Laura Collett led a British effort that resulted in four medals at the junior and young rider eventing European Championships in Waragem, Belgium (11-14 September).
Laura, 20, added the young rider individual gold medal to the junior titles she won in 2006 and 2007. Riding Rayef (pictured at Belton earlier this year), she headed the leader board from the start and added nothing to her leading dressage score of 35.8.
Last year’s young rider European champion Emily Llewellyn claimed the individual bronze this time on Pardon Me II — their third individual medal in as many years. She also finished on her dressage score, moving up from sixth after dressage.
Laura and Emily joined up with British squad debutant Emily Parker (Treefers) and Harry Dzenis (Rockin Robin) — making his first young rider appearance after junior team gold in 2007 — to claim the team gold medal.
Britain’s junior riders were very unlucky not to win a team medal, the first time the Brits have not claimed a team honour at this level since 2005.
The team held silver medal position after dressage and cross-country, but Camilla Dumas’s ride Action Packed had picked up an injury on the cross-country and could not take part in the final show jumping phase.
Camilla was lying 11th individually at this point and providing a vital team score. Without her, the British team dropped to fourth in the final reckoning — particularly frustrating as had Camilla been able to jump and gone clear, they would have taken team gold.
Dani Evans, a reserve who came into the squad following the withdrawal of Sienna Myson-Davies and Tambourine, upheld British honour by taking the individual silver medal on Uchin. She held second throughout the competition by adding nothing to her dressage score of 38.3.
Full report from the Europeans in Horse & Hound next week (24 September issue).
RESULTS — *denotes team member
YOUNG RIDER EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Laura Collet on Rayef (GB)* 47.5
2nd Nicolas Astier on Jhakti Du Janlie (FRA)* 48.3
3rd Emily Llewellyn on Pardon Me II (GB)* 48.3
15th Georgie Spence on Skylight (GB) 61.8
16th Emily Parker on Treefers (GB)* 62.9
21st Harry Parker on Rockin Robin (GB)* 66.8
40th Willa Newton on Neelix (GB) 94.3
1st Great Britain 160.2
2nd Germany 172.1
3rd Sweden 177.6
JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Marie Kraack on Sinesto 2 (GER)* 35.8
2nd Dani Evans on Uchin (GB)* 38.3
3rd Celina Nothofer on Larissa 711 (GER) 43.1
8th Eliza Sangster on High Havoc (GB) 46.9
10th Amelia King on Captain Crunchie (GB) 48.8
12th Evie Paterson on Direct Opposition (GB)* 51.9
36th Giles Blanchard on Arnies Game (GB)* 72.1
Withdrawn before show jumping — Camilla Dumas on Action Packed (GB)*
1st Germany 139.9
2nd Sweden 157.9
3rd Italy 160.3
4th Great Britain 162.3
