“It was a big honour to kick off this championship track and I told everybody there’s no better horse to be sat on, he’s so genuine and so honest.”
Nadja Minder, Switzerland
“It was a very tense course, you need a horse that’s quite adjustable. Open up and then have a few big combinations so you need to rideability. He was amazing but a little tired and didn’t have the adjustability at the end. He was so honest and amazing along his lines. Couldn’t ask for a better horse”.
Giovanni Ugolotti, Italy
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Chistoffer Forsberg, Sweden
“It was intense, we had a lot of fun, but it was something you really had to work to finish and he was so honest and brave like always so we enjoyed it a lot.”
Libussa Lübbeke, Germany
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Luc Chateau, France
“It walked a very difficult track and I looked forward to riding it. I was a little keen at the start of the first water but through the arena and out by the palace, he was so amazing, and it gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the course. I think I lost the front shoe before I got to the main arena when I turned back on the box. I think the horse horse was ready to be much bigger, but look, I think clear rounds are important today and I’m super happy with him.”
Padraig McCarthy, Ireland
“He was jumping out of his skin. Incredibly proud. What a horse. Like, in the warm up, I was a little bit concerned, he was jumping too high and ballooning and everything. So I jumped a few fences, let him have a breather, jumped again. He was a little bit better but like, what a horse. Hey you could put a two year-old on him and he’d go round that track. Honestly, you think you just say go here and he’s like, okay, there’s the flags. I never had to like squeeze him inside the flag. He’s just so honest. He loves it.”
Sarah Ennis, Ireland
“I know I can trust him. So he rode as I thought, that it was hard work. But I think at the end of the course is really horse friendly. Because it’s quite softer at the end the combination now is easier. And so even if the horse, like mine, was giving a little tired, I could bring him home safely”.
Gireg Le Coz, France
“Oh, he was amazing. I got a really good rhythm on the first few fences. I wasn’t expecting it, but I hoped for it and got a good rhythm. He was a bit surprised by the first water because it becomes unexpected for him, but he did a really good job.”
Nicolai Aldinger, Germany
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Caroline Harris, Great Britain
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Daniele Bizzarro, Italy
“I was thinking I was not fast enough at the beginning, but now I think I was really fast. But it was so easy. He’s really with me and he trusts me, I trust him, so it’s perfect.
Mélody Johner, Switzerland
“She was very, very good. She’s only a nine year old, and she never would have jumped anything like that before. So I’m very, very happy with that. We took a couple of long routes just as the team ordered. She was very, very good. I was very, very happy with that. “
Paolo Torlonia, Italy
“It was was very, very impressive at the beginning, so I had to cut the tempo a little bit because I was afraid that he would make too much at the beginning, and then he would be too tired because it’s a lot of uphill here. And he was great, and I did all the straight ways. And at the end, after the last water complex, I felt the tiredness a little bit, but he went through the finish and I’m very happy.”
Harald Ambros, Austria
“It’s quite a green horse on this level. Her mother Gazelle did a lot, but it’s always challenging to see whether you have a championship horse or not. And in the beginning, I felt she was a bit impressed with the height of fences, and I had to say, “Hey, come on, girl, you can do this.” And then she was great on the main arena, on the corners, she did everything really well. I felt like she grew up already in that part of the cross country. And then, of course, in the end you have to deal with the fact that they get a bit longer, that they get a bit more tired, and that’s where I maybe could have ridden a bit better myself, especially on the coffin, which was not the most difficult fence, but I lost my stirrup, and my stirrup was behind the saddle, and then it took me a little to get it back.”
Karin Doncker, Belgium
“Oh it was just awesome. So this is just incredible. He was really nervous more than before other competitions, but then he was just really on fire and I just had a little problem at the beginning to hold him and to not ride too fast because I saw that some of the horses were a little bit tired at the finish. But he was unbelievable. He was running until the finish and jumped very well. And at the technical stuff, so he was so concentrated and really wanted to do it in a good way, so that was amazing.”
Malin Hansen-Hotopp, Germany
“It’s not too bad. My horse was really amazing. He was inside the time for the first minutes. But he did well. And after the the turn and the water and the corner top at the hill, he jumped amazing, and I said, okay, now it’s okay. Just keep going. And he was amazing.”
Sebastien Cavaillon, France
“He was super. I mean, he’s just such a machine to gallop, and I had a very smooth ride until that moment at the end, and I think I give everyone a heart attack including myself. But he was amazing. He just has a fifth leg. He has that Irish breeding, and he just he just knows to get through the flags and yeah, I know I’m absolutely chuffed to bits with him.”
Robbie Kearns, Ireland
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Aistis Vitkauskas, Lithuania
“I still actually processing it. He was fab and we took everything, every question on its own and not chasing anything, just trying to nurture him home. And he nurtured me home, so I had to hold his hand at some point. He had to hold my hands at some point. I’m delighted.”
Kumru (Kuki) Say, Turkey
“It’s very fast, but I can go faster. I saw the other riders go fast at at the start, at five minutes, all horses are exhausted. So my strategy is to start slow until the seventh minute and after I can I can push him and I think it was a good strategy, and I am very happy with my horse and I’m very happy to be here.”
Benjamin Massie, France
“I’m really happy with him. He’s only nine, and it was a big ask for him to come here. Maybe he didn’t go quite how I planned with him. He went a bit green at the big ditch brush at fence five, maybe slightly lost his confidence and then that first combination at six comes up comes up quite quick and I just felt that he’d, you know, it was a little bit overwhelmed so he had a glance off there. But then after that, I just thought, you know, he’s nine. We wanted to be able to jump tomorrow and just give him an educational trip. So I took a couple of extra long routes than I planned, but I’m generally like thrilled with him. He’ll have come on a lot from that.”
Yasmin Olsson Payne, Norway
“It was really great today. I was really enjoying it as I thought it was a big trak for my horse because it’s not that experienced on this level. He helped me everywhere and he was on the job and at first, before I had to go, I said, maybe I would do the alternative route at the end of fence 22. But it felt so good that I thought, he will jump anything today, so it was really nice.”
Florinoor Hoogland, Netherlands
“I’m really happy. She was amazing. It’s really tough course, and she did everything really well, so I’m really happy.”.
Pietro Majolino, Italy
“He’s a small horse, but he has a big heart, and he was doing really well, so very happy. It was a very difficult course. I made two mistakes myself, but the horse was fantastic, and he finished in a nice way and he’s very happy.”
Jaroslav Abik, Czech Republic
“Yeah, so really proud of the horse. Yeah, so the difficult things when we’re well, but the first water, which is a bit easier than the second one, Yeah, yeah, was a bit a small problem.. Okay. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you. Well done.
Christian Chabot, Luxembourg
“It was very good. Like, in between the combinations when I didn’t quite get it right, we got a bit close. I was like, oh, thanks for saving me there. But no, he was great. And I wasn’t quite sure how fit he was going to be with the hills and all the terrain. So I kind of played it a bit safe, and then at the end, I was quite happy I could still kick him on. So that’s pretty cool.”
Noémi Viola Doerfer, Hungary
“It was amazing. The ride there and the horse was amazing it was really great. Yeah, I’m really happy with the horse. Horse did amazing job”.
Sanna Siltakorpi, Finland
“Tell us what happens. Yeah, at number 6A. We know that this is the first question of the course. The horse saw the water very late. So that was the problem with me. I came up the hill and then the horse saw the water and all the people behind, and it was a bit quite, yeah. After that I’ve tried to be as fast as possible for the team. I think I would have a very good time. I know that the horse is very fast. It’s a shame for the team but yeah, it’s like that.”
Robin Godel, Switzerland
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Arianna Schivo, Italy
“I’m so happy with the young horse. She’s nine year old. I begin a little slow where she’s looking a lot at all the people, but she is feeling good and the combination was easy for her and, yeah, I’m proud of her.”
Katrin Khoddam – Hazrati, Austria
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Wouter de Cleene, Belgium
“I thought Dubbs was exceptional. I had a few words of wisdom this morning when I was walking the course, so definitely really helped me. And really just allowed him to take his time over the first few minutes and then build from there, really, and I thought it was he was pure quality. He was searching for flags, he found it nice and easy, a little bit, I allowed him just to run the statches, to give a little bit of time and other places just pressed a little bit more. So delighted with the Dubs and yeah, thrilled with his performance”.
Tom McEwen, Great Britain
“It was tough. But my horse really had and for me and yeah, it’s amazing. Yeah, how proud are you”.
Amanda Staam, Sweden
“Vinny was, once again, the most honest horse probably ever written in my career, or will ever ride in my career. He’s just fantastic. He sees a jump and he tries to get over it and always tries his very best, just amazing.”
Jérôme Robiné, Germany
“My horse was really amazing. I’m so proud of him. It’s a really, really good horse cross country and I’m really, really happy. I had a big jump on the third water and I took the long route because I have a really good jump, very big jump over the first into the water meaning that I couldn’t take the number. B. So I took the long route. I’m really, really happy with that”.
Alexis Goury, France
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Aoife Clark, Ireland
“I mean, she was faultless. She was just incredible. Like, she always is, I was up in time and just one mistake in the faultless round, to be honest. She runs quite on her head naturally. So I just let her do that. That is her. I’ve learned to ignore that bit in that one instance. I really needed to just take two seconds, get her head up, and let her see the fence. But she’s unaware that anything went wrong, she’s perfect”… God then super and
Susannah Berry, Ireland
“He just gave me such an amazing round. Again, he showed what kind of a power house he is. Jumping around with this technical difficult course.”
Calvin Böckmann, Germany
“I’m so happy to make it to the finish line, this is the horses fourth time in the class. So we are really, really happy to have him here at home.
Pavel Brezina, Czech Republic
“I live to fight him on the day. Just gutted for him because he was just flying and made it feel so easy. I guess it doesn’t always go your way and he just pecked on landing. I guess I was probably maybe a bit deep and then when he jumped, he jumped it really well. But then when he landed, yeah, he landed with not enough forward momentum and then pecked on landing, which was a real shame because he was flying and giving me an incredible feel. I was full of confidence and excited to tackle the rest of the course, but, obviously, the most important thing is that he’s absolutely fine.”
Bubby Upton, Great Britain
“He was fantastic. I really try to get on time. Like, as quick as possible. So I cut every centimetre I could and he felt really good, all honest with me, all the difficult questions, it was like a play in the park.”
Janneke Boonzaaijer, Netherlands
“Like expected it will rode tough. It was not really ideal for her with all the spectators and so on. So she was a bit spooky, already on the warm up, she was a bit backwards, so first four fences. And then, I had quite a good round the after the stadium, it was pretty good, but always there was some stuff in between when there was a forward distance and there’s a little bit of gap. She was a bit too careful, so decided the next four to ride the long way, and then just, tried as quickly as possible to come on.
Felix Vogg, Switzerland
“Maybe he didn’t feel as off the forehand at normal. So I just wasn’t seeing the strides I wanted to see. But he just kept on sorting himself out and I just sat up.”
Vittoria Panizzon, Italy
“It was amazing. It was fun to ride. The audience was incredible. We just enjoyed it. He was in good form. I went forward, he was fast and yeah, we had a good rhythm. Super happy, how with brave he was and just keeps jumping all the jumps where I told him.”
Lea Siegl, Austria
“It was really tough. She tried really hard out for me and I’m really, really happy. Have a pending 15 at the last combination, so a little bit annoying at the moment, but I think I’m clear, so, but you know, when it’s in the hand of the ground jury, you never push you know. But she was phenomenal, I’m so, so happy with her. She tried so hard and yeah, it was a pure joy to ride her.
Lara de Liedekerke – Meier, Belgium
“I can’t quite believe it to be honest. I had great advice from Tom who had a brilliant ride. Who said just to save a little bit for the end and just really get stuck in. There were problems all over the course.. It was hard work out there, but I couldn’t asked anymore of him. He just kept on fighting, he was feisty at the start, which sort of put me off a bit because I couldn’t really find a rhythm. It was sort of halfway through I gave him a terrible ride through the roller and then was like I’ve got to stop doing that. And then he was, you know, magic, you know, the top bit.. and coming home.”
Laura Collett, Great Britain
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Frida Anderson, Sweden
“Just the first water. I think every horse was a bit surprised there with the water, but he had a quick reaction and jumped it well and everything else went how I wanted it too. I tried to have a smooth round and pushing him not too much, just let him gallop and let him breathe on some places. Had a great feeling everywhere.”
Michael Jung, Germany
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Astier Nicolas, France
“Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s my second championship. So to be a part of the team and share with a little bit more experience than last was amazing and I said, was a bit of pressure to put on for the team. It didn’t completely go to plan as such, but had to get it done but that’s across country riding and yeah I’m delighted at that”.
Ian Cassells, Ireland
