The final rider rotation produced a big shake-up as the Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage came to its climax today (19 September). British fans have come to expect magnificence from Laura Collett and London 52, and once again this multi-garlanded pair delivered a sparkling performance to sit in second place individually ahead of cross-country.
They came in to cheers and went out to a standing ovation, and as the leading score – at that point – of 20.6 flashed up, London jogged out, ears pricked with Laura beaming and pointing down at her horse of a lifetime.
“I’m very relieved,” said Laura. “The expectations on him are huge to go in and perform like he has done. He doesn’t do a wow test until he’s got the people watching and cheering him on – and that’s a great quality.
“I haven’t had that feeling since Paris – he’s felt nice, but not the goosebumps feeling. He likes the crowd cheering to make him smile and show off.”
The pressure was on – last summer Laura and London conjured a record Olympic dressage score to lead in Paris on 17.5. When Laura went into Blenheim’s Palace Arena, fifth from the end, the target to beat was the 26.9 held by her team-mate Tom McEwen on JL Dublin. Laura is the anchorman on the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, and was in the middle of a glut of top team riders in the final dressage session.
London puts best foot forward in Blenheim European Championships dressage
The Landos-sired gelding goes in such a beautiful, uphill frame, and the combination of Laura’s skill and accuracy with the horse’s expression and submission produced a truly stunning picture in the autumn sunshine.
Judges have not been throwing marks at the scoresheets, but Laura drew out a nine at the outset, for her first halt, followed by a second for her extended to collected trot transition. Her marks never dropped lower than seven, but ever the perfectionist, Laura managed to find room for improvement.
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“It’s always possible to get more – that last centre line, as he’s done this test so many times, he’s got a bit wise to it so he thinks ‘we could halt at X’ [rather than G],” Laura said. “I tried to keep him going but he knew the halt was coming! The rest he felt so with me and rideable, with a smile on his face, enjoying being in front of the palace with lots of people, which is where he thinks he belongs.”
Laura admitted that London has tested her wits in the lead-up to this superb performance, with a “disaster” of a lesson just three days prior.
“I lost every flying change and had a complete meltdown – it was a disaster!” she said. “I was having a serious breakdown, but he’s quite a character still. He’s cheeky out here. Just as I went to go in to [the arena] he grabbed the bit and went to run off. Then goes in there and it’s like butter wouldn’t melt – he’s like ‘everyone’s here and I’m ready’.
“So he does test the nerves in that respect; I have to trust he knows when it matters and he winds me up the rest of the time.”
The battle with Chipmunk is on
Laura is bidding for her first individual gold medal with her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52. The pair already have two Olympic team golds, European team gold and Olympic individual bronze in their trophy cabinet. London also has course form, winning the young horse four-star class here in 2018.
“He was a baby back then and it was a very different track,” countered Laura. “It’s a serious challenging cross-country track and the time will be tight. I’ll have to get stuck in and get it done.”
London’s great rival, Michael Jung’s Olympic champion FischerChipmunk FRH, took the lead two riders later. The German horse needed 19.6 to regain his country’s overnight lead in the team competition, and scored 18.3. Currently he leads 4-1 in the Chipmunk vs London rivalry, but it’s alway tight and any time-faults on the cross-country will be pivotal. It’s all to play for.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
