European Eventing Championship

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The European Eventing Championship, like most other European Championships, is held every two years. It is a **** (four star) eventing competition (except for 1995 Championships, which was downgraded to a three-star level because it was open to the rest of the world), the highest level offered, where nations from Europe compete for both team and individual titles.

The first Championships were held at Badminton in 1953, where six teams (Britain, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland) were sent, although only Britain and Switzerland were able to get their horses fit in time to actually compete. However, 10 teams were able to compete at the 1959 competition.

The 1995 and 1997 European Championships were open to the world, but were reverted back to a European-only competition in 1999. The first woman to win the competition was Shelia Wilcox in 1957, although women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics in eventing until 1964.

There is also a Championship held for young riders, juniors and ponies.

[edit] Format

The Championships offers both team and individual gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Each nation may bring a team of four riders and two individuals. The team riders also compete for the individual gold, silver, and bronze medals. The host nation may bring up to eight individual riders, with a total squad of 12.

The best three scores among the teams—the team with the lowest number of penalty points—receive the gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, a team must have at least three riders completing the competition, or else they will be eliminated. If a team has four riders complete, there is a drop-score in their results. If three riders complete, all three scores are added into the final total for the team.

Beginning in 2005, the European Eventing Championships was held in the short-format, without the phases A, B, and C (roads and tracks, and steeplechase) on speed and endurance day. It included just the dressage, cross-country, and show jumping phases.

The competition begins with a horse inspection to make sure all competing horses are sound before beginning the dressage. Then the nations nominate their four team riders and the order they wish them to compete, before the order of nations is determined. The order of go is especially important on cross country day, when the first competitors have the best footing, but do not know how the course will ride, while the later competitors will know the tricky obstacles on course, but may have to run their horses on torn up or sloppy footing.

[edit] Past winners

Britain's Ginny Elliot is currently the only rider to have won the individual European Champion title three times in succession, in 1985, 1987, and 1989.

  • 1953
  • 1954
  • 1955
    • Venue: Windsor, GB
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Major Frank Weldon/Kilbarry (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1957
  • 1959
  • 1962
    • Venue: Burghley, GB
    • Team gold: USSR Flag of the Soviet Union
    • Team silver: Ireland Flag of Ireland
    • Individual: Capt James Templer/M’Lord Connelly (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1965
    • Venue: Moscow, USSR
    • Team: USSR Flag of the Soviet Union
    • Individual: Marian Babirecki/Volt (POL) Flag of Poland
  • 1967
    • Venue: Punchestown, Ireland
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Major Eddy Boylan/Durlas Eile (IRL) Flag of Ireland
  • 1969
    • Venue: Haras du Pin, France
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Mary Gordon Watson/Cornishman V (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1971
  • 1973
    • Venue: Kiev, USSR
    • Team: West Germany Flag of Germany
    • Individual: Alexander Evdokimov/Jeger (USSR) Flag of the Soviet Union
  • 1975
  • 1977
  • 1979
    • Venue: Luhmühlen, W Germany
    • Team: Ireland Flag of Ireland
    • Individual: Nils Hagenson/Monaco (DEN) Flag of Denmark
  • 1981
    • Venue: Horsens, Denmark
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Hansueli Schmutz/Oran (SUI) Flag of Switzerland
  • 1983
  • 1985
  • 1987
    • Venue: Luhmühlen, W Germany
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Virginia Leng (Elliot)/Night Cap ll (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1989
    • Venue: Burghley, GB
    • Team: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual: Virginia Leng (Elliot)/Master Craftsman (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1991
    • Venue: Punchestown, Ireland
    • Team gold: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team bronze: Spain Flag of Spain
    • Individual gold: Ian Stark/Glenburnie (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual silver: Richard Walker Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual bronze: Karen Dixon/Get Smart (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 1993
    • Venue: Achselschwang, Germany
    • Team: Sweden Flag of Sweden
    • Individual gold: Jean-Lou Bigot/Twist La Beige (FRA) Flag of France
    • Individual silver: Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) Flag of France
    • Individual bronze: Eddy Stibbe/Bahlua (NED) Flag of the Netherlands
  • 1995
    • Venue: Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy
    • Team gold: [Open] Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team silver: New Zealand Flag of New Zealand
    • Individual: Lucy Thompson/Welton Romance (IRL) Flag of Ireland
  • 1997
    • Venue: Burghley, GB
    • Team gold: [Open] Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team silver: New Zealand Flag of New Zealand
    • Individual: Mark Todd/Broadcast News (NZ) Flag of New Zealand; Bettina Overesch (Hoy)/Watermill Stream (GER) Flag of Germany
  • 1999
    • Venue: Luhmühlen, Germany
    • Team gold: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team bronze: Belgium Flag of Belgium
    • Individual gold: Pippa Funnell/Supreme Rock (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual silver: Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me
    • Individual bronze: Paula Tornquist/Monaghan
  • 2001
  • 2003
    • Venue: Punchestown, Ireland
    • Team gold: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team silver: France Flag of France
    • Individual gold: Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA) Flag of France
    • Individual silver: Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me (SWE) Flag of Sweden
    • Individual bronze: Pippa Funnell/Walk On Star (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
  • 2005
  • 2007
    • Venue: Pratoni del Vivaro, Rome, Italy
    • Team gold: Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Team silver: France Flag of France
    • Team bronze: Italy Flag of Italy
    • Individual gold: Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA) Flag of France
    • Individual silver: Mary King/Call Again Cavalier (GB) Flag of the United Kingdom
    • Individual bronze: Bettina Hoy/Ringwood Cockatoo (GER) Flag of Germany
  • 2008
    • Venue: tbc