The Jiva Hill Stables FEI Dressage European Championship 2025 in Crozet, France will get underway on Wednesday morning at 10am local time (6pm AEST) with Francisco Benitez Sanchez first into the arena for Spain. During Tuesday’s draw, the Spanish team picked the very first starting slot, while Sweden drew the final position on the team starting list.
Earlier, all horses passed the veterinary inspection, clearing the way for the afternoon’s draw that determined the running order of the 14 national teams. In a ceremonial procedure, team names and starting numbers were drawn from large wine coolers, first selecting the nation, and then the number.
The sequence for the teams is as follows: Spain, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Sweden. Three nations, Hungary, Finland and Austria, will field only three combinations, meaning their first athletes will not appear until later on the opening day.
Final starting order
The draw began with the nine individual combinations. According to their positions on the FEI Dressage World Ranking, the highest-ranked riders secured starting slots on the second day, while the others will compete on Wednesday.
Rotem Jale Ibrahimzadeh (TUR) will be the first individual combination to appear, sixth to go on the opening day. She will be joined in Wednesday’s line-up by Nicolas Wagner-Ehlinger (LUX), Gabriele H.-Kiefer (CYP), and Dalia Katinaite-Pranckeviciene (LTU).
On Thursday, Maria Klementieva (CYP) will lead the action at 10am (6pm AEST), followed by Grete Ayache (EST), Isabel Freese (NOR), Nathalie Wahlund (ITA), and finally Luxembourg’s Fie Christine Skarsoe, who will enter the arena as the final combination, immediately after Sweden closes the team competition.
The team draw followed a similar system, with placements allocated depending on the collective ranking points of the riders entered.
Two days of Grand Prix
The team medals will be decided across two days of Grand Prix, Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 August, with the first combination entering at 10am each morning (6pm AEST). The final athlete is due in the arena at 16:36pm on Thursday (12.36am Friday, AEST), after which the medal ceremony will crown the 2025 European team champions.
Defending champions Great Britain return with a powerful team. Their line-up includes reigning World Champion and Dressage World Cup™ winner Charlotte Fry with Glamourdale, also her Olympic bronze medal partner. The ever-experienced Carl Hester returns with Fame, Olympian Becky Moody brings Jagerbomb, and Andrew Gould completes the quartet with Indigro.
Germany also fields a full-strength team, with Olympic silver medallist Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine, contesting her 17th European Championship. Olympic Team gold medallist Frederic Wandres (Bluetooth OLD), Ingrid Klimke (Vayron) and Katharina Hemmer (Denoix PCH) complete the line-up.
Denmark, bronze medallists in Riesenbeck, once again look strong with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Mount St John Freestyle), Andreas Helgstrand (Jovian), Nadja Aaboe Sloth (Favour Gersdorf) and Rikke Dupont (Grand Galliano). Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands also bring firepower, with Justin Verboomen (Zonik Plus), Patrik Kittel (Touchdown) and Dinja van Liere (Hermes) among the top names to watch.
Crozet set to shine
The boutique-style Jiva Hill Stables offers a stunning backdrop to this year’s Championship. Located in the French countryside, with the mountains beyond, the venue pairs five-star hospitality with first-class facilities for horses, riders and spectators.
The stables are extra spacious, they offer plenty of wash-down areas for the horses, cooling zones are in place, and grazing paddocks have even been provided – all underscoring the Organising Committee’s commitment to horse welfare. The main arena has been beautifully prepared, supported by a 10-minute ring for pre-test work and a cool indoor arena for warm-up.
Ones to watch
Justin Verboomen (BEL) is one of the new names making an impact. With the nine-year-old Zonik Plus, he already claimed victories in both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle in Aachen, defeating established stars. “That is my biggest goal, to have Zonik as relaxed every day as he was during the Freestyle in Aachen, and for us to have that good connection. The feeling is the most important thing for me,” he explained.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN), meanwhile, will be aiming for another individual medal with Mount St John Freestyle. The pair helped Denmark to team silver at the Paris Olympic Games and carry seven European medals already between them. “Freestyle has all the qualities: she’s reliable, and honestly, it’s just up to me to ride clean tests. My goal is to present her in the best way that I can,” Laudrup-Dufour said.
The Grand Prix begins today at 10am local time (6pm AEST), and by Thursday afternoon the team medals will be decided. The top 30 combinations will qualify for Friday’s Grand Prix Special, before the best 18 return for Sunday’s Freestyle finale.
Day 1 – Wednesday, August 27
10:00 (6pm AEST): Francisco BENITEZ SANCHEZ & LORD PLATINUM (Spain)
10:09 (6:09pm AEST): Susanne KROHN & TITOLAS (Germany)
10:19 (6:19pm AEST): Delia EGGENBERGER & SANTA MARIA (Poland)
10:28 (6:28pm AEST): Nadja Aaboe SLOTH & FAVOUR GERSDORF (Denmark)
10:38 (6:38pm AEST): Rotem Jale IBRAHIMZADEH & HEXAGON’S DOUBLE DUTCH (Turkey)
10:47 (6:47pm AEST): Anne-Sophie SERRE & JIBRALTAR DE MASSA (France)
10:57 (6:57pm AEST): Nuno PALMA SANTOS & FORTUNITYS FRH (Portugal)
11:06 (7:06pm AEST): Charlotte DEFALQUE & BOTTICELLI (Belgium)
11:30 (7:30pm AEST): Ingrid KLIMKE & VAYRON NRW (Germany)
11:39 (7:39pm AEST): Rowena WEGGELAAR & DON QUICHOT (Netherlands)
11:49 (7:49pm AEST): Andrew GOULD & INDIGRO (Great Britain)
11:58 (7:58pm AEST): Sofie LEXNER & INORALINE W (Sweden)
12:08 (8:08pm AEST): Teia HERNANDEZ VILA & ROMERO DE TRUJILLO (Spain)
12:17 (8:17pm AEST): Berill SZOKE TÓTH & VELASCO 7 (Hungary)
12:27 (8:27pm AEST): Nicolas WAGNER-EHLINGER & QUATERBACK JUNIOR FRH (Luxembourg)
14:00 (10pm AEST): Katarzyna MILCZAREK & GUAPO (Poland)
14:09 (10:09pm AEST): Jenni Matilda SCHMECHEL & ZAGAL AZORES (Finland)
14:19 (10:19pm AEST): Bettina KENDLBACHER & BROADMOAR’S DON ALFREDO AWO (Austria)
14:28 (10:28pm AEST): Charlotte LENHERR & DETTORI (Switzerland)
14:38 (10:38pm AEST): Rikke DUPONT & GRAND GALIANO (Denmark)
14:47 (10:47pm AEST): Bertrand LIEGARD & GINGER (France)
14:57 (10:57pm AEST): João Miguel TORRÃO & LIRIOM VL (Portugal)
15:21 (11:21pm AEST): Domien MICHIELS & INTERMEZZO VAN HET MEERDAALHOF (Belgium)
15:30 (11:30pm AEST): Katharina HEMMER & DENOIX PCH (Germany)
15:40 (11:40pm AEST): Gabriele H.-KIEFER & CYPRUS OPHELIA (Cyprus)
15:49 (11:49pm AEST): Thamar ZWEISTRA & HEXAGON’S LUXURIOUZZ (Netherlands)
15:59 (11:59pm AEST): Becky MOODY & JAGERBOMB (Great Britain)
16:08 (12:08am AEST): Dalia KATINAITE-PRANCKEVICIENE & AMICA (Lithuania)
16:18 (12:18am AEST): Tinne VILHELMSON-SILFVÉN & HYATT (Sweden)
Day 2 – Thursday, August 28
10:00 (6pm AEST): Maria KLEMENTIEVA & GAMMELENGGARDS ZAPPA (Cyprus)
10:09 (6:09pm AEST): Beatriz FERRER-SALAT & ELEGANCE (Spain)
10:19 (6:19pm AEST): Anikó KOMJÁTHY-LOSONCZY & DIORS (Hungary)
10:28 (6:28pm AEST): Grete AYACHE & VERTIGO (Estonia)
10:38 (6:38pm AEST): Isabel FREESE & TOTAL HOPE OLD (Norway)
10:47 (6:47pm AEST): Ilona JANAS & DARK KNIGHT (Poland)
10:57 (6:57pm AEST): Joanna ROBINSON & GLAMOURALINE (Finland)
11:06 (7:06pm AEST): Stefan LEHFELLNER & ROBERTO CARLOS MT (Austria)
11:16 (7:16pm AEST): Jessica NEUHAUSER & ROCKSON (Switzerland)
11:40 (7:40pm AEST): Andreas HELGSTRAND & JOVIAN (Denmark)
11:49 (7:49pm AEST): Alexandre AYACHE & RULING OLIVIA (France)
11:59 (7:59pm AEST): Maria CAETANO & HIT PLUS (Portugal)
12:08 (8:08pm AEST): Nathalie WAHLUND & GORKLINTGARDS SCORPION (Italy)
12:18 (8:18pm AEST): Larissa PAULUIS & FLAMBEAU (Belgium)
12:27 (8:27pm AEST): Frederic WANDRES & BLUETOOTH OLD (Germany)
12:37 (8:37pm AEST): Marieke VAN DER PUTTEN & ZANTANAS RS2 OLD (Netherlands)
12:46 (8:46pm AEST): Carl HESTER & FAME (Great Britain)
14:00 (10pm AEST): Maria VON ESSEN & INVOICE (Sweden)
14:09 (10:09pm AEST): Borja CARRASCOSA & FRIZZANTINO FRH (Spain)
14:19 (10:19pm AEST): Máté GARAI & VITUS 95 (Hungary)
14:28 (10:28pm AEST): Sandra SYSOJEVA & MAXIMA BELLA (Poland)
14:38 (10:38pm AEST): Henri RUOSTE & TIFFANY’S DIAMOND (Finland)
14:47 (10:47pm AEST): Florian BACHER & FIDERTRAUM OLD (Austria)
14:57 (10:57pm AEST): Charlotta ROGERSON & BONHEUR DE LA VIE (Switzerland)
15:06 (11:06pm AEST): Cathrine LAUDRUP-DUFOUR & MOUNT ST JOHN FREESTYLE (Denmark)
15:30 (11:30pm AEST): Pauline BASQUIN & SERTORIUS DE RIMAZ IFCE (France)
15:39 (11:39pm AEST): João Pedro MOREIRA & DROSA FUERST KENNEDY OLD (Portugal)
15:49 (11:49pm AEST): Justin VERBOOMEN & ZONIK PLUS (Belgium)
15:58 (11:58pm AEST): Isabell WERTH & WENDY DE FONTAINE (Germany)
16:08 (12:08am AEST): Dinja VAN LIERE & HERMES (Netherlands)
16:17 (12:17am AEST): Charlotte FRY & GLAMOURDALE (Great Britain)
16:27 (12:27am AEST): Patrik KITTEL & TOUCHDOWN (Sweden)
16:36 (12:36am AEST): Fie Christine SKARSOE & IMPERADOR DOS CEDROS (Luxembourg)
Watch all the action via ClipMyHorse.TV here.
Starting lists and results can be found here.
Source: FEI press release by Bettine van Harselaar, edited by Equestrian Life
