Individuals riding high at Blair Castle

      Izzy Taylor and KBIS Briarlands Matilda

The movers and shakers at the Longines FEI European Championships on cross country day were ...

Izzy Taylor

44.0 – moved up from 26^th to 3^rd

Izzy was first nominated on the British team with Allercombe Ellie but her reserve horse KBIS Briarlands Matilda has put the 32 year old rider into the bronze medal winning position after cross country with one of only three double clear rounds the entire day. Yesterday Izzy was a little disappointed with her dressage result saying that maybe she didn’t ask for enough in the arena but today the pair shone on cross country

Izzy Taylor

       Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul

Gemma Tattersall

47.30 – moved up from 35^th to 7^th

One of the other double clears came from another British rider Gemma Tattersall on Arctic Soul and her absolute delight with how well this horse, that last year proved too strong at Burghley, responded to her on the tricky course

Gemma Tattersall

       Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff

Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff

75.50 - Moved up from 57^th to 30^th

The Irish team had a woeful day but the diminutive Camilla Speirs and her equally small but amazingly talented Portersize Just a Jiff showed that, to misquote Mark Twain, it isn’t the size of the horse in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the horse. This little ‘wonder pony’ bounded around the course with ease and set off again with equal enthusiasm even after being held

Camilla Speirs

Some other big movers on cross country day were;

Dirk Schrade (GER) -  moved from 24^th to 8^th

Tim Lips (NED) - moved from 38^th to 20^th

Peter Thomsen (GER) – moved from 34^th to 12^th

Sam Watson (IRE) – moved from 27^th to 13^th

Michael Ryan (IRE) – moved from 50^th to 14^th

Luca Roman (ITA) – moved from38th to 15^th

Theo Van De Vendel (NED) – moved from 62^nd to 23^rd