RISING stars of the eventing world are set to descend on Millstreet next week for the inaugural FEI Eventing World Championships U25, which will run alongside international classes from two-star to four-star level at the Cork venue. Riders from 14 nations will contest the feature championship, of which five will field teams: Ireland, France, Germany, Great Britain and the USA.

Six of the top 10 in the FEI Eventing U25 World Rankings will be competing, headed by world number one, Germany’s Calvin Bockman. Britain’s Alice Casburn, currently ranked third, will attend with her home-bred five-star campaigner Topspin, while Libussa Lubbeke will be looking to add to the team gold medal she won at last year’s senior European Championships, also for Germany. 25% of the field will ride Irish-bred horses.

The Irish team will be led by world number 10 Godfrey Gibbons, who will be making his fifth championship appearance for the home nation. Gibbons is set to ride Richard Ames’ Ballyvillane OBOS, and will be joined by Jennifer Kuehnle with Sammy Davis Junior, Tom Nestor with Cooley Diamond Dancer and Maddison Peries with Vivero DH Z on the team. Isny O’Donnell will compete as an individual with Vital DK Z.

Horse Sport Ireland high performance eventing manager, Sam Griffiths said of his team: “We’re hoping to use the home ground advantage at Millstreet, and we have a very talented team. These are very much the riders of the future for our senior team, and it will be great to see them in a championship situation. We will need a bit of luck - you always do - but they certainly have the talent to be very competitive.”

Veterans of many senior championships will also be in attendance at Millstreet, where Olympic gold medallist Tom McEwen has three rides in the Noel C Duggan Structural Engineering CCI4*-S and one in the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI4*-L. He will be joined in the latter by fellow Olympian Clark Johnstone, as well as Godfrey Gibbons with his direct reserve for the team, Kilnamac Kasu.

The CCI4*-S will also see the Aachen-bound Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis in action, alongside compatriots Sam Watson with Ballyneety Rocketman and Lucy Latta with RCA Patron Saint, while Jennifer Kuehnle has an entry for her direct reserve, CDS Cairnview Romolu, here. The USA is the nation most strongly represented in the Horse Sport Ireland CCI3*-L, with a total of four entries, while the majority of entries in the Foran Equine CCI3*-S are from the home nation.

Cross-country designer Mike Etherington-Smith has expressed satisfaction with the work done by the Millstreet team on the ground following a wet event in May. “They have done a tremendous job on the footing, which is now excellent,” he said. “The course will, as usual, make full use of Millstreet’s natural features, including water, banks and the fort - there is plenty to jump out there.”

For further information, visit www.millstreet.horse. Start lists and results will be posted on rechenstelle.de.