ALEX Power finished best of the Irish, in 10th, at last week’s FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors, this result coming on the back of wins at the Tattersalls and Kilguilkey House internationals.

However, sadly for Horse Sport Ireland’s chef d’equipe Debbie Byrne, the 18-year-old Kildare rider is now moving on to Young Riders – as are nearly half her squad – and she will be looking to the pony ranks for replacements.

“Finishing fourth in the team competition was disappointing as you are so near a medal but so far as well,” commented Byrne. “I couldn’t have asked any more from the riders but the competition got away from us in the dressage phase and we were playing catch up from that point.

“Alex’s horse Lakantus is capable of producing the big movement required to get the good scores these days and Anna Kelly’s Something Special can do some good work but she got spooked by the big screen and then wouldn’t settle. However, you can always rely on her to go double clear, which she did, as she loves her jumping.

“I’m happy that I picked the right team and while both Alex and Jim (Tyrrell who finished 17th on Rock Gift) had a fence down show jumping and Correna (Bowe, 20th on LCC Cooley) picked up a time penalty that didn’t affect the result.

Byrne added: “Sophie Walshe is a great kid but, having come from dressage at a relatively late stage, she is still finding her level in eventing. She had a fall in the practice ring just before she was due to show jump Kinsau and there was a delay as she had to be passed by the doctor before she could get back on. She then just did a couple of jumps before going into the arena and just had one down (finished 13th).

“Stephanie (Stammschroer, 14th) has a seriously good horse in Master Swatch and there’s no doubt she will be on a team in time.

“What pleases me most about the championships is that I took 12 kids there and 10 completed. Some people criticise me for getting my kids to do two-star competitions but you need to be established at the next level to do a championship.

“I was lucky in that a lot of my Juniors got their qualifications at the end of last year or early this year and could then concentrate on improving what needed improving. I had a great bunch of kids, with very supportive parents, and I’m also saying that about our reserves.

“Millstreet was a fantastic venue. Since he got confirmation that they were getting the championships, Thomas has been consulting us about what they should do and he took everything on board. The new surface at Green Glens was fantastic and everything about Drishane Castle was just spectacular,” the chef d’equipe concluded.

No time to stop

AS the person responsible for laying the new surface in the main outdoor arena at Millstreet, one would have thought that Jim Kelly would have taken cross-country day off to chill and relax. Not so as the Listowel man, who trades as Jim Kelly Consultant Agronomist, joined his wife Samantha and children Robin and James as fence stewards. In Frankie Ward’s raffle, Samantha won a bottle of vodka with which she headed back to Co Kerry where she runs Listowel Equestrian Farm while Jim stayed on to ensure all was well ahead of Sunday’s show jumping phase.

Recalling past wins

AMONG the many trainers and coaches who came for last week’s European eventing championships for Young Riders and Juniors was former Irish Olympian Eric Smylie who trains two of the Danish squad. Eric represented Ireland at many championships and in 1993 and 1995, riding his great grey gelding Enterprise, was on the Irish team which won team bronze at Achselschwang and Pratoni del Vivaro.