European Championships, Italy. August 2005

Up with the early risers (the birds) were Julie, Emma, Tiny and Bowler starting their adventure to sunnier climes following the sweet smell of success. Also tracking the smell of success with horses in tow was the SEVT team, kitted out and ready to go, hours of endless rehearsals behind them. Night broke on Monday the 1st August and we found ourselves camping! on the floor of Stansted airport ( does this ring a bell scots!). Back pain behind us, early Tuesday morning the rest of the individual team and the grooms arrived, oh, and Ararat came too! Destination; Milan the European Championships 2005.

Mouche (that’s a fly for those who don’t know) and all the Great British team found themselves in Brescia safe and sound (remember paint van man!....10 points for innovative ways of traveling!)

Standards of accommodation left a little to be desired (scots u were lucky with the hotel) but porta loos and cold showers aside the trot up was next on the agenda. Despite being covered in horse fly bites Becca, John and Lucy did a sterling job and both the team and individual horses were through, bring on the competition!.

The competition was hot, the weather not so hence we all got soaked in the thunder storm walking round the town! Our clothes soon dried and we were back on form, oh and Ararat got a hotel!
One slight problem marred our success: one damaged beyond repair and collapsed gazebo!

We spent our next couple of days training, competing and caring for the horses and despite the hot weather and intense competition from the other nations we approached the final two days with the junior team lying in 6th the senior in 5th and final round qualification for Joey. The twins finished in respectable places with Sarah only an inch away from her sister!

We were all looking forward to success and were biting at the chance of a podium finish. Ararat’s exit from the competition due to injury left a gap hard to fill but we wish him every success in the future.

The tension was high but we didn’t falter and both teams gave a sterling performance, lungers and horses included. When the final result came we found the junior in 5th place and the senior in 4th. Joey also finished in a good position and all in all everybody gave a performance to be proud of from grooms chefs and parents through to horses, lungers and competitors alike.

There was obvious team spirit at the party and the food and the company made for a brilliant multicultural evening!
Our thanks go to those that taught us to speak in new languages!

Thanks also go to everyone for making it a great trip and we hope to have future success and podium finishes in all of our forth coming competitions.

Lucy and Juliette (and Souflette!, thats the cat for those that don't know!)