1. How to watch the European Eventing Championships
Buoyed by the brilliant summer of sport we’ve enjoyed so far, all eyes turn to yet another jewel in the calendar, the European Eventing Championships in Avenches, Switzerland. Obviously we’ll be bringing you blow-by-blow accounts of the stories that matter most throughout the day, with magazine and eventing editor Pippa Roome on site for the duration, but if you can get yourself in front of a screen the sport is also being live streamed on FEI TV/Clipmyhorse.tv – visit tv.fei.org to subscribe. The BBC will also show the cross-country and showjumping live on red button, iPlayer and bbc.co.uk/sport. Hurrah. And there will be a highlights programme on BBC2 on Monday 27 September, from 3.30-5.15pm.
What is on when – the timetable
2. Who will win the European Eventing Championships?
What a treat to have both the Tokyo Olympic Games and the European Eventing Championships within nine weeks of each other – and to add to the intrigue, this scenario has led to interesting selection decisions. A handful of horses who went to Tokyo are also heading to Avenches, including Dutch riders Merel Blom’s The Quizmaster and Janneke Boonzaaijer’s ACSI Champ De Tailleur – both eliminated for errors of course in Tokyo. But as you would expect most nations are giving other combinations a chance to experience a championship, knowing they will benefit from the experience. Britain’s Piggy March (Brookfield Inocent), Ros Canter (Allstar B), and Kitty King (Vendredi Biats) will be at the forefront of Britain’s team effort, with Sarah Bullimore (Corouet), Izzy Taylor (Monkeying Around) and Nicola Wilson (JL Dublin) joining them in the squad. British team is the favourite for gold, with strong individual chances, too.
Who are team GB’s riders up against at the Euros?
3. A historic win for the British team in Aachen
Last week, while most of us here were obsessing over Blenheim, a crack British eventing team nipped off to Aachen, Germany, and topped the team competition for the first time in 10 years. It was “nip and tuck in the end”, Laura Collett said – the US were 0.3 of a penalty behind. Laura and Emilie Chandler led the team in the SAP-Cup – Laura finished second on individual ride Dacapo and fourth on team mount Mr Bass, while Aachen debutante Emilie finished third on Gortfadda Diamond. Emilie said: “People say Aachen is amazing and you build it up in your head – but it really was. The week exceeded expectations in every way. It was a real experience and a fantastic result for the team and individually – I couldn’t believe it. We had good team spirit and it was a pleasure to be competing together.”
You may also enjoy reading…
Laura Collett to appear on Question of Sport: ‘It was a totally surreal experience’
‘I’m the happiest man in the world’: World number one wins first leg of €1million Rolex Grand Slam in Aachen
German team for European Eventing Championships named: a comeback rider, Tokyo reserves and Michael Jung’s next star
Subscribe to Horse & Hound this spring for great savings
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.
