British rider becomes the new eventing World Champion after team competition heartbreak

First time senior championship rider, Yasmin Ingham, becomes eventing World Champion while the British team suffered heartbreak as poles flew from their cups on the final day’s showjumping competition

Coming into the final day of this year’s Eventing World Championships, there really was no knowing how events would play out. An eventful cross-country shook up the leader board but there was still plenty of surprise upset to be dished out as poles flew out of their cups left, right and centre.

Still, one British rider had luck – and, of course, a heck of a lot of talent – on her side as she managed to hold her nerve. She rose through the ranks from third after dressage on 22.0, second after cross-country after added just 1.2 penalties to her dressage tally, to ultimately come out of the arena in no worse than silver-medal position or potential gold. It was just one nail-bitingly tense final jumping round to go, and it was to be delivered by one of eventing’s greats, Michael Jung. Nobody could have predicted the three-time Olympic gold medallist would have one pole down, let alone an uncharacteristic two, on the phenomenally talented FischerChipmunk FRH – and while it wasn’t enough to resurrect Britain’s team medal hopes after an eventful couple of hours that had everyone’s adrenaline pumping, Michael shot down the leader board and Britain’s individual medal hopeful rose up to take the gold individual medal and the World Champion title.

This rider was none other than Cheshire-based Yasmin Ingham. Just 25 years old and making her senior championships debut, Yasmin rode the ultra-talented 11-year-old Banzai du Loir, to a level-headed and confident-looking clear round that belied their relative inexperience – a course that saw poles nudged out of cups by many of the world’s best horse and rider combinations. Yet, with nerves of steel, she did it – and while you’d never bet against one of the coolest riders in the world, Michael Jung, luck wasn’t on his side today.

“Words can’t even describe how I’m feeling right now, I went in there and tried to just block everything else out. I was under a heap of pressure going in in silver medal position,” Yasmin said on hearing the news, after dropping to the floor out of shock. “With just Michi Jung to go, I didn’t think he’d make any mistakes – but everyone’s normal and he’s obviously not a robot.

“I’m just delighted that my horse today went out there and tried his absolute best. He probably took the best round he’s ever jumped, I could [feel] him listening to me the whole way around the course. And it’s just an absolute dream finish to this event. I never thought this could happen so it’s amazing to be here with the amazing British team we’ve got here.”

She also thanked her support team network, including British Equestrian’s World Class Programme who’d been supporting the combination in the lead-up to this event, as well as her trainers, family and the owners of Banzai, Sue Davies and Janette.

“Honestly, I’m still not believing it at the moment,” an elated Yasmin continued. “I really didn’t think this would happen. Banzai was just impeccable; perfect. I could not fault him today and I am just over the moment.”

Photo credit: Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir © FEI / Richard Juilliart

Now joining the likes of Britain’s eventing greats, including Ros Canter, Zara Tindall (née Phillips), Ginny Leng and Lucinda Green as an Eventing World Champion, it would’ve hard to believe the young rider felt any pressure at all. Working to block out any outside distractions, Yasmin added that the situation was “extremely pressurised” and “nerve wracking”.

“I think I just tried to treat it as a normal competition and just make sure I did my normal plan and routine my structured system,” she continued. “I stuck to it and blocked everything else out and just focused on the job. He just delivered out there today he was absolutely fantastic.

“I’m extremely lucky to be sat on such an incredible horse.”

Elsewhere, dreams were revived and dashed for Great Britain as the afternoon’s showjumping competition played out. The team came into the final day of action in bronze medal and with very few riders to avoid any rubs with the poles, the top individual and team positions were up and down like yo-yos.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo were one of few to avoid any major mishaps, finishing on their dressage score of 26.2 – one of just five combinations to do so – and just outside of individual medal position in fourth place. Having ridden a textbook cross-country that made light of the twists and challenges of a tricky and technical course, she carried on much the same during today’s showjumping, delivering a beautiful, effortless and rhythmical round on the 10-year-old Birkhof’s Grafenstolz son.

“It was very nerve wracking today – I can’t say I enjoyed it at all, but he has been phenomenal all week,” said Ros. “Certainly, he needs this atmosphere, he thrives on it. It was great that the person before me went clear and everybody cheered because it just brought him up a little bit in a nice way, and he just relishes this kind of atmosphere.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him. He coped so well with the cross-country. He is a true athlete and a true event horse. Hopefully long may it continue.”

Speaking of the showjumping track that was causing a lot of unanticipated difficulties, she finished, “It was a really tough track. There are lots of decisions to make lots of long distances where you have to decide to go one extra or not. That’s always a challenge mentally.”

Next-best for Britain was Tom McEwen, who rode Toledo de Kerser to twelfth place after having an unfortunate pole in an otherwise spotless showjumping round. The pair finished on 34.4. The gelding hadn’t a fence down in his last eight international rounds, but today it just wasn’t to be.

Speaking afterwards, Tom said: “Some weeks aren’t your weeks, we were just having one of those. He jumped brilliantly, we just got caught out by a very clever course, that’s all.

“He was super, he’s had a great week, he’s maybe a little bit overenthusiastic but he’s been phenomenal. I absolutely loved it,” he continued. “It was a shame to have one down. It’s a proper serious track, a lot of opening up and shortening up, and the use of three doubles rather than a treble and a double. He was super, we were unlucky.”

Unfortunately for Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, when the duo had four poles down, their hope for both team and individual medal came to a grinding halt and they finished in sixteenth place. The last rider to go for Britain, they were faced with an extreme amount of pressure.

In 48^th place after an uncharacteristic and very unfortunate run-out cross-country Laura Collett rose eight placed to finish 40^th with her Badminton winner, London 52. Finishing on 62.1 ­– a score nobody could’ve anticipated prior to this wake based on the combination’s exceptional form – Laura will still take away plenty of positives from their week in Pratoni.

“He jumped really well. It felt like he had something in his ear – his ear was to one side and he was shaking his head and just didn’t quite focus,” Laura explained afterwards. “Then he concentrated again, and he jumped amazing. That fence that he had down was really hard to read. I was delighted with how he jumped, and he came out fresh as anything and that’s the main thing. He’s going home a happy horse.”

Just 0.2 penalties behind New Zealand in the final totals, Great Britain would finish out of the World Championship team medals this time.

Top-20 individual results

1. Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir
2. Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Néville
3. New Zealand’s Tim Price and Falco
4. Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo
5. Germany’s Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH
6. France’s Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza
7. USA’s Will Coleman and Off The Record
8. Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci de la Vigne JRA
9. USA’s Tamie Smith and Mai Baum
10. New Zealand’s Jonelle Price and McClaren
11. USA’s Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan
12. Great Britain’s Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser
13. Australia’s Shane Rose and Virgil
14. Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and Cartania
15. Switzerland’s Robin Godel and Gradeur de Lully CH
16. Great Britain’s Oliver Townend and Ballaghmore Class
17. Sweden’s Frida Andersen and Box Leo
18. Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue
19. USA’s Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus
20. USA’s Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF

Team results

1. USA
2. Germany
3. New Zealand
4. Great Britain
5. Ireland
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Belgium
9. Italy
10. Australia
11. Japan
12. Canada
13. Brazil
14. France
15. Austria
16. Spain

Photo credit: Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir © FEI / Richard Juilliart