Event report:

British Youth Squad

FEI Driving European Championships 2024

12 Aug 2024


Monday 22nd July - Arrival

Trainers Tara Wilkinson, Sara Howe, Vet Tony Collins and I were onsite early to have good look around the venue. What a venue this is going to be when it is finished.

It was lovely and reassuring to see some familiar faces in the event team. We were all there to welcome the British Squad after their long journeys. Although ponies weren’t allowed onsite until midday anyone that just had a lorry or caravan was able to arrive early and set up camp.

All ponies looked fine after travelling and soon settled into the lovely cool indoor stables. Camp was set up and stables decorated with bunting and flags.

Today’s highlights – knowing that everyone had arrived safe and sound (even if Ruby’s lorry had to be coaxed along the last 100 miles or so). The children’s amazement at the size of the venue and seeing the multitude of stork nests on the stable roofs.

Tuesday 23rd July - First vet inspection.

We had a very early start to prepare ponies for a 9am inspection. The GB squad looked immaculate.

Sadly, Charlie Parker King’s Rolex didn’t get through so we elected to run again on Wednesday morning. No specific issue was found so lots of icing of legs commenced.

The drivers were all allowed some time for familiarization in the main arena. This was incredibly tough on the ponies – the surface had only recently been put down and was deep dragging sand. Rollers were brought in to try and compact the surface.

The official opening saw the judges taken to the main arena by the Four-in-Hands, followed by the Nations. There were gifts for the drivers and a short speech by the head of the Organizing Committee and the President of the Jury, Pia Skar.

The drivers were all presented with stable plaques (Florence and Flamingo), their Champion Hat with the GB flag on the vent, Caps from BYD and Equine Products, GB ear covers from a very generous sponsor and GB flag pin badges for swapping at Nations Night.

Today’s highlight: Carrying the flag ahead of an amazing squad into the arena for the opening ceremony and seeing the immaculate presentation of ponies this morning.

Wednesday 24th July - Children’s Dressage day

At 8 am Charlie re-presented Rolex and, much to everyone’s relief, he passed. Our 3 children: Isla, Lily and Jamie were first up for the dressage, with junior Pairs driver Phoebe Matthews driving in the afternoon.

It’s a shame the older ones don’t compete on the first day so that the youngsters can work out how everything happens; they all looked slightly shell shocked!

Between Sara, Tara and myself, the children were accompanied from the stable to the warm-up arena and then at their allotted time allowed up to the main arena. I hope that we put them all at ease and offered the right encouraging sounds. They all drove well but looked very nervous.

Results:
5th Phoebe Matthews 61.04
9th Isla Cooper 62.87
18th Lily French 68.72
25th Jamie Hordern 77.92

Nations Night saw a full table of British food, Pimm’s and lemonade, Eton Mess, cream teas, cheese and biscuits, fruit punch (non alcoholic), gin and tonic, whisky and pork scratchings. Great fun was had by all sampling food and drink from the other nations.

The children swapped their pin badges and took selfies with other nationalities. Sara managed to find a rope which led to limbo-ing and skipping. It was wonderful to see friendships made and others strengthened.

Today’s Highlight – Watching Rolex pass the trot-up and watching our 3 tiddlies (Sara’s words) compete on the European circuit.

Thursday 25th July - Junior Dressage

Just 3 competing today but training sessions for everyone, as well as watching and supporting the others together with obstacle walking, and walking, and walking! The children drive fewer obstacles and only to D gate, so they can’t all walk together. Sara and Tara walked miles!

There were Games arranged by the OC for all juniors in the evening. I believe that great fun was had by all. We (the support crew) left the children to it so they could let their hair down!

Results:
1st Isabelle Brunner 47.28
18th Ruby Gray 58.96
29th Sophie Hunt 68.32

Today’s highlight: It has to be Izzy’s dressage test – a joy to watch.

Friday 26th July - U25 Dressage

Four drivers competing today, all in the morning which allowed for an afternoon of obstacle walking, and route cycling. The marathon is on a loop system which is a relatively new concept for some of our drivers. Thank goodness for bikes!

The prize giving in the evening was inside one of the indoor arenas and saw several British drivers being given rosettes, with Izzy on the podium. There was a sea of Union Jacks being flown in the audience, I think we out waved every other nation.

Results:
 7th Amy Matthews 54.53
13th Sophia Routledge 60.17
16th Charlie Parker King 62.90
20th Megan Wheeldon 67.50

Today’s highlight: Prize giving with plenty of flag waving. And watching our team drivers helping each other walk obstacles.

Saturday 27th July – Marathon Day

Thankfully a dry day, with some cloud cover to lower the temperature. All of the juniors had been up early to walk for a last time. Everyone was feeling confident.

It was a military operation for the support crew to make sure that everyone was in the right place at the right time. I was at the vet check at the very beginning, then feeding the drivers into and out of the controlled warm-up, onto the halt and then passing them over to either Sara or Tara to head over to section B.

We were allowed two bikes on the course which meant all of our drivers had a trainer with them for the majority of the marathon. Tony was at the end of the cool down walk for the younger and less experienced drivers.

Viewing the obstacles was from a raised bank which gave amazing views of all but 2 obstacles, which were slightly obscured by trees. The electronic scoring and live scoring was fantastic for those of us unable to watch.

Sadly, Kriss Rohrsson (IRL), had an accident in obstacle 2 which resulted in backstepper Anneka being taken to hospital. Thankfully she was only concussed and back on site relatively quickly.

Our drivers drove fast and smooth, and the ponies all coped well with the atmosphere. There were podium finishes for Charlie and Phoebe.

Results:

Children
 Lily French 9th
Jamie Hordern 18th
Isla Cooper 26th

Junior P1
Ruby Gray 13th
Isabelle Brunner 16th
Sophie Hunt 29th

Junior P2
Phoebe Matthews 3rd

U25
Charlie Parker King 3rd
Sophia Routledge 4th
Megan Wheeldon 19th
Amy Matthews 24th

Highlight of the day: Other than the podium finishes it has to be seeing the size of the grins on the children – Lily, Jamie and Isla when they came back to find me after their marathon to let me know how they got on. They are all looking forward to being able to do the whole marathon next time!

Sunday 28th July – Cones

Today saw a very early start walking the courses as the vet inspection for the first class was at 8. All of the youngsters seemed pretty confident going into this phase. The arena had been rolled so we expected a decent surface to drive on.

The children were up first Jamie drove a double clear – I’ve never seen him smile so much. Jamie 9th, Isla 11th, Lily 24th.

Next were the Juniors, and the surface was beginning to cause problems. Huge ruts and banks started appearing. Ruby 3rd, Sophie 18th, Isabelle 29th

Phoebe and her pair were next up. By now just driving round a corner pushed the pile of sand onto the cones to help the balls fall. Phoebe finished 6th in the cones

Then came the turn of our older drivers. The surface was dreadful, more rakes were brought in but nothing was going to help compact the surface again. The further through the class and the worse it got.

Our drivers did their best but were all visibly disappointed – when Amy came out she apologized to her pony! Charlie 11th, Megan 14th, Amy 21st, Sophia 23rd

It was such a dampener on an otherwise brilliant event.

Final placings:

Children
Lily French 16th
Isla Cooper 18th
Jamie Hordern 21st

Junior P1
Ruby Gray 7th
Isabelle Brunner 14th
Sophie Hunt 29th

Junior P2
Phoebe Matthews 5th

U25
Charlie Parker King 12th
Sophia Routledge 15th
Megan Wheeldon 18th
Amy Matthews 21st

A last supper together, organised by Mary Jane and Ginny (the support crew cooks) went down well with everybody. A chance to relax and talk about the wonderful experiences everyone had had over the week.

Today's Highlight – seeing what a wonderful team of youngsters we have and being there to share this fabulous experience with them.

We couldn’t have done this event so easily had it not been for all of our generous sponsors, Just Giving donations, and parents. The drivers and I are very grateful. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of our young drivers, they are a real credit to BYD and their parents.

They all had their highlights and disappointments over the week but they supported each other and were a real team. I was complimented on their behaviour and manners more than once and was even told that ‘your children must love their ponies, they are in wonderful condition and they don’t treat them like machines’. I’ll take that.

Well done kids, you are absolute stars. Now to look forward to 2026 – wherever it might be.

Jo Alvis


 
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