‘One hell of a feeling’: Laura Collett seizes the lead on a topsy-turvy cross-country day at the Blenheim European Championships

Laura Collett has revived British hopes at the Agria Blenheim European Championships with a superb cross-country round that secured the overnight lead ahead of showjumping. They clocked just six time-faults – on a day when no one made the optimum time – which would relegate dressage leader and Olympic champions Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH into second.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more from London,” said Laura. “He kept on fighting, though he was feisty at the start which put me off as I couldn’t find a rhythm. Halfway through I gave him a terrible ride through the rollercoaster, then he was magic and galloped all the way to the end.”

Laura was the final Brit out of the startbox on a quite extraordinary cross-country day, when the formbook turned upside down. Four of the five Brits thus far had fallen off, with only Tom McEwen flying through the finish flags with one of the fastest rounds.

“It’s been hideous waiting today but once I got on him, I felt he’s my horse of a lifetime and gives me no reason not to trust him,” she said. “I can put him on the line and let him do the rest, that’s what he likes. He’s an amazing jumper, so to have that belief in him and he rewards me like that is one hell of a feeling.”

Laura was nursing her second-placed dressage score of 20.6, and although her team duties had evaporated, the pressure still rested on this fabulous pairing to lift the nation’s hopes.

“It was a tiny bit less pressure without the team riding on my shoulders but I’m gutted for them, so it’s mixed feelings,” she said. “Once I was on I had a job to do, we still wanted the same result – clear and fast.”

How Laura Collett galloped into gold position over Blenheim European Championships cross-country

It’s testament to the pair’s smooth rhythm as Laura was having to rein in the hard-pulling London a little, but this combination only know how to go in fifth gear and they duly sailed home for the second-fastest time all day.

“It’s a bit of a blur,” Laura added. “I had great advice from Tom, who said ‘save a little bit for the end, and really get stuck in’. It was hard work out there, but we’ve really worked on London’s fitness since Luhmühlen, as I felt I hadn’t quite got him to the point I had before – he’s more laid back now and a bit older – so we’ve kept him really fit, so hopefully he’ll feel amazing tomorrow.”

It was a confident and feisty round throughout, with London really attacking the technical arena and front lawn fences, where Laura had to ask him to wait. She held for five at the corner at the water (fence 20) where team-mate Piggy March was unseated earlier when Halo took a stride out, but London has such a massive stride and scope, he made this influential track look fairly straightforward. He even jumped the high part of the brush at the final fence, showing how much energy he still had left in him.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 21 September), Laura and London will bid to win their first individual gold. But there’s little breathing space ahead of Michael Jung – she has no fences in hand and only 1.7 time-faults to take the title.

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