Great Britain has won a sensational silver medal at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships in Spain on Friday 18 July.
“We’re delighted,” said British anchor rider Scott Brash. “We were very close – just very unlucky really. But it’s been a great team, with great team spirit this week.“
High pressure at European Showjumping Championships
The quartet of Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly), Matt Sampson (Medoc De Toxandria), Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette) and Scott Brash (Hello Folie) came into the team final in the gold medal position, but with a narrow lead over Begium and Germany for the final showdown.
Pathfinder Ben Maher set the ball rolling with a vital clear round with the 12-year-old Tilly, who is owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright and looked after by groom Gwen Bellamy.
But when faults came in for first Matt Sampson, who battled on courageously after an unexpected elimination with Medoc the previous day, and then Millfield Colette picked up her first faults of the contest with Donald, the squad slipped behind a dominant Belgium in the medal standings.
The Belgian squad claimed the gold with a clear from their final rider Gilles Thomas riding Ermitage Kalone.
But the remaining podium places were still to be decided. It all rested with Scott Brash, who was once again the last athlete to enter the ring on day three of these European Showjumping Championships and Great Britain’s fate lay in his hands.
Displaying every ounce of trademark cool that has helped him win two Olympic golds and four further championship medals – as well as jumping clear the previous day with only one rein – the resilient Scotsman earned silver for Great Britain with a superb clear on Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s chestnut mare Hello Folie, a 10-year-old mare jumping at her first championship.
“She’s feisty and she wants to get on with the job,” said Scott. “So she can make it challenging at times. But she tries very hard when she gets there.
“Ben has done incredible job this week – sometimes people just expect it from it from him, because he’s been so consistent, so good over the years. But I thought he really rode Dallas fantastic today and yesterday.
“Matt had the hiccup yesterday and that didn’t really help for today, but he regrouped well and still put a score on the board. So he’s a great team man to have around. His time will come but it’s great he’s got a medal. He deserves it. He works hard, and he’s going to be there for the future. Donald had a great championship too.”
A welcome silver medal for brilliant British team
Great Britain finished on 7.96, barely two penalties behind winners Belgium (5.61), with Germany taking the bronze medal (8.19).
Reigning Olympic gold medallists Great Britain last claimed a team medal at the European Showjumping Championships in 2019, when Ben and Scott were on the team that won bronze, and before that in 2013 they celebrated team gold in Herning. But this marks a first championship medal for both Donald Whitaker and Matt Sampson.
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