Laura Collett and London 52 added another major result to their outstanding record by winning individual bronze at the FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen. The British partnership also helped Great Britain secure team gold, completing a championship weekend in which the nation earned both the team title and two individual medals.
For Collett and her 17-year-old gelding, known at home as “Dan”, the result reinforced their place among eventing’s most consistent championship combinations. They now hold team gold medals from the Olympic Games, European Championships and World Championships, while their individual honours include Olympic bronze, European gold and World bronze.
“I may never, ever find another horse like him again. I cherish him every day,” Collett said of London 52.
World Championship Individual Results
Germany’s Michael Jung took individual gold on FischerChipmunk FRH with a finishing score of 23 penalties. Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo earned silver for Great Britain on 23.4, while Collett and London 52 claimed bronze on 28 penalties.
| Position | Rider | Horse | Nation | Final penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Michael Jung | FischerChipmunk FRH | Germany | 23.0 |
| Silver | Ros Canter | Lordships Graffalo | Great Britain | 23.4 |
| Bronze | Laura Collett | London 52 | Great Britain | 28.0 |
| 4th | Will Coleman | Diabolo | United States | 30.0 |
| 5th | Gaspard Maksud | Zaragoza | France | 30.9 |
| 6th | Andrew Hoy | Vassily De Lassos | Australia | 31.7 |
Tom McEwen, riding JL Dublin, finished seventh individually after being the first British combination to jump in the final phase.
How Collett Secured Bronze
Collett and London 52 entered the final showjumping phase in third position, behind Jung and Canter. Their cross-country performance had kept them in medal contention: they jumped clear and finished only two seconds outside the optimum time, adding 0.8 time penalties. At that stage, they were just 0.6 penalties behind the leader.
In the showjumping, London 52 incurred one rail down at the water tray, two fences from home, as well as 0.4 time penalties. Despite the unexpected mistake, their final score of 28 was enough to protect bronze ahead of American rider Will Coleman and Diabolo.
Collett described the error as unusual for a horse that had performed exceptionally throughout the championship.
“He’s been faultless all week, and I’m just delighted it didn’t change the standings,” she said. “We came here to win a team gold medal, and we’ve just done that and added a couple of extras for bonus.”
Britain’s Route to Team Gold
Great Britain held the team lead after dressage and strengthened its position during cross-country. Before the final showjumping phase, Britain had a three-fence advantage over Germany, putting the squad in a strong position to win gold.
The title-winning British team consisted of Ros Canter with Lordships Graffalo, Laura Collett with London 52 and Tom McEwen with JL Dublin. Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley had been eliminated during the competition, meaning the remaining British riders carried the pressure into the final phase.
The team gold was particularly significant for Collett and London 52. They previously won Olympic team gold in Tokyo and Paris, as well as European team gold in 2023, so the Aachen victory completed their collection of senior championship team titles.
London 52’s Championship Record
London 52 has been Collett’s partner for virtually all of the biggest achievements of her senior career. Their track record includes a victory at the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials, a five-star win at Pau in 2020 and another at Luhmühlen in 2023.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Collett and London 52 posted an eventing dressage score of 17.5, setting a new Olympic record at the time. They then helped Great Britain retain team gold and took individual bronze, which was Collett’s first individual senior championship medal.
Their later European Championship victory at Blenheim in 2025 brought individual gold, meaning the World Championship bronze completed an individual medal set across the Olympics, Europeans and Worlds.
Why This Result Matters
This bronze medal was not simply another podium finish. It confirmed London 52 as one of the defining championship horses of his generation and highlighted Collett’s consistency across dressage, cross-country and showjumping at the highest level.
For Great Britain, the result also demonstrated squad depth: Canter took individual silver, Collett won bronze and McEwen finished seventh, while the team converted its advantage into world gold.
