Britain out of the running for team medals at Blenheim Europeans as second team rider eliminated across country
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Britain is out of the team competition after a fall for second team rider Piggy March on the Agria Blenheim European Championships cross-country course.
Piggy was enjoying a great round with Jayne McGivern’s lovely grey stallion Halo, until he took off a stride early at the filled-in brush corner in the GFS Saddles Water (fence 10abc). He launched himself at the fence, hitting it low down on the front face and struggling awkwardly across it, throwing Piggy out of the saddle. She was soon up on her feet.
The elimination of Piggy March on the Blenheim European Championships cross-country track follows a fall for Yasmin Ingham from Rehy DJ earlier today. With each of these riders now carrying 1000 penalties, the British team, which runs in partnership with Agria, has lost any chance of team medals this week.
Britain’s other team riders, Laura Collett with London 52 (second after dressage) and Tom McEwen on JL Dublin (third after dressage), will now try to salvage some medals for Britain by fighting for individual honours. Bubby Upton, an individual at her first senior championship, is also in the mix in eighth after dressage with Its Cooley Time.
Britain’s failure to bring home a team medal from this European Championships after the success of team gold at last year’s Paris Olympics mirrors the lack of team medals at the 2022 World Championships in the season following the team gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. On both occasions the British team started as favourites, but the unpredictable nature of eventing has been on show in both post-Olympic years.
No British riders have finished the cross-country course yet today – first individual rider Caroline Harris was also eliminated for a fall at the FEI Mounds from D. Day.
Mark Phillips’ cross-country track is proving tough and no one has made the 10min 1sec optimum time yet. There have been 10 jumping clears from 17 starters.
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