22 nations will arrive at Hartpury University and Hartpury College to compete in the FEI Dressage and Eventing European Championships for Young Riders (YR) and Juniors (JR) 2022 next week (25-31 July).
Seven days of competition will see the very best juniors and young riders in the disciplines of dressage and eventing, go head-to-head in a bid for Team and Individual European glory. 15 nations are represented in the Junior Eventing Championship (60 combinations), while 12 nations are represented in the Young Rider Eventing Championship (48 combinations). 18 nations are represented in the Junior Dressage Championship (59 combinations) while 15 are represented in the Young Rider Dressage Championship (51 combinations).
Germany, the reigning European champions in eventing (JR and YR) once again field a strong team and are widely expected to put in an equally impressive display on British soil. Germany also won Junior Team and Individual gold in dressage at the 2021 championships while the Netherlands look to retain their Team and Individual golds from dressage in the Young Riders. Great Britain fields an impressive line-up and will enjoy the support of the home crowd.
A highlight of the eventing competition is likely to be cross country day, Saturday 30 July, where the combinations will tackle Eric Winter’s 2* (JR) and 3* (YR) track that takes in the undulations and natural features of the estate. A highlight of the dressage may well be the freestyle competition that also takes place on Saturday 30 July, where horses and riders will bid to dance their way to glory with choreographed dressage routines showcasing the musical side of the horse-rider partnership. The day will provide a superb day of family-friendly fun in the heart of the countryside, combined with an electric atmosphere and thrilling sport.
Russell Marchant, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at Hartpury and Chairman of the Organising Committee, said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to host these championships, as they give so much hope and promise for the future of equestrian sport. The young riders and juniors in competition are potentially our senior European, World and Olympic champions of the future.”
Commscope Ruckus or “RUCKUS” as they’re commonly known, have been confirmed as Show Sponsor for the Young Rider Eventing Championship. RUCKUS delivers high-performance wireless LAN, wired LAN, IoT, assurance and security solutions that enable exceptional connection experiences for guests, students, residents, citizens, and employees. Best-in-class hardware and AI-driven software reduce complexity and improve business outcomes for the world’s most demanding industries.
Andrews Bowen has been named as Show Sponsor for the Junior Dressage Championship. The company are widely regarded as specialists in equine riding and racing surfaces, arenas and maintenance equipment. They are responsible for the surfacing of Hartpury’s arenas including the new Equine and Animal Assisted Activity (EAAA) area round pen and covered outdoor that was built soon after Hartpury was awarded these championships.
Phillip Cheetham, Equine Director at Hartpury, and Event Director said: “We’re excited to be welcoming some of the finest young talent from across Europe and can’t wait for the competition to get started. We’re grateful to our Show Sponsors - Commscope Ruckus and Andrews Bowen, for their support of the Young Rider Eventing Championship and Junior Dressage Championship respectively, as well as the supporting sponsors and partners who’ve been so generous in their support of these championships.”
Hartpury previously hosted the 1997 European Pony Championships, and this event comes hot on the heels of the NAF Five Star Hartpury Showjumping Spectacular and NAF Five Star Hartpury Festival of Dressage. The NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials (10-14 August) will round off the annual trio of major equestrian events at the Gloucestershire venue.
Tickets are still available to buy online and can be purchased here. The event will be live streamed by Clip My Horse.
