The European Eventing Championships, like most other European Championships, is held every two years. Today it is a four star eventing competition. A four star event is one step down from the grand slam which consists of three five star events.
The first Championships were held at Badminton in 1953, where six teams (Britain, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland) were sent, although only Britain and Switzerland were able to get their horses fit in time to actually compete. However, 10 teams were able to compete at the 1959 competition.
The 1995 and 1997 European Championships were held as part of events open to non-European riders (in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy in 1995 and Burghley, England in 1997) with the top three European individuals and teams receiving medals. The first woman to win the competition was Shelia Wilcox in 1957, although women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics in eventing until 1964.
There is also a Championship held for young riders, juniors and ponies.
Format
The Championships offers both team and individual gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Each nation may bring a team of four riders and two individuals. The team riders also compete for the individual gold, silver, and bronze medals. The host nation may bring up to eight individual riders, with a total squad of 12.
The best three scores among the teams—the team with the lowest number of penalty points—receive the gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, a team must have at least three riders completing the competition, or else they will be eliminated. If a team has four riders complete, there is a drop-score in their results. If three riders complete, all three scores are added into the final total for the team.
Beginning in 2005, the European Eventing Championships was held in the short-format, without the phases A, B, and C (roads and tracks, and steeplechase) on speed and endurance day. It included just the dressage, cross-country, and show jumping phases.
The competition begins with a horse inspection to make sure all competing horses are sound before beginning the dressage. Then the nations nominate their four team riders and the order they wish them to compete, before the order of nations is determined. The order of go is especially important on cross country day, when the first competitors have the best footing, but do not know how the course will ride, while the later competitors will know the tricky obstacles on course, but may have to run their horses on torn up or sloppy footing.
Casualties and incidents
2017 - Bob the Builder ridden by Michal Knap (POL) was euthanized after breaking his right front long pastern bone when he fell at fence 15.
Past winners Britain's Ginny Elliot and Germany's Michael Jung are currently the only riders to have won the individual European Champion title three times in succession: Elliot became European Champion in 1985, 1987, and 1989; Jung became European Champion in 2011, 2013 and 2015.2011 European Eventing Championship press kit: medal winners 1953 - 2009 (pdf-file)
On eight occasions, riders of a single nation have swept the podium, winning all three medals; Great Britain on 7 occasions, most recently in 2021The other occasions were 1954, 1955, 1971, 1985, 1989 and 1991. and Germany once in 2011.
Individual results Individual medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1953 Badminton Laurence Rook on Starlight Frank Weldon on Kilbarry Hans Schwarzenbach on Vae Victis 1954 Basel Bertie Hill on Crispin Frank Weldon on Kilbarry Laurence Rook on Starlight 1955 Windsor Frank Weldon on Kilbarry John Oram on Radar Bertie Hill on Countryman 1957 Copenhagen Sheila Willcox on High and Mighty August Lütke-Westhüs on Franco Jonas Lindgren on Eldorado 1959 Harewood Hans Schwarzenbach on Burn Trout Frank Weldon on Samuel Johnson Derek Allhusen on Laurien 1962 Burghley James Templer on M'Lord Conelly German Gazyumov on Granj Jane Wykeham-Musgrave on Ryebrooks 1965 Moscow Marian Babirecki on Volt Lev Baklyshkin on Evlon Horst Karsten on Condora 1967 Punchestown Eddie Boylan on Durlas Eile Martin Whiteley on The Poacher Derek Allhusen on Lochinvar 1969 Haras national du Pin Mary Gordon-Watson on Cornishman Richard Walker on Pasha Bernd Messmann on Windspiel 1971 Burghley The Princess Anne on Doublet Debbie West on Baccarat Stuart Stevens on Classic Chips 1973 Kyiv Aleksandr Yevdokimov on Jeger Herbert Blöcker on Albrant Horst Karsten on Sioux 1975 Luhmühlen Lucinda Prior-Palmer on Be Fair The Princess Anne on Goodwill Pyotr Gornushko on Gusar 1977 Burghley Lucinda Prior-Palmer on George Karl Schultz on Madrigal Horst Karsten on Sioux 1979 Luhmühlen Nils Haagensen on Monaco Rachel Bayliss on Gurgle The Geek Rüdiger Schwarz on Power Game 1981 Horsens Hansueli Schmutz on Oran Helmut Rethemeier on Santiago Brian McSweeney on Inis Mean 1983 Frauenfeld Rachel Bayliss on Mystic Minstrel Lucinda Prior-Palmer on Regal Realm Christian Persson on Joël 1985 Burghley Virginia Holgate on Priceless Lorna Clarke on Myross Ian Stark on Oxford Blue 1987 Luhmühlen Virginia Leng on Night Cap Ian Stark on Sir Wattie Claus Erhorn on Justyn Thyme 1989 Burghley Virginia Leng on Master Craftsman Jane Thelwall on King's Jester Lorna Clarke-Sutherland on Fearliath Mor 1991 Punchestown Ian Stark on Glenburnie Richard Walker on Jacana Karen Straker on Get Smart 1993 Achselschwang Jean-Lou Bigot on Twist La Beige Kristina Gifford on Song and Dance Man Eddy Stibbe on Bahlua 1995 Pratoni del Vivaro Lucy Thompson on Welton Romance Marie-Christine Duroy on Ut Du Placineau Mary King on King William 1997 Burghley Bettina Hoy on Watermill Stream William Fox-Pitt on Cosmopolitan II Kristina Gifford on General Jock 1999 Luhmühlen Pippa Funnell on Supreme Rock Linda Algotsson on Stand By Me Paula Törnqvist on Monaghan 2001 Pau Pippa Funnell on Supreme Rock on Brilliante Enrique Sarasola Jr. on Dope Doux 2003 Punchestown Nicolas Touzaint on Galan de Sauvagere Linda Algotsson on Stand By Me Pippa Funnell on Walk On Star 2005 Blenheim Zara Phillips on Toytown William Fox-Pitt on Tamarillo Ingrid Klimke on Sleep Late 2007 Pratoni del Vivaro Nicolas Touzaint on Galan de Sauvagere Mary King on Call Again Cavalier Bettina Hoy on Ringwood Cockatoo 2009 Fontainebleau Kristina Cook on Miners Frolic Piggy French on Some Day Soon Michael Jung on Sam 2011 Luhmühlen Michael Jung on Sam Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo Frank Ostholt on Little Paint 2013 Malmö Michael Jung on Halunke Ingrid Klimke on Escada William Fox-Pitt on Chilli Morning 2015 Blair Castle Michael Jung on Takinou Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo Thibaut Vallette on Qing du Briot 2017 Strzegom Ingrid Klimke on Hale Bob Michael Jung on Rocana Nicola Wilson on Bulana 2019 Luhmühlen Ingrid Klimke on Hale Bob Michael Jung on Chipmunk Cathal Daniels on Rioghan Rua 2021 Avenches Nicola Wilson on Dublin Piggy March on Brookfield Innocent Sarah Bullimore on Corouet 2023 Haras national du Pin Ros Canter on Lordships Graffalo Kitty King on Vendredi Biats Sandra Auffarth on Viamant du Matz 2025 Blenheim Laura Collett on London 52 Michael Jung on Fischerchipmunk FRH Tom McEwen on JL Dublin
Team results