Laura Collett back on top with the best prospects
BOEKELO – Just like last year, newly crowned European Champion Laura Collett from Great Britain will enter the decisive show jumping phase of Military Boekelo-Enschede as the overall leader, riding her eleven-year-old bay gelding Count Onyx.
However, it took a long time before she was officially invited to the customary press conference. Only after a protest she had filed and a prolonged jury deliberation was the alleged missed flag at obstacle 12B in the cross-country phase dismissed. This correction moved her from around 40th place back to first overall after two phases. In 2024, she lost her leading position to Germany’s Julia Krajewski — this time she has the chance to succeed her, just as she did in 2019.
“My horse was absolutely fantastic from start to finish,” Collett said after hurriedly arriving at the press center. “I never doubted for a second that I had missed the flag. This was our very first competition at this level, and I’m incredibly proud of him. He’s an outstanding horse for the future.”
Ensuring fairness for all riders
Angela Tucker, the British president of the Ground Jury, apologized for the lengthy deliberation. “There were several matters under discussion, and we have a duty to make the correct decision so that no competitor is treated unfairly. Every situation is different, which made this one particularly complex. Otherwise, it was a wonderful day for our sport — skilled combinations and a huge crowd.”
Jesse Campbell of New Zealand appeared set to claim the lead for much of the cross-country phase in this 54th edition of Military Boekelo. Riding his eleven-year-old bay gelding Speedwell, he was among the 22 combinations that completed the 5,700-meter course with 26 obstacles clear and within the time. Campbell maintained his dressage score of 27.1 penalties, while Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy moved into third on his nine-year-old bay gelding MGH Zabaione Z with 27.8 penalties.
Youngest rider in the field leads the Dutch championship
Among the Dutch participants, Tijn de Blaauw — at 20 years old, the youngest of the 89 competitors — delivered the best performance. Riding his sixteen-year-old chestnut gelding The Joker, he now holds a slight lead in the Dutch national championship with 51.4 penalties, just ahead of Sterre van Houte with Crossborder Radar Love (54.4). In third, Splinter Bergsma is close behind with Vigo Key SR Z (56.7).
De Blaauw reflected: “It was our first long four-star event. For me, the goal was to gain experience with The Joker, and that worked out well. It was an incredible experience — I was able to ride exactly the round I had planned. Becoming national champion would be great, but it’s not my main focus. That would just be a nice bonus.”
Team coach and organization proud
National coach Andrew Heffernan expressed pride in his young quartet of riders, whom he wanted to give a taste of top-level competition. “I’m especially proud of how well they kept their composure. I tried to take the pressure off them because Boekelo brings its own. I wanted them to feel comfortable. It’s a pleasure working with them, and hopefully this leads to future medals.”
Event chair Robert Zandstra also looked back with satisfaction: “After last year’s mud, our team did an amazing job. This year feels like a gift. Everyone is happy. When you look at the photos and listen to the comments from riders and team leaders, you can’t help but feel proud. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have some great winners too.”
Of the 89 starters, only ten combinations were eliminated on Saturday. Four riders retired voluntarily, while six were forced to withdraw. Course designer Adrian Ditcham received well-deserved praise for creating a cross-country course that was “fair but selective.”
In the team standings, Great Britain leads with 87.9 penalties, followed by Ireland (91.5) and France (96.1). The final day promises to be extremely tense — fourteen combinations are separated by less than one jumping fault. The veterinary inspection begins at 8:30 a.m.