European Showjumping Championships: William Whiaker keeps GB in mix

William Whitaker and Galtur in the first round of the team competition at the European Showjumping Championships — Whitaker William, GBR, Galtur European Championship Riesenbeck 2021 © Hippo Foto - Dirk Caremans 02/09/2021

(Image credit: Hippo Foto)

Great Britain’s fourth and final rider William Whitaker kept the team’s hopes alive of earning a place in Friday’s medal decider with a four-fault round on day two of the European Showjumping Championships.

William and Philip Tuckwell’s home-bred Galtur just hit the vertical coming out of the treble combination in the first half of the course, coming home just inside the time allowed.

“I was chatting with Jane [Tuckwell], his owner, this morning and saying we’ve come such a long way in such a short period of time as a combination,” added William. “I think sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that we’re still learning about each other as a partnership. I’m obviously still trying to find out the tiny little details just to get that sort of final product that we’re looking for. But it feels like he’s got all the ingredients there. And I’ve been delighted with him.”

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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.

William Whitaker keeps Team GB in the mix at the European Showjumping Championships

His score put Great Britain on a final tally of 33.18 and they then faced an anxious wait to see if that would be good enough to put them in the top 10 in the team standings; only the leading 10 nations go through to Friday’s medal decider.

“I was absolutely thrilled with the way my lad jumped,” said William, 32, the senior member of the Great Britain team at the European Showjumping Championships and now a veteran of three championships himself.

“He was so unlucky. To be fair, he did his best to jump it – I think he made such an effort over the middle part that then the next one was upon him and although he did everything to get out of the way, he just clipped it with his back legs.

William only took the reins on Galtur in 2020, taking over from Helen Tredwell.

The European Showjumping Championship continues on Friday with the team medal decider before the individual competition is concluded on Sunday (5 September).

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