The reigning Olympic champions from Great Britain took the lead in the team competition on the opening day of the Longines FEI Jumping European Championship 2025 at Casas Novas in A Coruña, Spain today. And Ireland’s Daniel Coyle produced the quickest round of the day with the brilliant mare Legacy to head the individual rankings at this early stage.
However with scores converted into points, the Team Great Britain go into tomorrow’s first round of the second competition with only a narrow advantage over Germany, while Belgium lies a close third ahead of France in fourth, Italy in fifth and Switzerland in sixth place. It’s really tight at the top, with only 3.14 points separating the top six nations when the action resumes tomorrow afternoon.
Perfect start
Matthew Sampson and Medoc de Toxandria got the British off to the perfect start when clear in 78.36 seconds, and Donald Whitaker blew the competition wide open with a storming fault-free run from Millfield Colette to stop the clock in 75.27 when next to go for Di Lampard’s side. Scott Brash and Hello Folie galloped home in 76.09, and although Ben Maher’s Dallas Vegas Batilly provided the team discount score when clipping the final element of the triple combination, they still put a strong time of 78.63 on the board.
Their converted points tally of 3.96 however leaves the leaders only 0.23 clear of Team Germany who are hoping to stretch their championship record of seven victories to eight by the end of this week. Team Belgium are also dangerously close carrying just 4.61, France carry 5.69, Italy 5.93 and Switzerland’s running tally is 7.10.
Marcus Ehning kicked off for Germany with a clear from Coolio 42, Sophie Hinners’ Iron Dames My Prins faulted at the wall at fence six which proved to be the bogey of the competition, but Christian Kukuk raced round the track with Just Be Gentle and then Richard Vogel and United Touch S produced a spectacular performance to not only consolidate his country’s position but also to temporarily go to the top of the individual leaderboard when breaking the beam in 73.96 seconds.
Jumping as an individual, Ireland’s Daniel Coyle was 67th of the 89 starters and simply scorched around the 14-fence track with the 15-year-old mare Legacy. When 73.93 seconds went up on the board he relegated Vogel to second and Whitaker to third. French team member Julien Epaillard lies fourth with Donatello d’Auge, Britain’s Brash is in fifth and in individual sixth place after day one is Swiss team member Steve Guerdat with Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte.
Freedom
Coyle said that competing as in individual gave him the freedom to ride as he pleased today. “When you’re an individual you can throw everything out. When it’s for the team, yes you go as quick as you can but you’re a little more careful because you don’t want to waste it for the team as well. So it was a bit easier for me (not being on the team).”
One of the decisions to be made on the course was whether or not to take an inside line to the wall at fence six, which proved the undoing of many. Coyle decided against it – “if it was jump off there’s no question….for sure it saves a second but I don’t think it saves two,” he added.
Germany’s Richard Vogel did take the tight turn there, and the extravagant United Touch didn’t hesitate.
“He felt very, very good today. To be honest, in the warmup I was almost a bit panicking because he was way too fresh. He just jumped in Aachen and we thought, okay, there’s not so much time between Aachen and here so we gotta keep the energy in the horse. Don’t waste too much energy at home. Don’t jump him too much. Don’t flat him too long. And this morning he felt great. So, I also didn’t flat him too long. We had quite an easy workout in the morning and actually now in the afternoon he was a bit too fresh in the warmup. He was very motivated. But inside the ring he was right with me everywhere and in a very positive way, very fresh!” he said.
The stallion may well also have been enjoying the change of temperature which went from warm in the morning to much cooler when it clouded over this afternoon. Rain is forecast over the coming days, but nothing is going to dampen spirits with European titles hanging in the balance.
Naturally fast
Donald Whitaker described Millfield Colette as “naturally fast ‒ to be honest I’m just a pilot for her ‒ she does the orders, and I just sit there!”
He planned to ride similarly to British team pathfinder Matthew Sampson. And he was full of praise for his 12-year-old mare.
“Matt did a fantastic round. He did everything perfect in my opinion and I just thought if I do the same as him, like I said she’s so fast anyway, she does the rest, so I just try to focus on doing the right numbers and the right distances and the rest was her. It always feels amazing when you’re out there. She goes in like a panther! She knows what she’s doing and she wants to win. This couldn’t have been a better start to the week for the team!” he said.
Di Lampard was of course delighted with how day one has gone for her contingent, but she’s realistic about the challenge for the rest of the week. “It went better than planned for the speed day, it’s always a difficult day, it’s make-your-mind-up day, but now we’re in the for big jumping!”
Course
Today’s track was intriguing and elicited the highest of praise, particularly from 2024 Paris Olympic individual champion Christian Kukuk who spoke after his round which has left him lying individually ninth.
“I think this course is amazing and unbelievable, and it’s proving that Santiago Varela is the best course designer we have in our sport so far. The thought he puts into a course is incredible for me. And when we walked it, there was no fence bigger than 150, sometimes you had the feeling actually even more 145…. But the technical lines he’s deciding, the material he’s using, I think he’s the best by far. He has proved it so many times, but today, again, we have 89 starters, the best in the world, and to get them competitive and also struggling here and there without asking too much – he is incredible!” the German ace insisted.
He decided to bring the 11-year-old mare Just be Gentle instead of his Olympic gold medal winning ride Checker to this championship, and was very pleased with how it worked out today.
“She’s not really a classic horse, she has her own way she wants to be ridden. But honestly, when she comes in the ring, she likes to carry her head quite high up, which makes it in the ring actually nice and easy for me…. the only thing you have to see is that she’s focused on you and on the job and not too much with things going on around. She likes to have her own opinion sometimes….so she’s a character, she’s a special mare,” he explained.
Plenty more excitement
Tomorrow the first round of the second competition begins again at 15.00, and no doubt Spanish course-design master Santiago Varela has plenty more excitement in store. Individual athletes go first, and Ireland’s Coyle and Legacy will be last of those to compete.
Then it is on to the teams, with Poland, currently last of the 18 competing nations, first into the arena. It’s going to be another thrilling afternoon, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
Full results here.
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