Nineteen pairs have been long-listed for the British team for the eventing European Championships in Strzegom, Poland (17-20 August).
The list does not contain many surprises, with the pairs who have performed well at the spring three-day events such as Badminton, Bramham and Luhmühlen included. Thirteen riders are on the list, with Ros Canter, Tina Cook, Piggy French, Gemma Tattersall, Oliver Townend and Nicola Wilson listed with two horses.
Among those listed are four potential senior squad debutants — Alex Bragg, Ros Canter, Sarah Cohen and Willa Newton. Sarah was selected for the 2004 Olympics, but did not ride as The Wexford Lady suffered an injury once in Athens. Tom McEwen has also not made it beyond the trot-up at a senior championship as Diesel was spun at the first horse inspection at the Europeans in Malmö in 2013.
There are two surprising omissions from the list. Zara Tindall is not listed with High Kingdom, with whom she finished third at Kentucky CCI4* in April. The pair jumped a steady double clear in the advanced intermediate at Farley Hall last weekend and are entered for the Event Rider Masters at Barbury next month.
Sarah Bullimore also does not appear among those long-listed, despite finishing sixth at Luhmühlen this month on Lilly Corinne. The chestnut mare is entered for Aston-le-Walls (3) advanced in July.
The squad of six will be announced at the end of July.
The long-listed pairs are:
Alex Bragg with Sally Ellicot’s Zagreb
Ros Canter with Caroline Moore and her own Allstar B, and her own Zenshera
Sarah Cohen with Preci-Spark Ltd and Elizabeth Jones’s Treason
Laura Collett with Keith and Louise Scott, Nick and Lyn How and her own Mr Bass
Tina Cook with Elisabeth Murdoch and Keith Tyson’s Billy The Red, and Pip Wates, Ailsa Wates and Equine Aqua Training’s Calvino II
Pippa Funnell with Filippo Friedenberg’s and her own Billy The Biz
Piggy French with Jayne McGivern’s Quarrycrest Echo, and Trevor Dickens’ Vanir Kamira
Tom McEwen with Jane Inns, his mother Ali and his own Toledo De Kerser
Willa Newton with her father Joey and Lady Sarah McCorquodale’s Caja 20
Gemma Tattersall with The Soul Syndicate’s Arctic Soul, and The Pebbles Syndicate’s Quicklook V
Izzy Taylor with Dr Patricia Turner’s Trevidden
Oliver Townend with Karyn Shuter and Angela Hislop’s Ballaghmor Class, and Angela Hislop’s Cooley SRS
Nicola Wilson with James and Jo Lambert’s Bulana, and Gerry and Mary Kemp and Janine Shewan’s One Two Many
Continued below…
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The combinations are required to maintain their current form to remain on the list ahead of the championships.
Performance manager Richard Waygood said: “I’m very, very excited about this year’s championships; there is real quality and depth among the long-list and we are very much looking forward to the championships in Strzegom.”
