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Rider completes European Championships cross-country despite tack malfunction


  • Swedish rider Amanda Staam completed the cross-country at the European Eventing Championships yesterday despite a broken martingale on course.

    The 32-year-old senior championship debutante said she had “no idea” what was happening when her chestnut gelding became upset after the open corner at fence 20b, leaping in the air.

    “He jumped really big over the corner and at the landing he was so scared of something,” she said. “I didn’t know what was wrong, but then I understood. We had a short gallop track up there, so I just let him continue to gallop, to see if he was okay and it felt like he let go of it [what was bothering him].”

    The pair continued round the European Eventing Championships course with their broken martingale, finishing with 20 penalties at the fence into Le coffin Fischer at fence 22a and 49.2 time-faults.

    Amanda said 10-year-old Corpoubet AT is “really careful and scared of most things that move”, which may explain why he initially reacted badly to the flapping martingale strap.

    The horse is home-bred, by Corporal VDL out of a mare called Bulgari, by Baloubet Du Rouet.

    Reflecing on her round, Amanda said: “We really had to work today – he got really tired. He’s big horse, a little bit heavy. But he has the biggest heart and he tried to do everything for me.”

    The rider added that she has several siblings of Corpoubet AT and they all have the “same heart and are big jumpers”.

    Amanda is a former young rider team bronze medallist and is a member of the Swedish team here. She lies 37th individually after cross-country and Sweden is seventh in the team standings.

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