18 pairs long-listed for British squad for eventing European Championships

Fourteen riders and 18 horses have been long-listed to represent Britain at this year’s eventing European Championships at Luhmühlen, Germany (29 August-September 2019).

Badminton winner Piggy French and her world gold medal-winning team-mates Tom McEwen and Gemma Tattersall are all listed with two horses, as is Kentucky victor Oliver Townend.

William Fox-Pitt, who last rode on a team at the 2016 Olympics, is listed with Little Fire, who was placed at Badminton this spring. And Alex Bragg, Sarah Bullimore and Richard Jones could make their senior championship debuts if they are called up from the long-list.

Six combinations — a team of four and two individuals — will be chosen for the final squad.

The long-list is:

• Alex Bragg with Mr and Mrs Ellicott’s Zagreb
• Sarah Bullimore with Christopher and Susan Gillespie and Sarah’s husband Brett’s Reve Du Rouet
• Laura Collett with Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and her own London 52
• Tina Cook with Elisabeth Murdoch’s Billy The Red
• William Fox-Pitt with Jennifer Dowling’s Little Fire
• Piggy French with Jayne McGivern’s Quarrycrest Echo and Trevor Dickens’ Vanir Kamira
• Pippa Funnell with Marek Sebestak’s Majas Hope
• Richard Jones with his own, Dinah Saunders and Sandra Martin’s Alfies Clover
• Kitty King with Diana Bown, Sally Eyre, Samantha Wilson and Sally Lloyd-Baker’s Vendredi Biats
• Tom McEwen with Barbara Cooper’s Figaro Van Het Broekxhof and Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Alison’s Toledo De Kerser
• Harry Meade with Charlotte Opperman’s Away Cruising
• Gemma Tattersall with The Soul Syndicate’s Arctic Soul and Chris Stone’s Jalapeno III
• Oliver Townend with Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan’s Ballaghmor Class and Angela Hislop’s Cooley Master Class
• Nicola Wilson with James Lambert OBE and Jo Lambert’s Bulana

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World Class eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood said: “We are very excited and looking forward to the European Championships in Luhmühlen. Off the back of some phenomenal results by British riders this season, we have a very strong squad to choose from and selectors will have a tough decision to make when it comes to announcing the combinations that will head out to Germany.”

Don’t miss our exclusive interview with William Fox-Pitt in this week’s Horse & Hound (issue dated 27 June).

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.