IRISH junior event rider Ben Connors (18) has risen to world number one in the FEI Eventing Juniors world rankings following an outstanding 2025 season at home and abroad.

The latest FEI rankings place Connors at the head of the rankings with 123 points, reflecting a season that included four top-10 finishes at CCI3* level and a 10th-place individual finish at the FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders in Strzegom, Poland, where he also helped Ireland win team silver.

Connors also made a successful step up to four-star level, finishing seventh on his CCI4* debut at Ballindenisk International.

From Calverstown, Co Kildare, Connors grew up in a horse-mad family and has been competing since childhood. He won team bronze and individual silver at the FEI European Pony Championships in Strzegom in 2021 with the Connemara gelding Cornafest Fred. He then went one better in 2022 with a team gold and a second individual silver medal performance. Connors finished off his pony career in 2023 with a team bronze medal having accumulated five medals.

“It’s a huge honour to be ranked world number one junior,” Connors said. “I honestly didn’t expect to see my name at the top of the list.

“None of this would be possible without my family, my trainers, sponsors and the owners who trust me with their horses and the support from Eventing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland. The horses have been unbelievable this year and I’m excited to keep learning and hopefully step up to more senior teams in the future.”

Parents Michelle Nelson and Kieran Connors commented: “Ben has worked incredibly hard for this, we are very proud of what he and his horses have achieved. He spent the summer working with Irish Olympian Susie Berry in the UK and he is very thankful for the time she invested in him.

“To see a young Irish rider from Kildare leading the world junior rankings is very special. It speaks to the strength of the Irish eventing system, from pony level right up to the European/World/Olympic Championships.”

Sheehy ranked number four

Cork’s Momo Sheehy is ranked number four in the FEI Eventing Young Riders world rankings. Sheehy was also on the silver medal-winning team in Strzegom and finished best of the Irish in eighth place as well as making her senior Nations Cup debut in Boekelo.

Derry show jumper Daniel Coyle has finished the year ranked number 10 in the Longines FEI world jumping rankings, down one place from last month. Cork’s Shane Sweetnam has risen two places to 14th, ahead of Darragh Kenny (20th) and Cian O’Connor (22nd).