Emer Bermingham

IRISH Sport Horses horses once again demonstrated their talent when taking silver and bronze medals at the FEI world breeding jumping championships for young horses at Lanaken in Belgium last Sunday.

The medals were delivered in the seven-year-old division where British rider Laura Renwick partnered MHS Washington to silver medal position, while Co Clare native Eoin McMahon and Talks Cheap took bronze.

By O.B.O.S. Quality 004 (OLD) out of Mill Royale (ISH), silver medal winner MHS Washington was bred by Ita Brennan from Co Kilkenny.

“The mare jumped two fantastic rounds and felt amazing - effortless,” commented Renwick afterwards, “I am really looking forward to the future with her.”

Bought by Denis Lynch from the Brennans, the mare was later sold to the Renwick family and has since clocked up a series of good results in young horse classes in Britain and across Europe.

The combination won the young horse final at CSI Knokke in Belgium this summer and a few weeks ago also topped the British championships.

Bronze medal winner Talks Cheap (ISH) is by Tinaranas Inspector (WESTF) out of Dreaming (ISH) and was bred by Ronnie Kelly from Co. Limerick, who also is the breeder of Greg Broderick’s mount, Alberta Mist.

This mare was campaigned in Ireland by Alexander Butler last year and amongst her good results was a win in the Breeders Classic in Barnadown and third place in the six-year-old Cruising championship in Dublin.

The mare was sold at the 2014 Go For Gold Sale to Carl Hanley, who commented this week: “I would like to thank the breeder Ronnie Kelly for breeding such a great horse for us to compete on. Eoin [McMahon] did a fabulous job as the jumping was very competitive.

“The courses were big and technical, which is what you can expect with any world championships. Eoin came to us in June 2013 and he has learnt quite a lot.

“In the space of two months, he has won two bronze medals - one in the young riders and now one at Lanaken. We are very proud of him and the horse. We had three horses in the final and really we could see all hope of a medal slipping away. The pressure was on Talks Cheap and she answered all the questions.”

Delighted with the result, chef d’equipe John Ledingham added: “I was really enthusiastic about the team travelling to Lanaken. A lot of horses on the team had been successful prior to the championships with experienced riders. All but a few riders had competed in Lanaken, so they were aware of what was ahead of them. I had high expectations that we would bring medals home in all three categories.

“I was delighted that owners of Irish horses outside the country wanted them to represent the Irish Studbook. I think that we should use the best Irish horses in order to win medals, whether they reside in Ireland or outside the country. It was also great to see a large group of young breeders from Teagasc in attendance, along with the RDS director Pat Hanly.”

Horse Sport Ireland director of breeding Alison Corbally said: “Out of a quota of 15 Irish Sport Horses, to have seven successfully qualified for the finals and to win two medals was a good reflection of the breeding policy and the quality of show jumpers currently being bred in Ireland.”

FINAL

The seven-year-old final at Lanaken last Sunday saw 40 combinations reduced to 12 for the jump-off. Dutch rider Mischa Everse-van de Kraats set the target early in the class with a clear in 39.63 seconds with Dutch Blue (KWPN), which would later prove good enough for fifth.

Clarissa Crotta also kept all the poles in place with Caligula (HOLST), albeit it in a slower time of 43.54 for eventual sixth.

The bar was raised further by English rider James Billington and Davidson (KWPN) when they crossed the line in 37.05 and would hold on for fourth.

Going towards the end of the jump-off, Renwick and the Irish Sport Horse MHS Washington reduced the target by almost two seconds when clocking 35.13.

Renwick’s lead held only temporarily as Belgian rider Gregory Wathelet sliced a fraction off the target with the Calvados Z-sired stallion Mjt Nevados, from the Polish Horse Breeders Association studbook, when clocking 34.97 to claim the gold medal, leaving Renwick to take the silver medal for the Irish Sport Horse Studbook.

Eoin McMahon riding Carl Hanley’s Irish Sport Horse Talks Cheap was last to jump. Although the combination kept all the poles in place, a more cautious approach saw them clock 36.99 to secure the bronze medal, with two Irish Sport Horses finishing on the podium.

Four faults in the first round meant that Eoin McMahon (Cool Feeling) (Rhein) and Alexander Butler (Dekato) (KWPN) failed to make the jump-off but finished 21st and 22nd respectively.

McMahon had also secured a place in the final with Castlefield Rubinius (WEST) but 12 faults meant they finished outside the top 30.