Following Rotterdam CSIO5* where Great Britain finished second in the Nations Cup, securing third overall in the FEI Nations Cup League, the squad of five that will travel to Madrid, Spain for the Jumping European Championships has been confirmed.

Chef d’Equipe for the Show jumping squad, Rob Hoekstra commented; “We are taking a strong team to Madrid, with a combination of the Nations Cups teams that won in Dublin and had a great result in Rotterdam. There’s a great mixture of young and experienced riders on the squad and it’s great to welcome Guy on board for his first Championships.”

The Team 

Scott Brash riding Mr Stanley Brash’s Intertoy Z

Ben Maher riding Quainton Stud’s and his own Tripple X III

Nick Skelton riding Mrs Beverley Widdowson’s Carlo

John Whitaker riding Miss Rebecca Stones’s Peppermill

Guy Williams riding his own Titus II

Injuries for others

Unfortunately Talan (Robert Smith) and GIG Amai (Michael Whitaker) have had to be withdrawn due to minor injuries.

World Class Performance Director, Will Connell commented; “This remains an exciting Squad; a combination of the Team that won in Dublin and was second in Rotterdam.  All the horses are closely monitored by the team vet who also works with the riders’ own vets; with the London 2012 Olympic Games the priority we do not want to put pressure on horses to compete at the Europeans when we will need them for next year. It would also be entirely accurate with this squad to say, for the riders, there is quite an age range; this is healthy for the future of the sport of Jumping in GBR.”

Watch our video below, when H&C caught up with Ben Maher at Hickstead, where he told us what a special horse Tripple X III really is.