Throughout the five days of competition, 57 combinations from across the five Grades will head down the centreline, representing their country in three separate competitions. Wednesday and Thursday will see the Individual champion crowned, then on Friday and Saturday, thirteen of the Nations will step forward to contest the Team title and finally, the crowd-pleasing Grand Prix Freestyle will take place on Sunday for the best placed individuals to compete for the medals once more.
Ones to watch in the team competition
With no qualifying places for the Los Angeles Paralympics up for grabs this year, defending champions, the Netherlands, who emphatically claimed the gold medal in Riesenbeck (GER) in 2023, have opted to field a completely new team consisting of Tessa Baaijens-Van De Vrie and Happy Grace, Loes Cevaal with Happy Hero, Britney de Jong on Caramba N.O.P and team lynchpin Rixt Van Der Horst riding the striking Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. Even in doing so, the quartet head to the competition as one of the favourites on their home soil.
Denmark lay down the gauntlet
In amongst the other strong Team contenders are Denmark who will be strongly represented by their Paralympic team of Katrine Kristensen on board Goerklintgaards Quater, Karla Dyhm-Junge riding Miss Daisy, Tobias Thorning Joergensen with Jolene Hill and Pia Wulff Jelstrup on Zafia, a team who will be gunning for a medal after missing out at the Paris Paralympics just twelve months ago.
Hot on their heels will be the German team, who bring forward three out of their four silver medallists from the 2023 Europeans in Heidemarie Dresing, Regine Mispelkamp and Melanie Wienand, albeit on different mounts Poesie 143, Pramwaldhof’s Bayala, and Lemony’s Loverboy, respectively. Fourth member is Isabell Nowak on Siracusa OLD, newcomers to a European Championships but fresh from their squad appearance at Paris 2024.
British stalwarts and debutants
Displaying a depth in national talent is Great Britain who will be represented by a mix of experience and Championship first timers, with Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau heading to their second Europeans and Mari Durward-Akhurst with her Paralympic bronze medallist and team GB stalwart, 18-year-old Athene Lindebjerg heading up the team. Joining them are Jemima Green on a quality young horse in the 7-year-old Fantabulous, and Nicola Naylor who has been notching up some exciting scores ahead of her debut with Humberto L.
Rounding up the team contenders are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Sweden.
Individual promise
Crowd Favourites, Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and his European, World and Paralympic gold medallist partner King Of The Dance are the ones to beat in Grade I, with the ever-smiling individual athlete almost unbeatable at Championship level. Great Britain’s Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau will be the combination desperate to improve on their silver medal behind Snikus at the 2023 Europeans, with her sights firmly set on her first gold. But they will need to beat Italy’s Sara Morganti and her Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 medal winning mount, the indomitable Mariebelle.
Grade II will see the clash of the titans that are Austria’s Pepo Puch onboard his Championship first timer Royale Choice, against Denmark’s Kristensen on her Paralympic partner Goerklintgaards Quater and former Rio Paralympic gold medallist, Norway’s Ann Cathrin Lübbe who will be aiming high with her new Championship mount, the promising Lucelli. Not to be forgotten also, is Germany’s Heidemarie Dresing on her long-term ride, Poesie 143 who come to the Netherlands with a host of podium places in 2025 already.
Grade III sees Paralympic silver medallists Van Der Horst and Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. put their best foot forward for Netherlands to strengthen the young horse’s Championship experience, and Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Joergensen will be looking forward to making his Championship comeback with Jolene Hill after a disappointing 2024. Ireland’s Katie Reilly will be competing in her first Championship on Keystone Dawn Chorus, a mare who had previous Paralympic success under Great Britain’s Natasha Baker and will certainly be one to watch.
Grade IV is set for the highest number of entrants with 14 riders competing for the Individual title. Belgium’s Manon Claeys – De Pauw will take Naomi Sollenburg having campaigned the 7-year-old mare internationally for the first time this year, looking to replicate or improve upon her bronze medal from Riesenbeck. France has its best hopes of an individual medal here, fielding two competitors in the Grade with Paralympic teammates Vladimir Vinchon and Alexia Pittier on board Pegase Mayenne and Sultan 768, respectively.
The omission of longterm names from Grade V such as Great Britain’s Sophie Wells, the Netherlands’ Frank Hosmer and Belgium’s Michelle George, leaves the door wide open for the Grade V medals. Notable challengers are the Netherlands’ Britney De Jong with Caramba N.O.P who have been on fine form this year, and German team stalwart Mispelkamp with Championship newcomer Pramwaldhof’s Bayala.
A changing of the guard
With this year’s competition missing some notable historical champions across the Grades, we are certain to see some new victors being crowned at what promises to be an unforgettable Championship in an incredible and prestigious location known not only for its impeccable equine facilities but also its royal connections and international status. Join us for what is set to be an incredible week of sport.
Source: FEI Press Release by Amy Powell
