A nine-time youth medallist, Laura Collett, 36, has won three five-stars and five senior championship medals with her own, Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott’s London 52, including two Olympic team golds and individual bronze in Paris. At the Agria European Eventing Championships at Blenheim in September this year, the pair finally won the senior individual gold medal that Laura has coveted for so long.
In the 13 November issue of H&H magazine – in shops now – Laura tells H&H’s editor Pippa Roome about the final build-up to her epic performance. Here’s a taster of a week that ended so much more gloriously than it started…
The run up to Blenheim in Laura’s own words…
On Tuesday before the championships began, I had a dressage lesson with Ian Woodhead before I left home. It was a total disaster and I had a complete meltdown. Ian kept laughing and saying, “Don’t panic,” and I was like, “Panic? I’m going to the Europeans and I can’t do a flying change.”
He said, “Don’t worry, I’ve ordered 20 flying changes special delivery on Amazon.”
I was not in the best mood arriving at Blenheim.
We’d been told who was riding on the team and as individuals, plus the order, the week before, but it’s always open to change until after the trot-up. We’d been asked our ideal position – I said I didn’t mind third or fourth, but I’d like number four and I felt the horse had earned that. On my pony, junior and young rider teams I was always number four… so perhaps I need that spot to get an individual gold.
Laura Collett and London 52 looking relaxed at the Blenheim European Championships first trot-up. Credit: Peter Nixon
On Wednesday morning, Tom McEwen and I went hacking together for about 90 minutes and then I did five or 10 minutes stretching with Dan, but I wasn’t ready to try a flying change.
I had a lesson with Ian on Thursday morning, thinking that if necessary I could school Dan again in the afternoon. But the flying changes were perfect, so I was a lot happier after that!
Championships are funny – you are fitting in course walks, which took a long time with the water crossings and timing them to walk the arena fence when the dressage isn’t running, watching team-mates and riding your horse. At the end of the day, you feel like you haven’t stopped, but equally you haven’t done that much.
On Friday morning, I took Dan up the canter track and then did some canter poles, all in his jump saddle. It’s a way to get some energy out without having to drill him and it gives him some playtime.
I replayed some of my previous tests to get in the zone, and went through everything I needed to remember in my head.
“He needs the crowd”: Laura Collett at the European Championships
I got on Dan just over 40 minutes before my test time and trotted up to the arena. Sometimes we’ve overdone it in the warm-up, so I kept giving him little breaks. It was quite hard mentally – you feel like you should be doing something, but I know him so well and I was adamant I wasn’t going to overcook him.
As I circled in the final warm-up, Dan grabbed the bit and shoved his head in the air. I was thinking, “Oh no, I wish I hadn’t given him so many walks.” He loves to wind me up.
London 52 puts his best foot forward for the test itself, despite a moment of high jinks beforehand. Credit: Peter Nixon
The test went to plan except the last centre line, where Dan started to park up early. Ground jury president Sandy Phillips was laughing and I was too – I felt like I was kicking to keep him in canter after such a beautiful test!
We scored 20.6 to sit second behind Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH. I was relieved. There are such high expectations with Dan and every test he’s done this year has been nice, but lacking the wow feeling. He needs the crowd – he’ll only give it his all when it really matters and that’s fine by me.
- Read Laura’s moment by moment review of her Europeans week in this week’s Horse & Hound (13 November).
If you enjoyed this, you may also be interested to read…
‘This tops everything’: glorious gold for Laura Collett and London 52 at Blenheim European Championships
London 52 – meet Laura Collett’s eventing superstar who had to learn to go across country
From a wild Welshie to her new European champion, Laura Collett picks out 6 horses who’ll always have her heart
The Horse & Hound Podcast 170: European eventing champion Laura Collett on London 52’s career
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