“I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this,” said an emotional Laura Collett after showjumping clear on London 52 at the Agria FEI European Eventing Championships to clinch individual gold.

“He’s deserved an individual title for so many years, so to finally pull it off – the words aren’t really there, but this is all for him.”

The British duo picked up 0.4 of a time-fault during their final round but it didn’t matter, they’d done all they needed in order to pip Germany’s Michael Jung to the title.

The latter collected individual silver aboard his Olympic champion FischerChipmunk FRH and led his native to team gold — a seventh European medal of this colour for Germany in total.

‘Dreams come true’

Individual medallists: Laura Collett (gold), Michael Jung (silver) and Tom McEwen (bronze)

Britain came to Blenheim Palace as the reigning champions and favourites to win gold, but it was not to be when two team riders crashed out of contention following falls on cross-country day.

It left Laura and compatriot Tom McEwen to deliver for a home crowd at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and that’s exactly what they did, in spectacular style, with Tom and JL Dublin taking individual bronze.

“There are no words to explain [what this horse means to me],” said Laura of London 52, the horse who carried her to team gold at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games as well as individual bronze at the latter.

“Since he first won my first five-star in 2020 [at Pau], I said if he never does anything again, he’s done more than I could ever dream of.

“To think what he’s done in those five years [since] is just a dream. I say dreams come true, but I didn’t even dream this.”

Read on to view the top 10 individuals in pictures:

Individual gold: Laura Collett and London 52 (27 penalties)

The final showjumping phase runs in reverse order of merit and Laura and London 52, as the overnight leaders following a brilliant cross-country performance the previous day, were the last to jump.

The tension was palpable as they cantered into the main arena, Michael Jung having just pulled off a clear round meaning that Laura could not afford any fences down.

London 52 showed all his class to soar over every fence and clinch the individual title his rider believes he has deserved for such a long time.

“This tops everything. To come so close [to individual gold] in Paris last year and to come back and have another head-to-head with Mickey [Jung], it’s what makes this sport so special,” said Laura.

“I’m not sure it’ll ever sink in. There aren’t enough words to describe what he’s done for me and what he means to me. He’s one in a million and I know I’ll never get another like him.

“It’s so special to be at a home championship, a local event for me as well, just that in itself felt special this week. Then to be sat on a horse like him and for him to come up with the goods like he has in all three phases is just, I don’t know, my vocabulary is not enough.”

Individual silver: Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH (28.3pens)

Michael has won multiple medals, many of them gold, as both a team member and an individual at European and World Championships, as well as several Olympic Games.

He is easily the most successful event rider of the modern era, if not of all time, but he says the pressure to pull off a top result never gets any easier.

“Every championship, every competition, starts with zero. It’s always a new game and it’s a special feeling,” said Michael.

“Paris in France last year, in the amazing view of Versailles, was unbelievable with people going from around the world and so many talking to me about how beautiful it was.

“Then you come here to England in front of this castle [Blenheim Palace] – OK, it’s not the best looking at the moment [due to the palace being partially wrapped in white mesh due to repairs] – it’s a really great place and we were very lucky with the weather.

“We had perfect conditions for the cross-country, and also for today with the same conditions for the first rider as well as the last rider. It was an amazing championship and a really special competition.”

Individual bronze: Tom McEwen and JL Dublin (33pens)

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin also pulled off a masterful clear to secure individual bronze.

This horse is a former European Champion in his own right, having won individual and team gold with previous rider Nicola Wilson in Switzerland four years ago.

“Dubs has gone phenomenally well, I couldn’t be happier with him,” said Tom.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Laura and I’m very pleased with my performance and Dubs himself. He’s a pretty chilled character. Amazingly, throughout his whole career, he’s never been to Blenheim, so this is a first and he’s come out and performed in every single aspect.

“We had a small mistake in the dressage and that has cost us, but, on the day, we were beaten by two better horses and I’m still very happy.”

4th, Germany’s Calvin Bockmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (36.5)

At 24, Calvin was the youngest rider contesting these championships and he narrowly missed out on an individual medal by 3.5 penalties.

This was his senior team debut, but he is a former European Champion at Pony level and was a team gold medallist in Juniors. He also has a Young Riders team silver to his name.

5th, Austria’s Lea Siegl on Van Helsing P (36.5)

Lea piloted Van Helsing P to finish best of the Austrian contingent in fifth. Their final score is the same as Calvin’s (36.5), but the latter was closer to the optimum cross-country time, earning him the higher spot on the final scoreboard.

Lea studied history, philosophy and psychology at university in Linz and she rides for the armed forces.

Her father, Harald, has also represented Austria in eventing, including at the 2004 Olympic Games, and Lea remembers him competing in the European Championships held at Blenheim in 2005.

6th, France’s Alexis Goury on Je’Vall (46.7)

Alexis finished best of the French team in sixth, as well as leading his nation to team bronze, aboard Je’Vall, an 11-year-old grey stallion.

7th, Belgium’s Lara De Liedekerke-Meier on Hooney D’Arville (47.7)

Lara became the first Belgian rider to win a CCI5* at Luhmuhlen 2024 on Hooney D’Arville, a 12-year-old homebred mare.

Together they finished seventh here at Blenheim, concluding what was Lara’s 13th appearance on Belgium’s senior squad. Last year she finished 13th individually at the Paris Olympics riding a different horse, Origi.

8th, Germany’s Jerome Robine on Black Ice (48)

The third German rider to finish inside the top 10 and secure Germany’s convincing team gold was 27-year-old Jerome aboard Black Ice, the same horse on whom he finished seventh individually at the 2023 Europeans.

Jerome is based at Warendorf and his family has a breeding yard in Darmstadt. He rides as a sports soldier.

9th, France’s Benjamin Massie on Figaro Fonroy (48)

Frenchman Benjamin piloted the 10-year-old chestnut Figaro Fonroy into ninth place.

10th, Switzerland’s Melody Johner on Erin (48.3)

The third grey horse to finish inside the top 10 was Erin, a 10-year-old gelding piloted by Swiss rider Melody Johner, who has represented her country at senior level every year since 2018, including the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.

She is based at the Avenches National Equestrian Institute in Switzerland, and coaches riders in eventing and dressage.

Main image by FEI/Benjamin Clark. Other images by Tim Wilkinson

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