Sarah Bullimore's Lilly Corinne, substituting for Dani Evans's Smart Time, looked superbly fit
70 competitors from 15 nations will contest the Longines FEI European Championships at Blair Castle this week.
Three horses were sent to the holding box at this afternoon’s first horse inspection, held in the Main Arena at Blair Castle; Ludwig Svennerstal’s Franzipan and Maria Pinedo Sendagorta’s Carriem van Colen Z were accepted on re-presenting but sadly Russia’s Indigo Pyreneen presented by Igor Atrokhev was not accepted and their competition ends there.
Several horses were either feeling the chill of the air or are just so fit, ready to tackle the soaring hills that surround the impressive white castle, that they put on a little show for the spectators and Ground Jury. William Fox-Pitt’s Bay My Hero, who can be a bit of a handful on these occasions, had a little hop and skip (and we’re not talking about Dirk Schrade’s horse), Kitty King’s Persimmon looked as he would trot off into the sunset if left unchecked and Carlos Diaz Fernandez’s Junco CP put in some almighty bucks when asked to trot again as he had pretty much cantered it the first time.
Then again maybe not many of the horses had seen people in kilts before and the Ground Jury of Sue Baxter (GBR), Andrew Bennie (NZL), Sandor Fulop (HUN) with Technical Delegate Des Hughes (AUS) looked impressive in their traditional Scottish outfits. The official Best Presented Male rider went to Emiliano Portale in his stylish uniform and Louise Svensson Jähde won the magum of Pol Roger champagne for the Best Dressed female rider (guess who will be popular tonight?) but the Ground Jury got our overall vote, especially Sue Baxter’s hat
Louise Svensson Jähde - Best Dressed Female
After the Austrian rider, Margit Appelt, who trotted up in traditional uniform last year at Blenheim I’ve always been hoping that teams at international Championships would appear in lederhosen or Beefeater outfits but apart from the Ground Jury’s Scottish theme, sadly we didn’t get anything exciting. The Irish riders also followed the Scottish theme in their tweed jackets and the French always look impossibly handsome in their red trousers and blue blazers but the men in uniform (and there were four today), regardless of their country, generally take the biscuit.
Emiliano Portale - Best Dressed Male
The Polish representative, Jacek Jeruzal had a few problems getting there but finally made it just before the end of the inspection to present Flandia 2 then, with the first horse inspection out of the way the teams for each country were announced;
The Netherlands
Theo van de Vendel Zindane
Alice Naber-Lozeman Harry Belafonte
Merel Blom Rumour Has It N.O.P.
Tim Lips Keyflow N.O.P
Ireland
Joseph Murphy Sportsfield Othello
Padraig McCarthy Simon Porloe
Michael Ryan Ballylynch Adventure
Austin O’Connor Balham Houdini
Italy
Luca Roman Castlewoods Jake
Giovanni Ugolotti Oplitas
Arianna Schivo Quefira de l’Ormeau
Pietro Roman Barraduff
Great Britain
Kitty King Persimmon
Nicola Wilson One Two Many
Pippa Funnell Sandman 7
William Fox-Pitt Bay My Hero
Germany
Dirk Schrade Hop and Skip
Michael Jung fischerTakinou
Sandra Auffarth Opgun Louvo
Ingrid Klimke Horseware Hale Bob
France
Lt Col Thibaut Vallette Qing du Briot ENE HN
Karim Florent Laghouag Entebbe de Hus
Thomas Carlile Sirocco du Gers
Mathieu Lemoine Bart L
Sweden
Johan Lundin Johnny Cash
Anna Nilsson Luron
Sara Algotsson Ostholt Reality 39
Niklas Lindback Cendrillon
The Sendagorta sisters from Spain are going to be jolly difficult to tell apart on cross country
Spain
Albert Hermoso Farras Hito CP
Cristina Pinedo Sendagorta Helena XII
Maria Pinedo Sendagorta Carriem van Colen Z
Carlos Diaz Fernandez Junco CP
Switzerland
Ben Vogg Ballaney Castle
Patrizia Attinger Raumalpha
Camille Guyot Lamac de Vulbens
Jasmin Gambirasio That’s It
Belgium
Karin Donckers Lamicell Unique or Fltech Van’t Verahof
Joris Vanspringel Lully des Aulnes
Giel Vanhouche Figaro de Verby
The British team announced a squad substitution this morning with Smart Time, ridden by British squad first-timer Dani Evans, withdrawn as he ‘wasn’t quite himself’. Another British team member Pippa Funnell has had many years experience at this Championship level but admits to still having nerves, as she told Rupert Bell
Pippa Funnell
Pippa Funnell and Sandman 7
Young Scottish rider Oliva Wilmot will ride the guinea pig test at 10am on Zebedee De Foja tomorrow before the real action commences with Theo Van De Vendel and Zindane for The Netherlands first into the arena so stay tuned .........
