'Out of this world'

A team silver and four riders in the top 12 individually – topped by Scott Brash's second silver medal of this Europeans – mark a truly outstanding week for British showjumpers

- ELEANOR JONES

Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships, Casas Novas Equestrian Center, A Coruña, Spain

THE European Championships proved to be a fantastic week for Great Britain, not only because of the team and individual silver medals won, but for what they mean for the future of the sport in this country.

Scott Brash and Ben Maher have long been the stalwarts of the side and both excelled as they have so often done before, Ben setting the standard with strong rounds to start the team off on the right foot and Scott carrying the nation's expectations with his ice-cool approach to bring the team and – in Scott's case – individual medals home.

But it was also the way they did it. They took the lead from the first day and were the one nation to have an unheard-of four riders and horses in the second round of the individual final, the top 12 on the continent.

Every single British combination - Scott and Hello Folie, Ben and Dallas Vegas Batilly, Matt Sampson and Medoc De Toxandria, Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette and Jessica Mendoza with In The Air - did themselves and their country proud.

"It was out of this world to have four riders in the top 12," said British Equestrian showjumping performance manager Di Lampard.