Disappointment for Scots as GBR team for Blair Castle announced

Initial hopes for Scottish interest within Team GBR at Blair Castle have been dashed with the announcement 12 English riders will represent the nation when the Longines FEI European Championships come to Perthshire in September,

writes Philippa Merry.

Selectors revealed the “all-English” squad to compete on “home soil” includes regulars William Fox-Pitt, 46, from Dorset; Pippa Funnell, 46, Surrey; Oliver Townend, 32, Shropshire; Nicola Wilson, 38, North Yorkshire; and Francis Whittington, 37, East Sussex, as well as riders Laura Collett, 25, West Berkshire; Dani Evans, 23, Bristol; Flora Harris, 27, Berkshire; Kitty King, 32, Wiltshire; Gemma Tattersall, 30, West Sussex; Izzy Taylor, 32, Oxfordshire and Holly Woodhead, 21, Wiltshire.

Achieving selection as second reserve, Fife-based rider Wills Oakden will now have to wait it out to see whether he might benefit from the misfortune of any of these riders – behind 22-year-old Tom Jackson, from Kent, who has been named as first reserve.

However, four of the first-pick squad athletes have been chosen in tandem with direct reserve horses.

William Fox-Pitt has been selected with three rides in hand – Bay My Hero, Fernhill Pimms and Luxury FH – while Pippa Funnell has been listed with Sandman 7 and Second Supreme.

Izzy Taylor is listed with both Allercombe Ellie and KBIS Briarlands Matilda, while Nicola Wilson is also named with One Two Many, backed up by her WEG ride Annie Clover.

A total of six riders, including Wills, were named on the ‘short’ reserve list.