IRELAND’s budding talent stole the limelight in 2025. As the year began, chef d’equipe Michael Blake said, “our youth programmes are the foundation of our success. They provide a platform for emerging riders to transition to senior levels and excel under the green jacket.” And the truth in that was clear for all to see as the year rolled out.
It began in earnest with a win for Darragh Kenny and Chaccossini in the CSI3* 1.50m Classic as the Winter Equestrian Festival got underway in Wellington, Florida (USA) in January. And that was quickly followed by victory in the opening leg of the Longines League of Nations 2025 series in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in February, where Denis Lynch (Vistogrand), Trevor Breen (Highland President), Jason Foley (Chedington Hazy Toulana) and Mikey Pender (HHS Los Angeles) reigned supreme with a zero score.
It was a particularly joyful comeback for 46-year-old Breen after the career-threatening injuries he suffered in a fall in Hamburg just nine months earlier. And, on his 5* Nations Cup debut, 24-year-old Jason Foley demonstrated his potential when picking up just two time faults in the first round.
The Irish team of Denis Lynch, Trevor Breen, Jason Foley and Mikey Pender, led by Michael Blake, won the Longines League of Nations opener in Abu Dhabi \ FEI
Blazing a trail
On that same day, Irish riders were also blazing a trail 7,000 miles away in Ocala, Florida when claiming the top four places in the last leg of the FEI World Cup North America League.
There were five Irish amongst the seven through to the jump-off in which a single mistake put Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue out of contention. The rest all posted double clears, with Cian O’Connor and Bentley de Sury coming out on top, ahead of Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz in second and Daniel Coyle with Incredible in third. And, on the day before his 20th birthday, Tom Wachman partnering Tabasco de Toxandria Z finished fourth, also with a clean sheet from the 10-year-old stallion which would carry him to even greater glory as the year progressed.
A week later, Kenny and the 13-year-old Eddy Blue claimed runner-up spot in the $500,000 Lugano 5* Grand Prix at Wellington, while back in Ocala, Daniel Coyle and Farrel finished third in the 4* Grand Prix. “He’s like a pony - he’s careful, brave, and easy,” Coyle said of the 15-year-old Dutch-bred gelding.
Wellington
In March, Coyle teamed up with Incredible again for the 4* Nations Cup at Wellington, alongside Michael Duffy (Cantano 32), Bertram Allen (Qonquest de Rigo) and Cian O’Connor (Belvedere). Bidding for two wins in a row at the Florida venue, they were pipped by an all-female American team this time around.
The next big team test was the second leg of the Longines League of Nations in Ocala, where the Irish were again hoping for a back-to-back win. Frustratingly, however, they missed the podium when completing on the same score as the third-placed Belgians, yielding by just 0.99 seconds when combined times decided the result.
Kenny and Eddy Blue produced the only clear in the first round when the rest of the Irish pack all had a single fence down over Alan Wade’s track. With just three coming back for round two as per the LLN format, Coyle and Incredible were rested. But, when Kenny collected four faults this time out, that already moved the Irish tally on to 12 faults. And, although O’Connor and Bentley de Sury and Wachman and Tabasco de Toxandria left all the timber intact, a single time fault from the young man from Coolmore moved Ireland on to 13 faults and level pegging with Belgium in that fractionally slower time.
Jordan Coyle (Chaccolino) and Bertram Allen (Qonquest de Rigo) finished fourth and fifth in the Rolex Grand Prix, which brought the Winter Equestrian Festival 2025 to a close in Wellington.
And April kicked off with three 5* runner-up placings for Cian O’Connor on the other side of the globe in Abu Dhabi, with the nine-year-old Gengis Kann de Londe in the 1.50m Two-Phase and 1.55m Winning Round, and with Iron Man in the 1.60m Longines Presidents Cup.
Trevor Breen and Highland President tackle a water jump on the way to the team win in the opening leg of the Longines League of Nations in Abu Dhabi \ FEI
Rome
O’Connor and Iron Man were still in flying form when just pipped for the title in the thrilling Grand Prix at 5* CSIO Rome at Piazza di Siena (ITA) in May, where Seamus Hughes-Kennedy rocketed onto centre stage when finishing fourth.
The previous day, O’Connor had been runner-up with Fermoy in the Loro Piana Small Grand Prix, while Hughes-Kennedy and MHS Cosmo shared the spoils in the Six-Bar, in which the final fence stood at a full 2m. With the same fearless energy, the 22-year-old Kilkenny rider set the target in the Grand Prix jump-off with a second copybook round from the 10-year-old ESI Rocky before O’Connor and Iron Man overtook them by just over a second. Then recently crowned French National Champion, 25-year-old Nina Mallevaey, squeezed ahead of Hughes-Kennedy, but O’Connor was still out in front when Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm broke the beam an agonising 0.11 seconds quicker when last to go.
“In the last six Grand Prix classes he’s jumped in a row, he’s been double clear. He hasn’t much experience against the clock and he’s such an expressive jumper, he’s not maybe as quick as some of the others because he takes his time at his fences, but that’s something we’re working on,” O’Connor said of Iron Man.
It was “deja vu” for the team in St Gallen at the end of May where, despite great double clears from Denis Lynch (Vistogrand) and Trevor Breen (Highland President), Ireland finished on the same scoreline as the third-placed Swiss, but had to settle for fourth. Jason Foley (Chedington Hazy Toulana) collected 13 faults over the two rounds, while Mikey Pender (HHS Los Angeles) collected eight in round one and retired after fences down second time out.
Seamus Hughes Kennedy punches the air after jumping a double clear with ESI in the Aga Khan Nations Cup \ David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Heart-warming
There was a flurry of good results at the German Jumping Derby show in Hamburg at the end of May, where Comdt. Geoff Curran and the 10-year-old mare DHS Alliance put the Army Equitation School on the map when winning the opening 4* Two-Phase class.
Then Ciaran Nallon and Be Wineham won the 1.45m Speed before Shane Breen and Scarteen were runners-up in the 5* Two-Phase and, the following day, Emily Turkington and Cornet finished second in the 4* Speed before Breen steered Cato Boy to victory in the 5* Speed.
Early June brought one of the most heart-warming results of the year, when Conor Swail joined brothers Daniel and Jordan Coyle and their cousin Christian to win the Nations Cup at Langley in Canada. “Conor and Daniel have been on every winning team here, which have been quite a few. We’ve won the last three runnings and a few before that,” said chef d’equipe Michael Blake that day.
Swail partnered My Lady Lavista, Jordan Coyle rode Chaccolino, Christian Coyle rode Extravaganza Semilly and Daniel Coyle partnered Farrel, who also won the Grand Prix Qualifier and Grand Prix at the fixture, where he was Leading Rider. It really felt like a family affair.
“We wanted to win today with my brother and cousin on the team,” Daniel said. “Conor’s been my mentor and best man for years now, so it’s nice we can all win together. We dreamed that it would happen, and it’s pretty cool that it did!”
La Baule
Back across the pond a week later, there was more cause for celebration with an historic victory at 5* La Baule where six brilliant clear rounds clinched it. This is never an easy one to win, with every country sending their top players and Ireland had only come out on top twice before - in 1994 and 2011.
Cian O’Connor was on that team 14 years ago, alongside Cameron Hanley, Billy Twomey and Shane Sweetnam, and O’Connor was back again this time. He only had to jump once however, because his services were not required in round two, as the job was already done.
Opening clears from Bertram Allen with Qonquest de Rigo and Seamus Hughes Kennedy with ESI Rocky were followed by an eight-fault tour by Tom Wachman and Tabasco de Toxandria. But O’Connor ensured there was a zero score at the halfway stage, when foot-perfect with Bentley de Sury.
So, when Allen and Hughes Kennedy were faultless again second time out and Wachman also put a clear on the board, then there was nothing to do but wait. Peter Devos had one down in his second round, so Belgium’s final rider, Gilles Thomas, had to jump clear to force a jump-off. But when his superstar ride, Ermitage Kalone, hit the second fence it was all over.
“We’ve been waiting for a day like this for so long. I selected two experienced riders and two ‘babies’ who have plenty of talent. I wanted to give them their chance. When Ireland last won, Tom was six years old, Seamus was eight and Bertram was scarcely 16! That gives you an idea of what I had at my disposal,” said a very happy Blake.
Rotterdam
Two weeks later, it was a different story at the third leg of the Longines League of Nations in Rotterdam, however, where Allen (Qonquest de Rigo), Wachman (Tabasco de Toxandria), Hughes Kennedy (ESI Rocky) and O’Connor (Iron Man) finished sixth.
Wachman’s 10-year-old stallion never touched a pole at the Dutch fixture, picking up just two time penalties in round one and a single time fault second time out. But O’Connor’s 12 faults was the first-round discard score, and, although Hughes Kennedy only added a single time fault to his first-round four faults, the final scoreline of 21 was a big one when counting Allen’s 13 faults.
It wasn’t the perfect lead up to the European Championships, but Daniel Coyle was still rocking it in Canada when winning the $1 million Atco Queen Elizabeth Cup, the final Grand Prix of the Spruce Meadows summer season.
Riding Incredible, he pinned America’s Kyle King into second while his brother, Jordan, finished third with Chaccolino. In the earlier Akita Drilling Cup 1.50m, Jordan came out on top with For Gold.
Daniel Coyle and Incredible won the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows \ Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk
A good result at CHIO Aachen is enough to make any rider’s career, and when Tom Wachman calmly steered I’m Here into a third-place finish and Do It Easy into fourth, he clearly announced his arrival at the top end of the sport. Denis Lynch posted a second and third with King Blue and Shane Sweetnam claimed a runner-up spot Coriann van Klapscheut Z.
However, in the Nations Cup, Lynch (Vistogrand), Wachman (Tabasco de Toxandria), Sweetnam (James Kann Cruise) and O’Connor (Bentley de Sury) racked up 20 faults in the first round and added six more to finish seventh.
European Championships
Then it was on to Spain for the Longines FEI European Championships, where Team Ireland had to settle for another fourth-place finish, but where Hughes Kennedy and ESI Rocky were just pure class, making Santiago Varela’s courses look very elementary indeed as they slotted into fifth individually, while Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue finished seventh of the 89 riders from 23 nations.
Lying seventh after the opening speed competition, the team rose to fourth in the first round of the Nations Cup with clear rounds from Denis Lynch (Vistogrand), Hughes Kennedy and Kenny, while Bertram Allen’s Qonquest left one on the floor. With scores converted to penalties, they went into the team final carrying 8.39 points and, although Hughes Kennedy and Kenny jumped clear again, both Lynch and Allen faulted at the same bogey fence in the middle of the triple combination to move the Irish scoreline on to 12.39.
The three teams ahead of them played cat-and-mouse on a drama-filled afternoon with Belgium grabbing gold, Britain taking silver and Germany bronze.
Competing individually, Daniel Coyle steered his great mare Legacy to win that opening speed class, but withdrew her after that. However, Ireland was still well-placed going into the individual final, with Hughes Kennedy lying seventh and Kenny in 13th as the action got underway. A single time penalty in the first round denied the young Kilkenny man fourth place, while Kenny’s double clear saw him climb to seventh in the final analysis.
“Imagine leaving all the poles up in five rounds and getting nothing in the team or individual! It’s hard for Seamie, but that’s how the sport is, and he has a great future ahead of him,” said Blake, adding that “the first day things didn’t go Darragh’s way, he got a little stumble, but every round after that was foot-perfect.”
Dublin Horse Show
And, although there would be no Aga Khan Cup triumph at Dublin a few weeks later, Irish hearts were lifted by a raft of great performances headlined by spectacular double clears from the two youngest Nations Cup team members, Hughes Kennedy and Wachman.
Riding ESI Rocky and Tabasco de Toxandria Z respectively, they were joined by Denis Lynch whose stallion Vistogrand had a fence down in each round and by Cian O’Connor and Bentley de Sury who faulted just once first time out. The clock saw Ireland having to settle for third behind Germany when they also finished on four faults, while The Netherlands topped the podium with six clear rounds. But the sense of an Irish generational shift full of possibilities filled the air in the Main Arena that afternoon.
There was a lot to celebrate throughout the week, with a double of wins for Jordan Coyle riding Millview Cicero and Chaccolino, a double and a runner-up placing for Mikey Pender with HHS Fortune and HHS Los Angeles, and wins for Wachman with Hawaii and Niamh McEvoy with Flora du Mesnil. On the final afternoon, Commandant Geoff Curran and DSF Alliance then claimed the Speed Championship title, before Shane Sweetnam finished third with James Kann Cruz in the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland.
In September, Pender and HHS Los Angeles produced the only clear in the first round of the last LLN qualifier in St Tropez (FRA), in which Jason Foley (Cute Face), Sean Monaghan (Toyger) and David Simpson (Pjotr van de Kruishoeve) all collected eight faults and the team didn’t make it to second round.
But the Irish were on fire at the World Breeding Championships in Lanaken (BEL) the following week, where Pender and HHS Private Ryan took gold and Jason Foley and Tysons Lady Lux took bronze in the five-year-old category, Niamh McEvoy claimed silver in the six-year-olds with BP Othello and Eoin Brennan and Augustus Z won the seven-year-olds.
Thrilling Barcelona
And then it was on to the LLN Final in Barcelona, which came down to a thrilling third-round two-way jump-off against the clock between Ireland and Britain to decide the result on the final afternoon. Pathfinders Bertram Allen and Qonquest produced one of just two double clears on the day when Sean Monaghan (Toyger) and Billy Twomey (Jumping Jack van de Kalevallei) each had a fence down in both rounds.
Mikey Pender and HHS Los Angeles faulted first time out and, with just three returning for round two according to LLN rules, didn’t jump again. Ireland was now on level pegging with Britain with 16 faults and Twomey went into a jump-off, posting a brilliant clear in 38.42. The powerhouse of a British side sent out Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson in reply and, with the horse with which he sealed Olympic team gold last summer, the Scotsman was 0.23 seconds quicker to clinch it.
But it was a great end to the senior team season with yet another younger rider, 25-year-old Monaghan, proving Michael Blake’s wisdom in giving everyone their opportunity.
It happened again a few weeks later when Ethan Ahearne (LVS Goldrush) joined Susan Fitzpatrick (Lovely Stassi PS), Niamh McEvoy (Olympic GL FVD) and Max Wachman (Tipperary) to post a clear-cut victory in the 3* Nations Cup at Vejar de la Frontera (ESP), where Taylor Vard was Chef d’Equipe.
Rising star
In November, Tom Wachman received the coveted FEI Rising Star Award, Denis Lynch finished second in the Global Champions Grand Prix in Riyadh (KSA) with Cordial, Cian O’Connor posted two second placings with Pegasus and third with Kentucky at the 5* in Monterrey, Mexico and Conor Swail won the Toronto leg of the new North American World Cup series riding Casturano. Lynch and Bertram Allen were on the third-placed team in the Super Cup Final at the Global Champions Playoffs in Prague (CZE).
And as Daniel Coyle, ranked 10th, set off for the Rolex Top 10 Final in Geneva (SUI) in December, Irish riders were holding three of the top-20 and seven of the top-34 placings, with eight more inside the top 161.
It had its ups and downs, but 2025 had many magical moments as it heralded the arrival of a whole new generation full of promise. Roll on 2026 and the much-anticipated World Championships in Aachen.