Brits and Irish in action, a super overnight leader and a spicy one-eyed mare: all you need to know from day one at the European Showjumping Championships

The European Showjumping Championships started in fine style in Milan, Italy, this afternoon, with mixed fortunes for Britain and Ireland. Here are the stories you need to know about from day one of competition.

The first team rider for Great Britain, Sam Hutton riding the 12-year-old stallion Oak Grove’s Laith, came home with eight faults

• Read what Sam had to say about his round

Harry Charles and Ben Maher picked up four faults each, on Casquo Blue and Faltic HB respectively

• ‘It’s not the perfect start but we try again tomorrow.’

Ireland fared better on day one; individual rider Denis Lynch and the phenomenal stallion Vistogrand got things off to a good start

• Read about the stallion who’s ridden at home by Denis’s daughter

Irish riders put in good performances all day, for their team to sit in fourth position behind early leaders Sweden overnight

• Find out what Michael Duffy, Shane Sweetnam and Eoin McMahon had to say

‘She almost bucked me off’! A one-eyed wonder mare is flying the Swedish flag in Italy this week

• Read more about this ‘spicy’ mare

A brilliant and quick clear put Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit into the European Showjumping Championships gold medal position in both the team and individual rankings on day one

• Find out what Jens had to say

You might also be interested in:

‘A great finish’: Ireland’s medal chances fortified on day one of European Showjumping Championships

‘She’s almost bucked me off!’ Meet the ‘spicy’ one-eyed wonder horse shining at the Europeans

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Eleanor Jones

H&H news editor

Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.