The British Eventing team riders took a second successive win in the SAP Cup at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen this weekend (1-2 July).

Taking on the Germans on their home soil is never an easy task but the British Team got off to the ideal start, building a lead of six penalties over the rest of the field after the dressage phase. A predictably strong performance from the German riders saw them lying second and the French Team close behind them in third.

All four members of the British Team were lying within the top 12, with Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser leading the charge in second place on a score of 26.40; William Fox-Pitt and Little Fire just behind them in third on 27.20; Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ lying eighth and Ros Canter and Allstar B, eleventh.

“To find ourselves in the lead in Aachen after the dressage is really exciting,” concluded Richard Waygood MBE, Chef d’Equipe for the British Team. “However, it’s one phase at a time and that’s history now and we move forward to the jumping.”

The show jumping track was true to Aachen – big arena, big atmosphere, and a big open course. Three fantastic clear rounds for Tom, William and Yasmin helped to extend the British Team’s lead after this phase and left them in a superb position heading into Saturday’s cross country.

Clear rounds with as few time penalties as possible were the order of the day in the cross country if the British combinations were to hold onto their lead and our Team delivered.

If Yasmin Ingham had been feeling the pressure of riding on a senior team, she didn’t show it. She produced a super clear round with Rehy DJ, adding just a few time faults to their dressage score to finish twelfth individually. A handful of time faults a piece for William Fox-Pitt and Tom McEwen saw them both secure top ten finishes, with William and Little Fire in seventh and Tom and Toledo De Kerser on the podium in third.

“I feel very fortunate to spend an amazing weekend at probably the world’s best show with a really special partner in Toledo, said Tom. “He was super excited to be at a big show again and was letting rip, trying to jump everything as usual. I couldn’t be happier with him, couldn’t be happier with our team result, and absolutely loved being here.”

Full team results available here.

Full individual results available here.

There was a terribly sad postscript to the competition, with the tragic news of the loss of reigning World Champion Allstar B following an irreparable injury sustained as part of the cross-country phase today. Full statement here. Our thoughts are very much with Ros Canter, owner Caroline Moore and all of Allstar B’s connections.