Joanne Eccles, a current European Champion vaulter, from Tillicoultry, was the pick of the results, from last weekend (10-11 July) in the Nations Cup CHIO competition in Aachen, Germany, winning the individual female title for the second year running.
Using her own horse WH Bentley, lunged by her father John Eccles, Joanne (21), who is unbeaten in 2010, finished on an impressive score of 8.291, ahead of Antje Hill from Germany and Megan Benjamin from the USA.
In difficult conditions with temperatures touching 36 degrees and against a strong field, Hannah Eccles, Joanne's sister, finished tenth in the individual female competition, with Lucy Philips in thirteenth, while Ross Foreman finished eleventh in the individual male competition. Together Joanne and Hannah also took part in the Pas de Deux, finishing second.
The scores achieved by Joanne, Ross and also the English Vaulting Squad, which took part in the team competition, meant that Great Britain finished in fifth place overall in the Nations Cup.
Joanne said: “The hot conditions were particularly hard for the horses but I’m delighted with my performance as it was definitely my toughest test to date. Most of the European competitors and also the top three Americans that will be competing at the World Equestrian Games later in the year were there so it was a real confidence boost.”
A World Equestrian Games includes the eight disciplines of dressage, eventing, show jumping, para-equestrian dressage, driving, endurance, reining and vaulting. A World Champion will be crowned in each of these disciplines.
The Olympic and Paralympic sports are generously supported by lottery funding via UK Sport, but the non-Olympic sports of driving, endurance, reining and vaulting, although supported where possible by the World Class Programme, do not receive direct funding for the event. The British Vaulting Team going to WEG and are currently trying to raise £12,000 to get their horse to Kentucky.
A variety of fundraising initiatives have been launched to help support the trip to Kentucky for all the British teams. These include an online auction with new exclusive lots added each month and the opportunity to buy Team GBR merchandise which ranges from clothing to a recently launched silver bracelet, generous donations are made to the teams for all items sold. Further information about all the fundraising activity can be found on the official Team GBR website.
All the news and behind the scenes views in the run up to and during the Games can be found on the official website, including the opportunity to sign up FREE as a Team GBR Supporter to receive regular updates. Visit www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk for more details
