Portugal earned Young Rider Team Silver and the invidividual Bronze Medal for João Laureano and U Farno.
British teams came away from the TREC European Championships with one gold and two bronze medals.
The Gold went to Young Rider individual Kate Ellison, 20, from Kilwinning in Ayrshire, while the Young Rider team of Kathryn Bean riding Danny, Kate Ellison on Spice of Life, Helen Paine and Flossi and Julia Knight-Jones with Fleetmeed Ross went home with the team Bronze.
The senior team of Hilary Barnard, riding Rhinefield Impulse, Caroline Brammer on Rhubon, Deborah Swann and Urban Legend and Paul Turner with Magic took their team Bronze.
It was France, however, which went home from the Exmoor-based Championships – supported by Libbys – with the greatest clutch of medals, taking Young Rider team Gold and individual Silver and Senior team Gold, while their Pierre Guillaume Blache won Senior individual Gold and compatriot Nadia Fontaine took individual Senior silver.
Saturday's 42 kilometre orienteering phase took an early toll on the competition. TREC national organiser Rob Jones said: “As befits a European championship, the course was technically difficult and arduous and a number of competitors found it more challenging than they could manage.”
At 7.10pm, with some 40 competitors still on course in fading light, officials took the decision to stop the competition at check point seven. Riders were then either escorted back to the show ground or picked up by transport. The decision was then taken to end the phase at approximately 25 kilometres. Scores for riders who had already completed were wiped from the record and all competitors went into the second day with only the penalties up to check point seven.
Spectators were treated to a masterclass in Control of Paces with performances of a very high standard including – some riders achieving the rare distinction of scoring a full 60 points. The Championships were supported by grants from Defra and the Sustainable Development Fund administered by the Exmoor National Park Authority, while Libbys, Plymouth-based manufacturer of webbing tack, provided bridles for all riders and supplied the Championship rosettes.
Results (17.09.06)
European Championship TREC
Junior Individual Champion – Kate Ellison – Great Britain
Senior Individual Champion – Pierre Guillaume Blanche – France
Senior Teams
Gold Medal – France
Silver Medal – Austria
Bronze Medal – Great Britain
Junior Teams
Gold Medal – France
Silver Medal – Portugal
Bronze Medal – Great Britain