THE Eventing Ireland Youth Committee is well-funded, well-organised and very active and it seemed as if hardly a day went by during the year when they weren’t advertising training camps and clinics throughout the country for those competing nationally and internationally.

Using social media, the committee kept everyone informed of the representative teams abroad, putting up plenty of photographs of Irish camps at the different venues as well as videos of squad members competing.

Junior and pony riders are catered for separately at all national events and, while Young Riders have to take on their senior counterparts, they do have their own leagues to contest. Caoilfhionn Lawlor was the runaway winner of this year’s YR EI115 league with Uncle Junior while Mark Houilhan topped the final table at YR EI110 level with CFH Grand Vivendi.

Riding the home-bred Annaharvey Dunowen, Maeve Deverell ran out the comfortable winner of the EI110 (J) league on a total of 64 points. There was a dead-heat here for second (on 58 points) between the very busy combination of Caitlin Woods with Greygrove Delight and Rosie Coad on board Barberton. Coad and the 16-year-old US-bred Johannesburg gelding were clear-cut winners of the Treo Eile league for thoroughbred horses.

Among the Pony riders not mentioned elsewhere, the league winners were Hannah Goold with Paddy’s Best (EI110) and Charlie Watson with Leamore Girl (EI90).

During the year, the Youth Committee organised a very well-attended and enjoyable supper at the Ballindenisk autumn international for all riders Under 25 and their families, including those competing in the Pony Club Nations Cup, competition. The New Year will start for the committee and the young riders with the Silver Ball at Barberstown Castle on Saturday, January 3rd.