Double Silver at Horse Pairs World Championships

Beekbergen (NED)   20-24 August 2025

by Amy Mundell

Our British Squad have returned from the FEI World Championships for Horse Pairs in Beekbergen with a historic double Silver, marking a triumphant performance on the world stage.

Against 85 of the world's top drivers, the British squad delivered remarkable consistency across dressage, marathon, and cones, securing both individual and team success.

Leading the way was Roger Campbell, who consistently placed in the top 15 all week before clinching the individual Silver medal at the championship.

A stellar showing in the cones phase, with just 2.13 time penalties, secured his podium finish behind multiple-time world champion Martin Hölle.

Reflecting on his achievement, Campbell admitted:

“I really didn’t see this coming! I just hoped to finish in the top 10, so this silver medal makes me super happy.”

Roger Campbell. Photo: Melanie Guillamot

Tara Wilkinson also shone, narrowly missing an individual podium after a final-ball penalty on the last cones.

Nevertheless, she celebrated a personal best dressage score of 46.47, saying:

“I’m so proud of how far we have come in a short space of time. One of my horses, Kane, is FEI Indoor World Cup champion with Dries Degrieck and is now the perfect three-phase pair horse for me. He only drove his first ever dressage test in April!”

Tara Wilkinson. Photo: Melanie Guillamot

Another highlight of the week was Peter Bennett’s return to international competition after 17 years away.

Driving Dirk, Lodewijk, and Lutiano, Peter brought experience to the team contributing to the British Silver medal performance.

Peter Bennett. Photo: Melanie Guillamot.

The British team Silver was secured through the combined efforts of Roger, Tara, and Peter, whose steady performances across all phases propelled Great Britain onto the podium with a final score of 305.66, just behind the Netherlands (311.30) and ahead of Hungary (286.61).

Team chef d’Equipe David Matthews praised the collective effort:

“Incredibly proud to be a part of the support team. It was a full team effort from all on the squad and everyone around them. The results speak for themselves.”

This achievement is historic for British carriage driving. It has been 42 years since a British driver won an individual gold at a Horse Pairs World Championship, when Paul Gregory claimed Gold at  “Open” Montemaggiore in 1983.

It has also been 28 years since Great Britain stood on the team podium, when Andrew Williams, Wif Bowman-Ripley, and George Bowman Jr won Gold at Riesenbeck in 1997.

Beyond the headline results, all British drivers delivered impressive performances.

Roger Campbell finished second, Tara Wilkinson fourth, Peter Bennett 34th, John Ripley 36th, Nicola Pimbblet 63rd, Chris Smith 69th, and Graham Heath 78th, with Diana Lindsay competing as a Test Driver.

Personal bests, strong consistency, and team camaraderie were on display throughout the championship.

From elegant dressage to the endurance of the marathon and the precision of cones, Britain’s drivers and horses showcased exceptional skill and determination, producing a memorable and historic campaign - Great Britain are back on the world stage in Horse Pairs driving.

  FULL RESULTS (PDF) > 

 The Squad Behind the Success:

Peter Bennett
Horses: Dirk, Lodewijk, Lutiano
Grooms: Emily Bennett, David Rockall

Roger Campbell
Horses: Kensington, Magic Morgan G, Jumper
Grooms: Clare Campbell, Jaqueline Walter, Phoebe Matthews

Nicola Pimbblet
Horses: Harrald, Just Your Money, Offwhite I&S
Grooms: Kari Harmon , Stacey Erlandson

John Ripley
Horses: iPad, iPhone
Grooms: Karen Hellier, Diane Phillips

Chris Smith
Horses: B. Diederik, Heike de la Pourcaud, Jellie fan ‘e Wierwei
Grooms: Clare Barton, Megan Chadwick

Tara Wilkinson
Horses: Kadans, Kane B, Natuur
Grooms: Leslee Wilkinson, Harvey Brown

Graham Heath
Horses: Getseminee vd Duien, Interessant, Leandro
Grooms: Allison Heath, Chris Priestley

 Support team

FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs

Beekbergen (NED)

20-24 August 2025

  FULL RESULTS (PDF)