Pony Euros rider jumps clear cross-country with one stirrup after tack malfunction
A young eventer gave a remarkable display of cross-country riding after her stirrup leather snapped on her championship debut.
Belgium’s Louise Van Dijck was lying in 10th place after dressage with Gasmann B VH Juxscot at the FEI European Championships for ponies, held at Bishop Burton (7 to 11 August).
The pair started well, but disaster struck at fence three when the 15-year-old’s left stirrup leather broke.
In a ride reminiscent of Mark Todd’s incredible one-stirrup Badminton round aboard Bertie Blunt in 1995, Louise carried on to jump clear around the championship track.
The rider showed her skill and core strength, keeping balanced through the Jonathan Clissold-designed course.
She was welcomed home by a cheering support team as she crossed the finish line, who then helped her dismount while she caught her breath.
“I have no idea [how I did it],” Louise told Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes in her livestreamed post-round interview.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“I lost my stirrup at fence three and I just sat in my saddle and kept going for the team.
“I was scared because the water was coming up and that was a difficult combination.
“He is a good pony and always jumps, he never stops if it isn’t necessary — I did it for the team, we have the best team.”
Article continues below…
You might also be interested in:
#TBT: when Mark Todd rode around Badminton with one stirrup
We’ve dug into the archives to remember one of Mark Todd’s hairier Badminton cross-country rounds...
British eventers on top at Pony European Championships
The British pony eventing team are celebrating after winning a haul of medals at Bishop Burton
The pair added 50 time penalties to their dressage score of 31 — finding a new stirrup and leather for the showjumping the following day — and helped the Belgian team to sixth place.
Team gold was won by the Brits, with team members Saffie Osborne and Little Indian Feather taking the individual title.
For a full report from the championships, don’t miss this week’s issue of Horse & Hound — out Thursday, 16 August
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.