Great Britain will field its first Young Rider endurance team at an FEI Championship since 2018, when it sends a trio of horses and riders to France next week.
Scarlett Chapple riding Durboro Tansy, Carmen Benitez Tennant aboard BAN – KEI Almanzor and Suzannah Todd with Kefla will represent Great Britain at the FEI Endurance European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors which is taking place in the Jullianges, in south-central France on Friday 31 July. Fourth team members, Alex Powell and Hope, had to withdraw ahead of the event on veterinary grounds.
“Great Britain has not fielded a Young Rider Endurance Team since 2018, due to a combination of factors including declining youth participation, limited funding, and the increasing distance of championship venues, making travel with horses from the UK difficult, especially with post-Brexit customs formalities,” said chef d’equipe Katie Bedwin.
“As Young Rider Chef d’Équipe, I am committed to rebuilding the programme. Our goal is not just to return a team in 2026, but to create a sustainable pathway that supports and inspires the next generation of endurance riders for many years to come.”
‘Demanding and undulating’ course
The championship course in Jullianges will test the ultimate limits of horsemanship, tactical maturity, and stamina over a demanding and undulating route.
With only three combinations representing Great Britain, there is no “drop score” available – meaning every single horse-and-rider partnership must complete the course successfully in order to secure a team placing.
Success in endurance is measured not just by speed, but by strict veterinary standards; horses must pass rigorous health checks, including heart rate and soundness evaluations, before, during, and immediately after the race to secure a successful placing and completion.
“Jullianges is a highly technical course, and it will not be a race of pure speed, but also agility over varying terrain and undulating tracks. In a field of young riders, it will be incredibly important to ride a mature race and not lose sight of the distance that is to be completed,” said team member Suzannah Todd who is currently based in Spain.
Image © Endurance GB.
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