Fontainebleau, France turned on a true Indian Summer with warmth and little breeze blowing, creating tough enough conditions for Cross Country when added to the twisting, turning, up and down course which created enough issues for many.
Even the journey through the famous trees of the forest, the only belssing was that horse and rider were shielded from the blazing sun, but with no breeze, there was little relief from the heat.
When looking at the results you could be forgiven for thinking that there were more Brits there than any other country - but in fact they were just too good over the three days, taking home the Team Gold European medal for the 8th time in a row and they also snaffled the Individual Gold and Silver, leaving the Bronze to the last remaining German rider in tbe competition, Michael Jung.
William Fox-Pitt, although missing out on an individual medal this year, took home his 7th European Team Gold medal.
Surely the most excited rider in Fontainebleau this year wasBritain's 29 year old Piggy French who got to the European Championships on a wild card after her hero Mary King's horse was withdrawn just two weeks prior.
After producing a very good dressage test, she went on to show what style and class she had after a snesational trip around the very testing cross country course and she knew she was looking good - she just didn't quite realise how good until she jumped a super showjumping round which gave her the Individual Silver medal at her first European Championship.
She was heard to say after the result was known "It's a miracle, Pigs can fly!"
The Inidividual Gold medal went to the very down to earth Tina Cook and the very handsome Miners Frolic - pictured below. This combination lead from start to finish and sees them looking for good for 2010 Kentucky World Equestrian Games.
Italy will be celebrating long and hard no doubt this evening after clinching the European Team Silver medal with a team which included European Showjumping Team Silver medalist Juan Carlos Garcia - pictured below.
The Italians had a tough showjumping season which saw them relegated from the Meydan FEI Nations Cup elite teams, even after winning the final leg in Dublin in August - but they then went to the Alltech European Showjumping Championships in Windsor and jumped superbly to take the Silver - and now they add to this a Silver European Championships Eventing Team medal.
The Bronze medal went to the Belgian team after the German team saw eliminations on Cross Country leaving just one member going through to the Showjumping phase.
Germany's 27 year old Michael Jung was another first timer at European Eventing Championships and rode superbly in all three
phases to take Individual Bronze and he is without question one to watch as he rises through the rankings.
Click here to listen to TIna Cook on her win.
Click here to listen to Piggy French on her performance
Click here to listen to Juan Carlos Garcia
