You could have heard a pin drop in the Palace Arena as Laura Collett and London 52 delivered the showjumping round that secured her that coveted individual gold medal at the Agria Blenheim European Championships.
As she soared over the final fence, the crowd erupted. Laura lifted her arm and pointed down to salute her fabulous partner, throwing her arms around him as she trotted out to an emotional support crew.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this,” said Laura. “Mainly for the horse, because I feel sometimes I’ve let him down and he’s finally got the championships he deserves. This is for him, it’s all him.
“There are no words to explain what this horse means to me. I said when he won my first five-star in Pau in 2020 if he never wins anything again he’s done more than I can ever dream of. What he’s done more in those five years is just a dream – I say dreams come true but I didn’t even dream this.
“This tops everything. I came so close in Paris last year, and to come back and have another head to head with Michi [Jung], it’s what makes this sport so special. These horses are so unbelievably special to keep coming aback and producing the results they do time and time again.
“It’s unreal – and extra special to be at a home championships, a local event for me. To be sat on a horse like him and for him to come up with the goods in all three phases, it’s just wow.”
Laura and Keith Scott and Karen Bartlett’s London 52 already held two Olympic team golds, European team gold and Olympic individual bronze, plus three five-star trophies, but the one notable omission in the legendary horse’s cabinet was an individual gold.
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In Paris last year, the pair had a rail down which cost them the individual title, won by Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH. And so again this championships was billed as a showdown between two of the great horses of our time, who have so often battled it out at the top of major contests. The tally was in Chipmunk’s favour 4-1, but London turned the tables this time.
Laura had moved up from second after dressage to hold the gold medal spot overnight, thanks to her fast clear across country, but she did not have a fence in hand over Michael, only room for 1.7 time-faults. One fence would drop her to silver, and she’d still be on the bottom step of the podium with two down. But gold was what she was here to win.
Laura had joked the night before, “I let Michi win Olympic gold when I knocked down one there [in Paris], so maybe he could do the same to me this time?”
London has only had two rails down in total over the past three seasons, but pressure can do funny things. In the morning session, the clock had a big impact, with only two riders going clear inside the time, so Laura couldn’t be too cautious. She was brilliant under pressure, conjuring a foot-perfect round, to cruise home for just 0.4 of a time-fault without a moment’s concern.
Blenheim European Championships medals and final results
Gold: Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR): 27
Silver: Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH (GER): 28.3
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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.
