H&H showjumping columnist Graham Fletcher on why the results in A Coruña resonate more than most
What a fantastic Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships this was! Brilliant courses by Santiago Varela tested the utter concentration of riders as well as the total athleticism and scope of the horses throughout the competition. Full marks to Spain and A Coruña for providing the backdrop, facilities and top-class going to produce such a spectacle.
There have been times when a European Championships can fall a bit flat when it follows all the euphoria and emotion of the Olympics. But that certainly wasn’t the case on this occasion. Indeed, many of the top riders had lightly competed their horses this year to have them spot on for these Europeans.
It was interesting to read an interview with world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler, who’s just won the British Open and collected more than £100m in prize money since 2022.
He said that players hardly have time to enjoy each victory because the next important tournament comes up so quickly. Meanwhile fellow golf pro Rory McIlroy describes the golf circuit as “the hamster wheel”.
Likewise, it’s been life-changing for top riders to have so many lucrative grands prix to aim for. However, with the exception of Aachen, these wins aren’t remembered for long.
That’s why the title of European champion – which stands for two years and resonates with a wider audience – has become so sought after.
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“The Brits were unreal”
The British team were unreal with some amazing performances to claim team silver, being just pipped by the Belgians.
Chef d’equipe Di Lampard and technical advisor Stanny van Paesschen have had quite an exacting year with some of our best potential team horses being sold.
But anything is possible when you have two riders like Ben Maher and Scott Brash on your side. Although they have completely different styles, both are blessed with the genius quality.
Ben, always so impeccable and beautiful to watch, just missed an individual medal to finish fourth with Dallas Vegas Batilly.
Donald Whitaker’s Millfield Colette, whom I always liked when the mare was produced by Laura Kennedy (née Robinson), has gone from strength to strength. This is now a really solid partnership with many more years of championship teams to come.
Belgium’s gold medal-winning team had two young riders in it who were as polished and professional as I’ve ever seen. Thibeau Spits with Impress-K Van’t Kattenheye Z and Gilles Thomas on the wonder-horse Ermitage Kalone didn’t have a fence down between them over the five rounds.
Their approach is all about marginal gains. They ride with fitness levels, slimness and positioning that can be achieved only with a finely tuned eye for detail.
Interestingly, Thibeau was young riders European champion in 2022. That title passed to Ireland’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy who, at 22 years old, rode at the top of his game here to finish fifth overall with ESI Rocky – the same horse on whom he’d won the young riders Europeans in 2023.
A chance for fifth riders to shine
It was a really good idea of the FEI’s to let the fifth rider from each team compete as an individual.
It’s all very well to say they are there to support the team, and I know they do just that. But for an ambitious rider to sit it out for the week makes it a very long one indeed.
Jessica Mendoza was our fifth rider and you could tell that she was 100% behind the team. But I’m sure she equally enjoyed competing – and rode exceptionally well to finish 11th individually with In The Air.
● What were your standout moments from the European Championships? Did it deliver as you expected? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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Graham has been involved in the sport of showjumping at the highest level for several decades. The Olympic silver medallist is now retired from international competition, but he continues to train and produce young horses. He and his wife Tina Fletcher now support their teenage sons Will and Olli who are fast becoming two of the leading young riders in the country. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Graham’s views in the magazine or H&H VIP members can view them online below. Find out how to join H&H VIP
