For four riders at this week’s Agria FEI European Eventing Championships there may be a sense of déjà vu, as they all competed at Blenheim Palace the last time the European Championships took place here 20 years ago.
Belgium’s Karin Donckers, Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon, Austria’s Harald Ambros and Lithuania’s Aistis Vitkauskas all represented their nations in that competition — which faced torrential rain on cross-country day and was won by Zara Phillips (now Tindall) and the great Toytown — back in 2005.
Two decades later, we asked the quartet of returning riders what it feels like to be back again and what has changed in that space of time…
Karin Donckers: ‘The weather was bad’
Karin has been a stalwart of the Belgian team for years and this is her 15th European Championships.
The 2005 event was a successful competition for the 54-year-old rider, who narrowly missed out on a place on the podium, piloting Gormley to fourth place individually.
“I feel like it’s been a very long time,” said Karin.
“It was quite a wet year. That was a quality of Gormley, because he was Irish Thoroughbred and he handled it well.
“I finished fourth, so it’s tough to do better individually this time. I know the weather was bad, the ground was tough, and the conditions were really an effort.”
Karin rides Ceres De La Brasserie this time, a 13-year-old daughter of her former consistent champion campaigner Gazelle De La Brasserie.
Vittoria Panizzon: ‘I was on the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden’
Vittoria secured a top 20 finish on what was her senior championship debut when she completed in 17th position in 2005 aboard Rock Model (‘Bug’). The Italian team finished fifth.
“It’s special to be back here again for the next Europeans, several horses later. Weather wise it might end up being similar; I remember it was very wet cross-country,” said Vittoria, who recalled sitting in her lorry listening to the heavy rain outside before her round.
“I was on Rock Model, who was probably the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden — when the brakes worked. He was very different to ride cross-country, because he was speedy and could get quite strong. I struggled a lot with what bit to use, whereas now I’m in a snaffle.
“We had a fun team and we had a good laugh. Bug gave me a great showjumping round. I’d ridden here once before, which is always helpful.”
DHI Jackpot is Vittoria’s mount this time and he has also been campaigned here before — in the eight- and nine year olds CCI3*S two years ago.
“It’s good to have a bit of a feel for the place,” added Vittoria.
Harald Ambros: ‘I remember galloping through the lake’
Harald, a full-time dentist, also completed on Miss Ferrari, with whom he went to the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Equestrian Games.
The pair finished 48th in 2005 and helped the Austrian team to ninth.
“Yesterday, I talked to Karin Donckers because she was also wondering how many riders are here who competed 20 years ago,” said Harald.
“We have to look at the list because a lot of them are too young. Twenty years ago I had a young horse, now I have an experienced horse.
“It’s changed a little bit. I think out of the woods there was a big drop down and now it’s two hills with skinnies.
“The water was the same, for sure — over the lake. It’s interesting because a lot of horses are not used to this. They just know jumping in and going out, not [going through] a lake, but the last time it was no problem, so I hope it’s okay.”
Harald’s partner this time is Vitorio Du Montet, the 16-year-old Selle Francais gelding whom he partnered at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Aistis Vitkauskas: ‘I can’t remember!’
Aistis also made his senior championships debut at Blenheim two decades ago.
The Lithuanian rider sadly failed to complete on Hojagergards Candis on that occasion, but hopes for a different outcome this time on Commander VG, the 14-year-old Danish warmblood who finished 37th at Badminton earlier this year.
“My first Europeans was here 20 years ago. It’s funny, it was so many competitions ago that I can’t remember,” said Aistis.
“Now I’m here, I started to walk across country, started to ride, and the memories came back.
“In the beginning I said to my wife it’s so strange, I have been there, but I can’t remember much. Of course, it’s a great venue, and last time it was amazing.
“It was a lot of stress, because it was my first championship,” added Aistis.
Lea Siegl: ‘I remember watching my father’
Lea is 27 years old, making her too young to ride at Blenheim in 2005 — but she does remember her father, Harald, competing here for Austria. He had also ridden at the previous year’s Olympic Games in Athens.
“I was too young, so I was at home,” said Lea, who rides for the armed forces and studied history, philosophy and psychology at university in Linz.
Her father is accompanying her at Blenheim this week.
“He told me the cross-country was tough, very up and down, so be prepared. We did a lot of condition training to get my horse fit.”
Lea made her senior team debut at the European Championships in Avenches, Switzerland, in 2021, where she finished 16th.
This year, she was 15th at the Luhmuhlen CCI5* in Germany aboard Van Helsing P, the same horse she is campaigning at Blenheim.
Images by Tim Wilkinson/Your Horse
Related content
- How to watch this week’s European eventing championships
- ‘I did my first BE90 after Covid’: Hungary’s debutante has only been eventing for five years
- German debutante leads dressage at early stage of Blenheim Europeans with a Brit in second
- British squad announced for FEI Eventing Europeans combines ‘experience and new talent’
