News

Bonne Chance Team NAF

  • Written By: British Dressage
  • Published: Mon, 09 Jul 2018 21:38 GMT

With Team NAF arrived and settled into the Grand Parquet Fontainebleau, France, it’s time to look ahead to this year’s Children on Horses, Junior and Young Rider European Championships and wish our seven representatives good luck.

Six thrilling days of competition will take place from Tuesday with the Children on Horses Preliminary test getting the action underway in the Spring Garden dressage arena. Part one of the Junior Team test will also start on Tuesday before the Young Riders competition commences on Wednesday morning.

The news just in is that all of the British horses are safely through the vet inspection which took place this morning. This is a great start and now the super seven will move on to focusing on the busy week of tests ahead.

Fontainebleau, located southeast of Paris, has a rich history of equestrian events and regularly hosts major dressage, jumping and eventing tournaments. Being able to host all three disciplines makes this show centre a jewel in the crown of continental Championship venues and this year allows for a unique experience for the 16 and over age groups, as all three disciplines will battle for their medals alongside one another. This is a regular occurrence in the Pony ranks but marks an unusual change for the Juniors, Young Riders and Children on Horses.

Watch every second of the drama unfold live on FEI TV as Europe’s bright dressage stars of the future go head to head to win the eight prestigious on offer.

Great Britain’s Team NAF will be hoping for personal bests and spots in the Freestyle finals, all with the hope of bringing home an elusive medal.

The favourites at each level will without doubt be the consistent teams from Germany, lead by the multi-medaled Semmieke Rothenberger who will contest the Young Rider event. The team in orange will aim to be hot on their heels, last year’s Junior Freestyle Gold Medalist Daphne Van Peperstraten returns this year to spearhead the Dutch campaign. The teams from Sweden and Denmark will be sure feature too, whilst a strong Children on Horses team from Russia will hope to stake their claim following a good performance at the Nations Cup competition in Hagen earlier this summer.

British Dressage wish luck to Team NAF’s Alex Harrison, Anna Jesty, Charlotte Dicker, Lewis Carrier, Jessica McConkey, Maddy Whelan and Lily Payne. Show your support and wish the team good luck via our Facebook coverage of the event, click here to follow their progress.

Thanks go to NAF, LeMieux and Land Rover for their support of the British Under 21s Championship teams as well as all those behind the scenes who have contributed to the success of the seven riders so far.