THE 21st annual show jumping awards gala took place at Killashee House Hotel in Naas last Saturday night where 300 people from the show jumping fraternity turned out to celebrate another successful year on the national and international circuit.
After 20 years at the helm of the awards, Maureen Bagnall handed the event organising over to Nicola FitzGibbon of the Show Jumpers Club, and part of the proceeds from the night will go to the Samaritans charity.
“From our estimates, that means we will be giving at least €5,000 to Samaritans for the night, so we’re absolutely delighted,” she told The Irish Field.
The big winner on the night was the 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor, who was crowned the EquiVET International Rider, winning with 55% of the public vote.
O’Connor was a member of the winning Nations Cup teams in Wellington and St Gallen, and was part of the team that finished second in the Aga Khan at the Dublin Horse Show, jumping a double clear with Good Luck. Other outstanding results include winning the Leading Show Jumper at Horse of the Year show in October aboard Super Sox, second in the $1 million Grand Prix at Ocala, and most recently a third place finish in the World Cup qualifier at Stuttgart, bringing his winnings to over €500,000 this season alone.
O’Connor was busy competing at the five-star show in Geneva but sent a video clip thanking the public for the award.
The TRI Equestrian Young Rider of the Year accolade was awarded to Donegal’s Gavin Harley, a member of the gold medal-winning young rider team at the European Championships in Millstreet last summer. Based at Constant van Paesschen’s yard in Belgium, Harley finished in fifth place individually at the Europeans.
That same team picked up the Acadami Bedding-sponsored Team of the Year award for their stunning performance to pick up Ireland’s first ever gold medal at a young rider Europeans. Riders Matt Garrigan, Max O’Reilly-Hyland and Gavin Harley took to the stage to collect the award, along with chef d’equipe John Ledingham.
It was no surprise that MHS Going Global was named the Oceanfeed Horse of the Year. Greg Broderick’s Rio Olympic mount, who was sold to Greek shipping heiress Athina Onassis for a record-breaking price last month, jumped a double clear in the Nations Cup at St Gallen and Dublin, finished sixth in the Masters at Spruce Meadows and second in the five-star Grand Prix at Barcelona.
Accepting the award on stage, Broderick said: “I was lucky to have achieved so much with the horse. It’s hard to believe he’s gone; he is only 10 and has the best years of his life ahead of him. He is gone to one of the best stables in the world and, please God, Athina Onassis will have as many great days with him as I have had.”
Daniel Coyle was a deserved winner of the Rookie of the Year award and in a video clip from Canada, the Derry show jumper said it was one he always wanted to win.
The 22-year-old, who is based at Sue and Ariel Grange’s Lothlorien Farm in Ontario, has had an outstanding year with multiple high profile international wins on the American and Canadian circuit and has jumped a massive 56 places to be ranked 84th in the world rankings.
The winners of the national show jumping leagues were honoured on the night and the hugely popular Tattersalls July Show was named Black River Show Jumps Show of the Year.
One very happy lady on the night was Kate Devine, who was rewarded for her dedication and hard work when named the 2016 Groom of the Year. Devine is groom to Tipperary’s Seamus Hayes.
Simon Kerins of Tattersalls made a mad dash from the Cheltenham December Sales to conduct the auction, which raised over €8,000 and the raffle raised almost €2,500.
NATIONAL SHOW JUMPING AWARD WINNERS 2016
Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour Champion
Liam O’Meara
Spring Tour Young Rider Champion
Chris Connell
Castlefield Sporthorses Leading seven and eight-year-old
BVS Echo Island, owned by Conor Sheridan
Horseware/TRM National Grand Prix Champion
Vincent Byrne (Mr Rockefeller)
National Grand Prix Leading Horse
Mr Rockefeller, owned by James Weldon
Horseware/TRM Premier Grand Prix Champion
Captain Geoff Curran (Ringwood Glen)
Premier Grand Prix Leading Horse
Erne LadyGoldilocks, owned by Hugh Fitzpatrick
SJI National Champion
Francis Connors
Gain/Alltech Autumn Grand Prix Champion
John Floody
Autumn Grand Prix Leading seven and eight-year-old
Ballyknock Diamond, owned by Francis Hughes
Autumn Grand Prix Leading Horse
Cavalier Teaca, owned by Marguerite Ryan
Show of the Year
Tattersalls July Show
Groom of the Year
Kate Devine
Amateur of the Year
Joanna Penfold
Speed Amateur of the Year
Joanna Penfold
Team of the Year
European young rider gold medallists (Michael G Duffy, Gavin Harley, Matt Garrigan and Max O’Reilly-Hyland)
Young Rider of the Year
Gavin Harley
Rookie of the Year
Daniel Coyle
Horse of the Year
MHS Going Global
International Rider of the Year
Cian O’Connor
Special Achievement awards
Killossery Kaiden (six-year-old gold medallist World Breeding Championships, Lanaken), Z7 Caretina (five-year-old silver medallist), Z7 Canya Dance (five-year-old bronze medallist)
