IRELAND are currently lying third of the nine teams contesting the FEI Junior Eventing European Championships in Segersjo, Sweden, at the conclusion of the first phase. Team member Maeve Deverell is in bronze individually after she scored 26.8 with her home-bred partner Annaharvey Dunowen, the combination having also represented Ireland at the equivalent championships for dressage earlier this year.

Carla Williamson and Powers sit in 12th on a score of 29.5, while Zara McCarthy is in 31st position having scored 32.9 with Romans Special Envoy, on whom she finished 10th at the pony Europeans in 2024. The final team member, Katie Gibbons, lies further down the order with Milchem Free Spirit, as do individual riders Niamh Verkade with Duniro and Izzy Barrett with Oakfield Cooley.

The German Junior team are in the lead after dressage, with two of their members, Teresa Leowald and Iliane Hannalisa Hein respectively, in gold and silver positions individually, while Great Britain lies second. Germany and Britain also occupy these positions in the Young Rider Championships, where again two German riders in the form of Carl Voigt and Mathies Ruder are at the top of the leaderboard. Here, however, the Belgian team lies in bronze, and Great Britain’s Elizabeth Barrett sits in third in the individual rankings aboard Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau.

The Irish Young Rider team were hampered by the withdrawal of Jasper Kelly’s Agatha Raisin before dressage, and are lying eighth of the eight teams at the conclusion of the first phase. Ben Connors put in a strong performance riding Zuperlative for 12th on a score of 30.6, ahead of Ciara O’Connor and Ashwood Iron Lady in 23rd on 32.7. Individual rider Molly O’Connor and Stillbrook Aoife lie best of the Irish in 11th on 30.3, while Anna Nangle with Stroke of Genius and team combination Amelia McCarthy with Finsceal Endeavour lie further down the order. Cross-country in Segersjo takes place today (Saturday), with the show jumping phase concluding proceedings on Sunday.