British European team member Mary King is gearing up for the European Championships later this month when she heads out to Germany.

The Olympic medallist, based near Sidmouth, revealed she will be ironing out a few minor jumping problems encountered at last weekend’s Festival of British Eventing, at Gatcombe Park, before competing at Luhmuhlen in just under three weeks time.

King’s 16.2hh chestnut gelding Apache Sauce was last weekend placed 15th after taking an early lead in the British Eventing Open Championship with a dressage score of 34.9.

The mother-of-two said knocking two fences had pushed her to jump a slower round rather than risking the horse for a lower lying placing ahead of the major competition.

She said: “He’s gone brilliantly this year. I was quite surprised to have a couple of fences down but I will work on that between now and the European Championships.”

King said her decision to withdraw her two other rides before the cross country had been a planned move.

She said she wanted to save European team ride Imperial Cavalier, and her Lexington Kentucky winner, homebred mare Kings Temptress, for the European Championships, in Luhmuhlen, at the end of August.

She said: “That was the original plan when I went there.

“Kings Temptress is in reserve, if you like. I will have her in the wings just in case anything happens to Imperial Cavalier.

“Touch wood it won’t. He’s very, very well.”