HAVING qualified at Forth Mountain, Ashwood Rio will be back at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show next week to defend his title as the Junior/Young Rider event horse champion.

The seven-year-old Dignified van’t Zorgvliet gelding, who competes at EI115 level and won the 50-runner CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk last September, is ridden by Ciara O’Connor for her aunt Sharon who bred the bay out of her Ramiro B mare Pikeur.

The Co Wexford owner/rider duo are on a hat-tricking seeking mission as they won this class in 2024 with Ashwood Rio’s Iron Man Van de Padenborre two-year-older half-sister Ashwood Iron Lady who Ciara rode in the CCI3*-S at Millstreet last weekend.

Kate Horgan and her mother Hannah’s 2019 Lagans OBOS Quality gelding Highview Shakespeare, who finished fourth here last year, have once again qualified for this class which is restricted to riders aged 16 to 25 and horses aged five to seven.

The judges are Britain’s Jane Tuckwell, Germany’s Hans Melzer and England-based international event rider Padraig McCarthy who was on the Irish silver medal winning team at the 2025 European Championships in Blenheim Palace.

The presentation phase of the Junior/Young Rider class is due to start at 6.55pm on Wednesday while those forward will be first to compete over the Dereck Hamilton-designed track in the Laya Arena on Thursday morning.