“THIS will take time to sink in! A lifetime dream achieved… here’s to making more dreams come true.”

These telling words are how Josephine Delahoyde signed off her post on social media following her crowning as Dressage Ireland’s National Champion at Castle Irvine, Necarne last Saturday having won the FEI Grand Prix on Barroso.

Unfortunately, because of Irish interest in the dressage and para dressage World championships, and following one withdrawal, Delahoyde faced just a single rival in the Grand Prix, Marguerite Kavanagh on Danciano SR (62.99%), but she was thrilled with the combined score of 69.185 she was awarded by British Dressage List 1 judges Maria Eilberg and Debby Lush.

In the combined Grand Prix Kür and Inter A/B Freestyle, Delahoyde and Barroso were awarded a score of 70.25. Kavanagh, who achieved a mark of 67.255 in that Freestyle, also had to settle for second (64.485) in the Intermediate II championship behind Aine Cafferkey with her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Leejoy (65.295).

Owned by the rider’s mother Barbara, Barroso is a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Bordeaux, who Delahoyde first started competing here with Dressage Ireland in early 2024. In May and July this year, she campaigned him at CDI3* shows in Hickstead and Hartpury and also at BD Premier League shows in Vale View, Wellington and Hartpury.

“I’m going to aim him at a couple of UK shows and internationals for the autumn and into next spring, hoping to bring this form into our international travels,” revealed Delahoyde, who is coached by Clive Milkins.

The 2026 National Champion, who paid credit to all who helped her in her career, is a coach herself and was double-jobbing over the five days of competition at Castle Irvine, Necarne, where both the Youth and Senior Dressage Ireland championships were sponsored by Barron Transport.

Her pupils on Wednesday and Thursday included Niamh Winter with Ode to Shannon (winners of the Pony FEI), Cael Shanahan and Santana (second in the Junior FEI in their first year at this level), Alex Potter and Icco (second in the Medium championship), Emily Grimes and Millridge Buachaill Bui (third in the Elementary championship) plus Laura Bentley and Diamond Fredrick (sixth in the Preliminary championship).

Among those competing in the Senior Championships over the extended weekend, and there to support Delahoyde on Saturday, were Megan Stokes who rode the 10-year-old Garswood gelding Woods (sixth in the Preliminary championship and winner of Treo Eile best-placed thoroughbred award at that level) and her mother Barbara who was third in the Elementary championship and won the Elementary Freestyle title with Klein Roderijs Gold Fee.

Delahoyde senior and that Dutch-bred 11-year-old Welsh mare by Veenstra’s Grapjas scored 69.04 in the Freestyle to hold off four challengers, the closest of whom at the finish were Craig Hills and High Hopes Tuxita (67.595).

That Freestyle championship was sponsored by Cara Network Solutions Ltd as were the four-runner Novice, which was won by Rika Schmeling riding the Westphalian mare Fianna Lux (70.14), the Medium duel won by Lorna O’Hare with her 18-year-old chesnut gelding DBS Second Chance (68.085) and the Advanced Medium, where Angela Lyons recorded an uncontested championship success on her 18-year-old Hanoverian gelding Woodcroft Santa Cruz (67.835).