GERMANY holds both the individual and the team lead at the Agria FEI Eventing European Championships after the first day of dressage at Blenheim Palace today, Thursday, September 18th.
Their team rider Malin Hansen-Hotopp holds the individual lead with Bodil Ipsen’s Carlitos Quidditch K after scoring 27.8 penalties. This pair were winners of the CCI4*-L here at Blenheim 2022 and were European team silver medallists in 2023.
While two riders have ridden for most nations today, the official team scores use only the best mark from each team after day one however the top four nations at this stage are the same whether one or both competitors are counted.
Counting both, Malin’s marks along with those of Libussa Lübbeke’s (28.3) from this morning give Germany the upper hand over Britain overnight by 2.3 penalties. Libussa and Caramia 34 currently hold second individually.
Yasmin Ingham and the ISH Rehy DJ and Piggy March (Halo) sit equal third and fifth overnight to secure Britain team silver after day one.
France’s Sebastien Cavaillon was the best of the final session scoring 29 with Elipso De La Vigne for individual equal third overnight.
Switzerland’s Mélody Johner scored 31.5 to put her seventh at this stage and as a team, Switzerland hold fourth overnight.
Irish hopes
Ireland’s Robbie Kearns and Chance Encounter scored 33.3 this afternoon for 11th individually, putting Ireland sixth overnight.
“I’m just on such a high, to be honest, he was incredible,” he said. “He stayed with me all the way through the test.
"He can be a bit of a tense character, but he just stayed with me and he tries so hard. I’m so proud.
“This is my third season riding him and he’s had a few riders before me. We just gel together. I think my horizontal character helps him. He tries almost too hard and if you went to ask him too much on the flat, he would get into a tizz.”
Robbie (28) represented Ireland at Junior and Young Rider level. This is his first senior championship. This year he and Chance Encounter were 10th at Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L .They also completed Alnwick and were 14th at Belsay and 4th at Ballindenisk, all at CCI4*-S. Robbie has been riding Chance Encounter since 2023, before which the horse was competed by Gillian Beale King (USA), Daniel Alderson (GBR) and Caroline Powell (NZL).
Chance Encounter is a 16-year-old grey gelding, Irish Sport Horse by Creevagh Grey Rebel X Carmedia (Lord Americo). He is owned by his rider and Richard Ames and was bred by Robin Johnston.
Padraig McCarthy (48) is the second team rider to have gone today, scoring 35.2 with Pomp N Circumstance for individual 17th.
McCarthy is representing Ireland for the sixth time. In 2018, he won team and individual silver medals at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA. Last year, he won the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S championship at Blenheim on the home-bred MGH Zabaione. This year, he was seventh at Bramham CCI4*-L. Pomp N Circumstance is an 11-year-old bay gelding by Pompadour X Bowhouse Mandalin (Furisto) owned by Rachel and Sarah Gough and rider.
Best of the Irish in sixth and riding as an individual is Sarah Ennis riding Dourough Ferro Class Act after they scored 31.0. Ennis (50) has represented Ireland at senior championship level since 2013 and was a member of the team that won silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA. This is her ninth team appearance and her first with Dourough Ferro Class Act who is owned by James and Niki Potterton and was bred by Gordon Drury. This year, Sarah and Dourough Ferro Class Act were 10th at Ballindenisk, completed Aachen and were 15th at Scone Palace, all CCI4*-S, plus they were sixth at Millstreet, Ireland, in the CCI4*-L.
Tomorrow, team rider Aoife Clark and Full Monty De Lacense will tackle their dressage test at 12.27pm followed by individual rider Susie Berry and Clever Trick at 2.30pm.
The final Irish team rider, Ian Cassells, will be the last rider of the day with Millridge Atlantis at 4.22pm.