'The most exciting team since Valegro'

Carl Hester on why this year's Europeans are so exciting for British dressage

- Polly Bryan

WHAT a bumper year of medals for our junior and young rider teams, and what talent we have showing in the pony division, too. I was able to watch all of the junior and young rider European Championship tests and what a good impression the Brits’ riding made on me. They’ve come such a long way.

It was not only good riding but also lovely horses that caught my eye. With all our riders scoring around the magic 70% mark, and some above, everyone contributed to the success and it can’t be said it was down to one rider.

One tends to forget how difficult these levels are, requiring skills, technique and – another magic word – self-carriage. And in these age groups riders are not only coping with training and competition pressures, but also schoolwork and exams too.

Although the pony riders narrowly missed out on a medal there were some strong performances. Abigail Gray and George Clooney, in their first year together, stood out as a partnership with real talent and promise. They could claim an individual medal next year.