I'll relive this moment

Laura Collett reflects on her week taking individual gold at the European Championships at Blenheim in September

- 

THIS whole year has been less intense than 2024, with six riders for the Europeans rather than three for the Olympics.

London 52 (Dan) has been super-consistent all season, but I was still thrilled to get the selection call from performance manager Dickie Waygood.

It felt like a regular Blenheim, with a slight twist. All the British riders travelled in their own lorries and mostly stayed in them with their grooms, whereas we'd team up for travel abroad to a championship and stay in a hotel.

I mostly had dinner in the canteen or in the lorry, sometimes with my groom Tilly Hughes. On Wednesday, I ate with Mum and Dan's co-owner Karen Bartlett at their hotel, but after that I stayed onsite.

ON Tuesday, I had a dressage lesson with Ian Woodhead before I left home.

It was a total disaster and I had a complete meltdown. Ian kept laughing and saying, “Don't panic,” and I was like, “Panic? I'm going to the Europeans and I can’t do a flying change.” He said, “Don’t worry, I've ordered 20 flying changes special delivery on Amazon.” I was not in the best mood arriving at Blenheim.

We'd been told who was riding on the team and as individuals, plus the order, the week before, but it’s always open to change until after the trot-up. We'd been asked our ideal position - I said I didn’t mind third or fourth, but I'd like number four and I felt the horse had earned that. On my pony, junior and young rider teams I was always number four... so perhaps I need that spot to get an individual gold.

On Wednesday morning, Tom McEwen and I went hacking together for about 90 minutes and then I did five or 10 minutes stretching with Dan, but I wasn’t ready to try a flying change.

I had a lesson with Ian on Thursday morning, thinking that if necessary I could school Dan again in the afternoon. But the flying changes were perfect, so I was a lot happier after that!