Zara Phillips’s plans for the defence of her European three-day event title in Italy in September received a boost when she and Toytown finished fifth, the best of the British riders, after a superb cross-country performance in the inaugural Aachen international one-day event.
But the competition, staged to great acclaim from both riders and spectators on Saturday, continued to demonstrate German domination of the show when their team, led by Frank Ostholt, on Air Jordan, the individual winner, secured a comfortable victory to add to their successes in the team dressage and showjumping.
Great Britain, who, unlike the Germans were fielding only two of their top riders in the team, finished a creditable second a point ahead of the rapidly improving Sweden team. Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town, leading contenders for the Great Britain team for the European Championship, underlined their consistency by finishing in eleventh place.
In an exciting end to the individual contest, Linda Algotsson, of Sweden, a dual European silver medal-winner, came within a whisker of Ostholt after producing one of only five clear rounds inside the time on Stand By Me. Ostholt, 32, who collected 3.6 time penalties, hung on to the lead by a point. Nicolas Touzaint, the 2003 European champion, took third place for France, on Hidalgo de L’Ile.
Phillips was delighted with Toytown, who, although in “argumentative mood”, as she put it, showed his brilliance across country, devouring the fences with relish to finish in 7min 2sec, a fraction outside the optimum time. “He’s not three-day event fit yet, but he felt as if he could do it all again,” Phillips said. The event, his first big outing since winning the World Championship a year ago, was always regarded as part of Phillips’s preparation for Pratoni, Italy, where she defends her European title.
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Germany, who have made huge strides since employing as trainer Chris Bartle, the British rider they won the World Championships in Aachen last year had established their lead in the dressage phase on Friday. Any hope that Britain, with their noted preeminence across country, would overtake them on Saturday were dashed when the high-quality field made light of Rüdiger Schwarz’s 24 cross-country fences. Of the 34 starters, 27 had no jumping faults Peter Thomsen, of Germany, on The Ghost of Hamis, and Hinrich Romeike, on Marius, joining the five clear inside the time.
All four Britons had exemplary rounds, but only Francis Whittington, making his senior team debut on Sir Percival, finished inside the time. Emily Baldwin, also a newcomer, on the slower Drivetime, did well to come home 22sec over the optimum time.
For Yogi Breisner, the Britain manager, who will announce his team for Pratoni today, the result is a heartening step towards what he hopes will be a seventh successive European team title in Italy.