Sam Hutton first Brit to jump at the European Showjumping Championships

Sam Hutton and Oak Grove's Laith in action for Great Britain at the European Championships in Milan, Italy.

(Image credit: Benjamin Clark)

The first team rider for Great Britain, Sam Hutton riding the 12-year-old stallion Oak Grove’s Laith, came home with eight faults on day one of the European Showjumping Championships in Milan, Italy (30 August – 3 September).

Faults came thick and fast in the opening rotation of riders and throughout the day from the 15 nations in action over an inviting track set by Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani. Sam, 34, who was acting as pathfinder in his first ever championship, looked to be producing an excellent round with the powerful 12-year-old London stallion to the midway point.

However, they just tapped out a late vertical behind, before accumulating further faults at the penultimate fence, the FEI oxer. With faults being converted to seconds to add in this first qualifying competition for team and individual athletes, Sam’s 77.34 seconds with eight faults to add became 85.34sec, which put the combination into the top 10 at an early stage. The pair finished the day in 53d place individually behind leaders Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit, while the Great Britain team go through to day two in 10th position, three fences behind highest ranked Sweden.

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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.

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Sam continued: “I think the first fault was actually really unlucky. I don’t know if he was anticipating the turn a little bit because he just clipped it behind and then, at the rollback, he slightly rubbed it in front.”

According to Sam, Uliano Vezzani’s track, featuring successive doubles and a late double of oxers towards the end is “taking a bit of jumping”, but he said the atmosphere in the British team camp was “really good”.

“On the first day the horses are always a bit like ‘Oh this is a new arena’ and getting used to everything. But luckily the sun shining and hopefully it stays like that.”

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