Riesenbeck 2023: It’s time for the FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships

With our British para dressage horses all successfully through the horse inspection, and our senior team horses ready for theirs tomorrow morning, it’s time to look ahead to this year’s FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships. Here you’ll find all the info you need to follow the action this week.

Each taking place every two years, the FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships feature Europe’s leading Senior and Para Dressage riders. This year, our dressage and para dressage teams will be competing side by side at the German venue of Riesenbeck International in the Surenburg Forest, north of Münster. Over six days, 05 – 10 September, Europe’s leading lights will go head-to-head, with 14 sets of medals up for grabs (11 for Para Dressage, three for Dressage) across team and individual competitions.

Here are the full details of the horses and riders representing Great Britain:

British Senior Team
Charlotte Dujardin (38) based in Newent, Gloucestershire, with Carl Hester and Coral Ingham’s Imhotep (chestnut, gelding, 16.2hh, 9yrs, Everdale x Vivaldi, Breeder: T Huizing NED, Groom: Francesca Gorni).

Charlotte Fry (27) based in Den Hout, the Netherlands and originally from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, with Van Olst Horses’ Glamourdale (black, stallion, 16.3hh, 11yrs, Lord Leatherdale x Negro, Breeder: J Rodenburg NED, Groom: Richard Hauwaerts).

Carl Hester (56) based in Newent, Gloucestershire and originally from Sark, The Channel Islands, with Fiona Bigwood, Penny Bigwood, Mette Bigwood and Anders Dahl’s Fame (bay, stallion, 16.2hh, 13yrs, Bordeaux 28 x Rhodium, Breeder: V.O.F Gerritsen NED, Groom: Lucy Scudamore).

Gareth Hughes (52) based in Southam, Warwickshire with Julia Hornig, Rebecca Hughes, Ruby Hughes and his own Classic Briolinca (bay, mare, 16.2hh, 17yrs, Trento B x Royal Dance, Breeder: Febr van der Steen NED, Groom: Steph Sharples).

British Para Dressage Team
Grade I
Gabriella Blake (30) from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, with her own Strong Beau (grey, gelding, 14yrs, s. Blackthorn, Breeder: Ms S. Amos GBR).

Grade II
Georgia Wilson (27) from Abergele, North Wales, with Geoff and Julie Wilson and her own Sakura (chestnut, mare, 9yrs, 16hh, Supertramp x Woodlander Rockstar, Breeder: Geri Eilberg GBR).

Grade V
Charlotte Cundall (38) from Malton, North Yorkshire, with The Veyron Partnership’s FJ Veyron (chestnut, gelding, 13yrs, 17.2hh, s. Vivaldi, Breeder: Active Equestrian GBR).

Sophie Wells (33) from Harby, Lincolnshire, with The Lady Joseph Trust’s LJT Egebjerggards Samoa (black, mare, 7yrs, 16.1hh, St Schrufo x Gribaldi, Breeder: Anders Green Hansen DEN).

The competition
Get ready to show your support this week! The Dressage and Para Dressage runs from 05 – 10 September. Before the Dressage riders, the Para Dressage riders will start the Championships in Riesenbeck on Tuesday 5 September, with the Individual competitions in Grades I, II and III. The team medals will be decided on Friday 8 September, and the Freestyle medals for all Grades on Saturday 9 September.

The Dressage competition gets underway on Wednesday 6 September, with the team medals awarded on Thursday, before the race for individual honours commences on Friday with the Grand Prix Special. After a rest day Saturday, the top 18 athletes from the Grand Prix Special will battle it out for the Freestyle medals on Sunday afternoon, which promises to be a firecracker of a competition.

Timetable

How to follow
Don’t miss a moment of the action, tune in to all the sessions at the FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships via your TV, laptop or mobile! Fans can watch all the Para Dressage and Dressage sport from wherever they are in the world thanks to FEI TV via Clip My Horse.

Find times and results provided by Longines Timing on the British Dressage Riesenbeck hub, and we’ll bring you live updates on every day of competition across the BD social media channels.

TIMES & RESULTS

WHERE TO WATCH

Useful links

FEI WEBSITE

BRITISH EQUESTRIAN