The European Eventing Championships cross-country course has been unveiled and course-designer Rudiger Schwarz has created an exciting track. There's plenty of colour, lots of skinnies and endless exacting lines that require horses to be brave, but without deviating.
There 30 fences in all, including two water complexes and one of these passed through twice. There are eight combinations and it's twisty, with horses looping around the majority of the course twice.
Scroll through the images below to see exactly what challenges await horses and riders on Saturday.
The Europeans kick off this afternoon with the first horse inspection at 3pm local time (2pm BST). Dressage takes place tomorrow and Friday, with cross-country action unfolding on Saturday 19 August from 11am local time (10am BST).
Come back to horseandhound.co.uk for regular Europeans updates all week.
Don’t miss the full Europeans eventing report in next week’s issue, on sale Thursday 24 August.
Fence 1
Fence 2
Fence 3
Fence 4
The first real question at fence four
Fence 5
A slope runs up to this log and then downhill on the landing side.
Fence 6
Finding a line for this fence will likely involve splashing through the edge of the water fence in front of it. Horses pass back through this water later in the course (24).
Fence 7
Fence 8ab
Over the first triple brush (a) and then it's a sweeping left bend and uphill run to the second triple brush (b).
Fence 9
This is positioned at the far end of the course.
Fence 10
Fence 11ab
The white rails at a are followed by a white corner at b.
Fence 12
Fence 13ab
Horses negotiate the house on an angle followed by the chest behind it, landing in the first water.
Fence 14
Fence 15ab
These coloured rails are located in the main arena.
Fence 16a
Out of the main arena and back into the water, negotiating this brush first.
Fence 16bcd
The skinny is bc, followed the brush corner (d) in the background. The three fences are on a sweeping right-hand bend.
There is a long-winded alternative available with all four elements separated and involving a step up to colourful skinny rails followed by a white corner.
Fence 17 and 18
Both elements are wide and positioned on a turn, but separately numbered so any riders who circle in between won't be penalised — providing they didn't present at the b element first.
Fence 19
Fence 20
At this stage, horses are back at the far end of the course for the second — and final — time. They run up and down a mound before going up a second mound where the colourful fence 20 is positioned.
Fence 21
Fence 22
Fence 23
Fence 24abc
The final water question involves jumping in over the log and swinging left to negotiate the step up and brush you can see on the left-hand side of the image. There is an alternative step out with no brush immediately behind it, instead riders will need to waste time riding around to it. You can see the alternative c in the background of this image.
Fence 25
Fence 26
Fence 26 is followed by a sweeping right-hand bend to 27. There are obstacles cleverly placed to prevent riders being able to cut their lines too much between the two obstacles.
Fence 27
Fence 28ab
The final question and it demands horses and riders to still be alert and switched on as any deviation from their line will be expensive at this late stage.
Fence 29
Fence 30
And home!
