The cross-country course for this week’s Longines FEI European Eventing Championships at Luhmühlen, Germany (28 August-1 September) has been designed by Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith.
The course has 26 numbered obstacles and is 5790m long, with an optimum time of 10min 10sec.
Here are each of the fences horse and rider combinations will be facing on Saturday 31 August.
Fence 1: Auftakt der Sparkasse Harburg-Buxtehude
Fence 2: Bushoxer
Fence 3: Voltaire Eichen
Fence 4: Longines Wasser
Fence 5ab direct route: Longines Wasser
The direct route at this complex is over the narrow brush (fence 5ab), then four strides to the angled boat (fence 5c), then three to the second narrow brush (fence 5d).
Fence 5c direct route: Longines Wasser
Fence 5d direct route Longines Wasser
Fence 5abc long route: Longines Wasser
The slower route is over a boat (fence 5a), up a step (fence 5b), over a brush (fence 5c) and round to a house (fence 5d).
Fence 5d long route: Longines Wasser
Fence 6: Hof Sudermühlens Reiterbar
Fence 7: Manzke Tisch
Fence 8a direct route: Longines Kombination
The fastest route here involves a corner (fence 8a), then a right-hand curve to a table (fence 8b), then on round to the right to another corner (fence 8cd).
Fence 8b direct route: Longines Kombination
Fence 8cd direct route: Longines Kombination
Fence 8c long route: Longines Kombination
The alternative (fences 8c and 8d) is two corners on a left-hand curve at the other end of the arena.
Fence 8d long route: Longines Kombination
Fence 9: Gärtnerei Wredes Rennbahnsprung
Fence 10a: Hannover Gatter
Riders can put in two or three strides between these gates.
Fence 10b: Hannover Gatter — looking over element a to element b
Fence 10b: Hannoveraner Gatter
Fence 11: Holzstoß
Fence 12a direct route: Meßmer Teich
The short route here involves a large log into water (fence 12a), a triple brush arrowhead in the water (fence 12b) and a triple brush arrowhead at the exit (fence 12c).
Fence 12b direct route: Meßmer Teich
Fence 12c direct route: Meßmer Teich
Fence 12a long route: Meßmer Teich
The long route involves a house (fence 12a), a boat in the water (fence 12b) and a triple brush arrowhead (12b), finishing up facing away from the direction riders need to go to the next fence.
Fence 12b long route: Meßmer Teich
Fence 12c long route: Meßmer Teich
Fence 13: Meßmer Mühlenhaus
Fence 14a: Fischer Wellenbahn
Fence 14b: Fischer Wellenbahn
Fence 14c: Fischer Wellenbahn
Fence 15: Horseware Jump
Fence 16ab: LVM Am Waldrand
Fence 16c direct route: LVM Al Waldrand
Fence 16c long route: LVM Am Waldrand
Riders have an alternative element c at this rail-ditch-tree trunk combination, with the long route tree trunk being on a turnback on the left.
Fence 17: Rathaus
Fence 18a direct route: Lake Land Rover
The direct route is over a skinny brush (fence 18a), one stride to another offset skinny brush into water (fence 18b), then left-handed through the water to a triple brush arrowhead on exit (fence 18c).
Fence 18b direct route: Lake Land Rover
Fence 18c direct route: Lake Land Rover
Fence 18a long route: Lake Land Rover
The slower option consists of a double of triple brush arrowheads on two strides (fences 18a and 18b) and then a triple brush arrowhead out on a kinder, longer line (fence 18c).
Fence 18b long route: Lake Land Rover
Fence 18c long route: Lake Land Rover
Fence 19: Lake Land Rover
Fence 20a direct route: Lake Land Rover
Fence 20a long route: Lake Land Rover
Riders have an alternative element a here if they wish to avoid jumping into the water.
Fence 20b: Lake Land Rover
Fence 21 direct route: Charles Owen Royal Works
Riders can choose between a corner on a mound and a house here.
Fence 21 long route: Charles Owen Royal Works
Fence 22: Trakehner
Fence 23: Oxer
Fence 24: Fendt Steinwälle
Riders have the choice of circling between fences 24 and 25.
Fence 25: Fendt Steinwälle
Fence 26: Longines Final Jump
Article continues below…
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Course map
Check back for more updates from the Eventing European Championships in Luhmühlen all week, plus full report in next week’s Horse & Hound magazine (dated 5 September).
