THE third and final RDS qualifier for show jumping horses took place at Barnadown Show jumping on Wednesday, June 24th. With over 300 entries for the last remaining coveted golden tickets, the day was filled with excitement, anticipation, nerves, elation and heartbreak over the four classes. Maurice Cousins, owner of Barnadown Show jumping, told The Irish Field: “We are delighted to have a RDS qualifier again this year and work hard to give horse and rider the best riding conditions to showcase their abilities. It’s great that all the classes are livestreamed, so people all around the world can watch and follow the incredible standard of show jumping in Ireland.”
The Plusvital arena played host to the seven and eight-year-old qualifier and, when asked about his thought process behind the course, designer Tom Holden mentioned that, with the standard of horse and rider always improving, he wanted to build a fair and flowing course that allowed the horse to jump to their ability. With 75 combinations taking on the 1.40m course, 33 combinations went forward to the jump-off to battle it out for the nine golden tickets on offer. There were 14 double clears and, with just over two seconds separating the top nine, it was a thrilling jump-off to watch.
It was the Hans Jurgen Kuehnle-bred and owned seven-year-old Tullibards Pandora, ridden by Cathal Daniels, who took all the risks to lead from the start and come home in a time of 34.44 seconds to take the top spot.
After the win, Kuehnle told The Irish Field just how special the mare is: “She is by Tullibards Bennys Legacy and has been so consistent over her career to date. She is deceptively fast and also qualified for the RDS at Barnadown in 2025 for the six-year-old class, where she took a win in Simmonscourt, before going on to the World Championships in Lanaken, finishing up 11th in the final last year. This year has also been successful so far for Pandora, who won a 1.40m class in March at the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera.”
Close second
Jessica Burke, who is now based back in Ireland, gave it a great go, but finished narrowly behind Daniels to take second place in a time of 35.00 on the eight-year-old BWE Windsor. The Casallco bay mare, out of a mare by Darco, is owned by another owner-breeder, Brian McConville. It was over to Munster to complete the podium, where leading young rider Kian Dore partnered Carl Dore’s Tyfoon Donkhoeve to third in a time of 35.26. This Belgian Warmblood stallion is by Cazan Van Het Schaeck Z. Just 0.01 seconds separated fourth and fifth places, with Molly Hughes Bravo and the eight-year-old HHS Arezzo by Luidam, owned and bred by Bravo Hughes Ltd, just edging the Minister for Defence’s seven-year-old mare Fortside Lisbaun by Sligo Candy Boy and Lt Raphael Lee - HHS Arezzo breaking the finish beam in 35.67 and Fortside Lisbaun 35.68.
Harry Wood maintained his great form, when booking another ticket for team Ballypatrick, partnering the eight-year-old bay gelding Daliradas Boy by Cornets Perinz to sixth place, going clear in 35.96. The final three tickets were picked up by Kian Dore with Michael O’Sullivan’s eight-year-old WHS King Lincoln [Mr Lincoln B] in seventh, Ethen Ahearne on Ballypatrick’s eight-year-old mare Seguela V/D Gravenhoeve [Cigaret Jv H Z] in eighth and, in ninth place, Seamus Hughes Kennedy on his own eight-year-old gelding, HK Fury.