Ermelo 25: Bronze triad opens the show

Britain's para equestrian team have got off the mark in style in Ermelo, the Netherlands, securing a trio of bronze medals in the individual competition across the opening two days of action. 

The FEI Para Dressage European Championship in Ermelo (NED) commenced early in the morning on Wednesday 4 September with the Grade II individual medals decided. 

Taking to the floor first holds enough pressure, and adding to that the heat of handling a first FEI European Championships British debutant Jemima Green (pictured) can be exceptionally proud of her opening performance. With her own expressive seven-year-old Fantabulous (Foundation x Furst Romancier), Jemima delivered a test full of confidence, rhythm and balance, and as the final competitor to take to the centre line in the Grade II class, she claimed an amazing bronze medal with a score of 73%. 

 “I’m feeling a lot of joy, and I'm very overwhelmed and surprised – I wasn't expecting this at our first championship!” said a delighted Jemima.   

“He’s only seven, so it was such a big ask for him to come in there and he really tried for me. He felt nervous, but he worked with me and it's just a bit of a shock to be honest. You hope for these kind of outcomes, don't you? But until it really happens, you don't realise it. For a seven-year-old in his first championship to come out and hold it together and listen and work with me… he's such a fantastic horse.  

“We have such an amazing relationship and it's just so nice. I've had him since he was four and to come out and do that, it's just amazing. It's been such a team effort with him,” she added.

Jemima was quick to praise her support team; “I have a very strong team. I've not been with them that long, but Georgie [Nicholls], who's my trainer and rider, not only loves Fanta just as much as me, but she really has an understanding of how he needs to go for me. She's so invested and she really thinks out of the box and, you know, how it’s going to work for me.  

“Then Maisie, who grooms and comes to all the shows, she just makes sure he's one hundred percent priority number one, looks after him and me, does my hair, and she just supports us and takes the best care of Fanta. We have a really good girl bond.”

Germany’s team stalwart Heidemarie Dresing clinched the gold with a classy performance riding the 10-year-old Poesie 143 for a score of 77.267%. The silver medal went to Katrine Kristensen of Denmark with her partner from the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, Goerklintgaards Quater, with the combination finishing on a score of 74.586%. Katrine also announced that she is competing while 21 weeks pregnant with her second child at this event.

The Grade I competition was next to take to centre stage at the National Equestrian Centre in Ermelo, which is home of the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) and serves as a knowledge, training and competition centre within Dutch equestrian sports.

Returning to the championship arena with aplomb, Mari Durward-Akhurst and the ever-dependable Grade I expert Athene Lindebjerg jumped straight back to the podium, earning the Grade I bronze on a score of 75.958%. The partnership have gone from strength-to-strength and showed their assurance with a classy test; their elegance and accuracy was rewarded with plenty of eights, and an exciting score on their record. 

“It feels amazing," reflected Mari, "it was a really good test. She was so forward, which was amazing, but I think if something had banged, we might have taken off! It was just in a few places, but no, I'm delighted with it. I think I was accurate – I looked for my cones – and she loved it. In all honesty, I hate this test because I find it really hard, but what really matters is we went in and followed the process."

“She's going the best she's ever gone – we’re in a different place to Paris now. It's like she's grown again, and she's here and she just absolutely loves it. That's what makes it so special, because she goes in like, ‘I've got this’, and she just loves every minute. It's so nice that she enjoys it so much,” she concluded. 

After making her team debut in Riesenbeck in 2023, Gabriella Blake returned to European Championship action with her own, Gavin and Estelle Blake's handsome Strong Beau. The pair were reserves for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and relished the chance to shine on the big occasion, delivering a great way of going and high quality work. Unfortunately an error of course hampered Gabby's opening score, with half a percent deduction from the total of each judge – even with that, their efforts earned 72.375% and fifth place in a seriously competitive class. Gabby's composure and ability to recover from mistakes shone through in a performance that showed much promise for the rest of the competition. 

“The test felt absolutely incredible until my little boo-boo. All I wanted to do today was go in and ride a confident test and give him confidence, and I did do that. Everything I've asked for, he did today,” Gabby reflected, “I went completely blank – it's never happened before, so I don't know what happened today, but obviously I'm human and things happen. Everywhere else, he gave me everything.”

Speaking about 'Beau', she added: "“He's very cheeky! Very, very cheeky. When I got him, he wasn't really anything – I got him from a sales livery and nobody wanted me to buy him, but I knew there and then that that was it. I’ve gone a long way to get him to where he is today, but he is my horse of a lifetime.  Every time I say that, I get emotional – he's literally my dream horse and he looks after me beyond anything. He can be naughty for my mum or my coach, but when I get on him, he's like, ‘I know my job’. He loves his work, he loves what he does and, today, he was absolutely amazing. He felt great.”

Retaining their Grade I individual Champion title were crowd favourites, Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance, posting the highest score of the day of 78.792%. Making it a battle for the title was Italian world number one, Sara Morganti riding Mariebelle, finishing on a score of 77.414% to claim the silver. 

Moving onto the second day of individual competition, Nicola Naylor made a long-awaited and much-deserved debut count with a superb test in the Grade 4 Grand Prix A with her own Humberto L (Cachet L x Haarlem). Their pair have been in fantastic form this season, and that really showed throughout their five minutes in the arena; plenty of eights were awarded throughout the test, including for paces and collected canter, and Nicola rode with admirable precision. Their class earned a place on the podium, and a wonderful bronze medal with 71.389%. 

"I'm stunned, shell-shocked and super pleased! I was sat in the lorry with Sarah when I found out, I can't score watch because I can't hear them on my phone and I can't see them on the board. I thought, the good thing is that my heart rate and my health will be fine because I can't score watch," explained blind rider Nicola about the medal news, "I just had to wait until they told me! Sarah gave me the most enormous hug. We were ecstatic, it was just amazing."

"It's my first championships so to go in and have a really solid test, where he felt really happy, was great. I just wanted him to go in and breathe, and for me to breathe as well, that was my goal - I just wanted to go in and enjoy it. He's a sensitive horse so he needed to go in and have a harmonious round - I'm so pleased that's what we got. His canter work is always breathtaking, it's a lovely canter. He stayed soft and harmonious, he felt happy and onside and that's what I wanted."

In a closely fought competition, it was Sweden’s Louise Etzner Jakobsson who clinched the Grade IV individual gold medal riding the stunning 14-year-old gelding Goldstrike B.J., the combination finished on a score 72.917%. Pia Wulff Jelstrup of Denmark took the silver medal, posting a Championship personal best score of 72.222 riding Zafia. 

Results - top three and British riders

Grand Prix A Grade IV
1. Louise Etzner Jakobsson and Goldstrike B.J., 72.917% (SWE)
2. Pia Wulff Jelstrup and Zafia, 72.222% (DEN)
3. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 71.389% (GBR) 

Grand Prix A Grade II 
1. Heidemarie Dresing and Poesie 143, 77.276% (GER)
2. Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quater, 74.586% (DEN)
3. Jemima Green and Fantabulous, 73.000% (GBR)

Grand Prix A Grade I 
1. Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance, 78.792% (LAT)
2. Sara Morganti and Mariebelle, 77.417% (ITA)
3. Mari Durward - Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg, 75.958% (GBR)
5. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 72.375% (GBR) 

FULL RESULTS