World Eventing Championships: GB rider Yasmin Ingham wins gold on senior debut
- Published
Ingham is a former double European pony gold medallist
Britain's Yasmin Ingham clinched individual gold at the World Eventing Championships in a dramatic round.
The 25-year-old, at her first senior championship, was second going into Sunday's showjumping finale in Pratoni, Italy, and finished with a clear round for a total of 23.2 on Banzai du Loir.
Germany's Michael Jung, the leader, then hit two fences in his round to hand Ingham victory.
"I really didn't think this would happen," she said.
"The horse was impeccable and I am just over the moon. I can't explain how happy I am."
Ingham, who is based in Cheshire, was competing as an individual and had a superb competition, sitting third after the dressage phase and incurring just 1.2 time faults in Saturday's cross-country to be 4.4 penalties behind Jung, the former Olympic, world and European champion.
"I'm just speechless - I can't believe it," she added.
"It was pressurised and nerve-wracking but I just tried to treat it like a normal competition and stick to my routine."
Ingham follows the likes of fellow GB rider Ros Canter, who took the title in 2018, and Zara Tindall (then Phillips), who triumphed in 2006, as well as Ginny Leng, Lucinda Green and Mary Gordon-Watson.
Canter was part of the GB team in Pratoni along with Tom McEwen, Laura Collett and Oliver Townend, but the defending champions finished out of the medals in fourth as they chased a sixth title.
The quartet finished on 100.9, missing out on bronze by 0.2 with Germany taking gold (95.2) ahead of the United States (100.3) and New Zealand (100.7).
However, the GB team have still secured qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Britain were well in contention but Townend, the world number one had a disappointing end to his round, hitting three of the last four fences.
Canter missed out on a share of individual bronze with New Zealand's Tim Price after the pair both finished on a total of 26.2 but Canter had a slower showjumping time.