Golden Great Britain and Germany display Eventing power at European Championships

Indeed, Great Britain (British eventers in Poland were Rosalind Canter with Allstar B, Tina Cook with Billy The Red (reserve: Calvino II), Piggy French with Quarrycrest Echo, Gemma Tattersall with Quicklook V, Oliver Townend with Cooley SRS, Wilson and reserves Sarah Cohen with Treason and Alexander Bragg with Zagreb) and Germany topped both the overall team and individual results at this 2017 continental championships for the Olympic equestrian discipline which combines Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping. Still, Sweden’s squad also had a great showing in Poland, with all its riders completing the competition and taking the bronze.

On the individual podium in Strzegom, German veteran Ingrid Klimke was in top spot. “This is our first individual gold medal that I’ve won,” Klimke said afterwards. “I’m so pleased because Horseware Hale Bob [her horse at the competition] did such a wonderful job in all three phases. He couldn’t be better. He really deserved it.” 

And it has been a long wait for Klimke to win the title: “You just have to keep going and after 20 years it will happen! I always want to be a team player, but this was my dream.”  One of those who has stood in her way at different moments, compatriot and World No.1 Michael Jung, finished second this year with fischerRocana FST, missing out on his fourth consecutive European gold.

However, the result was golden for Great Britain, whose performance coach Chris Bartle left the same role with Germany earlier this year after overseeing Olympic, World and European championship titles for that country.

“I can’t put it into words how impressed I am – I just couldn’t be more proud,” Bartle said in a report on the BBC. “They all rode exactly as they trained and what they’re capable of. We now want more golds, for as long as we can.” The FEI 2018 World Equestrian Games, which include Eventing, are scheduled to take place in Tryon, North Carolina from September 11-23 next year. For more information, see here and here.