LAST weekend 24 riders from the Mounted Games Association of Ireland (MGAI) travelled to compete in the MGAGB Spring Championships at Shrewsbury Show Grounds - twice the number that travelled last year.

This year the Spring Championships served as a warm-up for the 2016 World and European Irish team trials which will be held in Millstreet, Co Cork on April 16th and 17th.

There will be 18 open Irish riders and 24 under 17 riders taking part in the trials. Ten riders will be chosen in each age category. The first five riders in each age group will represent their country at the World Championships, taking place in Millstreet on July 11th-16th and the second five riders will go to Germany on July 26th for the European Championships.

The Spring Championships is the first leg of the MGAGB league series and teams’ placings in this competition determine the seeding for the next and subsequent legs of the league. In total there were 28 junior teams and 49 open teams taking part at the championships.

Most Irish riders commit to ride with British teams for the season in order to avail of the very high standard of competition in the UK. As a result of the rider’s dedication and commitment the standards of games has risen enormously in Ireland over the last eight years and we are now among the top-ranked countries in the world.

DEVITT DELIGHTS

In the open division a total of eight Irish riders came through the qualifying heats to compete in the A final. Andrew Devitt, riding with his county team of Shropshire, rode impressively to secure second place after a run-off with Royal Berkshire for the title. Also riding very well at the moment and finishing in third place were the five Irish members of the star-studded Leicestershire team, Peter Mc Carthy and Philip Weldon, both former world pairs champions at under 17, Craig O’Connor, who with his sister Kate won last year’s open world pairs, and three-time European individual champion, Alan Keogan, along with teammate Simon McKeever. All have to be strong contenders for the Irish world and European team places.

Tony Whooley, riding for the Welsh team of Mid Glamorgan, also competed in the A final and, if things go his way on the day of the trials, he should also be a strong contender.

Not making the A final on this occasion but not to discounted, are brothers Jake and Ben O’Connor and cousin and teammate Kate O’Connor

WINDSOR WONDERS

At under-17 level, eight Irish riders made it through to the A final. The strong pairing of Stevie Kieran and Eoin Reavey, playing as part of the Monmouthshire team, finished only one point behind the winners to claim the reserve spot. Ciaran O’Leary, who was riding with the Bedfordshire county team, finished third.

Finishing a very credible fifth in their first ever MGAGB A final were the young and upcoming team of Bedfordshire White. Irish team members Leo Kirean, Aodhan O’Leary and Grace Queally will travel to the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 11th with Marie Louise Hughes and Sarah Flaherty to represent the Irish Pony Club in the Daks International Mounted Games Championships and to help celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday.

A special mention must also go to Niamh O’Leary, the younger sister of Aodhan and Ciaran O’Leary. Niamh was the youngest Irish representative at the championships. Riding Striker at under-12 level, Niamh and her team finished second. Whatever the outcome of the Irish trials, based on this week’s results, we can be assured that we will have a strong representation on both the open and under-17 teams for the World and European championships.