{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

‘I had the naivety of youth’ – Zara Tindall relives her week winning double gold at the 2005 European Championships at Blenheim

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • As we enjoy the Agria European Championships at Blenheim this week (17-21 September), 20 years on from the last championship at the Oxfordshire venue, Zara recalls that week in an exclusive feature for Horse & Hound subscribers

    Zara Tindall and Toytown galloping through lashing rain to win the gold is the enduring image of the 2005 Blenheim European Championships, remaining in the minds of many who were spectators on that memorable cross-country day. Here’s this special story of those few days in Zara’s own words…

    Zara Tindall tells her 2005 Blenheim Europeans story

    Back in 2005, the home nation could take 12 riders to a European Championships. Leslie Law, Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt and Jeanette Brakewell were selected for the team and four of the individuals were named straight after Badminton Horse Trials, then the rest of us were called up later.

    Toytown – who we called Noddy or sometimes Ginge – and I had been under-25 champions at Bramham Horse Trials in 2002, then young rider individual silver medallists that year, followed by second at Burghley Horse Trials in 2003. He was injured in 2004 and in 2005 went to Luhmühlen Horse Trials for the first five-star there. We finished second to Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo, earning selection initially as individuals.

    It was an amazing feeling to get that call-up for a first senior championship, especially on home turf, and I knew Toytown was worthy of being there.

     You may also be interested in:

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Pippa Roome
    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.
    Pippa Roome

    You may like...