Great Britain secure Team Gold in the Jumping European Championships for Children
Saturday 20 July 2024
Team Great Britain brought Gold home with a magnificent zero score in the FEI Jumping European Championships for Children held at Peelbergen in The Netherlands.
Eleven teams from a start list of 20 posted a zero score as 103 individuals tackled a 1.25m speed course. The 11 nations were reduced three on a clean sheet in the next round of the team competition, including Britain – Honey Bowes on Javas El Cid, Tabby Morgan-Evans with Bermudez BDA and Rosie Smith aboard Fruselli keeping Britain in the hunt with clear rounds.
The top 11 teams contended course-designer Bart Vonck’s 13-fence, 16-effort 1.30m Team Final track, also open to 91 competitors compiling their individual scores.
Pathfinder Emily Gulliver – on eight faults in the previous round – remained composed and determined to pull a clear round out of the bag on the eight-year-old Mylord Carthago daughter Glamor, giving her teammates a boost to their chances.
It didn’t go according to plan for Honey Bowes as the eight-year-old Javas El Cid (Luidam x Cruising) tapped out three rails to finish on 12 faults. It was imperative the final two British riders jump clear to claim Team Gold.
The keen 11-year-old Bermudez BDA (Cevin Z x Kojak) loves to run at his fences and Tabby Morgan-Evans had to be cool and calm to contain his exuberance, but she did so in style to storm home clear. It was all down to the final riders. Belgium had fallen back on a team total of eight faults at this stage, but late-drawn Spain still posed a danger – four faults could potentially force a jump-off for Gold.
Rosie Smith was making her championship debut and, while inexperienced, she had her Tokyo 2020 mum Holly’s wealth of advice plus inheriting her mother’s cool demeanour. Teaming up with TJ Hall’s 14-year-old British-bred stallion Fruselli – a 4/5* partner for Holly – made for a dream combination and Rosie’s anchor position was fully justified as the pair showed a clean pair of heels over every fence, storming home clear to deliver Gold.
“They were absolutely brilliant! There was pressure on Tabby, who is still only 11-years-old, and Rosie gave Fruselli a superb ride. I am really proud of them all,” said Chef d’Equipe Claire Whitaker.
After equalling on a total of eight faults, Belgium and Spain were forced into a two-way tie-breaker jump-off, the Belgians securing Silver on an unbeatable zero score with Spain in Bronze on eight faults.
Tabby and Rosie are in the best position to claim an individual medal for Britain, both on a zero score and sharing equal first with four other riders as they head into Sunday’s Individual Final. Emily Gulliver and Glamor hold equal 27th place on eight faults.
FEI Jumping European Championships for Children, Peelbergen, The Netherlands – 20 July 2024
1st Great Britain – 0/0/0
Emily Gulliver & Glamor – 0/8/0
Honey Bowes & Javas El Cid – 4/0/12
Tabby Morgan-Evans & Bermudez BDA – 0/0/0
Rosie Smith & Fruselli – 0/0/0
2nd Belgium 0/8/0/8 121.54 seconds
3rd Spain – 0/0/8/8 110.61 seconds
Image: FEI
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