Weather forces timetable and course changes for eventing European Championships cross-country

The wet weather yesterday and overnight has forced European Eventing Championships cross-country changes, with both the timetable and the course itself being altered.

The start of the action has been put back two hours “in order to prepare the course and provide consistent conditions for all horses and riders”, according to a statement on the FEI Facebook page.

The first horse will now be on course at 2pm local time (1pm British time) instead of the original start time of noon local time (11am British time). Amended start times have been published.

Fences 12 to 16 have been removed from Pierre Le Goupil’s track, so riders now go straight from the log pile at fence 11 (La stère Logicom) to the drop into the second water complex at fence 17 (Le trong de l’étang du Conseil Departmental de L’Orne).

The drop into the second water at fence 17 on the 2023 European Championships cross-country course. Credit: Gemma Redrup

Britain currently holds the team gold spot after the dressage, as well as the individual silver and bronze courtesy of Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo and Tom McEwen with JL Dublin.

Britain’s six riders are all in the top nine after the first phase, with all to play for as a squad and individually in today’s crucial phase, once the action gets going following these European Eventing Championships cross-country changes.

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.