THE Irish youth show jumping teams enjoyed great success at the FEI Jumping Youth Nations Cup final, held at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre at Kronenberg in Netherlands last week, with three of the four teams (and numerous individuals) finishing on the podium - despite persistent rain.
The best team result came from the pony squad of Jack Dore (K-Little Hero); Robbie Sheehan (Daytona); Ella Rush (Galaxy V) and Charlie Flynn (HK Zena), along with Ted Fagan (Ballyfore Rosie), who won their final on Sunday with the only zero score. The Junior and Young Riders teams each came third in their finals and, with a multitude of brilliant individual results, the future is looking very bright for Irish show jumping!
Special
Following a very successful weekend, Irish Chef d’Equipe Denis Flannelly, who leads Horse Sport Ireland’s youth jumping programme with Liz Brennan, said: “It’s been a great day. All three teams for Ireland that qualified for today made the podium and our Children’s team took third in the Challenge Cup; that’s really special.
“HSI has built a successful coaching programme for youth riders that focuses on strong team spirit, along with ethical, horse-friendly training. We must keep educating ourselves continually. The sport is changing, so we have to analyse and move with the times.
“We would like to thank the FEI for having this very friendly championship and compliment the team at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre with Event Director Ken Ruysen and Head of Show Office Tess Keijsers. It’s an incredible facility,” added Flannelly.
Placings
Thursday’s first qualifying competition for Juniors, over a 1.40m track, saw 12 teams competing. The Irish team of Isobel Sheehan (Athea Clover Trend); Brid Ryan (Cariati d’Elsendam Z); Annie Boland (Calisto Blanc) and James Derwin (Amos L Z) finished in second place on a score of four, just behind Switzerland, who sat first on zero.
The Young Riders’ first qualifying competition saw 11 teams taking on a 1.45m course. The Irish squad comprised Eoin Brennan (Augustus Z); Billy Sinnott (Macgyver); Alice Wachman (Killarney and Coen Williams (Dominante Z). They finished on eight faults to put them into fifth place at that stage, with Belgium in the lead on four.
In the Young Riders Big Tour 1.45m class, Ben Walsh finished on the podium in third with Adastra Milo, picking up a single time penalty.
Eight teams contested the Ponies first qualifier at 1.25m, with Ireland placing third on a score of just two. Great Britain and Italy sat first and second, each on a score of zero.
Robbie Sheehan rode a spectacular round on Pjotr van de Groenheuvel to win the Ponies Big Tour 1.25m class, jumping clear in an unbeatable time of 71.08.
The first qualifying competition for Children on Horses at 1.25m saw Ireland take the lead out of 12 teams, with Ireland’s Charlotte Foley (Cillbhrid Excel); Ellie Sheane (Monbeg Hendricks); Blathnaid Murphy (Godiva Quality) and Lucia Keane (Elia) all jumping excellent clear rounds. The standard was high though, with the top eight teams all finishing without fault.
The Ponies Big Tour 1.20m two-phase special saw four Irish placings in the top five! Keane took first place on RDJW Merclov and also fourth on Clonbrock Against All Odds, with Robbie Sheehan on Kyano Van Orchids in third and Max Galway on Imagine River in fifth.
In the second qualifier for Ponies, on Friday, Ireland took the win, with Robbie Sheehan on Daytona; Dore, Rush and Flynn all jumping clear to finish on a zero score.
Friday’s Ponies Big Tour 1.25m class saw Fagan win on Kilkillahara Beauty and place fourth on Ballyfore Rosie, while Robbie Sheehan on Pjotr van de Groenheuvel was runner-up.
The second Children on Horses qualifier did not go so well for the Irish squad and they finished 12th of the 12 teams, while individually, in the Children Big Tour 1.25m class, Colm Widger on Jerenice Dysenbeeck Z finished second.
The second qualifier for Juniors saw Ireland place fourth on a score of four, while the Young Riders team also placed fourth in their second qualifier on a score of eight.
The Ponies Big Tour 1.20m two-phase special was won by Keane on RDJW Merclov, followed by Harry O’Callaghan on PJV Bella in fourth. Meanwhile, in the Ponies Small Tour 1.05m two-phase special, Jack Hannigan on Lackaghmore Sean Ronan came second.
Saturday’s Young Rider Big Tour 1.45m two-phase special class saw Walsh place second on Adastra Milo, while in the Children Big Tour 1.25m two-phase special, Blathnaid Murphy on Godiva Quality came joint third.
Fagan and Kilkillahara Beauty won the day’s Ponies Big Tour 1.25m two-phase special, while Hannigan on Lackaghmore Sean Ronan was runner-up in the day’s Ponies Small Tour 1.10m class.
The Irish team placed third in the Children 1.25m Challenge Cup class.
Finale
Sunday saw the final competitions being held and Team Ireland were on form for some podium appearances. The Junior team came third in their final, finishing on a score of six, behind winners Belgium on four and runners-up Switzerland on five.
The Young Rider final also saw Ireland finish third with a score of eight. Sweden won this class on a zero score, ahead of France in second on eight, but in a faster time.
The Ponies final saw Ireland out in front, to take the win on a score of zero. The young Irish riders were impressive, with Sheehan, Dore and Flynn all jumping clear rounds, while Rush was unlucky to pick up a single time penalty. The Netherlands and Great Britain placed second and third, each on four faults.
There was another Irish whitewash in the Ponies Big Tour 1.25m two-phase special, where Flynn on Royal Remark 259 took first place, Keane and Clonbrock Against All Odds were third, O’Callaghan was fourth on Sucato and fifth on PJV Bella.
The Ponies Small Tour 1.10m two-phase special saw Hannigan in third, Charlotte Foley in fourth and Ellie Sheane in fifth.
To conclude a superb weekend, there was an Irish one-two in the Junior Big Tour 1.40m two-phase special class, with Ruby Lily Gaines winning with Royal Cornet MRO, followed by Coen Williams in second with Rolex van’T Schawijke.