“FOR three years it’s been a hands grab away, so to win gold and for my luck to finally swing was amazing,” said an exuberant Kate Derwin after arriving home from the FEI European show jumping championships for Juniors in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands with the individual gold medal around her neck.

Derwin (17) and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding AHG Whiterock Cruise Down didn’t touch a single pole over the five rounds to be crowned the European champions on Sunday afternoon. The Cruising’s Mickey Finn gelding, who was bred by Ann Clancy Gannon, is owned by Kate’s father Francis.

The combination helped Ireland to a bronze medal on Friday afternoon and went forward to Sunday’s final in the gold medal position. She was clear again in the first round of Sunday’s final but the pressure was on when last to go in the deciding round. A fence down or a time fault would see her hand victory to Spain’s Maya De La Joya Fernandez-Longoria. However, she kept her composure and broke the beam with nothing to add.

She covered her face in disbelief as her trainer and mentor Denis Flannelly and her family greeted the champion as she left the ring.

“After being fourth last year, a gold medal was the goal. I was provisional third after the first round and Harry (Allen) finished fifth so both of us were in with a swing. The two riders ahead of me had a fence down when they were early to go on the Belgian team so I was able to watch and see what I could do,” Kate said.

The gelding was saved all year for that moment, she explained. “It’s not something that we normally do, we wouldn’t normally save them. This year our mind was set on Europeans. Nearly every time he jumped this year was at an international. He only jumped one National Grand Prix in Cavan, other than that they were all international shows, we were just focused on trying to get on the team.”

She is back at base at Fernhill Sport Horses in Kilkenny preparing her horses for the upcoming Dublin Horse Show and paid tribute to her horse. “I’m on home soil now again. It hit hard when I won it and it hasn’t worn off yet. Rocky (AHG Whiterock Cruise Down) arrived home to some balloons. He bounced off the truck, he knows he did well, he knows he is the champion.”

Derwin sang the national anthem on the podium, just as she had done two years ago at the Pony European Championships where she won a silver medal behind Harry Allen.

Allen himself produced two fantastic rounds on the final day to finish in fifth place and less than a fence off the podium with Ballywalter Farms’ Dancing Queen Z.

London GCT

The Athlone teenager is now hoping to get into the international classes at the five-star Dublin Horse Show, but in the meantime she has been invited to compete at the prestigious Global Champions Tour of London.

“I haven’t heard anything about the internationals in Dublin yet. James Kernan put an application forward so we will wait to hear. In the meantime I got a place a place at the Global Champions Tour in London. I am delighted, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will definitely bring Rocky,” she said, adding that he will have a mini break before then.

“He’ll go to London and fingers crossed for Dublin. He won’t do Millstreet, and he will have a fairly decent break after that.”

There will be a big party for the Derwin family and friends very soon. “We are definitely having a party, it’s a long time coming!” Derwin’s result sees Ireland win the individual gold for the second year in-a-row after Jason Foley won in 2018 with Castlefield Vegas.

James Kernan said Derwin was a role model for other youngsters. “I am just delighted for Kate, her family and all her team. She was just so focused here all week and this result didn’t happen by accident.

“She didn’t jump her horse too much this year in preparation for the championships and all she had in her mind this week was to help the team win a medal and then to win individual gold herself. Full marks to her and she is someone any young rider should look up to.”