‘The spice of life’

Variety is a joy of eventing — but you have to admire Charlotte Dujardin’s dominance in dressage this week

I’VE recently realised that one of my favourite aspects of eventing is the incredible variety the sport throws up in every area. Blenheim (report, p54) last week was a great example.

Take the many different ways you can win.

Our cover star Izzy Taylor led throughout to top the Event Rider Masters (ERM), Kim Severson moved up from third after dressage to take the CCI3*.

Then there are the riders. Look at the ERM. Gemma Tattersall is one of our top young professional jockeys and has ridden four different horses to take the series title. Meanwhile, runnerup Sarah Cohen competes just one horse — who has contested every leg of the series — alongside being a mother of two. And Mark Todd, who finished third, is 61 years old and has been competing at the top level since well before Gemma was born.

And then there are the horses. Blenheim ended in triumphs for two Irish-breds, both from the powerhouse Cooley operation, but the third winner, Be Touchable, is a Dutch warmblood.

We’ve also had a thoroughbred ex-racehorse win an ERM leg this year.

Variety may be the spice of life — but you have to take your hat off when a rider manages such an incredible whitewash as Charlotte Dujardin pulled off at the National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh Park last week (report, p56). She won every class she entered and frequently took the other podium placings too. Valegro may be gone, but surely Charlotte’s next team appearance is not long away?