Holly Smith and Hearts Destiny on their way to jumping a crucial clear round in the second qualifying competition at the 2019 Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships in Rotterdam.
Britain’s bronze medal-winning showjumpers spearhead the squad aiming for glory at the Longines FEI Showjumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona (3 to 6 October).
Holly Smith, Amanda Derbyshire and Scott Brash have been selected on the horses with whom they secured team bronze at the Longines FEI European Championships in Rotterdam last month (22 to 25 August). Their respective rides are Hearts Destiny (pictured, top), owned by TJ Hall Ltd, Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Luibanta BH and Hello M’Lady, who is owned by Lady Pauline Kirkham and Lady Pauline Harris.
They are joined by their Europeans team-mate Ben Maher, who added individual silver to his tally with the mighty Explosion W. Ben will ride Poden Farms’ nine-year-old chestnut mare Concona in Spain.
Emily Moffitt and the 10-year-old gelding Winning Good, also owned by Poden Farms, complete the five-strong squad.
A total of 19 teams are set to come forward for the 2019 final. These are Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, France, Belgium, Sweden, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Jordan, Syria, Mexico, US, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt and Japan.
The final also has a single Olympic team qualifying spot on offer and 10 of those 19 nations are still in the hunt for a place at next year’s Games.
Britain secured its Tokyo 2020 qualification along with its bronze medal in Rotterdam, but Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Jordan, Syria, Colombia and Egypt will by vying for the final Tokyo 2020 spot.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday. This week’s issue (5 September) boasts the full report from the European Championships, plus an exclusive guest comment from Laura Renwick, as well as the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials preview with a course walk from five-time winner Mark Todd.
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
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
