Great Britain’s eventers made history as they produced a spectacular performance to win team and individual gold at the European Championships in Switzerland.
A quartet of Nicola Wilson, Piggy March, Kitty King and reigning world champion Ros Canter became the first all-female team to take European gold.
And British riders also swept the board individually, with Wilson and JL Dublin collecting gold, March finishing second aboard Brookfield Inocent and non-team member Sarah Bullimore taking third with Corouet.
What an afternoon! Our amazing group of girls and their superstar horses have done a clean sweep at the FEI Eventing European Championship 2021 🤩 A full report, plus plenty of photos, coming soon…#EquestrianEventing #FEIEventing #MakeAmazingHappen #FEIEuros2021 #WeDontPlay pic.twitter.com/0AdlNShlK1 — British Equestrian (@BritEquestrian) September 26, 2021
Britain now hold Olympic, world and European team crowns, with their latest success arriving just less than two months after Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend combined to land gold in Tokyo.
A major team title treble has only been achieved on two previous occasions.
And not since 1991 have Britain provided all three European podium finishers, when Ian Stark, Richard Walker and Karen Straker filled the medal places.
Britain delivered a final team score of 73.1 penalties, more than 13 clear of runners-up Germany, with Sweden capturing bronze.
🥇Nicola Wilson 🇬🇧⁰🥈Piggy March 🇬🇧⁰🥉Sarah Bullimore 🇬🇧#RideTheMoment #FEIEuros2021 pic.twitter.com/6xUxQUiMCi — The FEI (@FEI_Global) September 26, 2021
Wilson, meanwhile, finished on her dressage score of 20.9 in Avenches to secure European glory nine years after she helped Britain secure team silver at London 2012.
The 44-year-old, who is based in North Yorkshire, became the first British European individual champion since Tina Cook triumphed at Fontainebleau in France 12 years ago, with other British winners including Zara Tindall, Pippa Funnell and Virginia Leng.
March, meanwhile, captured a silver medal after narrowly missing out on Tokyo Olympics team selection, adding to a rich collection that also includes the 2019 Badminton title.
Wilson said: “It has been a fantastic week for all of the Brits. It is a dream come true.
GOLD medal Wilson! 🙌 Wonderful Nicola Wilson's dreams came true. With a textbook round on the divine JL Dublin, @BritEquestrian's star of the show had us in awe in Avenches! 👏 pic.twitter.com/RKDR5txqaz — The FEI (@FEI_Global) September 26, 2021
“He is a fabulous horse, and for him to finish on top of the podium in his first championship, I am pinching myself.
“He felt class in all three phases. I knew he could jump well, but you just do not know what is going to happen with pressure and nerves.
“But he was just phenomenal in there. He was cool as a cucumber, off we went, and it was an absolute pleasure to ride him.”
March added: “I think my horse is one of the best horses in the world, and it is exciting for the future. What a week – you couldn’t write it.”
And bronze medallist Bullimore said: “I am quite emotional. It has taken me 10 years to get here, and to achieve this is a major thing on a horse we bred ourselves. It’s really special.”
