olympics has.”

Tom McEwen: coping with the pressure

Tom says there was a different kind of pressure at the Tokyo Olympics, compared to Paris.

“When we did our dressage in Tokyo, the pure dressage riders were there, like Carl [Hester], watching us and it was quite a lot of pressure to have those peers and idols watching us the whole time. Then when it was time for us to showjump, the pure showjumpers had arrived, and that brought a lot of pressure, because although there weren’t many eyes watching, the few eyes that were, really knew what they were talking about! For me that was worse than the pressure I felt in Paris in many ways.”

Individuals experience and deal with pressure in different ways – and Tom is no exception.

“I find the part where you can’t do anything the most pressurised,” he states. “For example, the team call-up – I find that much more difficult to deal with than the competition itself. It’s the reason you do hours in the school at home, hours having lessons and hours doing all the extra stuff, like time in the gym and the billion other things that go with horses.

“Where other people might find competing the hardest part to deal with pressure-wise, I find the building up to the competition tougher – all of a sudden you become really critical of things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, like asking yourself was the walk in that dressage test going to be good enough? Or was that halt square enough? Like, does one average halt out of a million tests really matter?”

Getting that all-important Olympic call

When British Equestrian’s eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood called Tom to confirm his place on the Paris team, Tom was teaching. “I actually missed the call and so I had to call him back in the evening,” he laughs.

On the battle for a place on the British eventing team, Tom says: “It’s been so competitive to try and get into the team, which was highlighted by the number of people who travelled out to Luhmühlen to compete in the CCI4*-S [in June]. So many people were going so well and as per usual, we had to travel a lot to try and secure a team place.”

Tom’s route to Paris with Dubs included a win in the CCI4*-S in Kronenberg in the Netherlands in March, second in the CCI5* in Kentucky in the USA in April and second in the CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen, so he’s not kidding when he says he had to travel.

Taking on horse “at the top of his game”

Tom took on the ride on JL Dublin, or Dubs as he’s known at home, from Nicola Wilson after her fall at Badminton 2022 forced her to retire from the saddle. The now 13-year-old, owned by James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, had already secured double gold with Nicola at the 2021 European Championships.

“Dubs was already at the top of his game and was trained incredibly by Nicola and he’s really easy to deal with in every way – he doesn’t have any quirks,” explains Tom. “But at the same time, it’s taken me a full 18 months to make him my own and get him to understand my rhythm across country.

“It’s just been a case of time, especially with the dressage and cross-country. He’s very different to what I’m used to – he’s very placid, very relaxed and sometimes he hides behind that character and keeps a lot of energy to himself and can then release it in a nice way, but that’s not always the best for a good dressage mark.”

Tom McEwen’s Paris Olympics memories

Reflecting further on his Paris experience, Tom says much of it has stayed with him.

“A lot of my time in Paris has stuck with me. I think having been to Tokyo helped with that – I took a lot more of it in this time.

“The atmosphere and the team spirit really stand out in my memory from Paris. Yas [Ingham – the British alternate rider] was incredible all week and Ros [Canter] and Laura [Collett] were excellent teammates. I think that was highlighted by Ros’ 15 penalties – we dealt with it and we all just got on with it and everyone supported each other. That was really cool.

”I wouldn’t change anything from my Paris experience, apart from maybe if it hadn’t rained on my dressage day – that was a bit sh*t!”

Cross-country day stands out for Tom too.

“That was an amazing experience – the noise from the crowd that followed each horse around – and actually, being so close to home, the amount of British flags that were there was amazing.

“Dubs is a born professor and the more people there are to watch, the better – for example going into the arena after a French rider had jumped, the crowd were so noisy and all of the British horses absolutely loved that.”

The British eventing team stayed close to Versailles while competing, but they also got to experience the wider Olympic spirit too.

“We were really lucky to be with our owners near Versailles and have the most amazing hub created by the BEF, but we also got to go and experience the main athletes’ village, which was awesome. It’s vast and you don’t quite realise how big it is,” says Tom.

“I also stayed on with Harriet [Tom’s wife] after the eventing and we watched some of the other sports, such as the swimming, which was really cool.”

With two Olympics, two team golds, and one individual silver medal under his belt by the age of 33, few would bet against Tom adding to that collection at future Games.

You may also be interested in:

Tom McEwen’s groom Adam Short on the Paris Olympics: ‘The medal ceremony was like when Adele steps out on stage’

‘He tried his heart out’: Tom McEwen pipped to an individual podium place after winning Olympic team gold

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‘I walked the cross-country course five times, I knew what I was going to do’ – how Yasmin Ingham prepared for the Olympic course she never got to jump

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

World number one Tom McEwen stormed into the lead on the opening day of dressage at Pau Horse Trials with a supple and flowing test aboard Brookfield Quality.

Tom, who won the French five-star in 2019 with Toledo De Kerser, has set a competitive target of 25.8 for this strong field to chase.

The 15-year-old Brookfield Quality, owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, powered through the early trot work, cutting an elegant picture in Pau’s sun-soaked arena.

“He was amazing. He sailed through his test,” said Tom. “I slightly lost him a little bit in the canter in terms of the softness, but he nailed absolutely everything. I’m really pleased with him.”

Brookfield Quality has a wealth of four-star experience, with both his current rider and Piggy March, and stepped up to five-star at Lumühlen in June. Things didn’t go quite to plan in Germany – after a solid dressage test, the pair were held in a squall across country and Tom pulled up several fences after being restarted.

The OBOS Quality son comes to his second five-star following solid autumn prep runs, including a CCI3* win at Cornbury and finishing runner-up with a double jumping clear in an open intermediate section at Little Downham.

“He’s definitely come on [since Luhmühlen], he’s getting stronger and we’re getting to know each other a bit better,” said Tom.

“He’s fitter this time round, which meant I was slightly struggling on the flat two weeks ago! But you just know, as soon as he gets to a show he’s awesome. He knows what he’s doing and you can trust him.”

He added: “It’s just been a case of getting to know him. Piggy did the most amazing job with him, and Harry Meade before that. We get along – I seem to be quite good with slightly strange horses. We’ve created a great bond, and he’s always been amazing on the flat. So it’s just about coming out and proving it really.”

New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone has made his first CCI5* start since 2017 and is in second place on a score of 26.1 with his Olympic ride Menlo Park.

“He felt beautiful – really focused and relaxed, with a nice energy,” said Clarke, who finished 18th in Paris with this 14-year-old gelding, who he owns with his parents Jean and Rob.

“There were a couple of small errors, but I could hardly fault him. He was just completely with me, had his mind on the job and was giving me everything.

“He’s always been rideable – he’s not naughty or difficult, but it’s taken a while to be able to get the relaxation and the energy. It was usually one or the other.

“Now I feel like we’re able to get a really good activity with him, completely relaxed, which has taken a while to get the hang of. He’s a lovely guy, very easy on the whole and beautiful to ride.”

Oliver Townend, fresh from his Maryland 5 Star victory with the great Ballaghmor Class, was first to go aboard the five-star debutant En Taro Des Vernier. The 10-year-old Upsilon son, owned by Sir John and Victoria Peace, holds third place at this stage on 29.4 – just 0.1 of a penalty ahead of Boyd Martin and Fedarman B in fourth (29.5).

The sizable British entry is off to a strong start, with seven Brits among the top 10 at this stage.

Today’s short dressage session featured 24 of the 73 starters, with the remaining 49 set to start their Pau Horse Trials campaigns tomorrow (Friday). Dressage action restarts at 8am UK time (9am local time).

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Pau, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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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 top three riders in the world head up a strong list of Pau Horse Trials entries for the French five-star (24–27 October).

World number one Tom McEwen is one of 25 British riders planning to compete and brings forward John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality, who seeks a first five-star completion after retirement at Luhmühlen Horse Trials, and MHS Brown Jack, a debutant at the level owned by Fred and Penny Barker.

Tom’s fellow Paris team gold medallist, world number two Ros Canter, also has two rides. She and Izilot DHI, owned by his rider and Alex Moody, will defend the title they won last year and aim to file another strong result after leading the dressage but retiring after an early run-out across country at Burghley Horse Trials. Ros’s other ride, Deirdre Johnston and Lady Milnes Coates’s MHS Seventeen, will have his first tilt at this level.

Other notable British entries include Ben Hobday with Shadow Man, who was ridden to Olympic individual silver this summer by Australia’s Chris Burton, but is now back with his original rider. Ben and the chestnut finished 10th at Lignières CCI4*-S since re-forming their partnership.

Zara Tindall (Class Affair), Pippa Funnell (MCS Maverick) and Emily King (Valmy Biats) are also among those seeking redemption after problems at Burghley, as is Oliver Townend with Kentucky Three-Day Event winner Cooley Rosalent. Oliver also pilots five-star first-timers En Taro Des Vernier and Crazy Du Loir.

A stallion is always noteworthy at this level and Halo will make his five-star debut here under Piggy March.

Big entries for Pau Horse Trials

There are 80 horses from 14 countries on the current full list of Pau Horse Trials entries.

World number three Tim Price brings forward a five-star first-timer for New Zealand in Jarillo, while his compatriot Clarke Johnstone will ride his Paris mount Menlo Park.

The USA’s Boyd Martin rides his Paris horse, Federman B, as well as five-star first-timer Miss Lulu Herself. He is joined in the trip across the Atlantic by world team silver medallists Will Coleman and Off The Record.

Two combinations from Sweden’s Olympic team will tackle Pau in Frida Andersen with Box Leo and Sofia Sjoborg on Bryjamolga VH Marienshof Z, as well as their Paris alternate pair Malin Asai and Golden Midnight.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Pau, Maryland, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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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

One horse was eliminated at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials final trot-up this morning (Sunday 8 September), with two others passed after going to the holding box.

There was disappointment for British first-timer Lizzie Baugh, whose home-bred ride B Exclusive was eliminated by the ground jury on re-inspection. The pair jumped a steady clear across country yesterday on their five-star debut, finishing with 53.2 time-faults for 37th overnight.

Ground jury president Christina Klingspor of Sweden, plus members Nick Burton (Britain) and the USA’s Robert Stevenson, also sent to the holding box Nina and Tim Gardner’s FE Lifestyle (19th overnight), ridden by the USA’s Jennie Brannigan, and Haras Des Coudrettes’ Absolut Gold HDC (ninth overnight), piloted by France’s Nicolas Touzaint. Both passed when they returned from the holding box for re-inspection.

Burghley Horse Trials final trot-up: 39 to showjump

Three British competitors withdrew overnight before the Burghley Horse Trials final trot-up.

The best-placed was double Olympic team gold medallist Tom McEwen, who was 14th overnight with Vicky Bates and David Myers’ CHF Cooliser, who jumped clear across country with 10.4 time-faults.

“After the most incredible ride yesterday, sadly Eliza isn’t 100% right this morning. Her welfare is top priority, so she is on her way home to be saved for another day,” said Tom. “Thank you as always to [groom] Adam Short and the team for the first class care Eliza receives.”

Two-time Burghley winner Pippa Funnell pulled out her own and Marek Sebestak’s Majas Hope, who had been 31st following a flag penalty at the the corner out of the Trout Hatchery (fence 11a) and 26 time-penalties.

Holly Richardson has withdrawn Andrew, Julie and Sarah Wingfield’s Bally Louis, who had 20 penalties at the final element of the Defender Dairy Mound (fence 23c) plus 30 time-faults and had been 36th following the cross-country phase. This pair finished 22nd on their Burghley debut last year.

The lower-placed competitors will showjump in the main arena at 10.30am. The final session of showjumping, for the top 20, starts at 2.15pm.

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Two British riders, Alice Casburn and Tom McEwen, have bounced up the leaderboard as the Defender Burghley Horse Trials cross-country continues, while a potential winner has been ruled out of contention.

Caroline Powell was eighth after dressage on her own and the Manns’ Badminton Horse Trials winner Greenacres Special Cavalier, but their bid to do the British five-star double came to an end when they picked up 20 penalties at the first of the Rolex Corners at fence 16ab. Caroline opted to walk home rather than continue (update on Sunday 8 September: Caroline said that the mare lost a shoe at the previous fence and “at her stage in life there’s no point in continuing with a flat tyre”; she is absolutely fine and will have a holiday in the field). This combination is proving influential, although most people are having problems at the second rather than initial element.

Meanwhile Alice Casburn has put in a super Burghley Horse Trials cross-country round with her mother Caroline’s home-bred Topspin, finishing with 1.6 time-faults to hold fourth at this stage. The 22-year-old is bidding for a third top-10 placing here in a row.

“I definitely can’t fault his enthusiasm today. He absolutely loved every second of it. Normally I have to kick him along. So saying whoa was quite new for me, but he made it happen for me. He absolutely tried his heart out, and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Alice.

This pair’s super five-star record had a glitch when Topspin refused at a big log into water at Badminton this spring and Alice pulled up.

“He came out so excited at Badminton, like he was today, and I wasn’t really used to it. We just went back to basics at home. I did a lot showjumping, anything to build confidence.

“I think it’s very difficult, because he’s 16 this year, so I thought, ‘Oh, is this his sign that actually it’s a little bit too much for him?’ And then I thought, ‘No, it’s not. He just got over excited’. So I think it’s a matter of looking at your record and looking at your horse and making sure that actually you’re making decisions not just based on how you feel, but on actual facts.”

British Olympic hero Tom McEwen on the up

Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser cruised round the track for 10.4 time-penalties, which puts them in seventh out of those who have finished. The British Olympic double gold medallist scooted up the steep left-hand slope to the top of the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit (fence 7abcde), rather than the right-hand one which riders usually take, to save a few seconds and give him some extra control.

“I was walking with Tom Jackson and asked him if it was okay and luckily, he went first there to test out if we were all going to get in trouble,” said Tom McEwen. “I think it was a bit quicker and she’s so brave I have absolutely no control – we’re in Liz’s world, and Liz just sees flags and off she goes. And if I say whoa it just means go even faster. So I went up the steep hill just to bring her back, so then I could actually trot off the step. And you can see how brave she is, just popping up the step and jumping huge.

“She has oodles of scope, oodles of heart. Every time she stepped up a level everyone said that’s her level. But she just kept going and now she is really a true Burghley horse. She got a bit tired on the way home and rather than pushing for the time, I just saved her all the way back. She’s come home really well. She is a delight.”

Impressively, Cosby Green scored her third five-star cross-country clear on her debut at this event, following fault-free Pau and Badminton rounds, when she put in a great performance for just 12.8 time-faults on the 18-year-old schoolmaster Copper Beach.

“He’s got a twinkle in his eye still. He’s such a good old man,” said US rider Cosby, 23, who based in Dorset with Tim and Jonelle Price and said she’s learned from them that less is more with older horses. “He knows what he’s doing, he could do it with his eyes closed, and it’s just being able to have enough confidence in myself to trust that he is trained. It’s all about maintaining and improving in slight little ways, such as with his body fitness and physio.”

The usually strong cross-country horse Grantstown Jackson, piloted by Ireland’s Sarah Ennis, had a run-out at the corner out of Defender Valley on the return trip (fence 8ab). She was then eliminated after further problems at the Trout Hatchery (fence 10 and 11abc); it looked like she had lost her steering.

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Adam Short has been a top-level eventing groom for eight years, but he says the Paris Olympics, where he looked after Tom McEwen’s team gold medallist JL Dublin, was when his friends from home finally started to appreciate what he does.

“They were watching TV or seeing pictures and thinking, ‘Oh, he’s actually doing something with his life – I don’t get what it is, but wow, it’s good, because he’s at the Olympics.’ It was a bit of an eye-0pener for them,” he says, grinning as he revisits the Paris memories five weeks after the Games.

Life has been busy for Adam since he returned – it’s been a non-stop whirl of other events, plus he’s been in demand for media interviews.

“I’ve got a big mouth – I find talking too easy,” he smiles. “But it’s really nice to be able to share the experience with other people and I have an unusual story because I came from a riding school and I’m very much still in touch with them.

“The riding school is Stepney Bank Stables, it’s in the middle of Newcastle and it’s a charity too. It’s showing the young people who are there now what is achievable. I’m always so grateful for them and where I started. It’s nice that I can now give back to them and return what they gave me when I was young.”

Adam says the Paris experience was different to the previous year’s championship, the Europeans, as there were only four British grooms at the Olympics compared to six at Haras du Pin.

He says: “It felt really close knit and like a family vibe. We all get along so well and it was the perfect group of people. We also spent quite a lot of time with the support team – Liz Brown the vet, Vicky Spalding the physio, Greig Elliott the farrier, Dickie Waygood and Chris Bartle [performance manager and coach].

“The Olympics is really serious but we had a lot of fun as well, so it was just doing what I normally do, but with a smile on my face and treasuring every moment.”

The eventing grooms all stayed in a hotel five minutes cycle ride from the stables, which Adam said created a great communal atmosphere among the grooms of different nationalities. Their meals were provided there free, there was a bar and one night they had a grooms’ party. The Brits also went to the Olympic Village to take photos with the Olympic rings once the competition was over.

“When I stood by the Olympic rings and went in the food hall, that really opened my eyes up that this is the real deal,” Adam says.

Adam’s charge JL Dublin, owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, loves an atmosphere and is easy to look after.

“He’s perfect in every way. You take him for a walk and he doesn’t drag you around and he eats all his food. You say action time and he performs, you say chill time and he chills out.”

Adam is still in touch with Ruth Asquith, who looked after “Dubs” when he was ridden by Nicola Wilson.

He explains: “It was really helpful that when he first came to ours, she gave us three or four pages of notes saying everything about him. If I had any questions or concerns, I was on the phone to her – she knows him like the back of her hand – and now every time we go somewhere, I get a good luck message or I’ll let her know what we’re doing.”

The highlight of being a groom at the Paris Olympics for Adam Short was standing in the arena for the medal ceremony, which he describes as “the most surreal thing I’ve ever experienced”.

“The noise was incredible – so many people, clapping, stomping their feet, the cheers. I had goosebumps from head to toe and from the minute I walked in, I was beaming. It was like when Adele steps out on stage. Our horses just stood so perfectly, soaking it all in,” he says.

This week, Adam is at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials grooming for Tom and CHF Cooliser (Eliza), as he did when she was 12th here in 2022.

“When I loaded her to come here, she kind of stopped for a minute and looked and said, ‘No one else?’ And I said yes, all the attention for you. She’s just so precious.”

Tom McEwen is currently advertising for more staff – “it’s always good to have fresh blood and young people that want to learn, and more experienced people with different opinions,” says Adam – and Adam is ambitious to continue his career with more championships, including the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

He says: “Now Paris is finished, you forget about the run-up, which is not always a very nice time. You don’t find out until the last minute you’re selected, and then you’re wrapping your horse in cotton wool. Dubs is a really solid, sound horse, but anything can happen. So the run-up is not always the most relaxing time. But when you go and you have a successful time, you forget about all that, and you’re thinking about the next one.

“Paris would definitely be a big standout in my career and I’d love to do other Games, and keep carrying on doing all these Badmintons, Burghleys, championships for as long as I can, because that’s what puts fire in my belly, what I enjoy.”

• To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Meet Tom McEwen’s groom Adam Short: ‘People think we’re pony patters, but we’re athlete managers’

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How to watch Burghley Horse Trials 2025 live streams and on TV wherever you are

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Tom McEwen’s two Olympic medallists are enjoying some time relaxing together following JL Dublin’s success at Paris 2024 last month. Tom shared a video on Instagram of JL Dublin and Toledo De Kerser, who won Olympic team gold and individual silver at Tokyo in 2021 and world team gold in 2018, trotting round the field at the world number one’s Gloucestershire yard yesterday.

Toledo, who is owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali, suffered an injury on the cross-country course at Burghley Horse Trials last year. Tom’s wife Harriet told H&H that he did a few months’ ridden work as part of his rehabilitation earlier in the year, then was turned away again. He will come back into ridden work again later in the year.

“Obviously Toledo is turning 18 next year so we will not be attempting to get him back eventing, but he just loves being in work and it would be lovely to be able to get him back out enjoying himself,” said Harriet.

Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin has had a very successful year with Tom, finishing second at the Kentucky Three-Day Event in April, second in the CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in June, then finishing on his dressage score for individual fourth and team gold at the Paris Olympics.

Tom heads to Burghley next week (5-8 September) with Vicky Bates and David Myers’ CHF Cooliser, who was second in the CCI5* at Luhmühlen, following up a runner-up spot at that level at Pau in 2021. The chestnut mare was 12th at Burghley in 2022.

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JL Dublin – the whole eventing package and ‘a credit to Nicola Wilson’ ridden by Tom McEwen

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Double Olympic eventing team gold medallist Tom McEwen has become world number one for the first time.

Tom moved into the top spot of the FEI eventing world rankings from third, on 561 points. The rankings remain a British 1-2-3, with the most recent number one Ros Canter in second on 519 points, and Oliver Townend – who has also topped the list previously – third with 492 points.

“This wouldn’t be possible without some incredibly important people and horses in my life,” said Tom.

“A massive thank you to my team and family, this certainly wouldn’t be possible without you. My owners and your unbelievable horses. My sponsors and the ongoing support you do for me and my whole team. Thank you.”

Tom has just returned from the Paris Olympics where he and JL Dublin helped Great Britain secure team gold alongside Ros and Lordships Graffalo and Laura Collett and London 52. He also finished fourth individually. Three years ago Tom was part of the gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Games with Toledo De Kerser, with Oliver and Ballaghmor Class and Laura and London 52, where Tom also won individual silver.

Following his return from Paris Tom thanked “everyone who helped us to team gold”.

“It really is a team effort,” he said, adding that “Dubs is now enjoying some well deserved downtime”.

This year Tom was second at the Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* with JL Dublin, and second at the Luhmühlen five-star in Germany with CHF Cooliser. He has also had top placings at four-star level including third in the Aston Le Walls CCI4*-S with MHS Brown Jack, second in the Luhmühlen CCI4*-S with JL Dublin, and fourth at the Bicton CCI4*-S with Brookfield Quality.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also be interested in:

‘You can never dream too big’: Great Britain secures record-breaking eventing team gold at the Paris Olympics

‘Dubs was phenomenal from start to finish’: Tom McEwen thrills in Olympic cross-country

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Tom McEwen and JL Dublin produced a fantastic clear Olympic eventing showjumping round in the individual competition this afternoon (29 July) to finish agonisingly close to the podium in fourth at the Paris Games.

Tom and this 13-year-old gelding, owned by James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, were one of only five combinations from 64 starters to complete on their dressage score.

Tom and “Dubs” finished on 25.8, while teammate Laura Collett scooped bronze with London 52 on 23.1. Australia’s Chris Burton won silver with Shadow Man on 22.4 and Germany’s Michael Jung became the first event rider to win three individual Olympic titles – this time with Chipmunk FRH on a score of 21.8.

Expertly produced by Nicola Wilson – with whom he was crowned European champion in 2021 before her life-changing accident – Dubs looked as though his efforts over the course of the Olympics competition had no draining effects whatsoever, remaining fresh and jumping out of his skin. Tom, well-known for his coolness and ability to thrive under pressure, remained his totally unflappable self to produce a result where he could do no more.

“We came here for team gold and walked away with it. Dubs jumped phenomenally, tried his heart out and has shown how amazing he is. I don’t have much else to say,” said Tom. “He tried every inch to jump every fence and I’m delighted for his owners and his whole journey and story. Most of all, I’m delighted not just for me, but also the team at home, who have worked tremendously hard.” 

This result adds to the team gold Tom contributed to securing earlier today, plus the team gold and individual silver he picked up in Tokyo with Toledo De Kerser.

Eight competitors from 25 starters faulted in the individual showjumping round, meaning 68% jumped clear around the 1.30m track designed by both Santiago Varela and Grégory Bodo. This track was much shorter in length than the course competitors tackled in the team final this morning, with nine numbered fences, 12 jumping efforts and a time allowed of 60 seconds.

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Tom McEwen and JL Dublin produced a flawless showjumping round to help Britain to its first gold medal of the Paris Games and a record-breaking fifth Olympic eventing team title today (29 July).

Cool-headed Tom and this exceptional gelding were the second of the British trio to enter the packed Versailles arena and delivered a masterclass in performing under pressure.

“He was sensational – he was class from start to finish,” said Tom, who was also part of that gold medal-winning side in Tokyo.

“He jumped his socks off. Following the French and the noise after that, I just knew he just thought it was all for him. He just completely picked up. We did a flying change. He had a little [moment where his] head went between his legs – I was like, ‘right he’s feeling it’. I just knew I had to navigate and steer as best as I could to help him get the clear.”

Course-designers Santiago Varela Ullastres and Gregory Bodo’s track was influential, in both jumping faults and time. Ros had one rail, closest rivals the French had tipped three, meaning that by the time Tom entered the ring, in the second rotation of team riders, Britain had three fences in hand. But with all three scores to count, every performance was critical.

Dublin looked fresh after his efforts over the spectacular cross-country course yesterday. The 13-year-old gelding, owned by James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, is an excellent showjumper – but this is sport, not a coronation, and he has had the occasional rail in his career.

Not so today. “Dubs”, produced so expertly by Nicola Wilson – with whom he was crowned European Champion in 2021 before her life-changing accident – and Tom completed the Paris Olympic eventing team competition on their dressage score of 25.8.

“I don’t get nerves, I don’t know why. I just love it,” said Tom. “I could do this all day every day. I’m not very good when the pressure is off, to be honest. So yeah, a lovely sunny day in Paris with packed stands and people actually loving it and a lot of Union Flags – what’s not to like?”

Team anchors Laura Collett and London 52 were last to jump, clinching team gold for Britain.

All three Brits are through to the individual final, with Laura and Tom holding provisional individual bronze and fourth respectively with one pole covering the top four. Ros, whose showjumping round earlier today with Lordships Graffalo was also critical for the team’s historic gold medal, is in provisional 23rd individually.

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‘Dubs was phenomenal from start to finish’: Tom McEwen thrills in Olympic cross-country

‘Awesome and amazing’: Tom McEwen gets Britain off to a flying start at Paris Olympics

How to watch all the equestrian sports at the Paris Olympics live from around the world

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Tom McEwen has kept Britain’s gold medal hopes firmly alive with a superb clear Olympic eventing cross-country round at the Paris Games this morning (28 July).

Tom was pathfinder for the Brits and the 10th rider of the day to tackle course-designer Pierre Le Goupil’s galloping track, with Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin.

The 13-year-old gelding looked full of running as the pair became the second combination of the day to come home inside the 9min 2 sec optimum time, stopping the clock on 8.58, to add nothing to their 25.8 dressage.

“I usually don’t show too much emotion and it even brought emotion out of me. So that’s how well it went. Dubs was phenomenal from start to finish,” said a delighted Tom.

“It is a fantastic Olympic course, it allows you to be really open and free to begin with and then requires the riders to think where you need to close up. It’s been such a great course I actually changed my mind on some of the elements just as we were about to start from watching how they were jumping.”

A number of the track’s combinations gave riders alternative routes or left or right-handed options, including fence 10abc The Vauben Citadel, a water complex with a ditch, arrowhead, and corner, and fence 16abcd The Viewpoint over the Grand Canal, a drop leading to arrowheads.

“At fence 10 I took the straight route in, I did see on the screen a lot of people taking the left hand corner, but I was right hand by preference. I just thought if that jump coming in did cause a massive jump, you had an option of five or six strides waiting, or even taking a little bit more time. I just felt it was a little bit safer and no time required.”

Tom added that for fence 16abcd he had always planned to take the right hand option, but he made a last minute decision to opt for the left.

“I changed my mind 30 seconds before going. The first ditch was jumping really well and I just watched a few on screen and they weren’t quite reading the ditch at the bottom from what I understand, which surprised me as I thought they’d jump it really well. But changing lines was just a safer route we felt,” he said.

Tom praised the enthusiastic crowd.

“It is the most amazing crowd all the way around, it is absolutely lined, not just the fences, in-between the fences, every single area is packed with people. I love it and the horses love it even more,” he said.

“It’s definitely easier being first than third to go, I can now chill out and watch the girls do an incredible job. They are probably the two best riders in the world at the moment so they’ll be fantastic to watch round this course.”

Reflecting on Laura Collett’s stunning dressage test, and Great Britain’s medal chances, Tom is feeling positive.

“I thought Laura’s test was probably the best eventing dressage test I’ve ever seen – and by quite a long way, and I’ve seen some good ones,” he said.

“We know we’re a great team. It’s easy for me to stand here now and say it gives us a lot of confidence, but the girls still need to get their job done, but they are are amazing riders so touch wood all should be good.

“At Tokyo I made my way back at the showjumping; I love my jumping, Dubs loves his jumping.”

Yesterday (27 July) Britain set a new Olympic record-best score of 66.7 in the dressage, and went into the cross-country with a 7.4pen lead over Germany. Laura and London 52, who are also in contention for an individual medal thanks to their Olympic record-breaking 17.5 dressage, are next up for the Brits at 12.38pm local time (11.38am UK time).

End of day update: Following the conclusion of the Olympic cross-country Tom McEwen and JL Dublin are sixth in the individual standings . Great Britain hold the team gold position, France in silver, and Japan in bronze.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Competitors have been sharing their reactions after walking the 2024 Paris Olympics cross-country course, which is designed by French course-designer Pierre Le Goupil. So here is the lowdown on the fences on the Paris Olympics eventing cross-country course that the riders think are likely to determine who wins the Olympic eventing medals.

British pathfinder Tom McEwen echoes many rider’s sentiments in saying it is a “well-designed” and “beautiful” track.

“I think it’s a fantastic course. If I compare it to Tokyo, it’s slightly different with the ideas and questions, but I think it very cleverly opens you out,” he explains. “There’s galloping areas – it’s not just twisty – but I think at the end is when you’re going to slightly get caught out as there’s lots of twists and turns, not just fences.

“I see the optimum time being quite tight, and I think it will be intense to ride – I’d compare it to a nine-minute version of Luhmühlen.”

One fence that sticks out in Tom’s mind is the second water complex at fence 10 – The Vauban Citadel (pictured top).

“For me, I think it’s a big question. It’s a big jump in over the direct route and it’s at the highest point of the course,” he explains. “Then I think there’s a few different questions elsewhere and I think it will be an accumulation of effort for horses and riders. You could build the easiest course in the world, but it is the Olympics, and people will make some mistakes.”

Tom’s teammate and dressage leader Laura Collett says that there has been “a lot of head scratching” due to the number of combinations and options available.

“There’s a lot of options at fence 10 and we haven’t seen a shape of fence like the jump into the water before, plus it’s at the top of a long uphill pull,” she continues. “To be honest, I think it’s like any other cross-country course in that you’ve got to be on your A game from start to finish and you’re not home until you’ve gone through the finish flags.”

Ros Canter, who is anchor rider for the British team agrees with Laura in that “there’s plenty to jump”.

“The time is going to be a big factor and that’s where mistakes creep in. I’ve got a plan – I’m open to that plan changing, but I’m going to try and stay in my bubble,” she states.

Germany’s Michael Jung thinks the continued rain that the area has experienced over the past 24 hours will be “good for the ground”.

“When I first looked at the course a couple of days ago, I thought that the ground was maybe a bit hard in places,” he continues. “We have not much experience here, but my feeling is that cross-country will be amazing.”

Paris Olympics cross-country course: “It’s very clever”

Michael’s compatriot and reigning individual Olympic champion Julia Krajewski says that the course “shouldn’t be underestimated”.

“It’s very clever. I think if you ride forward and bravely and have an honest horse, you probably will do well,” she concludes.

Switzerland’s Felix Vogg was another to comment on the beautifully presented track, but with an interesting word of caution.

“It’s the prettiest course I have ever seen – I think it’s maybe a little bit too pretty and everyone feels comfortable. If a rider is on their line, maybe they’ll be lulled into forgetting how to ride a little bit,” he explains. “If you are not really focused and riding like it’s a cross-country, I think it will be tough.”

Ireland’s Austin O’Connor said to keep an eye out on ground conditions, owing to the heavy rain.

“The ground is getting soft and it’s certainly going to change the complexion of the competition – hopefully the blood horses will come to the fore,” he says. “Pierre Le Goupil is a very, very clever course designer – fair, but clever.

“It’s quite intense and it’s going to be quick, but you will need to have enough petrol. I think from seven minutes onwards it will be interesting with the riders that are having a real go. ”

Austin pinpoints fences 5abc and 7ab – The Ménagerie Pond and The Ulysees’ Companions – as jumps to look out for.

“The water at five will sort people out early on the course and fence seven, which is a step up to a rail, will either fill horses with confidence or suddenly have them thinking early on. I think from the word go, it’s all got to be respected,” he states.

Switzerland’s Robin Godel suggests that the time will be “difficult” to achieve and that people should keep an eye on the final water, The Etoile Royale Waters, at fence 23abcd.

“The angle is not so easy to ride at this fence and it comes after the eighth minute. We have to pay attention to the end and be on a good line and also, when the horse is a bit tired and long, we have to react and be ready.”

Jonelle Price, who is riding in her fourth Olympics for New Zealand, says that Pierre’s job as course designer for this Olympics is “not an easy brief”.

“Where you’ve got the world’s best combinations, but also some of the lesser nations as well – that can be tricky, but I think he’s done a really good job. There are some things we haven’t really seen before and Pierre has been creative. The dimensions are fair and you can make up some time in the third minute, but that’s about the only place you can on this course – during the second minute, I think there’s seven jumping efforts and it will be about minimising the damage to your time in those busy patches.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Tom McEwen, the first rider for the British team to complete their Olympic eventing dressage test at the Paris Games, impressed the judges to score 25.8 and go into the lead this morning (27 July).

Riding James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin, Tom rode a virtually fault-free test, which was peppered with scores mostly ranging between 7 and 8.5.

“‘Dubs’ was awesome and amazing – he loves an atmosphere,” explained Tom of the 13-year-old.

The ground jury of Xavier Le Sauce (FRA) at E, Christina Klingspor (SWE) at C and Robert Stevenson (USA) at M particularly enjoyed JL Dublin’s extended walk, while the judge at M awarded a 10 for the mid-test halt.

The only place where Tom and JL Dublin dropped significant marks was for the first flying-change, where the gelding became a little tense, which resulted in fours across the board from the judges.

“He really lit up in the trot – a little bit more than I was expecting, and then was actually super-relaxed in the walk, which then caught me out for the first change,” said Tom. “I was expecting maybe to have a little bit more electricity underneath me when I picked up the canter, but actually he was like Dubs always is – very relaxed and very happy – so we sadly missed that first change.

“But then after that, we picked right back up where we left off and hopefully we’ve put Great Britain in a great, strong starting position, which is our main goal. My aim now is to support my teammates and finish on that score.”

The Olympic eventing dressage test is a condensed version of what we would normally expect, with movements coming up very quickly throughout.

“This test is so different to a normal test – it’s intense,” stated Tom. “Dubs has got a fantastic walk, but you’ve only got a split second to show it off before it’s gone in this test.”

JL Dublin is a former ride of Nicola Wilson, with whom he became European champion in 2021.

“It’s taken me a good, strong year to get to know a very nice, relaxed, easy individual, and actually sort of make him a bit more mine,” explained Tom of what it has been like taking over the ride from Nicola following her fall.

Speaking of what it is like to come into these Olympics as a member of the British team, who are favourites to take team gold, Tom said “it comes with a different but fun pressure”.

“We know we’re probably one of the strongest teams here and it’s obviously a positive pressure knowing that we’re a great team.”

• To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The British team order for the Olympic eventing in Paris has been revealed.

Tom McEwen is the pathfinder with Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin. He’ll be followed by his team-mate from the Tokyo Games, Laura Collett, on her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52. Finally, Ros Canter will start on Michele and Archie Saul’s Lordships Graffalo.

Britain is the ninth nation to start of the 16 countries fielding a full team of three.

Outside the British team order, Yasmin Ingham is the Team GB alternate for the Olympic eventing, with Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund’s Banzai Du Loir. Under the Olympic eventing format, if should anything befall one of the team members, Yasmin can be substituted in without penalty up to two hours before the start of dressage. After that, she can be substituted in under certain circumstances, at a cost of 20 penalties to the team score.

All the British horses passed the Olympic eventing first trot-up this morning, although Banzai Du Loir was sent to the holding box and then passed on re-inspection. Four other horses were also held and one, Austrian Lea Siegl’s ride DSP Fighting Line, was eliminated.

The dressage starts at 9.30am local time (8.30am British time) tomorrow morning. Sixty-four horses – 48 representing 16 teams and 16 as individuals from 11 different countries – will come forward between the white boards for the first phase, which will be judged by the ground jury, consisting of president Christina Klingspor (Sweden) and members Xavier Le Sauce (France) and Robert Stevenson (USA).

The horses all had a chance to work in the main arena during a familiarisation session yesterday, but the 16,000 seats in the stadium were empty, so the atmosphere in Versailles will certainly ramp up as the spectators arrive and competition gets underway tomorrow.

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The British Olympic event horses moved into the beautiful venue in Versailles, Paris, yesterday and they and their riders have had a busy day today ahead of tomorrow’s first horse inspection.

Let’s get a glimpse of what Ros Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Yasmin Ingham have been up to – and of course, Lordships Graffalo, London 52, JL Dublin and Banzai Du Loir…

This morning, the team walked the cross-country course, designed by Pierre Le Goupil.

This afternoon, each nation was given an allocated time to work horses in and around the main arena. The riders and horses progressed from the warm-up arenas behind the stand into the stadium, where they initially rode around the outside of the dressage arena while the team before them were between the white boards. Then, they had around 15 minutes in the actual arena where the tests will take place on Saturday.

All four British Olympic event horses produced some great work under the watchful eye of team officials including Dickie and coach Chris Bartle.

Grooms Alison Bell (Banzai Du Loir), Adam Short (JL Dublin), Sarah Charnley (Lordships Graffalo) and Tilly Hughes (London 52) were also in attendance.

The Brits will be the 18th of 27 nations to come forward at the trot-up tomorrow and the inspection starts at 9.30am local time (8.30am British time).

Other nations assess the course

We also caught some of the other riders on camera checking out the track.

Pictures by Peter Nixon

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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If you were having a lesson with a potential Olympian when they received a phone call about selection, would you expect them to take it? Tom McEwen showed remarkable willpower in not picking up when British performance manager Dickie Waygood called about the Paris Olympics while he was teaching.

­“We knew the day he was going to call and I remember thinking, ‘Should I take this?’ I had a couple of lessons to go so I actually called him back later in the evening, but I did feel sorry for whoever was having those lessons as my brain probably wasn’t fully with it,” he admits.

“My first reaction was that I am super privileged to be on the team,” says Tom, who was a team gold and individual silver medallist in Tokyo in 2021 riding Toledo De Kerser.

“We spoke about it a lot three years ago and it’s happened again that there is super strong depth of rider and horses for Britain, so unbelievable competition. If it was fantasy football, we could sell our players to other teams! It’s possibly been harder this time, because there have been options of where to compete this spring and it’s been left to us so we had to make up our minds. At least in Covid times, it was either Aston-le-Walls and Bicton Horse Trials or Kentucky Three-Day Event – those were the only options. This time, we’ve all taken our own paths.”

Tom took his ride JL Dublin, owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, to Kentucky, finishing second, and then to Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI4*-S, where again they were runners-up.

“Dubs” won’t compete again before Paris, with Tom saying he is at his best if he runs six or seven weeks before a big event, but Tom will carry on competing other horses.

“I have a yard full of amazing horses, so I’ll be at Aston-le-Walls this weekend, then Upton House, then Aston again. We get used to continuously running and I think for me sometimes it’s hard to keep my eye on the ball when I’ve got a big show on, so being in that competitive spirit is really helpful,” he says.

Tom McEwen on the Paris Olympics: ‘The more pressure, the better I am’

Tom and Dubs are both athletes who rise to the big occasion.

The rider says: “Horses like him are better when they feel they’re being watched – when they think it’s exciting you get something special from them. They want to raise their game and show off. For me too, the more pressure, the better I am, the more focus I put on it. Everyone has worked so hard – my groom Adam Short, all the guys at the yard, the owners – and to be able to show off on the top stage is amazing.

“Knowing you’re off to another Olympics definitely starts getting you in the zone. Mental preparation is vitally important – making sure you’re ripe and ready in the best frame of mind to be competing. For me it’s about training, getting the boxes ticked, getting Dubs going as well as he can go.”

Tom McEwen says having team training for the Paris Olympics at the British Showjumping National Training Centre in Leicestershire, where the British team had their final camp before Tokyo, has made him think about his experience at the last Olympics and what he learnt from it.

“Last time we had to travel to the other side of the world and we had a lot of time to get used to everything, while this is quicker,” says Tom, reflecting on the fact that the British eventers will travel to Paris on Monday 22, July, with the first trot-up on Friday, 26 July.

“I do think for the Olympics, the experience of having been to one Games already is super helpful. It’s knowing you have the weight of your country on you and the Olympics reaches a wider audience than you can ever imagine. We have our big shows – Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials seem to reach a large amount of people, but the Olympics touches a lot more people and having experience of that is going to help.

“Most of all you have to stick to your plan and routine. It’s easy to be overawed by everything, but the horses and riders have got there on merit and we all know what’s going on.”

And finally, does Tom have any superstitions when he’s competing?

“I always put my right boot on first, but I do that every single day and it’s just become a habit,” he says.

You may also be interested in:

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Subscribe today and enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus unlimited website access and digital versions of the magazine dating back to September 2012.

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