Tickets for the FEI World Championships in Aachen are on sale – but with six sports on offer there are a lot of options to choose from, all of which will be an incredible opportunity for any spectator. Some sessions are already sold out, however, so to help you navigate the options, I’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Aachen 2026 tickets before you book.

The 2026 World Championships at Aachen will run from 11 to 23 August, showcasing the pinnacle of equestrian sport, with teams and individuals competing for world titles in dressage, showjumping, eventing, para dressage, driving and vaulting.

FEI World Championships at Aachen 2026 tickets

Children under six have free entrance to the show grounds, but are not entitled to a seat unless an additional ticket is purchased.

Tickets purchased in advance are subject to a 10% fee, which is included in the prices listed below.

Dressage tickets

Dates: 11-12, 14-15 August

Venue: Dressage is held in the main stadium – these tickets include access to the Village, but not concurrent events in Stadiums 2 or 3.

• Grand Prix (11-12 Aug): Tickets available €33-264 (valid for both days)
• Grand Prix Special (14 Aug): Tickets available €22-159
• Freestyle (15 Aug): Only standing area remaining – €38
• Season ticket (all dressage events): Only standing area remaining – €82

Eventing tickets

Dates: 13-16 August

Venue: Dressage in Stadium 2, cross-country on the Soers course, showjumping in main stadium. These tickets only give you access to the single venue for each discipline, bar the showjumping, which also gives you access to the final inspection in Stadium 2.

• Dressage: Sold out
• Cross-country: Tickets available €55
• Showjumping: Tickets available €55 (includes access to final horse inspection)
• Season ticket (full event): Sold out

Vaulting tickets

Dates: 13-16 August

Venue: Vaulting is held in Stadium 3 – these tickets include access to the Village but not events in the main stadium or Stadium 2.

• Compulsory exercises (13 Aug): Tickets available €27-55
• Technical test and Pas de Deux (14 Aug): Tickets available €27-55
• Freestyle final (15 Aug): Limited availability
• Pas de Deux final and Nations Cup (16 Aug): Tickets available €33-82
• Season ticket (all vaulting events): Limited availability

Showjumping tickets

Dates: 19-20, 22-23 August

Venue: Showjumping is held in the main stadium – these tickets include access to the Village, and the para-dressage in Stadium 3 (if capacity allows), but not concurrent events in Stadium 2.

• Team and individual qualifying round (19 Aug): Tickets available €33-165
• Team final (20 Aug): Very limited availability
• Youth jumping competition (22 Aug): Tickets available €27-49
• Individual final (23 Aug): Sold out
• Season ticket (all jumping events): Sold out

Driving tickets

Dates: 20-23 August

Venue: Driving is held in Stadium 2 – these tickets include access to the Village, and the para-dressage in Stadium 3 (if capacity allows), but not concurrent the main stadium.

• Dressage (20-21 Aug): Tickets available €55 (valid for both days)
• Marathon (22 Aug): Tickets available €33
• Obstacle team and individual finals (23 Aug): Tickets available €55

Para dressage tickets

To watch the para dressage competition, you will need to purchase what is known as a Village ticket.

These tickets give access to the Village, as well as unreserved access to the para dressage in Stadium 3 (if capacity allows). They do not give access to the opening ceremony, events in the main stadium, Stadium 2 or the Soers cross-country course.

• Village access day ticket (19-23 Aug): Tickets available €16.50

Opening ceremony tickets

Date: 11 Aug

Venue: Main stadium

• Opening ceremony ticket: Tickets available €33-198

VIP Day tickets

VIP tickets are available across the disciplines each day of competition. They include a first-class seat and all-day access to the Champions’ Circle restaurant.

For more information about VIP tickets, visit tickets.aachen2026.com

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

You might also be interested in:

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

‘Hurry up if you want to be part of it’: some sessions sold out, a year before spectacular Aachen World Championships

How to get tickets to LA28 if you missed the registration deadline

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

• Horse & Hound is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Learn more

CHIO Aachen is a feast for all equestrian enthusiasts to enjoy. The event, which runs between 27 June and 6 July, hosts world class competition in showjumping, eventing, dressage, driving and vaulting, and if you can’t attend in person, here’s how to watch CHIO Aachen on TV.

The ClipMyHorse.TV streaming service will be showing all of the action from all classes at CHIO Aachen for a fee, but there is also a free livestream for certain aspects of the competition too.

If you’re abroad, and trying to watch ClipMyHorse.TV like you normally would back in the UK, then you can use a VPN. Check out NordVPN, where you can get 76% off, four extra months free (which does not appear until you go to the check out) plus a £50 Amazon gift card and a 30-day money back guarantee, and follow the instructions below.

How to watch CHIO Aachen on TV

There will be no terrestrial TV coverage available from this year’s CHIO Aachen in the UK.

A free livestream for showjumping, eventing, dressage and vaulting is available to watch while the classes that are not being shown on German terrestrial TV are running.

You can follow all the live action from the all classes on ClipMyHorse.TV. Subscriptions to this livestream start from £17.33 per month.

Classes will be available to view on demand at ClipMyHorse.TV soon after the completion of the competition, where rider clips will be available to purchase.

German residents will be able to watch the action on terrestrial TV during a variety of times during the week across three channels; WDR, ARF and ZDF. Find out more here.

How to watch CHIO Aachen from anywhere

Not in the UK right now? You don’t have to miss out on any of the action from CHIO Aachen.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will alter your device’s IP address to make it appear to be in a different country, allowing you to access your usual streaming services from anywhere in the world. It’s great for watching horse sport on the move, and it’s also handy even if you’re watching at home. VPNs are designed with internet security in mind, creating encrypted connections that keep your data safe from third parties and improve streaming speeds by preventing bandwidth ‘throttling’ from your internet service provider.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service such as NordVPN, which is the best VPN in the world according to our colleagues at TechRadar.

How to use a VPN

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access.

3. Then head over to ClipMyHorse on your browser or device and enjoy the livestream.

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

• Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
• Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

Aachen CHIO — an insider’s guide to this equestrian bonanza that should be on everyone’s bucket list

Credit: Future

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

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

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

An 11-year-old who has taken part in the national vaulting championships hopes to inspire other young boys into horse sport.

Ollie Rowles, who competes with 17hh Irish sport horse Barney, said he is determined to show others that equestrianism is for them, having started vaulting almost a year ago.

Ollie has featured in Boys Ride Too magazine, and has now been named the publication’s official vaulting ambassador.

“I was speechless at first and very happy to be recognised,” he said. “I began vaulting last Easter; there was a class on the yard and I really wanted to give it a go, but the class was all girls. I was a little disheartened that I would be the only boy in the club and was unsure if it was for me, but I decided to give it a go and I’m so happy I did.”

Ollie, the only boy in Suffolk Vaulting Club, trains twice a week with coaches Anne Hardwick and Annika Seivert. He said his favourite part of the sport is being part of a pas de deux team; he and his partner Sienna came third in this class at the English championships last September.

A spokesman for Framlingham College, at which Ollie is a pupil, said he was “determined to stamp out gender stereotypes in the equestrian world and show that there is plenty of acceptance and opportunity for young boys in novice and amateur spaces”.

Ollie added: “I think there’s a lack of boys my age in equestrian sports because many don’t know what else you can do. Most think it’s just showjumping – but there’s so much more you can do, and vaulting is great for those at both beginner and advanced riding levels, or if you like being active outdoors but may not be interested in field sports like rugby or football.

“I hope my new ambassador role will inspire and encourage more young people to get outside and have a go at a new sport.”

Ollie’s recent competition results include second place in the individual class at Moreton Morrell College, and a win in the pas de deux. He has five more events planned this year, including the British championships in October, at which he finished 17th in 2023.

Ollie’s mum Joanna, said: “Being an ambassador is a brilliant accolade and we are so proud of Ollie; he is an inspiring representation for boys in the equestrian world.

“Vaulting has been a fantastic new experience for Ollie. It’s such a shame that boys are not represented more in this age group with equestrian disciplines.

“Alongside improving fitness and strength, we have noticed that vaulting has taught Ollie about the importance of teamwork and responsibility, and has helped to develop respect, trust and courage.

“Ollie is a brilliant role model for young boys and we hope this will encourage others to try something new and for more boys to take up equestrian sport.”

You might also be interested in:

‘Making a dream the reality’: 10-year-old boy, who only started riding in lockdown, is off to HOYS

From bleak outlook to ‘pure and utter happiness’: how horses changed a family’s life

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

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. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

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

Five young vaulters from Ukraine were given the chance to “forget about the war” at least for short periods as they trained for their first international competition.

Polina Shovkova, 14, sisters Katya, 14, and Jenya, 11, Panasenko, Sonia Shulga, 14, and 15-year-old Marta Lopaienko became the first team to represent Ukraine in international vaulting, in a one-star competition in Kaposvár, Hungary, from 20 to 22 May.

The team left their home Poltova and are training in Bratislava, Slovakia, where they have been welcomed by local vaulters and supported by the FEI’s Solidarity fund.

“We didn’t have competitions in Ukraine because we are the first Vaulting team,” Marta said.

“We didn’t feel too comfortable with the horses here in Slovakia at first because they are bigger and have a different rhythm to our horses at home. But now we know the character of each horse.

“We were a bit worried about taking part in our first international competition and it was important for us. But as Katya, our trainer from Ukraine, always says: ‘You have to do this performance just for you’.”

The team is now preparing for an international vaulting competition in Slovakia next month, which they hope will be less traumatic than the route to their first event.

“We knew we would have to leave Poltava about a week before we had to go,” said Marta. “We were on the road for three days. It was a very long journey, because of the traffic jams everywhere. It usually takes us one day to drive to the Slovak border.

“We were not frightened, but we were really sad and tired. And when we crossed the border we all started to cry.”

The girls’ trainer Kateryna (Katya) Andreiva and her 18-month son David, as well as three mothers, also travelled to Slovakia, but other members of their families have stayed in Ukraine.

Katya and Jenya’s mother said: “When you first come from war, you think that it would have been better to stay at home because your mind cannot feel safe.

“It’s harder to be in a safe country because you feel at fault for leaving your family. My mother is in the Kharkiv region and I know that she’s sitting in a bomb shelter while I’m here in Slovakia. But we are mums and everything we do, we do for our children. You don’t think about yourself. You just think about your children.”

The vaulters take part in online lessons at their new local school every morning, then train at a riding school.

“It is good to see that the girls are training really hard,” said Slovak equestrian federation secretary general Zuzana Bačiak Masaryková.

“The community here in the Bratislava area have been extremely generous to the team. The owner of the shop that sells vaulting shoes has given the girls free pairs and other people have provided us with everything they require.

“My aim is to give these girls all that they need to train, so that they can forget about the war, at least for a few hours each day.”

The vaulters and their mothers hope they can return to Poltava after the competition, but also aim to continue their training.

“We are not sure if vaulting is our sport in the long term,” Marta said. “But in 2023, our aim is to take part in the Vaulting World Championship and we’re going to train hard for this.”

You might also be interested in:

No evidence for war in Ukraine, says Russian equestrian federation

Lessons with top riders up for grabs in Ukraine auction, as work to help horses and riders continues

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

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. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

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

Three venues are preparing to host the new-style equestrian World Championships in 2022, following a step away from the World Equestrian Games (WEG) format of all disciplines at the same venue.

The Italian venues Pratoni del Vivaro and Verona, and Herning in Denmark, are the three hosts for this year’s championships, which will also serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Pratoni del Vivaro is home to the eventing and driving (14–25 September), Verona hosts the endurance on 22 October and Herning will hold the showjumping, para dressage, vaulting and dressage World Championships from 6 to 14 August.

“These well-established venues and organising committees have proven experience in hosting major international events,” FEI director of games operations Tim Hadaway told H&H, adding that they were allocated the championships following a “full evaluation process of the bids”.

“By allocating these multi-discipline championships to Herning and Pratoni del Vivaro, we are working with hosts that already have the necessary experience and required infrastructure to organise world-class equestrian championships.

“Herning is already recognised as one of the biggest exhibition facilities in Denmark, with a very professional forward-thinking team, and a lot of experience behind them.”

He said as dressage World Cup hosts, and a previous venue for the 2013 Europeans, Herning has the infrastructure needed, offering “the best in field of play and training arenas, stabling, great facilities for spectators with the exhibition and shopping villages undercover”.

“Pratoni del Vivaro is an iconic and legendary location for equestrian sport, with many decades of hosting championships and international events at every level,” added Mr Hadaway.

“With a lot of investment going into the site, the historical facilities built to host the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, and again showcased during the 1998 FEI World Equestrian Games, will have a new field of play, a new sand arena being constructed for eventing dressage, as well as new training and warm-up arenas.

“The stables and other infrastructure are also undergoing upgrades to ensure the best possible conditions will be on offer for horses, athletes and grooms alike.

“The partnership between [eventing World Championship] cross-country course-designer Giuseppe della Chiesa, who also represents the organising committee as the director of sport, and his counterpart driving course-designer Josef Middendorf, from Germany, are working closely to ensure the cross-country and driving marathon courses will showcase key features of the historic hills of Pratoni.”

Isola della Scala, where the 160km endurance championship ride will be held on 22 October, has “spectacular scenery”, with the vetgate built outside the historic Pala Rioso.

“The close collaboration between Verona organising committee and Veronafiere-Fieracavalli, organisers of the FEI jumping World Cup and many other major international events, highlights the experience and passion they have to run the 2022 edition, and we are confident they will deliver a truly unique and top-class event,” said Mr Hadaway.

Herning, home to the 2013 European Championships, is expecting 200,000 spectators across the nine days of championship competition.

“We have an ambition to make Herning2022 a multi-event with the sport as the centre of attention,” said Jens Trabjerg, Herning’s chief executive of sport.

The Stutteri Ask Stadium, a 120m x 72m main arena, will be home to the dressage and showjumping World Championship classes. Dutchman Louis Konickx, technical delegate at the Tokyo Olympics, is confirmed as showjumping course designer.

The para dressage World Championship classes will be held in a newly built outdoor arena – the BB Horse Arena – which seats around 2,500. Vaulting will take place indoors at the Jyske Bank Boxen, a major concert arena at the venue.

Competitors will also have access to three warm-up arenas next to the Stutteri Ask Stadium, including one indoor, plus four surfaces near the stables, a lunge arena, and a hand-grazing area.

“The planning is on track, and we experience a completely overwhelming interest from many sides to be part of this World Championships,” added Casper Cassøe Krüth, chief executive of operations.

Herning organisers will hold a major international dressage and showjumping fixture in March to showcase the facilities. FEI representatives will be attending, to oversee testing of the arena footing and see how preparations are advancing for the championships.

Carola Brighenti, sport manager at Pratoni del Vivaro 2022, told H&H that this is a “historic venue” for equestrian sport in Italy and the benefits these championships bring are hoped to span far beyond one week in September.

Excitement is building for the pre-championship test event this spring, as well as the lasting gift the investment in the site is hoped to bring.

“A very important part is that there is a huge legacy project for the venue,” she said, adding that the aim is for it to host more international fixtures in future.

“We are very focused on the test event and championships, but hopefully the venue will be a multi-discipline venue for everyone after.”

A total of 12 nations are intending to send eventing teams to the test event (11–15 May), which kicks off a run of top-tier competition in the Rome area.

“We have the eventing, then the driving [18 to 22 May], and the following week is the five-star showjumping Piazza di Siena – it’s going to be an amazing three weeks of equestrian sport in the same city,” she added.

• Ticket box office and volunteer applications are open for both Pratoni and Herning. For information, visit pratoni2022.it and herning2022.com

You might also be interested in:

The end of WEG as we know it? FEI opens bids for individual world championships

The FEI has not received any ‘realistic bids’ for the 2022 World Equestrian Games

Top sport, soaring emotions and a dazzling haul of medals — 17 golden moments from WEG 2018

We thought it was time to re-live some of WEG’s golden moments one more time…

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

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. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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

Three members of the same family have been recognised for their huge achievements in equestrian sport with a prestigious accolade.

Joanne, Hannah and John Eccles all received the FEI badge of honour at the end of 2019 for their achievements in World and European Vaulting Championships over the years.

Joanne, who won five gold, four silver and two bronze medals at senior championships during her vaulting career, received a gold badge from the FEI. Hannah, whose CV boasts gold, three silver and one bronze senior championship medals, was awarded a silver FEI badge. Both sisters have also had top international results as lungers.

Their father, John, received a lunger gold FEI badge of honour for his six senior championship gold medals. He has been part of numerous silver and bronze medal-winning teams.

Joanne told H&H the family were all “absolutely thrilled” to receive the accolades and paid tribute to their long-term equine teammate, W.H.Bentley (“Henry”).

“The fact that we all received badges made it even more special, as we always worked towards our goals as a team,” she said.

“We are incredibly proud that the FEI has recognised our achievements over the last decade and hopefully we will continue to inspire other vaulters from the UK and other smaller nations as well as all equestrians to continue to strive to achieve their goals.

“There have been many people who have supported us on our journey through the sport and we are grateful for everyone.

“It is so important to remember that despite competing as individuals or as a pair it is ultimately a team sport.

“On that note we would never have achieved all that we did without our horses and without a doubt without Henry, who is the absolute dream horse.

“He continues to help train up our club vaulters and keeps the other horses in check!”

Would you like to read Horse & Hound¹s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free

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 European Championships in Rotterdam may have only featured dressage, para dressage and showjumping, but Team Hughes found time to squeeze in a side of vaulting.

During their stay in the Netherlands, British dressage team member Gareth, his wife Rebecca and 11-year-old daughter Ruby were invited to visit the nearby stables of Anne van Olst, where Gareth’s teammate Lottie Fry is based.

While they were there, Ruby, a member of the English Vaulting Squad, was lucky enough to get the chance to show off some of her skills on a very special partner — none other than the top breeding stallion Lord Leatherdale.

Please wait while the video below loads…

The 16-year-old Westfalian, who has competed at international small tour level by Lottie, is one of the most in-demand sires in the world.

His offspring include the 2018 seven-year-old world champion Glamourdale, the grand prix stallion Everdale and the 10-year-old mare River Rise Escarla, a six-time national champion under Sadie Smith and Charlotte Dujardin.

“The van Olsts invited us to their yard, and Lottie said that Lord Leatherdale has the most amazing temperament  — she said I could vault on him,” said Ruby, who represented Britain at the European Vaulting Championships earlier this year. “He had the most amazing canter.

“We didn’t have a proper vaulting pad, so we did it bareback with just a saddlepad and roller.”

The Hughes family are currently working with Julie Newell, founder and head coach of the English Vaulting Sqaud, to raise money to buy a new vaulting horse for the team. British Vaulting currently receives no funding from the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).

“To continue our journey we really need to find a new vaulting unicorn for our team to compete on and I’m hoping all our friends and families would be kind enough to help us raise the money we need,” said Ruby.

“I absolutely love vaulting, I have made the best friends and we have the best time training and competing together. But we need help to continue.”

For full reports and analysis from the European dressage, para dressage and showjumping championships, don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, on sale now

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

What a spectacle! We were treated to a feast of equestrian action at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, North Carolina — and experienced the whole spectrum of emotions during that rollercoaster of a fortnight. Did it really have to end? But now the last set of glittering medals have been presented and the final curtain has come down on this equine extravaganza, we thought it was time to re-live some of WEG’s golden moments one more time…

1. Clinched it!

Ros Canter and Allstar B showjumped clear to secure Great Britain’s team gold medal. Minutes later, Ros also claimed the individual title

2. Sterling work

Lee Pearson and Natasha Baker celebrate team silver for Great Britain in the para dressage

3. Making a splash

Australia’s Boyd Exell makes a splash as he scores his third successive individual WEG gold medal

4. Back in the medals

Charlotte Dujardin shows her sheer delight in securing individual and team bronze with the nine-year-old Mount St John Freestyle

5. A class act

Championship debutantes Amanda Derbyshire and Luibanta BH prove best of the British showjumpers, finishing 17th individually

6. Reining it in

Francesca Sternberg and Spook N Sparkle fly the British flag in the reining

7. Gold!

The USA’s anchorman McLain Ward seals the deal in the most nerve-wracking of jump-offs to claim showjumping team gold for the host nation

8. Thank you to the equine superstars

Britain’s double gold medallist Sophie Wells and groom Lewis Coppin praise C Fatal Attraction after a top performance in the para dressage

9. Golden girl

Isabell Werth’s 14-year-old Bella Rose, off injured since 2014, repays her rider’s faith in her with two gold medals shortly after her return to competition

10. Team selfies

The Dutch para dressage riders celebrate their historic gold

11. Balancing act

Germany’s vaulting squad successfully defend gold with a magical performance

12. Storming to victory

Gemma Tattersall celebrates a cracking cross-country round on Arctic Soul as the British team gold medal-winning pathfinders

13. High five

Chester Weber celebrates finishing the cones phase en route to helping USA secure team gold in the driving for the first time

14. ‘She’s all you could wish for’

The newly crowned showjumping world champion Simone Blum of Germany, pays tribute to her mare DSP Alice, who didn’t hit a pole in four days of championship jumping

15. Flying the flag

Great Britain’s Tom McEwen, Gemma Tattersall, Ros Canter and Piggy French adorned in their glorious gold medals

16. Making history

Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy and Mr Chunky move up the leaderboard to take the individual and team silver — providing his country with its first senior medal in 23 years

17. We did it!

Summing up everything it means to jump clear for your country, Colombia’s Carlos Enrique Lopez Lizarazo (Admara) celebrates his ascent from 26th — as a last minute substitute to the individual jumping final — to finish fifth

Don’t miss the latest issue of Horse & Hound magazine, out now (dated 27 September), for all the news and features from the second week of the World Equestrian Games action from Tryon, USA

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

A horse who has won two world and one European gold medal retired last week at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, USA.

Poivre Vert, who is 15 years old, was the gold medal-winning horse in the individual male category in the Christie’s International Real Estate vaulting at this WEG with Lambert Leclezio of France. Back in 2014 at the WEG in Caen, the horse was the winning partner of another French vaulter, Jacques Ferarri, with whom he also won European gold in 2013. Poivre Vert has been lunged throughout his international career by François Athimon.

“I have had him for 10 years and he is an absolute warrior. He is mentally very strong and the most incredible horse — unbelievably reliable,” said François.

Lambert said: “I had the honour to finish his career. He is an amazing horse and by far the best I have competed with. I spent one year with him, it was short but really intense.”

In vaulting, the horse is marked as well as the vaulter, plus a vaulter can perform better on a more reliable horse, so the horse is a vital part of success in the sport.

This year’s WEG featured a nations team vaulting competition for the first time, with the top honours going to Germany. The team comprised individual female Kristina Boe, individual male Jannik Heiland and the German squad, Team Norka des VV Koeln-Dunnewald.

Kristina Boe also landed the individual female individual gold medal, working with lunger Winnie Schlüter and horse Don De La Mar. She now holds the European, World Cup and World Championship titles.

“As a result of the new nations team championships, it is the first time that it is possible to win two medals for an individual. To come away from Tryon with two gold medals makes me speechless and more than grateful,” said Kristina.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting at WEG

Horse & Hound explains all you need to know to follow the vaulting at WEG

Tales from Tryon: ‘I had lost my legs but they lifted me back on board my horse’

Meet the brave Brazilian rider who couldn't hold back his emotion when he secured his first medal.

‘He’s given me everything’: Sophie Wells sets another WEG record for freestyle gold

Britain’s Sophie Wells topped 80% today in Tryon to take the grade V freestyle gold medal, using a new soundtrack

German domination continued in the squad championship when they took the gold, lunged by Patric Looser — the individual male world champion in Kentucky in 2010 — and with their horse Danny Boy. Their “Now You See Me freestyle” was laced with big lifts and eye-catching dismounts.

There was a form turnaround in the pas de deux when the Austrian pair, Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha (lunged by Klaus Haidacher on Dr Doolittle 5), who won gold at the last WEG, were overtaken by Italians Silvia Stopazzini and Lorenzo Lupacchini (lunged by Laura Carbanuci on Rosenstolz 99), in the final freestyle.

British results

Britain fielded two individual female vaulters, Lucy Phillips, lunged by Julie Newell on Ben Aucott’s Demezza, and Rebecca Norval on Deborah Bentzen’s Edinburgh 23, lunged by Saacha de Amborossio. Lucy lay 20th and Rebecca 26th after the first freestyle, so they did not progress to the technical test and second freestyle, which only the top 15 contest.

Lucy said: “I had a few challenges, but I felt like I got over them; I’m happy with the score and the end result and I have really enjoyed the experience.”

Rebecca, a WEG debutante, said: “The horse was quite unsettled, so I did adapt it and change it around a bit but overall I was really happy with it.”

The English Vaulting Squad also competed, again lunged by Julie on Demezza. The squad finished eighth overall.

Team member Ricky Davies said after their final freestyle: “We felt that was much better than the first round. We all relaxed and got into the routine and performed it well. The atmosphere was louder today but we had a lot of time to relax before we went in and I think we did really well; the crowd really showed their appreciation in there.”

Lunger Julie Newell added: “I am so proud of them. This has been three-and-a-half years of real hard work and I am very, very pleased with how we performed.”

Lucy, Rebecca and the English Vaulting squad also combined to contest the nations team competition, in which they finished seventh.

Julie said: “Today’s been brilliant; we’ve had a great time and it’s been fantastic to be here with all the other disciplines. It’s educated the children so much, to be able to see all the other combinations competing.”

More news from WEG in the Horse & Hound magazine issues dated 20 and 27 September.

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

Britain’s vaulters will be competing for World Equestrian Games (WEG) medals on Saturday (22 September), having had a good start to their campaign.

The squad – Imogen Bexon, Ricky Davies, Romilly Hayton, Carys Morgan, Lucy Phillips, Sara Shortland and Luke Smith, with Ben Aucott’s Demezza lunged by Julie Newell, have already taken part in the first team competition round.

In their freestyle routine, the second of two competitions that make up the first round, the squad performed to a futuristic soundtrack and was unlucky to have a few mistakes for a final score of 6.936.

Julie said: “Today’s been brilliant; we’ve had a great time and it’s been fantastic to be here with all the other disciplines. It’s educated the children so much, to be able to see all the other combinations competing. It was quiet yesterday with the compulsory but today’s been really exciting, and by Saturday the atmosphere is going to be electric in there.”

As 12 teams go forward to the final, and 12 were competing, Britain will be one of the squads performing another freestyle routine on Saturday, when the marks for that test and the previous two will be used to calculate an average final score, on which the final standings will be decided.

Lucy Phillips, on Demezza lunged by Julie, and Rebecca Norval, on Edinburgh 23 lunged by Saacha de Amborossio, (pictured) have also represented Britain as individuals but finished just outside the top 15 who qualified for the next round of competition.

Lucy, who is at her fifth WEG, finished on a score of 7.054.

She said: “I had a few challenges, but I felt like I got over them; I’m happy with the score and the end result and I have really enjoyed the experience.”

Rebecca, at her first WEG, finished on 6.438.

Continues below…

Top rider’s terror as Calais migrants attack horsebox

Men surrounded the lorry, banging on the sides and smashing a window as they tried to get on board

WEG vaulting gallery [PICS]

From intricate costume design to mind-blowing gymnastic movements our WEG vaulting gallery is a feast for the eyes

How to watch the 2018 World Equestrian Games on TV

If you’re not making the trip to Tryon for the World Equestrian Games and are worried about missing out on

“I thought it went really well, but the horse was quite unsettled, so I did adapt [my routine] and change it around a bit but overall I was really happy with it,” she said.

The squad – the team and the two individuals – also took part in a separate Nations Team competition in Tryon, in which they finished in seventh place. This was won by Germany, with Switzerland in second place and Austria in third.

Horse & Hound has two journalists and a photographer in Tryon for WEG. Keep up to date with all the news on horseandhound.co.uk and in the magazine issues dated 20 and 27 September.

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 British vaulters for this year’s World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, USA (11-23 September) have been named. This is the first British squad to be announced ahead of WEG.

Squad:

English Vaulting Squad with Ben Aucott’s British-bred Demezza, lunged by Julie Newell

• Imogen Bexon
• Ricky Davies
• Romilly Hayton
• Carys Morgan
• Lucy Phillips
• Sara Shortland
• Luke Smith

The squad also has the British-bred River Of Thyme, owned by Julie Newell and previously by Mr and Mrs Tibbetts, selected as a reserve horse, with reserve lunger Suzi Cusick.

Individual female:

Rebecca Norval will compete on a borrowed horse at the event

Lucy Phillips with Ben Aucott’s Demezza, lunged by Julie Newell

Lucy will be making her fourth WEG appearance, while Rebecca makes her WEG debut after receiving her first senior call-up at the 2015 European Championships.

Vaulting chef d’equipe Jane Eccles said: “It’s fantastic to have such a strong team selected for Tryon and a really exciting time, with some athletes making their WEG debuts. There have been some really positive results this year, for both the squad and our two individual vaulters, and we look forward to making the journey out to the Games later this summer.”

Jane’s daughter Joanne Eccles is the current WEG individual female title holder, taking the gold for Britain at WEG 2014, where she also secured pas de deux bronze with sister Hannah.

WEG takes place every four years and brings together World Championships in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines — eventing, dressage and showjumping — as well as paradressage, vaulting, reining, driving and endurance.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting at WEG

Horse & Hound explains all you need to know to follow the vaulting at WEG

Get Britain’s vaulters to WEG: squad needs funds for Tryon

The squad is raising money to get themselves and their horse to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in North Carolina

WEG vaulting: Britain’s Joanne Eccles wins gold

Britain's Joanne Eccles put in a flawless freestyle to secure her female individual vaulting gold this afternoon at WEG

The vaulting takes place during the second week of WEG and includes competitions for individual males and females, squads and pairs (pas de deux). In addition, there is a nations team competition, for which freestyle results from three “units” from the same country are added together. A team must include at least one squad or pas de deux.

Vaulting is best described as gymnastics on a moving horse. The horse is lunged in canter on a circle at least 15m in diameter while the vaulters perform movements on its back and jumping on and off.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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

A former international vaulter has shared her love for the sport in an emotive new advert.

Wales-based Rosie Howard and her horses, Casper and Tinker, star in the promotional video by chocolate company Galaxy.

Clips are shown of Rosie vaulting bridleless and galloping through beautiful countryside as she explains her passion for the sport.

The video has been shared on Galaxy’s Facebook page and has been viewed more than 22,000 times.

Rosie said it provided an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of vaulting.

“It’s such a fantastic sport and I’m so passionate about it,” she told H&H. “I’ve always done it rather than riding because it’s so much cheaper.

“Vaulting groups can have 20 to 30 children and just two or three horses. If you have a team it’s six to eight people working with one horse.

“It makes it far more accessible for children to get involved with horses.

“It’s also good for fitness work — it’s gymnastics on horseback.

“I teach beginner lessons and most people will be able to at least kneel in canter and some will be able to stand by the end of the first lesson.

“It’s amazing how you progress so quickly.”

After retiring from international competitions, Rosie worked for equestrian stunt company, the Devils Horseman, before setting up her own vaulting display company, Galloping Acrobatics.

“It allows me to promote vaulting as a sport,” she said.

“So many people who are horsey haven’t heard of vaulting. But I’ve been doing shows for 14 years and more and more people know about it now, it is growing but it’s still a minority sport.”

Rosie has taught Tinker to work without a bridle and this impressive skill is demonstrated in the Galaxy advert.

Continued below…

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting at WEG

Horse & Hound explains all you need to know to follow the vaulting at WEG

British gold medallist hops on for spectacular wedding photos

The multiple European and World Championship medallist “couldn’t resist” hopping aboard and vaulting in her wedding dress

Want to give vaulting a try? 9 ways not to make a fool of yourself

If you've been inspired by the vaulting at the FEI European Championships in Aachen and are keen to give it

“The first time I did it at a show he was perfect — I was so proud of him,” said Rosie.

“The temperament of a vaulting horses is first and foremost.”

Casper and Tinker are not Rosie’s only horses. She recently bought two young tiger noriker horses, Max and Moritz, a breed native to Austria.

The youngsters are being slowly brought on to join Rosie’s display team.

Rosie advised those interested in getting involved in vaulting to find their nearest group via British Equestrian Vaulting (BEV) (britishvaulting.org).

“BEV will also help you set up a group, they’re really pushing grassroots level involvement, so there’s lots of funding to be had,” added Rosie.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Also inside this week’s edition, 75 years of Royal Windsor Horse Show magic, ‘big dreamer’ sets up eventing grand slam bid and investment sparks debate over grass versus surfaces.

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

Britain’s vaulting squad has launched a fundraising campaign to get to the World Equestrian Games (WEG).

The squad is receiving no funding from the British Equestrian Federation nor from the Lottery, so needs to raise the travel costs for its eight members and their horse to travel to Tryon this summer for the World Equestrian Games vaulting championships.

They are aiming to raise around £40,000 to pay for return flights and accommodation for themselves, as well as return flights for their horse Demezza (“Harry”).

“We probably have the best team that British Equestrian Vaulting (BEV) has ever seen,” said BEV directory Julie Newell.

“The level they are working at now is equal to some of the best in the world.

“Looking at the standard now, we are really up there with them — these young people are extremely fit athletes and are working very hard, I’m very proud of them.

“It would be terrible if they couldn’t go [to Tryon].”

Ms Newell added selection of the British vaulting squad for WEG took place at the end of last year, giving them more time to focus on fundraising.

Lecture demonstrations with Gareth Hughes and other events have so far raised about £10,000, but the squad still has around £30,000 to go.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting at WEG

Horse & Hound explains all you need to know to follow the vaulting at WEG

British gold medallist hops on for spectacular wedding photos

The multiple European and World Championship medallist “couldn’t resist” hopping aboard and vaulting in her wedding dress

Australian sheep farmer swaps wool for horses to gain podium finish on FEI vaulting debut

The farmer sold sell several thousand dollars-worth of his cross-bred sheep and wool to get back to Europe and onto

Ms Newell thanked the equestrian public for their support.

“It is all going in the right direction,” she said, adding the team is achieving the right scores to qualify. Their remaining two qualifiers are at Saumur in three weeks time, plus the home international at Rugby in June.

The team’s horse, Harry, is an 18.2hh former working hunter star and is on loan from Ben and Elaine Aucott.

“They have been so generous helping us out, farrier Ben Benson shoes him as his sponsorship and Balanced Horse Feeds feeds him,” said Ms Newell.

Britain has won numerous medals at World and European Championships in recent years, headed by sisters Joanne and Hannah Eccles.

“Joanne has been a real beacon for us all to follow, as has Hannah,” added Ms Newell.

“We have some really super juniors coming through — their championships are in Hungary this year — so we have some really good kids to follow [our senior] team.”

For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/helpingharryshopefuls/

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

As we countdown to the FEI World Equestrian Games, we bring you all you need to know about each of the equestrian sports.

What’s the format?

Vaulting is best described as gymnastics on a moving horse. The horse is lunged in canter on a circle at least 15m in diameter.

There are four different competitions in the WEG vaulting — male and female individual, pas de deux and squad.

The male and female individual competitions start with a compulsory competition, in which the vaulters perform eight set movements. This is followed by a 60sec freestyle to music. These two events make up round one.

Only the top 15 after round one go through to the next two competitions, which form round two. There is a technical test — again this is a 60 sec freestyle to music but it has to include five specific moves which are individually scored and show ability in each of the following five areas: jump force, timing and rhythm, suppleness, balance and strength.

The final competition is another freestyle, using the same music, but clothing and movements can vary.

Competitors in the pas de deux perform two freestyles. Only the top 12 contest the second round.

The squad competition is for seven vaulters and in the compulsory they each perform eight set movements. Then six vaulters for each team take part in the freestyle with up to three individuals on the horse at one time. The top 12 teams go through to the final freestyle.

In addition, there is a nations team competition, for which freestyle results from three “units” from the same country are added together. A team must include at least one squad or pas de deux.

How does the scoring work?

There are eight judges at WEG. Each test is scored out of 10, with 25% of the mark being for the horse.

The scores are then divided by the number of tests (so four for the individual male and female competitions, three for the squads and two for the pas de deux) to give an average mark out of 10.

The highest score wins.

How many medals are there and when are they awarded?

There is a set of medals for each of the five competitions (male and female individual, squads, pas de deux, nations team). The lunger receives a medal as well as the vaulters. Medals will be awarded on 19 (nations team), 20 (pas de deux) and 22 (individual and squad) September.

Who’s representing Britain?

See details of the British squad here.

Do they have a chance?

Britain has won vaulting medals at the past two World Equestrian Games, courtesy of Joanne and Hannah Eccles, but since the sisters’ retirement (they are still involved in the sport and compete as lungers), Team GB has enjoyed fewer high profile results.

When will H&H report it?

H&H’s WEG reports will run in 20 and 27 September issues of the magazine.

We will also carry reports, pictures and video online throughout the competition. Find all our online WEG coverage here >>

For an early look at the WEG venue, turn to p34 of 18 January issue of Horse & Hound magazine. The full WEG preview will be on sale on Thursday 6 September.

Young Australian sheep farmer Jamie Hocking was placed third at his first FEI World Cup vaulting event in Paris earlier this month (2-3 December).

Jamie, 21, finished on a score of 7,277 with his seven-year-old mare French Kiss, who is in her first year of competing.

The result exceeded all his expectations.

“To be honest I didn’t really know what to expect before coming to the World Cup. My goal was simple, I had no thoughts of a podium place. I just wanted to go into the competition and try my best,” he said.

The invitation to take part arrived when Jamie was at home in the small rural town of Woolsheds in south Australia.

Encouraged by a vaulting friend from Switzerland, who explained the rules, Jamie decided to “have a crack at it.”

Greeted by huge, noisy and enthusiastic crowds, the inexperienced horse and rider experienced some nerves on the first day of competition.

But guided by Lasse Kristensen, his coach and lunger, Jamie were pleased with their performance, which was only marred by a fall in the first round.

The following day the pair were more confident, performing all the high risk moves they couldn’t try on the first day.

“It turned into a performance I was proud to present,” said Jamie, who admits he had to pinch himself when he found out he was was going to win bronze and some prize money.

Continued below…

‘I won’t give up on my dream’: young rider wins Hannah Francis Award

The teenager has battled back from a head injury and acute appendicitis to complete her season's eventing

Top racehorse makes winning comeback after three-year break

Jamie Osborne's stable star made a return to racing after more than 1,000 days away

Back at home, Jamie’s mother Sarah was glued to the FEI TV broadcast.

“In the second round we could see how well Jamie was vaulting and how much more French Kiss had settled,” said Mrs Hocking. “It was thrilling to see them both out there with Lasse, who is so experienced and reassuring, no matter what happens.”

The class was won by Frenchman Clement Taillez with Hungarian vaulter Balaz Bence in second.

To fund his vaulting career Jamie farms sheep and works in a local piggery.

Last October he managed to sell several thousand dollars worth of his cross-bred sheep and wool, which helped him get back to Europe and onto the world vaulting stage.

The next challenge for Jamie and French Kiss is the next World Cup Series in Offenburg at the beginning of February.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

British vaulting star Joanne Eccles has taken the idea of involving your horse in your wedding to a new level.

Joanne married Fraser Littlejohn on 13 August, at Caputh Parish Church in Perthshire, which was followed by a traditional Scottish party.

The couple had planned to have some photos taken with Joanne’s multiple championship medal-winning horse WH Bentley the day after their wedding.

However she “couldn’t resist” jumping on and vaulting in canter.

The couple further proved the versatility of their wedding attire by taking part in a spot of rope climbing.

Joanne is Britain’s most successful vaulter of all time and was appointed MBE for services to vaulting in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

She has 11 senior championship medals to her name, including three gold medals from World Championships, two European golds and a host of silver and bronze medals.

She won all her medals aboard the 17.2hh WH Bentley.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Love me, love my horse: horses among most-popular animal wedding guest

More than a quarter of those who want

Event rider looking for love appears on Take Me Out

18-year-old junior team rider Sam Ecroyd revealed some

Wedding belles: 26 brides whose horses were invited to their big day *PICTURES*

When your family and husband-to-be just aren't enough,

Joanne announced she was “winding down” her vaulting career in 2015, but has remained involved with the sport as a trainer and lunger.

Recent research by the Blue Cross found that one in 10 people chose to involve their pet in their big day.

When broken down by species, almost a quarter of these chose their horse.

Owners have found a number of creative ways to feature their equine friend in their nuptials — from acting as ring bearer to post-vow gallops.

H&H recommends wearing a protective riding hat at all times when mounted

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

Replay the action from the final of the FEI World Cup Vaulting series from Dortmund, Germany

Watch the first competition of the sixth leg of the FEI World Cup Vaulting live from Leipzig in Germany starting at 10.15am on 20 January 2017

Watch a replay of the first competition of the fourth leg of the FEI World Cup vaulting from Mechelen in Belgium on Thursday 29 December 2016

A top British vaulter has told H&H of the terror she experienced when her horsebox was attacked by migrants as she was returning from France this week.

A group of men blocking a road leading to Calais surrounded the lorry, smashing a window as they tried to get inside.

Lucy Phillips, who is fifth on the FEI rankings list, was returning from the world championships in Le Mans, France (18-21 August), in which she had finished 11th.

She was approaching the port in a 7.5t horsebox at about 1.15am on Monday (22 August) when her father Bill, who was driving, saw the road was blocked by felled trees.

“As we stopped, between seven and 10 men appeared out of the bushes,” said Lucy.

“They were carrying big pieces of wood and what looked like bats. They surrounded the lorry and started hitting the sides, and smacking the windows with their bats.”

Lucy went into the back of the lorry to check her horse Pitucelli, and grabbed the groom’s door to prevent the migrants gaining access.

“They were trying to open the groom’s door as I was holding on to it, trying to fight them off, and trying to break the windows,” she said.

“My dad was blowing the horn, trying to get the police’s attention, then I heard a smash. They’d put a branch through the passenger window of the cab and my mum and dad were covered in glass.

“Mum’s face was bleeding, so was Dad’s arm; it felt like for ever until the police came.”

The French police “chased the migrants away” and escorted the family away from the area, taking a statement from them.

“But then they left us and we had to drive back through Calais on our own,” said Solihull-based Lucy, who works for the British Equestrian Federation’s world class programme.

“It was full of groups of young men, all dressed in dark clothing. They were just milling around, not really doing anything, but it was terrifying because of course we had no passenger window.”

Lucy said Pitucelli was alarmed when the migrants were banging the sides of the lorry, but “he’s quite old and well-travelled so he settled down”.

Lucy added that she has previously seen migrants running alongside lorries heading to the port but “never blocking the road or being that violent”.

Related articles:

• Migrant discovered under horsebox at Hickstead
• Tim Lips survives nightmare journey to Badminton: ‘I nearly gave up three times’
• Illegal migrant tries to hitch a lift with Valegro *H&H VIP*

“It seems that in the last couple of months, the violence has got horrendous,” she said.

“You see the news and think it’s just the big trucks, but they don’t seem to care [who they attack] any more.”

Lucy wants to raise awareness of the issue.

“I don’t want to scare people,” she said. “But anyone going out there needs to be so careful on the way back. We’ve vowed never to travel back at night again.”

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 summer is over and (thankfully) the hype of Christmas is still a tiny dot on the horizon.

What we’re left with is the awkward middle ground of October — it’s not one nor the other. It’s not cold or hot, we have no idea what to wear and our horses have even less of an idea of what is going on with their coats. So thank goodness for Horse of the Year Show (7-11 October 2015) to give us a landmark — a beacon of the autumn if you like.

Here’s why we’re excited about the 2015 HOYS extravaganza…

1. The drama of the Puissance

The ultimate solution for blowing away any post-summer blues is watching combinations (with nerves of steel) tackling a 7ft-plus wall. Last year’s class was so tight that four riders (Joseph Clayton, Donald Whitaker, Charlotte Flack and David Simpson) took the honours in a tie, when none of them left the wall standing.

2. The ultimate showing fix

With 27 championship classes covering the most popular of British breeds and types, this is where it’s at when it comes to showing. Since March, tens of thousands of competitors have been chasing their coveted HOYS tickets. And it all comes to a head this week, with the champions of each class going forward to contest the ultimate accolades: the Supreme Horse of the Year and Supreme Pony of the Year.

3. Girl band mania

HOYS is about to get a whole lot trendier, when the six-strong girl band HoneyBuns, who starred in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent, takes to the Andrews Bowen International Arena on Sunday evening (11 October) as part of the show’s finale. If you’re worried you’re missing something, it’s not completely random. Band member Corrin Knox is the daughter of HOYS commentator Carey Knox and has competed at the show herself on her 12.2hh pony Cottrell Fanfare.

Continued below…

13 moments when the bright lights of HOYS proved too much *PICTURES*

Excitement levels are building in H&H HQ ahead of next week's Horse of the Year Show (7-11 October 2015) —

4. Mounted games envy

If we could change one thing about our childhood, being armed with a supersonic games pony (and some marginally more flexible limbs) would be up there. This week, six teams — the Badsworth Hunt, East Cheshire, Monmouthshire, Lanark & Upperward, Romney Marsh and Strathearn — who have foughts off 250 other teams to qualify for HOYS, will battling it out for the coveted Prince Philip Cup. An underrated spectator sport…

5. Metropolitan Police heroics

The Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch Activity Ride may leave you wondering whether these are in fact real horses, as they jump through fire and a solid paper wall. Add to that the riders removing their stirrups, tunics and saddles whilst riding over a series of fences and you’ll begin to realise the real meaning of the words “handy pony”.

6. Edge-of-your-seat scurry racing

If you’ve never watched scurry racing before – you’ll wonder what you’ve been doing with your time. The adrenalin-pumping Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry Racing is a test of speed and accuracy, with teams of two ponies in harness attempting to complete the course in the least time. (And a high-energy commentator — often breathless with the action — is guaranteed to add to the excitement.)

7. Awe-inspiring vaulters

Prepared to be wowed by the athleticism of the Team GBR vaulters who are going to be back in action at the show following their popularity last year. Warning: all that flipping and tumbling is likely to leave you feeling decidely flat-footed…

8. And finally… shopping mania

Credit cards (and comfy shoes) at the ready because there are 12 hours a day of shopping heaven at HOYS up for grabs — open from 9am each day until 15mins after the final evening interval. Is it too soon to make headway on your Christmas shopping? We don’t think so. Plus rider signings will take place everyday from the likes of John and Michael Whitaker, Tim Stockdale and Ben Maher, so you can get your celeb fix at the same time.

For more information visit hoys.co.uk

Don’t miss our full report from this year’s HOYS in 15 October issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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

After a 13-day equestrian extravaganza (11-23 August 2015), the FEI European Championships in Aachen are over in a blur of tears, tension and relief. And if you’re suffering from withdrawal symptons, you can comfort yourself in the knowledge that it is only 15 days until the FEI European Eventing Championships at Blair kick off and just 346 days until the Rio Olympics…

So how did Britain fare in Aachen?

Dressage

Charlotte Dujardin, Fiona Bigwood, Carl Hester and Michael Eilberg missed out on the team gold medal by a whisker, with the Netherlands’ averaging 78.543% to Britain’s 78.076% — do team competitions get any more tense?

In the grand prix special Charlotte and Valegro clinched the title ahead Kristina Bröring-Sprehe with Desperados FRH amid the drama of Totilas being withdrawn beforehand and Edward Gal being eliminated. And in the freestyle Charlotte retained her second individual title — despite mistakes in the one-time changes. Bring on Rio 2016…

Showjumping

Team qualification for Rio was on our agenda and that’s what we went away with. The team (Joe Clee, Michael Whitaker, Jessica Mendoza and Ben Maher) finished in fourth place, just 0.76 of a penalty away from a bronze medal.

Joe was best of the Brits in the individual competition, finishing in 15th place with Ludwig Criel’s Utaramo D’Ecaussines — a slightly disappointing result having entered the final day in seventh position. The gold medal went to Jeroen Dubbeldam with SFN Zenith NOP — adding to the world title that they took last year.

Vaulting

Our vaulters picked up a host of top 10 finishes with Hannah Eccles and Lucy Phillips finishing in eighth and ninth place respectively in the individual female competition. Great Britain’s squad of six finished in ninth place in the squad class and in the pas de deux event Andrew McLachlan and Rebecca Norval finished in ninth place.

Continued below…

Want to give vaulting a try? 9 ways not to make a fool of yourself

If you've been inspired by the vaulting at the FEI European Championships in Aachen and are keen to give it

Reining

Britain narrowly missed out on a place on the podium in the reining, finishing fourth behind the Netherlands who took bronze. Italy took the gold and Germany finished in silver position.

Driving

Despite sending an experienced squad to Aachen, Britain missed out on the medals — with the Netherlands taking the team gold after the dressage, cones and marathon phases.

To read our special dressage report from the Europeans in Aachen get your copy of the 20 August issue of Horse & Hound magazine, and for all the showjumping action don’t miss this Thursday’s issue (27 August 2015)

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

If you've been inspired by the vaulting at the FEI European Championships in Aachen and are keen to give it a go, then take a look at these top tips

It may have been the thick end of 20 years since Horse & Hound’s Pippa Roome wore leggings in public, and her lack of flexibility may have been the despair of her gym teacher — but she was still game to take up the challenge of giving vaulting a go.

If you’re considering donning the Lycra too, take a look at Pippa’s top tips for making the most out of your first session.

Pippa’s 9 tips for first-time vaulters

1. A basic level of fitness will help you get the most out of your session — there is likely to be a physical warm-up including a short run and stretches and you don’t want to be exhausted before you get near the horse.

2. Wear tight-fitting, stretchy clothing so that you can move around easily, but nothing which is loose and could get caught. Leggings are ideal, with perhaps a long-sleeved T-shirt as your base on top. Dress in layers as you are likely to be cold initially, depending on the weather, but you will warm up quickly and want to strip off.

3. Hair should also be neatly tied up to avoid anything becoming tangled.

Continued below…

Top 10 placings for British vaulters at Europeans

Great Britain's vaulters picked up a host of top 10 finishes at the FEI European Championships in Aachen (20-23 August)

4. Ballet shoes or light pumps are ideal footwear — remember, it’s highly possible you will catch another vaulter in the face with your foot, so you don’t want anything clumpy. If you think your shoes might fall off, tie or sew two lengths of elastic into loops and slip them on over your shoes.

5. Take another pair of shoes or boots to wear on the yard before and after your session.

6. Leave your hang-ups about personal space at home. You’ll need to get close to other vaulters — and you’ll be happy if they grab you if you get a bit wobbly. Similarly, you’ll need to be comfortable hanging onto other people.

7. Be brave. Letting go with both hands while kneeling or standing on a moving horse sounds daunting, but your confidence will grow quickly and you will get more out of the experience if you take the plunge.

8. Remember, you’re not riding the horse. Controlling his speed and pace is the lunger’s job, not the vaulter’s. Try to refrain from kicking him on or clicking if he gets a little lazy.

9. Point your toes! The only real difference between a standard riding position and the vaulting basic seat is that the toes point downwards rather than the heels being the lowest point.

Keen to give vaulting a go?

Contact Julie Newell on 07976 421789 or email julievaulting@gmail.com to book a two-hour session for £15.

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

Great Britain’s vaulters picked up a host of top 10 finishes at the FEI European Championships in Aachen (20-23 August).

The individual female vaulters performed their final freestyle routine yesterday (Sunday 23 August) and Team GBR’s Hannah Eccles (pictured, above) and Lucy Phillips finished in eighth and ninth place respectively.

Hannah on WH Bentley, lunged by her father John, were first into the arena and scored 7.976, taking her final average from all four rounds to 7.577.

“It’s really scary in there,” said Hannah. “I really wanted to qualify for the final round so I held it back the other day [in the first freestyle round] and played it safe.”

She added her father was happy as his favourite move – a one legged stand side-on move called ‘the wineglass’ – worked in the final.

“It’s a really hard move and not many people do it so it sets you apart from the rest,” she said.

Following Hannah was fellow Brit Lucy Phillips on Pitucelli, lunged by Lucy’s mother Liz.

“The atmosphere just makes you want to perform more,” said Lucy following her test.

The judges awarded Lucy a score of 7.614, which gave her a final mark of 7.510.

Gold went to Simone Jäiser of Switzerland, Germany’s Corinna Knauf took silver with Lisa Wild from Austria in bronze.

In the final squad vaulting class, also held yesterday (Sunday 23 August),

Great Britain’s squad of six aboard Tylers Kernel produced one of their best rounds this year.

Their mark of 7.387 gave them a final score of 6.755, which took them into ninth place.

The squad was made up of Andrew McLachlan, Hannah Young, Rebecca Norval, Kerri Brylka, Harry Cox and Lisa Mercer.

They were lunged by John Eccles.

Kerri, who was the flyer for the team, said: “It’s really fun being up there – you get the wind in your hair and everyone’s looking at you.”

Germany’s vaulters added to their medal haul, taking team gold, with Switzerland in silver and France in Bronze.

On Saturday (22 August), past junior medallists Andrew and Rebecca completed the final round of the pas de deux event.

Their total final score of 5.757 left them in ninth place.

Gold and bronze medals were taken by Austria with Germany in silver.

Andrew also came 13th in the male individual competition, where all three podium places went to Germany, on a final score of 6.691.

Vaulting team chef d’equipe Ann Rogerson said: “It’s just been great. The organisation here in Aachen has been amazing, the venue is outstanding and the team has done so well.

“For a lot of the squad this is their first senior championships and I’m so happy and so proud of them all, I’m really, really happy.”

This was the first European Championships since 2007 that British vaulters have come home without a medal.

In 2009, Great Britain won its first European vaulting medal when Joanne Eccles won individual gold in Malmö, Sweden.

She has won a senior championship medal every year since then.

However Joanne, who is Britain’s most successful female vaulter ever, revealed in February that she would no longer compete at major individual championships.

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

1. There are 428 permanent stables in Aachen.

Most were built before World War II, but some are more recent. All the stables are at least 3m by 3m. The stables are used frequently, both for shows and as a quarantine facility for horses travelling abroad from Germany, but there are no permanent residents.

“They’re better than temporary stables in a tent because they are always dry and out of the wind,” says show director Frank Kemperman.

The Germans always have block 1 of the stables during the normal Aachen show, CHIO Aachen, but as there are fewer German horses here for the Europeans than during the CHIO, they are sharing it with the Dutch.

This week, the vaulting horses have the outside stables, while the showjumpers are housed in the barns.

2. The stable managers’ office is manned 24 hours a day.

The stables are closed from 11pm to 6am and grooms have to be accompanied by a steward if they want to come in during this time.

The stables have cameras in them, so the stable managers can keep an eye on all the horses.

3. There are up to 18 vets on-site each day.

The veterinary station is the centre of veterinary activities at Aachen, under the care of veterinary service manager Dr Friedrich Wilhelm Hanbücken.

It has two areas for examining horses, as well as four treating boxes for horses who need closer attention.

There are always a minimum of six vets at Aachen, with up to 18 when disciplines such as cross-country or driving marathon are taking place, which require vets to cover the whole course.

The new veterinary centre was built for the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) here.

“Frank Kemperman [show director] said we’re not doing it for the WEG, we’re doing it for the next 20 years,” says Dr Hanbücken. “We have very good facilities here.”

4. There are four or five farriers on site.

There is always a farrier in the final preparation area, in case a horse throws a shoe just before he is due to go in the ring. In addition, many teams bring their own farriers, who work with those on-site.

5. Teams decorate their stables with national flags.

Ok, you probably did know that. But you know you want to see the pictures.

Full report from the dressage European Championships at Aachen in the magazine out today (20 August). Full report from the showjumping equivalent in next week’s issue (27 August).

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

Britain’s most successful vaulter Joanne Eccles has told H&H she is “winding down” her career and will no longer compete at major individual championships.

The 26-year-old, has confirmed she will not be defending her title at the next World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2018.

Joanne — who has been vaulting for 18 years — has won a medal every year since 2009. She took home the individual gold in Normandy last summer (pictured) and a bronze medal with her sister Hannah in the first pas de deux at WEG.

“The competition was absolutely brilliant, it would be a shame to spoil the memory. I have decided I have reached the pinnacle of my career and I am now going to watch and enjoy Hannah in her competitions,” Joanne told H&H.

Joanne’s horse WH Bentley (Henry) is now 21-years-old and has been with the Eccles family since he was five. He will still be competed by Hannah but will be doing fewer competitions.

Joanne will continue to train and help the young riders in the Wee County Vaulters and will be available for the Scottish Equestrian Vaulting team if needed.

This year she will be concentrating on bringing on her new horse Jack in competitions from April and will continue to compete with sister Hannah. The pair are off to Doha this Friday to compete the vaulting at CHI Al Shaquab 2015.

“I will miss the competitions but being able to go out with our young riders still gives me a great buzz. I am not stopping because I don’t love vaulting but because I have reached the top.

“Some people will say I am very young to stop, but I won my first medal aged 20 and have won one every year since.”

“It happened amazingly early and since the first medal we just continued to improve and go on winning.”

“Britain has never been that great at vaulting, and for anyone that is a pretty good medal tally.”

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

My family’s reactions to me trying out vaulting for an H&H feature were hilariously mixed.

My husband John feared he might have to go on our honeymoon on his own if I injured myself — so he just kept saying: “Don’t fall off.”

In contrast, my Mum wanted to come along. As she’s pretty good at hairdos and having a fancy hairdo was probably the only part of vaulting I was going to be competent at, I decided “Take your parents to work day” was definitely allowed.

So we set off together to Julie Newell’s Warwickshire stables, where I had a fantastic time trying out vaulting with the help of two members of Julie’s 10-strong elite squad, teenagers Katie Hirst and Dolly Haynes.

Mum made herself useful by holding Boris, the horse we were vaulting on, while Julie was helping us out planning a routine on the barrel.

“She’s been holding my ponies for 30 years, so she’s definitely qualified to do that,” I commented.

Afterwards, Mum asked whether if I had happened on vaulting earlier, I might have grown up to be a vaulter rather than an eventer. Maybe. Maybe not.

On the downside, I’ve never been the most flexible or good at this sort of thing — I was thrown out of gym class for general lack of talent and ballet teachers nationwide are probably grateful I was never inflicted on them.

But I love the theatricality of vaulting — my hobby is backstage work in amateur dramatics and with some vaulters performing to musical theatre tunes, there’s a lot of crossover — and it’s incredible to watch.

The other thing that really appeals about vaulting is the teamwork — I’d love to be part of Julie’s happy vaulting community.

She became involved in the sport in 1991, when her 10-year-old daughter Emma saw a vaulting display and wanted to try it. Son John was soon joining in and now Julie’s grandchild is one of her 82 pupils.

Katie and Dolly, the two vaulters who helped with my taster, are aiming to compete as individuals and together in the pas de deux at the junior World Championships in Ermelo, the Netherlands, in 2015.

Dolly has been vaulting for five years and rode before that. Katie, who has been involved for six years, has never ridden — she decided to give vaulting a go when a friend was trying it.

Julie has four vaulting horses, plus a pony who the younger children vault on. During my session, we used Romantic — Boris to his friends — a 17-year-old who competed up to grand prix level in dressage with Ceri Shepherd before Julie bought him two years ago.

Ceri is a physiotherapist and still treats Boris at least every five to six weeks. Vaulting horses can get tight muscles through their backs — an occupational hazard of carrying up to three people performing complicated lifts and jumps.

Although vaulting in competition takes place on the lunge on the left rein, Julie’s horses do an equal amount of work on the right rein. And they have a varied life, going out in the field every day and doing ridden dressage, hacking and polework as well as being lunged for vaulting.

Vaulting is an incredible team sport — the athletes are so reliant on each other when they are doing lifts and jumps in a pas de deux or squad competition, with two or three of them on the horse simultaneously.

They learn together in group sessions, help each other and have fun together — this year they had a camp at Julie’s yard, sleeping in tents. And when Julie’s team were selected to represent Britain at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the vaulters and their parents put on a mammoth fundraising effort to amass the £20,000 or so needed for the trip.

Would you like to be a vaulter when you grow up? In fact, don’t wait to grow up — Julie’s pupils are aged two to 32, so don’t delay.

Don’t miss the full article about trying vaulting for the first time in the 1 January issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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

An ex-police horse, that was rehomed by World Horse Welfare, finished 11th in the vaulting competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) earlier this month.

World Horse Welfare Islay (pictured above at WEG and below) was lunged in Normandy by his loaner of 12 years — Liz MacKay.

“I have been vaulting for 21 years and when I heard about Islay I thought he’d make the perfect horse for me to train with,” said Liz.

Canada had qualified for WEG this year but had no horse, so Liz agreed to lend them Islay.

The horse has been to several championships in the British team since 2006.

“They came to train on him for 10 days in June prior to competing in the CHIO in Aachen and decided he was the horse they wanted to take to WEG,” said Liz.

The Canadians spent three weeks training with Liz and Islay in Scotland before going out to Normandy.

The atmosphere at WEG was “quite electric” but at 19 year-old Islay kept a steady head even on

the big stage, said Liz.

“Islay and I had to work on trust and past experience of knowing each other. His Canadian vaulters had also built up a special relationship of trust with him and he had confidence in his whole team,” she added.

Liz is now hoping to qualify Islay in the junior world championships in Holland next year.

WEG vaulting: rescue horse takes to the international stage

We spoke to the lunger of a 19-year-old rehomed police horse, Liz MacKay who has been competing in the vaulting

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

Germany took the squad gold medal in the vaulting at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this evening.

The German team’s routine, with one male in the six-person squad, displayed fantastic three-person movements, with the 11-year-old flyer being spun around the head of another team member standing on the horse. They scored 9.058 tonight for a final total of 8.724.

“It’s been quite hard for us to put it all together this year, but the team have been fighting well and improving throughout the season,” said lunger Jessica Schmitz.

Showjumper Ludger Beerbaum and Madeleine Winter-Schulze — a prolific owner in the Olympic disciplines — were in the kiss and cry area supporting their compatriots tonight.

Switzerland, who won Wednesday’s freestyle so came into today in second, couldn’t quite match the Germans today and finished with the silver medal (8.650 for this test, 8.504 overall). There were tears for Austria, who handed bronze to France when a three-person formation collapsed near the end of their routine, dropping them to fifth overall.

France’s routine included flyer Robin Krause imitating Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker while standing on someone’s shoulders.

“It’s incredible looking out over everyone up there, it’s been my dream to do this since I was four,” said Robin, 13.

France claimed its first gold medal of the Games when European champion Jacques Ferrari added the world title to his CV in the male individual contest this afternoon (right). He scored 9.166 today for an overall total of 8.629.

“The noise and applause felt magnified every time a French vaulter stepped into the arena — it was oppressive and exalting at the same time,” he said.

It was a one-two for the home side when 2012 world champion Nicolas Andreani took silver.

“The past two seasons have been difficult for me and if someone had said six months ago I could sign a document saying I’d collect the silver I’d have signed instantly,” he said.

Germany’s WEG debutant Erik Oese picked up the bronze.

Vaulting results

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

More updates from WEG online over the weekend, report on the vaulting in H&H this week, out Thursday, 11 September.

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

Britain’s Joanne Eccles claimed the individual female vaulting gold medal today at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Lunged as usual on WH Bentley by her father John, Joanne successfully defended the title she won four years ago in Kentucky. Her performance this afternoon in the final freestyle was flawless for a score of 9.119, giving her an overall mark of 8.712.

“To have done it again four years on is incredible,” said Joanne. “We were helped by the stunning arena. This is as close as we’ll get to a home games and we’ve had so much support — it’s been a pretty amazing four days.”

John said: “‘Henry’ is a fantastic horse — he’s trustworthy and reliable. And the [pale] colour of the surface in this superb arena really set him off.”

Joanne’s nearest rival after yesterday’s technical test, Italy’s Anna Cavallaro, held her place for silver, but Switzerland’s Simone Jäiser moved up from fourth to collect the bronze. Denmark’s Rikki Laumann, winner of the first day’s compulsory test finished fourth, just out of the medals.

Britain’s other two vaulters improved their position in today’s freestyle. Joanne’s sister Hannah was happy to finish ninth from 10th overnight with a final score of 7.818, saying: “The atmosphere in there is insane — the crowd are electric and you try to feed off that for your performance. When you come to a WEG you want it to be special and this is very special for us.”

Lucy Phillips moved up from 12th to 11th, finishing on 7.730.

“It was my best round, which was good as it’s the final one — not much went wrong,” said Lucy.

Her mother, Elizabeth (right with Lucy), was lungeing Pitucelli for Lucy here for the first time at a World Championships.

“I feel very nervous three hours before when I’m waiting, but once you put the tack on it’s inevitable,” said Elizabeth. “If you’re nervous the horse is nervous, so it has to be under control. I’m a big believer in Susan Jeffers’ book Feel the Fear… and Do it Anyway.”

After the Eccles’ bronze in the pas de deux this morning, this concludes Britain’s vaulting medal haul. Although the male individual and the squad competitions are still to finish, Britain does not have any competitors in these classes.

Video with the Eccles sisters after their bronze medal-winning pas de deux

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

Vaulting times and results

More updates from WEG online until Sunday; report on the vaulting in H&H magazine next week, out Thursday, 11 September.

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

Britain’s Joanne and Hannah Eccles claimed Britain’s first Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games medal since last Sunday when they collected the bronze in the vaulting pas de deux this morning.

The Scottish sisters scored 8.580 for their Fire and Ice routine today for an overall score of 8.575. [View a video interview with Joanne and Hannah after their performance]

“We could have done one extra move at the end [when Hannah is standing on Joanne’s shoulders] but we had a little discussion on the horse and decided we’d rather finish on a high than push it further — everything had been so tight and we have enough difficulty in the routine,” said Joanne.

The pair were lunged by their father John (pictured on the podium, right, with his daughters), on the family’s veteran vaulting horse WH Bentley.

Joanne and Hannah were also third in the pas de deux’s first test last night, but there was a change around in the medal standings above them this morning.

Yesterday Germany’s Gera Marie Grün and Justin van Gerven held second after the first freestyle, but they were less strong today and finished fourth on 8.497. They handed the silver medal to their compatriots, Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs, who impressed with their lifts today (overall score 8.605).

The Austrian favourites, Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha, were far and away the best again today and they claimed the gold with an overall mark of 9.059.

Joanne and Hannah Eccles both compete in the individual female class this afternoon, alongside fellow Brit Lucy Phillips. Joanne is in the pole position to take the individual gold.

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

Vaulting times and results

More updates from WEG online until Sunday; report on the vaulting in H&H magazine next week, out Thursday, 11 September.

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

Britain’s Eccles sisters hold third place after the first freestyle of the pas de deux vaulting competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“You wouldn’t believe how much harder work it is doing 2min of pairs compared to a minute individually,” gasped Joanne. “In pairs you are always lifting someone or balancing on someone.”

The sisters had one problem early in the routine today when Hannah lost her footing coming down from a lift. They scored 8.570.

“Maybe I came down too fast, I’m not really sure,” she said.

The soundtrack to the Eccles’ routine includes the Robert Frost poem Fire and Ice, which is Joanne’s favourite poem and provided the inspiration for the theme and costumes.

The pair have been doing this routine since Aachen in July, having changed the roller their horse WH Bentley wears for this class to enable them to show off more of their individual moves.

“The other one was just very thin circles and it was really old — people laughed at us because everyone else had changed but we didn’t because I was really good at standing backwards in the old one with Hannah on my shoulders,” said Joanne.

Using the individual roller meant Joanne had to find a new way to stand, but the highlight of their routine was still Hannah standing on Joanne’s shoulders, though with Joanne facing forward.

“It took us a while to do it, but it does set us apart — I used to do it competing in a team, but with someone supporting me from behind,” explained Joanne.

The sisters, who are lunged by their father John on 20-year-old WH Bentley, treat pairs as more of a fun competition than the individual. Joanne currently leads that contest after three of the four tests, while Hannah lies 10th.

“We’ve won four silver medals in pas de deux and if you keep trying to beat that you put the pressure on,” said Hannah. “We made the decision this year not to care about marks and results and just to show what we can do.”

The winners tonight were Austria’s Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha, who pulled off an incredible series of lifts with confidence for a mark of 9.070.

Germany’s Gera Marie Grün and Justin van Gerven, the junior European pas de deux medallists last year, scored 8.631 tonight to hold second.

The pas de deux concludes with a second freestyle tomorrow morning.

Bluffer’s guide to vaulting

Vaulting times and results

More updates from WEG online until Sunday; report on the vaulting in H&H magazine next week, out Thursday, 11 September.

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

Britain’s Joanne Eccles has extended her lead in the female individual vaulting competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games after today’s technical test.

Joanne was “thrilled” with her performance to score 8.513 (above). This round of the contest involves demonstrating five particular moves, but in any order the vaulters choose and to music, in the style of a freestyle.

“That’s the best technical score I’ve had this year, if not ever,” said Joanne. “From the very first technical move, which for me is the outside stand, it felt really solid and from then on I had a really good feeling.

“I knew there were more British spectators in the crowd today, so I wanted to put on a good show for them. I tried to have a sneak peek at them at the start, then I took my time at the end to look around. We appreciate them coming to watch vaulting and supporting us.”

The vaulting medals will be decided tomorrow when Joanne and her fellow competitors will take part in one final freestyle. Vaulters use the same music as in yesterday’s freestyle, but can vary their moves and costume.

“But I’ll be attempting to do exactly the same as on Wednesday,” said Joanne.

Joanne’s younger sister Hannah was also pleased with her performance for a score of 7.449 and ninth in today’s test, although she said the forward roll and shoot-up mount (a movement where the vaulters go from the ground, through a shoulder stand to sitting on the horse’s neck facing backwards) could have been better.

“I’ve just changed my technical test back to one I did two years ago as I prefer this one,” she said. “I wanted to do the one I’m most comfortable with for this competition.”

Hannah performed to Muse’s Exogenesis: Symphony. She now lies in 10th place overall, up one spot from last night.

The third British competitor, Lucy Phillips, scored 7.163 for her technical test, for 12th place in this round and the same position in the main leader board.

“I did a new move for the first time in competition today, a straddle lever handstand,” she said. “I’ve been trying to do it since I was a gymnast at the age of five and this year is the first I’ve managed it.”

Lucy performed to Beethoven’s 5 Secrets, a piece based on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with her moves including miming playing the violin during her test.

“It’s calming music and I can do pretty arm movements to it,” she said. “Also there are five movements in the technical test so that fits in well.”

Behind Joanne, Italy’s Anna Cavallaro has moved up into provisional silver, having been fourth overnight but improved her position by finishing second in the technical round. Denmark’s Rikki Laumann, who won the first day’s compulsory test and was second overnight, now sits in third place overall after a less strong performance, including a messy dismount, left her fifth today.

Switzerland’s Simone Jäiser, who has held the bronze position until now, has slipped out of the medals and is currently fourth.

In the male technical test, Erik Oese of Germany, vaulting on Calvador 5, took top spot, followed by the home side’s Nicolas Andreani and Jacques Ferrari.

The pas de deux competition starts this evening and the Eccles sisters are competing in this.

Britain is not fielding a squad or any male individual vaulters. The squads do not compete today, but also have their final freestyle tomorrow, when the pas de deux also concludes.

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

Vaulting times and results

More WEG news online all this week; report on the WEG vaulting in the H&H magazine out next Thursday, 11 September. 

Picture by Stephen Sparkes

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

Britain’s Joanne Eccles has taken over top spot in the female individual vaulting competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Joanne, who took the gold medal at the last WEG in 2010, won today’s freestyle competition, scoring 8.888 for her routine (above), performed to I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. As usual, she was lunged by her father John on the family’s veteran horse WH Bentley.

“Music choice is difficult, it took a while to find something I was comfortable working to and which Hannah [sister and fellow WEG vaulter] and Dad felt worked,” said Joanne, who has been using this freestyle all year and added that it seemed appropriate for competing in France.

“I had one little wobble today when my foot didn’t come down in quite the right place, but it wasn’t big — I can’t really complain if that’s my only problem.”

Joanne’s score for round one (yesterday’s compulsory and today’s freestyle) is 8.619. This puts her 0.075 ahead of Denmark’s Rikki Laumann, who won yesterday and scored 8.652 to finish second to Joanne today. She wore an outfit covered in stars to perform her routine, which is about the “play between cold and warm”.

“I was happy — I felt my horse lost a step at the end and I lost two movements because of that, but the rest I was satisfied with,” said Rikki.

Switzerland’s Simone Jäiser holds third overall, after being fourth today behind Italy’s Anna Cavallaro, who still sits fourth in the full leader board.

Joanne’s younger sister Hannah has moved up to 11th in the overall standings after a strong performance today netted eighth. Her routine is performed to music from the film 300: Rise of an Empire.

“I haven’t actually seen the film, but I wanted something with a Greek goddess feel,” said Hannah. “I vault better to fast music and Joanne vaults better to slow music, so it makes a good contrast when we go after each other [vaulters on the same horse always perform consecutively].”

After today’s competition the top 15 vaulters go forward to round two, a technical test tomorrow and another freestyle on Friday. All three British vaulters have qualified to continue as Lucy Phillips sits 12th. She finished 10th today with her The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo freestyle.

“I’m really pleased,” said Lucy, whose outfit included a dragon tattoo (right). “I get a bit nervous for the first freestyle round, but I tell myself I’ve done it so many times and I just want to go out and enjoy it.

“I had one little slip, but I covered it up with a nice arm movement — that’s the nice thing about freestyle, you can just do a different hand or leg movement if something isn’t ideal.”

In this morning’s squad freestyle, Switzerland’s all-girl team put in a fantastic performance, with the only obvious blip being when the flyer touched down in a dismount. But they won the test with a score of 8.596, vaulting on the grey Will Be Good, lunged by Monika Winkler-Bischofbef. This means they have moved up to silver in the overall standings, with Germany (second today) rising to gold.

Last night’s leaders Austria slipped to bronze after finishing fifth today — their horse Alessio L’Amabile broke to trot at one point, which did not make it easy for the vaulters.

The squads do not compete tomorrow. The top 12 go through to the final freestyle on Friday, after which the medals are decided.

In the male individual freestyle, France’s Jacques Ferrari remains at the head of affairs after topping the freestyle today with 8.838. His compatriot Nicolas Andreani was second again, so stays in silver on the overall leaderboard. There are only 17 competitors in the male contest, so just two do not progress to tomorrow’s technical test.

Britain is not fielding a squad or any male individual vaulters, but the pas de deux competition, in which the Eccles sisters are competing, starts tomorrow.

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

Blog about squad freestyles

Results and times

More WEG news online all this week; report on the WEG vaulting in the magazine out next Thursday, 11 September. 

Picture of Joanne Eccles by Stephen Sparkes

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

Matching bandages, different coloured shoes, tiny brave vaulters and emotional voiceovers — vaulting has it all, says H&H's head of sports Pippa Roome

1. Attention to detail in costumes — the Swedish squad even had one purple shoe and one white one (right).

2. Flyer bravery — the flyer is the tiny one in a team who goes up the top and they seem to get dropped more often than I’d be comfortable with if I was one of their mothers…

3. The Hungarian flyer — special plaudits to this one. She got dropped from quite a height, got up, cried in the middle of the arena, then went in for this move (left). How amazing is that?

4. The German team (above, main picture) — they did a fantastic routine with lots of impressive high up moves for the flyer. They did drop her near the end, though…

5. The South African team — whose freestyle was set to a voiceover of a Nelson Mandela speech.

6. Matching bandages — the Russian horse, Gorky Du Prieure, had bandages which matched his vaulters’ outfits, with blue flowers on them (right). Nice.

7. Lunger skill — several horses, including Switzerland’s Will Be Good and Canada’s Bankey Moon, didn’t really want to come into the arena today, but their lungers persuaded them in and then handled them brilliantly to produce as smooth a canter as possible for vaulting on.

8. All-girl freestyles — the Swiss team looked fantastic in their purple outfits and pulled off a difficult routine with aplomb to win today’s freestyle. Particularly impressive was the fact they were an all-female team — and none of them were particularly big — but they managed to do moves lifting the flyer well above their heads (left) with confidence and polish.

9. The Brazilian flyer (right) — she is simply minute, enabling the team to go for all sorts of imaginative high up moves. In the compulsories, each squad member has to vault onto the horse unaided — goodness knows how she manages it.

10. New Zealand’s flying flyer — this all-female squad performed an impressive manoeuvre where the flyer leapt from the arms of the vaulters on the horse into a cradle formed by two other vaulters on the ground.

Apologies that the pictures with this blog are not brilliant — it’s just a bit of fun! We hope you enjoy it.

All our online WEG vaulting coverage

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

Britain’s Joanne Eccles (above right) lies second after the compulsory test, the first part of the female individual vaulting competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG).

“I’m fairly pleased — I felt like there was one bit that wasn’t particularly smooth in the scissors, but it’s difficult to know. Sometimes I do something in training and I don’t think it’s good and Hannah [sister and fellow WEG competitor] and Dad [John, lunger and coach] say it’s fine,” said Joanne, who won individual gold at the last WEG in 2010.

The arena for the vaulting in Caen has a great atmosphere — the audience are very close to the action, which is under lights with the audience in darkness.

“Once you start you can’t see the audience as they are in the dark. It’s just you and the horse as one, which is how it should be,” said Joanne.

The final horse in the female competition, Landar, became quite upset and it was difficult for his Czech vaulter, Jana Bartonkova, to even make the leap onto him. But the Eccles’ WH Bentley is an old pro at 20 years old.

“He’s done so many competitions we knew he’d go in there and do his best,” said Joanne, who scored 8.35.

The leader is Denmark’s Rikki Laumann, with a mark of 8.435, who took the title at last year’s European Championships.

Joanne’s younger sister Hannah (above left) lies 16th having made one error where she touched down with her hands on the ground after dismounting.

“This is our weakest round — the next is my favourite,” said Hannah.

Joanne added: “We know we can improve from here.”

Today’s test consisted of each vaulter showing the eight compulsory moves in a set sequence for the eight judges, six of whom mark the vaulter and two the horse. Tomorrow the vaulters perform a freestyle to music and these first two days of competition constitute round one.

After tomorrow, the top 15 vaulters progress to the next two tests on Thursday and Friday (round two). The medals are awarded on an average score from all four days.

The third British vaulter, Lucy Phillips, is currently within the cut-off for round two after scoring 7.711 on Pitucelli, lunged by her mother Elizabeth.

“You feel like everyone’s watching you and getting excited when you run down the tunnel — it’s such an honour to compete for your country,” she said. “I’d like to get through to the second round. If I can do a personal best in each round I’ll be happy.”

Swiss competitor Simone Jäiser currently holds third, with Italy’s Anna Cavallaro fourth — Anna is another of the favourites after claiming individual European silver last year, but made a mistake in her dismount today.

Austria took the lead in the squad competition this morning, with a score of 7.873 for their compulsory test, performed on Alessio L’Amabile, who was lunged by Maria Lehrmann. Germany hold the silver position for now, with Switzerland in bronze.

The home side has the upper hand in the individual male contest, with European champion Jacque Ferrari heading world champion Nicolas Andreani. Victor Brüsewitz of Germany lies third.

Britain is not fielding a squad or any male individual vaulters, but the pas de deux competition, in which the Eccles sisters are competing, starts on Thursday.

Bluffers’ guide to vaulting

Vaulting start lists and results

More WEG updates online all week; full report on the vaulting at WEG in the magazine out next Thursday, 11 September.

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

A 19-year-old rehomed police horse is to compete in the vaulting competition at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) next month (2-5 September).

The horse ILPH Islay will be lunged in Normandy by his loaner of 12 years, Liz MacKay.

He will compete for Canada with sisters Jeanine and Angelique Van der Sluijs.

Jeanine will compete as an individual and then also in the pas de deux with Angelique.

The three are currently training in Scotland.

The horse was retired from the police to the ILPH — now World Horse Welfare — aged seven after he kicked a football fan. He also had several issues with lameness and behaviour, but has since “learnt to relax and co-operate”.

ILPH Islay is going to WEG after two years off with an injury that occurred in the field.

He has competed in four Championships since 2006, and was most recently at Aachen this summer.

Liz MacKay said she is “enormously proud” of Islay and he is “a very intelligent and special horse.”

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

Joanne Eccles (pictured above) secured another victory on her route to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) — winning at Aachen earlier this month.

Joanne took the female class at the show, taking her tally of Aachen wins to six. She partnered WH Bentley, lunged by her father John Eccles.

Joanne also came second with her sister — Hannah — in the pas de deux.

The pair, alongside English senior female champion Lucy Phillips, are now preparing for WEG (2-5 September).

Chef d’equipe Lucy Bell told H&H: “It was a great performance and a good final run before WEG as all her closest rivals were present.”

The girls will all be competing as individuals, as GBR is not sending a squad.

“Unfortunately no squad achieved the scores required in the 2014 British Equestrian Vaulting selection criteria for senior championship,” added Ms Bell.

First published in Horse & Hound magazine on 31 July 2014

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 vaulting champion Joanne Eccles, her sister Hannah and English senior female champion Lucy Phillips will be representing Britain at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) this summer.

The girls, selected by British Equestrian Vaulting, all competed in the individual female class for Great Britain at the last WEG in Kentucky in 2010.

The Eccles sisters will also compete in the pas de deux, which makes its debut at a World Games this year.

Hannah Eccles, 22, from Scotland said: “The pas de deux is something that Hannah and I have done together since we were very young, so I’m so chuffed that we’ve been selected to compete.”

Lucy Phillips, 24, from Solihull, said: “A WEG is so different to a vaulting Worlds or Europeans, it’s such a massive honour to represent Great Britain there.”

Chef d’equipe Lucy Bell was “thrilled for all 3 girls”. She added that they have had “great starts” to their season this year, with Joanne currently unbeaten in 2014.

The individual vaulting competition is the only event across the FEI disciplines in which men and women compete in separate classes for individual titles.

The vaulting competition at WEG takes place from 2-5 September in Caen.

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

Next month (4 March) more than 200,000 individual tickets for the Alltech World Equestrian Games (WEG) will go on sale.

WEG, which is to be held in Normandy on 23 August until 7 September, includes all the FEI disciplines: eventing, dressage, showjumping, vaulting, para dressage, driving, reining and endurance. It is the closest the combined World Championships has ever been held to Britain.

More than 1,000 horses will be competing in the Games from 60 nations.

But so far many H&H readers have been finding the whole process — from buying tickets to planning accommodation — problematic.

At the end of last year, 15,000 tickets went on sale to the public in “bundles”, combining different disciplines. That ticketing system proved a major issue.

Gripes included an incomprehensible website and the tickets readers wanted only coming “packaged” with other disciplines.

H&H reader Marie-Claude Ceppi said it was “frustrating”, while fellow reader Marcia Macleod branded it “ridiculous”.

However, the tickets that go on sale in March will all be singles — so people should be able to get what they want.

“There will be 220,000 individual tickets going on sale on 4 March — in all disciplines,” confirmed a WEG spokesman. “80% per cent of tickets for the Olympic disciplines will be available. The final 4 jumping sessions will go on sale in April.”

Accommodation plans

Visitors to the Games should be prepared to travel between competition venues, depending which event they have tickets for (see map and video).

6 of the 8 disciplines will be held in the host city of Caen, all within 6min of the main Games Village.

The official website has an easy-to-use accommodation page — detailing how far away from each event hotels, campsites and gites are.

H&H found that gites (holiday cottages) can be booked for single rooms and for a few nights, not just whole weeks, if needed.

However, H&H also discovered that all hotels around 1km away from the main venue are already booked, although there are rooms at hotels further out.

The WEG team also advises British visitors to visit the regional tourism committee for Normandy, which has a comprehensive website and email for queries (see useful websites list below).

H&H reader Ceri Kennedy has tickets for dressage and eventing and is halfway through the process.

“We’ve booked the campsite and now just have [our crossing on] the tunnel to book,” she said.

Catherine Rose also has tickets and accommodation.

“We booked a B&B through a friend, who booked the place out when they went over for the endurance test event. We have the ferry booked too,” she said.

Other readers have taken a gamble and found somewhere to stay before securing their tickets.

“We booked accommodation ages ago,” said Sarah Lee. “We haven’t got around to tickets yet as we’re waiting for single ticket sales in March, because we didn’t want to do a package. If tickets don’t work out, it’s still a lovely trip to Normandy to a pretty cottage — win, win.”

However, some readers have found it difficult.

One said: “We wanted a slightly unusual configuration of rooms for a group of four friends, so we had to search a bit — particularly as some apartments we tried seemed to be available online, but were actually booked when we enquired.

“We ended up settling for a place with plenty of space, but a less central location than we would have liked.”

Emmie Foxall won tickets through an H&H competition, but said she’s finding it “a little overwhelming” trying to sort out accommodation and transport.

“We are planning to drive down in a campervan then stay at a campsite with a tent and campervan hook up point on the same site,” she said.

There are 98 campsites in the region of Calvados for Caen (which can be found on the Calvados website, see box). All campsites contacted by H&H said they had space remaining.

A WEG spokesman told H&H more information will be released nearer the time.

“We will explain about the transport system and all the different aspects (shuttles, parking etc),” she added and confirmed there will be free park and ride systems in place.

Buying packages

Another option that is proving popular with H&H readers is buying entire packages from a British company.

Sarah Caplan of Equestrian Escapes, the UK tour operator of WEG, said British fans can buy tickets with accommodation and travel through the site.

“We would advise Brits to buy through us, as we can guarantee you better seats and explain what you are getting,” she said.

The company still has good availability for packages.

The eventing package is closest to selling out and accommodation ranges from camping (starting at £370 for the trip 27 August-1 September) to hotels (starting at £995). Single travellers can also be catered for.

A 6-night package for dressage starts at £775 for camping and £795 for B&B.

Useful websites

www.normandie-tourisme.fr/normandy-tourism-109-2.html

www.normandy2014.com/practical/accomodation

www.equestrian-escapes.com

http://en.gites-de-france.com/

If you are travelling to the Calvados region (for dressage and showjumping)

http://www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/en/

Or Manche (In the region of St Lô for horseball and Sartilly for endurance)

http://www.manche-tourism.com/en

Or the “Orne” (in the region of Haras du Pin, eventing venue)

http://www.normandy-tourism.co.uk/

Could Britain host the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) on home soil? After a fluctuating bidding process, the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has submitted an “expression of interest” to the FEI, but has no particular venue in mind at this stage.

In June 2012, 5 countries — Morocco, USA, Hungary, Austria and Canada — came forward as official candidates for the 8th WEG. But one by one they dropped away, and bidding was reopened in July.

Canada (at the 1976 Olympic site of Bromont) returned to the fray, with the USA — which has its original proposed site at Wellington, as well as 2010 WEG site Kentucky — and somewhere in Britain.

A BEF spokesman confirmed that “an expression of interest has been lodged with the FEI”, but added this carries “no liability in terms of whether a formal bid is submitted next year”. She would not speculate on potential venues, budgets or funding streams.

The BEF has to confirm its proposed host city by 15 November, to be reviewed by the FEI before the candidates are announced on 2 December. WEG requires large-scale facilities to host the 8 FEI disciplines and most leading British events are held at green-field sites, making options limited.

WEG typically makes a financial loss, which was the chief reason many of the original bidders pulled out. The BEF confirmed that a “formal bid may depend on agreeing changes to the WEG format [with the FEI] to reduce the cost of hosting”.

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

British vaulters secured 4 medals at the senior and junior European championships in Ebreichsdorf, Austria (30 July – 4 August).

In the senior competition sisters Joanne and Hannah Eccles took silver on WH Bentley in the pas de deux — this is the 4th consecutive European silver for the duo.

Joanne, 23, also won a bronze medal in the senior female category.

In the junior pair competition Andrew McLachlan and Rebecca Norval won silver on Tylers Kernal. Andrew also secured bronze in the junior male category.

“They all did really well. It was a very tight competition with massive pressure,” chef d’equipe Lucy Bell told H&H.

“We knew that it was going to be very close this year so four medals was what we were hoping for.”

Competitors also had to deal with baking temperatures over the weekend.

“I think we were lucky it has been so hot at home recently.” Lucy said.

“It was recorded as being 37c outside but inside the arenas with the crowds it felt even hotter.”

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

Many of the biggest names in the sport have congregated at the World Equestrian Festival at Aachen, Germany this week. Aachen is the only venue to host Nations Cup competitions in the three Olympic disciplines, which all kick off tomorrow (Thursday 27 June).

The CDIO5* grand prix dressage and CICO3* eventing dressage start in the morning, with the CSIO5* Nations Cup show jumping taking place at 6.30pm BST.

World Class showjumping performance manager Rob Hoekstra has selected two of the Olympic team — Ben Maher and Nick Skelton — alongside Tina Fletcher, Guy Williams and Robert Smith, while the dressage and eventing teams bring several up-and-coming riders to represent GB.

The showjumpers have ground to make up, from fourth place after four rounds. They will also compete in Sunday’s grand prix, the first leg of the new Rolex Grand Slam, which offers €1,000,000 to any rider who can win consecutive grand prix in Aachen, Spruce Meadows and Geneva.

Just Tina Cook represents the established eventing squad, with Tom McEwen, Nicky Roncoroni, Gemma Tattersall and Izzy Taylor bidding for future championship selection. Britain is currently in second place in the Nations Cup series behind Germany, after winning at Houghton Hall last time.

World Class eventing performance manager Yogi Breisner said: “We are using this series to give riders with little or no team experience the opportunity to ride in a team, and therefore gain experience that will stand them in good stead should they represent Britain in the future. We have a blend of experience and youth.”

The dressage team consists of Hannah Biggs, Nikki Crisp, Michael Eilberg and Anna Ross Davies. Britain is currently lying in third place in the Nations Cup series behind Sweden and the Netherlands, following a win last week in the second leg, in Rotterdam. The quartet will be competing in other big tour classes over the five-day competition.

Two British young riders, Bobby Hayler and Emily Cousins, have also made the trip to Germany, to compete in the CDI-under 25 fixture.

Meanwhile, the British vaulters have already had success. Joanne Eccles won for the fifth year in a row, with the team finishing eighth in their Nations Cup.

Visit www.chioaachen.de for information, start lists, results and timetable.

Watch Aachen live video stream

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

Sisters Joanne and Hannah Eccles leapt into the record books at the weekend by winning their tenth British pairs vaulting title on the trot.

The Eccles first won the pas de deux title in 2002 and have done so every year since, including at the British Vaulting Championships 2012 at the Bishop Burton Arena (22-23 September).

Chef d’equipe Lucy Bell said: “To show such consistency is spectacular.”

Joanne and Hannah also headed the senior women’s individual class, with Joanne taking the title for an eight year.

Hannah was second, with Lucy Phillips in third and Helen Anderson fourth.

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

Junior British vaulters proved their worth earlier this month, securing a gold medal at the junior European championships.

Rebecca Norval and Andrew McLachlan won gold at the competition in Pezinok, Slovakia (1-5 August) topping the pas de deux championship.

Andrew also claimed a bronze in the individual male class.

“The medals won by Rebecca and Andrew were fantastic,” said Lucy Bell, chef d’equipe for the British teams.

“It is a direct reflection of how hard the team and support staff have worked to produce such great performances when it mattered.”

Rebecca and Andrew, from Clankmannanshire in Scotland, added: “We weren’t expecting it, we’re just completely and utterly dazzled but we’re so thrilled. We’ve been in the same team since 2008 and the pairs partnership has really formed from that team experience.”

Both British medals were won aboard Tylers Kernal, lunged by John Eccles, father of top British vaulter Joanne.

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

Joanne Eccles was born in February 1989 and started vaulting at the age of eight, encouraged by her neighbour.

She already owned her own horse and competed in Highland dancing and after trying out vaulting, she was hooked.

At the age of nine, Joanne was asked to join the Scottish Equestrian Vaulting Team, and at the same time competed as an individual.

She was with the team for nine years and was selected to represent Great Britain every year.

Joanne’s father John shares her passion for the sport. He is a vaulting and gymnastics coach and also a vaulting judge and works closely with his daughters Joanne and Hannah.

Hannah also competes and has been part of the British team since 2002.

The sisters were the first British vaulters ever to win a CVI* at Ermelo in 2008.

Joanne came first in the senior class and Hannah won the junior class.

In 2001, John decided to buy his own horse and the family started their own club, Wee County Vaulters. It started off with just one horse, three vaulters and John coaching and lunging. The club now has around 30 members, four horses and five lungers/coaches including Joanne who is a British level two coach.

In 2009, Joanne won Britain’s first ever vaulting gold medal at the European Championships in Sweden. She is the reigning European Champion.

Joanne won the female individual vaulting gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in 2010 on her horse WH Bentley, lunged by her father, John Eccles.

In February 2012 Joanne and Hannah took the first and second places at the FEI World Cup Vaulting final in Bordeaux.

And in July 2012 Joanne claimed her fourth Aachen title when she took the senior female class at the CVIO***.

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