Who made the cut? British European dressage teams revealed and why there’s no pony squad

British Dressage has named the youth teams selected to represent Britain at the 2025 European Championships.

The children, pony, and junior teams will head to Le Mans, France (28 July- 3 August), and the young rider and under-25 teams will compete in Kronberg, Germany (10-13 July).

Annabella Pidgley – Britain’s most decorated youth rider with 10 medals across three age groups – will lead the under-25 squad with Vamos Amigos, having opted not to compete last year’s double gold medallist Gio.

Following Ella-Grace Dovey’s historic win in the children-on-horses division last year with Sheepcote Jackson, selectors will field a team in this class for the first time.

But there will be no British pony team this year. In 2023, Abigail Gray claimed freestyle gold and individual silver with George Clooney BS (Caesar 171 x Santano), and the team finished fourth. Abigail has since aged out of ponies, and George Clooney BS was sold to Sweden in December.

Selectors concluded that the remaining pony riders were not yet ready for championship level.

Selectors explain decision not to field a pony team this year

“Each age category is selected on its own merits,” BD international director Judy Harvey told H&H. “The selectors are under no obligation to select teams or individuals in any age category if the selection criteria have not been met.

“Based on the scores achieved at the FEI pony European Championships in 2024, an average score of 70.219% would have been required to be in the top six teams in the final classification. The scores achieved by our pony riders this year fell short of the required standard, and based on last year’s results, a reproduction of the average scores for the top four riders from this season would have resulted in a ninth-place finish overall in the team competition, out of 10 teams.”

Judy added that the panel carefully considered sending individuals instead, but agreed it was not the right step at this stage of their development.

“It was unanimously agreed that it was not in the best interests of any of the combinations to take part in the championships at this stage in their development, both in terms of their progression in the sport and international standing as individuals,” she said.

“We are aware of the stress and pressure that children can be put under at championship level, and it was concluded that this could be detrimental to their future progression, by undermining their confidence at a crucial stage.”

Riders’ parents self-funding the trip was therefore ruled out.

“We have a duty of care to our young people, and we agreed that it would not be in their best interests to send riders to the championships in the knowledge that they would not be competitive,” Judy explained. “Therefore, self-funding was not an option.”

Support will instead be directed toward training and experience at CDI level, with a view to selection in future seasons.

“I must emphasise that this was a performance-based decision, not a financial one, as the BD board is always very supportive in funding under-21 teams at championships where it is warranted on merit,” Judy said.

“While the combinations selected for the children-on-horses team also did not completely fulfil the selection criteria, three of them were part qualified, and the scores already achieved this season indicate that they should be good enough to be competitive, despite their relative inexperience.”

British Dressage European Championships 2025 youth teams

Under-25:

Harrison Ashton with his own and Henri Rouste’s 10-year-old Million Dreams (by Millenium, out of a mare by Sandro Hit)

Lilah Gibbs with her own 14-year-old Dude III (by Dancier, out of a mare by Rubinstein)

Charlotte Lutener with her own 15-year-old Full Fusion BS (by Blue Hors Zack)

Annabella Pidgley with Sarah Pidgley’s 13-year-old Vamos Amigos (by Vitalis, out of a mare by Hotline)

Young riders:

Teghan Cantrell-Bennett with Christine Cantrell’s 20-year-old Woodlander Donna Summer (by Woodlander Del Amitri).

Mette Dahl with Fiona Bigwood’s 16-year-old Fidelio Van Het Bloemenhof (by Fidertanz, out of a mare by Jazz)

India Durman-Mills with Verity Saul’s 16-year-old Escade (by Jazz).

Isobel Lickley with Rob and Nicola Lickley’s 10-year-old Katniss (by Galaxie, out of a mare by Charmeur)

First reserve

Sophie Wallace with Laura Tomlinson and Ursula Bechtolsheimer’s 15-year-old Fallatijn Van Kairos (by Vivaldi, out of a mare by Cabochon)

Juniors:

Myles Graham with Josephine Eley’s 13-year-old Nibeley Black Pearl (by Nibeley Union Jack, out of a mare by Conto)

Abigail Gray with Fenella Quinn’s 16-year-old Empire B (by Sting, out of a mare by OO Seven)

Demi Howard-Cartwright with Lorna Wilson’s nine-year-old Newton Astro Nascente (by Apache, out of a mare by Don Schufro)

Isla Sully with Cassandra Sully’s 16-year-old Vagabond de Massa (by Reito, out of a mare by Xaquiro)

First reserve

Madi Haerr with Morgan Haerr’s 19-year-old Floran (by Florestan, out of a mare by Rosenkoenig)

Children-on-horses:

Melissa Hargreaves with her own nine-year-old Lagerfeld W (by Daily Diamond, out of a mare by Albaran)

Oriana McNamara with Andrea McNamara’s nine-year-old Lafite (by Bordeaux, out of a mare by Vivaldi)

Rose Punchard with Samantha Bloor’s 16-year-old Elason (by Sorento)

Lily Waller McSweeney with Jacquie Waller’s 15-year-old Willinga Park Sky Diamond (by Sir Donnerhall, out of a mare by Don Schufro)

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