{"id":272784,"date":"2025-07-18T19:08:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T19:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/272784\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T19:08:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T19:08:19","slug":"great-britain-wins-team-silver-at-european-showjumping-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/272784\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Britain wins team silver at European Showjumping Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    Great Britain has won a sensational silver medal at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships<\/a> in Spain on Friday 18 July.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re delighted,\u201d said British anchor rider Scott Brash. \u201cWe were very close \u2013 just very unlucky really. But it\u2019s been a great team, with great team spirit this week.\u201c<\/p>\n


    \n <\/p>\n

    High pressure at European Showjumping Championships<\/p>\n

    The quartet of Ben Maher<\/a> (Dallas Vegas Batilly), Matt Sampson<\/a> (Medoc De Toxandria), Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette) and Scott Brash<\/a> (Hello Folie) came into the team final in the gold medal position, but with a narrow lead over Begium and Germany for the final showdown.<\/p>\n

    Pathfinder Ben Maher set the ball rolling with a vital clear round with the 12-year-old Tilly, <\/a>who is owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright and looked after by groom Gwen Bellamy.<\/p>\n


    \n <\/p>\n

    But when faults came in for first Matt Sampson, who battled on courageously after an unexpected elimination with Medoc the previous day<\/a>, and then Millfield Colette picked up her first faults of the contest with Donald, the squad slipped behind a dominant Belgium in the medal standings.<\/p>\n

    The Belgian squad claimed the gold with a clear from their final rider Gilles Thomas riding Ermitage Kalone.<\/p>\n

    But the remaining podium places were still to be decided. It all rested with Scott Brash, who was once again the last athlete to enter the ring on day three of these European Showjumping Championships and Great Britain\u2019s fate lay in his hands.<\/p>\n

    Displaying every ounce of trademark cool that has helped him win two Olympic golds and four further championship medals \u2013 as well as jumping clear the previous day with only one rein<\/a> \u2013 the resilient Scotsman earned silver for Great Britain with a superb clear on Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham\u2019s chestnut mare Hello Folie, a 10-year-old mare jumping at her first championship.<\/p>\n

    \u201cShe\u2019s feisty and she wants to get on with the job,\u201d said Scott. \u201cSo she can make it challenging at times. But she tries very hard when she gets there.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBen has done incredible job this week \u2013 sometimes people just expect it from it from him, because he\u2019s been so consistent, so good over the years. But I thought he really rode Dallas fantastic today and yesterday.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMatt had the hiccup yesterday and that didn\u2019t really help for today, but he regrouped well and still put a score on the board. So he\u2019s a great team man to have around. His time will come but it\u2019s great he\u2019s got a medal. He deserves it. He works hard, and he\u2019s going to be there for the future. Donald had a great championship too.\u201d<\/p>\n

    A welcome silver medal for brilliant British team<\/p>\n

    Great Britain finished on 7.96, barely two penalties behind winners Belgium (5.61), with Germany taking the bronze medal (8.19).<\/p>\n

    Reigning Olympic gold medallists Great Britain last claimed a team medal at the European Showjumping Championships in 2019, when Ben and Scott were on the team that won bronze, and before that in 2013 they celebrated team gold in Herning. But this marks a first championship medal for both Donald Whitaker and Matt Sampson.<\/p>\n