THE future of Irish show jumping was on tour last week, as 46 Irish riders with 80 horses and ponies made the trip to the opulent surroundings of Sentower Park, Belgium, to compete at the Youth Nations Cup Show. While the Irish may be unaccustomed to the glitz of such venues and the ‘paddy-wagons’ looked a bit scruffy in a sea of shiny silver horse lorries, one thing that the Irish were well accustomed to was the high winds and torrential rain that made for difficult conditions on the first two days. However, more than a few travellers grumbled that they hadn’t packed the sunscreen and t-shirts for the glorious sunshine and 25-degree temperatures that were enjoyed on Saturday by those who had packed something other than woolly jumpers and wet gear!

The technical courses and clever use of materials by Raphael Suarez in the Ashford Arena caused plenty of problems and encouraged good riding, which was where the Irish excelled with a string of results.

The opening classes on Wednesday saw Irish wins from Connie McFadden and Infinity in the CSIP 1.05m and Claudia Carroll and Attyrory Warrior in the 1.20m equivalent, with Annie Boland and Madame Cello hot on her heels in second. Thursday saw the first of the CSIOP classes and it was another Irish victory here for 12-year-old Charlie Fynn at his first international show, where he won the 1.25m with Western Ranger from 60 starters. The CSIP 1.20m in the Stephex Arena was won by Sam Widger and Little Smithe, with Claudia Carroll showing consistent form when picking up third place.

The CSIOCH Nations Cup for Children on Horses was held on Thursday and James Kernan elected to field an all-boys team of Charlie Flynn with Elia (0-4), Ted Fagan with Con Sol (7-0), Robbie Sheehan with Fubalia (0-4) and Sam Widger with Jerenice Dysenbeeck Z (8-0). Finishing on a combined score of 11 faults, the team were kept off the podium by an agonising single time penalty, finishing a creditable fourth. James Kernan was pleased: “We had fantastic results from the COH, as every one of them jumped a clear. This show was a great experience for these young riders, many of them at their first International Show.”

Friday saw the CSIOP Nations Cup for ponies and Gary Marshall’s team of Cian McMunn and Esperando SK (4-0), Lauren Adams and Slieve Bloom Bella Rose, (0-0), Lily Tunney and Fireman (0-0), and Senan Reape with Fernando (11-0) took a commanding victory. With three fences in hand after the first round, all four riders produced second round clears to finish on a final score of (4-0), giving them a 17-fault margin over second placed Sweden. The two Irish girls, Lauren Adams and Lily Tunney produced two of just four double clears in the class.

“Success breeds success,” said Gary Marshall afterwards. “Our younger riders are inspired by our senior riders and our junior riders. I’ve got a lot of new pony people coming through and the talent is fantastic. I am so excited for the year to come, as we are getting stronger and stronger.”

The Individual class, jumped over the Nations Cup track, saw five Irish riders in the top 10, with Annie Boland and K-Little Hero in second and Jamie Clarke and Orchid’s Arissia in third, Alanna Fagan and Glor Tire Cruise in fifth, Zara Jane Kelly and Romabout in eighth and Charlie Flynn and HK Zena in ninth.

The CSIOJ Nations Cup for Juniors saw a gutsy performance from the Irish, as they held their nerve against eight other teams in the second round to claw their way up the leaderboard into second place behind a dominant Belgian team. James Kernan’s team of Gary Dooley and CSF Olympic Jewel (4-4), Paddy Reape and Creevagh Special (4-8), Camryn Clarke and Conto de Reve (8-0) and Emily Moloney and Temple Alice (0-0) finished on a final score of (8-4). In a competition that produced just five double clears, the performance of Emily Moloney and the consistent Temple Alice was a welcome boost. Kernan was delighted with the second place, saying that it was all great experience: “It’s not about winning here, it’s about preparing.”

In the CSIOJ Individual class over the Nations Cup track, Lily Tunney and Flexible Flight and Christian Kennedy with Lagans OBOS Quality finished ninth and 10th respectively. Meanwhile, in the Stephex Arena, Alanna Fagan and Ballyfore Rosie won the CSIOP 1.25m, with Cian McMunn and Dulk d Thym in second.

Excellent

Saturday saw a welcome summer’s day arrive and, with the team events over, it was back to the individuals. Cian McMunn, who is just 14 years old, took second place in the CSIOJ 1.40m Big Tour with Oberon Van ‘T Lohof in U18 company, underlining his excellent form in both ponies and horses. Lauren Adams took the win in the CSOP 1.30m with Corradino du Bary, with Annie Boland and Candy Coco in third. Connie McFadden, meanwhile, took another win in the CSIP 1.05m with Infinity, while Olivia Ann Nell and Luitta picked up second.

The CSIOCH Children on Horses Grand Prix took plenty of jumping, with problems all over the course. There were two Irish riders in the top 10, with Charlie Flynn and Elia coming third and Robbie Sheehan in 10th with Fubalia.

The final day of the marathon show hosted three Grand Prix classes in the Ashford Arena. First up was the CSIP 1.25m Ponies Grand Prix, where a tough track with a tight time allowed produced just five first-round clears, with the Irish occupying four of the top six places. Best of these was Senan Reape and Nora, who finished second; Jack Cash and Lady Ratina M came fourth and Olivia Ann Nell and Bungi finished fifth. Lauren Adams finished sixth after picking up two time faults in the first round with ASJ Samurai, just a seven-year-old pony that has been produced by Lauren and her sister, Maisie.

The Irish Junior Team of Gary Dooley, Cameron Clarke, team manager James Kernan, Paddy Reape and Emily Moloney who finished second at Sentower Park \ SealeTransportShowTeam

The CSIOJ 1.40m Juniors Grand Prix saw an Irish victory for Gary Dooley and CSF Olympic Jewel, a horse he has produced up the ranks himself after purchasing from Shane Goggins as a five-year-old. Emily Moloney finished in sixth with Temple Alice, a horse that her father, Eddie rode, before handing over the reins to Emily’s capable hands.

The final competition of the week was the CSIOP 1.30m Grand Prix and, with the dominance shown in the Nations Cup, hopes were high for another win, and while that wasn’t to be, Ireland still managed to occupy five of the top 10 places. Best of these was Lily Tunney and Fireman in second, after a very quick jump-off that saw 21 riders progress to the second round. Senan Reape and Fernando finished fourth, with Lauren Adams and Slieve Bloom Bella Rose in fifth. Senan was back in the prizes in seventh with Air Line CKZ, while Jamie Clarke rounded out the top 10.

The camaraderie and cohesion in the Irish camp was buoyed by the many successes, with lots of congratulations and well-wishing shared by all in what was an enjoyable and educational trip for these young elite riders.