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Course walking and arena familiarisation: photos of the British Olympic eventing team’s day at Versailles

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • The British Olympic event horses moved into the beautiful venue in Versailles, Paris, yesterday and they and their riders have had a busy day today ahead of tomorrow’s first horse inspection.

    Let’s get a glimpse of what Ros Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Yasmin Ingham have been up to – and of course, Lordships Graffalo, London 52, JL Dublin and Banzai Du Loir…

    This morning, the team walked the cross-country course, designed by Pierre Le Goupil.

    Tom McEwen eyes up fence 6ab, with performance manager Dickie Waygood looking on

    This afternoon, each nation was given an allocated time to work horses in and around the main arena. The riders and horses progressed from the warm-up arenas behind the stand into the stadium, where they initially rode around the outside of the dressage arena while the team before them were between the white boards. Then, they had around 15 minutes in the actual arena where the tests will take place on Saturday.

    British Olympic event horses: London 52

    Laura Collett and London 52 – owned by Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and his rider – enter one of the warm-up arenas.

    The main arena at Versailles

    All four British Olympic event horses produced some great work under the watchful eye of team officials including Dickie and coach Chris Bartle.

    British Olympic event horses

    Laura rides London 52 in a jumping saddle

    British Olympic event horses: JL Dublin

    Tom McEwen practises some lateral work with Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin

    British Olympic event horses: Banzai Du Loir

    Alternate rider Yasmin Ingham pilots Banzai Du Loir, owned by Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund.

    British Olympic event horses: Lordships Graffalo

    World number one Ros Canter puts in some work with Michele and Archie Saul’s Lordships Graffalo

    Grooms Alison Bell (Banzai Du Loir), Adam Short (JL Dublin), Sarah Charnley (Lordships Graffalo) and Tilly Hughes (London 52) were also in attendance.

    The Brits will be the 18th of 27 nations to come forward at the trot-up tomorrow and the inspection starts at 9.30am local time (8.30am British time).

    Other nations assess the course

    We also caught some of the other riders on camera checking out the track.

    Team member Karim Laghouag (left) and coach Thierry Touzaint lead the way for France

    Tim Price goes barefoot

    Coaches Angela Tucker (left) and Pippa Funnell with the Japanese team

    Reigning Olympic champion Julia Krajewski, who was called into the German team from the alternate spot yesterday

    The German camp, including coach Peter Thomsen (left) and team members Michael Jung (centre) and Christoph Wahler (right)

    Pictures by Peter Nixon

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    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

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