France celebrated a memorable finish to the FEI Eventing European Championship for Ponies on home soil as Noa Pelle claimed Individual gold before anchoring his nation to a successful defence of the team title in a dramatic finale at Le Mans.
Both championships remained undecided until the very last rider. With Ireland’s Anna Radford producing a faultless final showjumping round to pile the pressure on the home favourite, Pelle entered the arena knowing a single rail would cost him not only the Individual title but potentially France’s team gold as well.
Instead, the French rider and Gin GT La Templerie delivered exactly when it mattered most, producing a composed clear round to finish on 30.8 penalties and spark celebrations among the home crowd.
“I came here to gain experience,” said Pelle after his victory.
“I didn’t think I could win an individual medal because I haven’t been competing at this level for very long. We were well prepared throughout the season with the federation training camps and the preparation camp before the European Championships.”
Ireland’s Anna Radford and Essenar Double Dutch claimed a deserved silver medal after climbing from ninth following dressage to finish on 34.7 penalties, while Italy’s Isabella Giovannoni completed one of the championship’s biggest climbs to secure bronze.
Partnering Clonberne Leedy, Giovannoni rose from 26th after dressage to ninth after cross-country before producing another clear jumping round to earn a place on the podium.
“Dressage is not our strongest discipline, but I was really happy with my score,” she said.
“I just wanted to keep my score, so I really attacked the cross-country, and it felt really good. Today was really nice as well.”
Saturday’s cross-country, designed by Paris 2024 Olympic course designer Pierre Le Goupil, proved to be the decisive phase of the championship. Overnight leader Lea Brügger of Switzerland slipped out of medal contention, while Pelle moved into pole position ahead of the final day’s jumping.
The battle for team honours proved just as tense.
France’s quartet of Pelle, Louane Achard, Emilie Aunac and Lou Cravedi were the only nation to bring all four riders safely through the cross-country, allowing them to discard a score before Sunday’s finale.
Ireland, represented by Anna Radford, Lillymai Walsh, Tadgh O’Haire and Kitty Cullen, kept the pressure firmly on the hosts until Pelle’s final clear round confirmed France’s victory on 120.5 penalties.
Ireland secured team silver on 123.8 penalties, while Germany claimed bronze. Italy finished fourth ahead of Great Britain and Belgium.
The championship once again highlighted the influence of Pierre Le Goupil’s demanding cross-country track, with faults spread throughout the course rather than concentrated at individual fences. Only eight of the 33 combinations completed the championship without a jumping fault, and all five of the leading finishers were among those to produce clear final rounds.
For France, it marked back-to-back home victories after also winning both the Individual and Team titles in 2025, despite fielding an entirely new squad.
Chef d’Equipe Gilles Audrain admitted expectations had been measured before the competition began.
“This was a transition year, so we were hoping for a medal,” he said.
“None of these riders had much experience at this level. A European Championship is another level.”
France left Le Mans with both Pony Eventing gold medals once again, while Pelle’s composed performance under the greatest pressure of the week ensured the hosts finished their championship in the perfect fashion.
Feature Image: Team France take the Gold Medal in the Eventing for the 2026 FEI European Championship for Ponies | Le Mans. Emilie Aunac and Uriel De Tassine; Noa Pelle and Gin Gt La Templerie; Louane Achard and Hold Up Graviere; Lou Cravedi and Celeste Du Montier. Copyright Photo: FEI / Libby Law Photography
