“WE are on cloud nine, this is a horse who’s never even been against the clock before!” This was the ring-side reaction from a beaming Cheryl Broderick as BP Goodfellas (ISH) somewhat unexpectedly clinched the five-year-old world title at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken, Belgium on Sunday.

BP Goodfellas (Stakkato Gold x OBOS Quality) was bred at Ballypatrick by Cheryl Broderick in partnership with Kevin Babington and is owned by Ballypatrick Stables. Kevin Babington’s joy was palpable as he told The Irish Field from his base in America: “I couldn’t be more delighted! I certainly wasn’t expecting this a week ago!”

Some 276 horses started the five-year-old class with 47 into Sunday’s final. Eighteen combinations jumped clear in the first round of 16 jumps (1.30m maximum height) to make it into the jump-off, two of which were Irish.

First up was Ciaran Moran on the striking black gelding Greenhall Mullord ISH (Dignified van’t Zorgvliet x Cruising), bred by Derry Rothwell and owned by Margaret Fennell who bought him at Gorsebridge as a three-year-old. Margaret was at Lanaken to see her horse compete and was full of emotion and affection. “Things like this don’t happen to people like us,” she said as the combination sat in pole position and eventually finished eighth and in the victory laps.

Killian Norris, Michelle Kenny, Darragh Ryan and Niamh McEvoy all had a tougher day in the office but for the Irish supporters, hearts were soon lifted. On paper, the BP Goodfellas win may have come a little leftfield, but standing in the Belgian sun having watched 37 through the ring before them, there was undoubtedly magic unfolding under the masterful piloting of Kilkenny’s Ger O’Neill.

O’Neill and BP Goodfellas rose to every challenge of the course with a concentration and grace that quietened the Zangersheide crowds and stole the gold in a winning time of 40.12 seconds.

New ride

The win on Sunday was a third World Championship win for O’Neill, who bagged the six-year-old title with Killossery Kaiden (ISH) in 2016 and again with Columbcille Gipsy (ISH) in 2017. O’Neill only took over the ride of BP Goodfellas four weeks before and explained how the partnership came about.

“We were at the Breeders’ Classic a few weeks ago and Kevin Gallagher qualified four for the finals and he could only ride three,” O’Neill explained.

“Goodfellas was the greenest one, I asked if I could ride him because I really liked the horse. Greg said if I could bring him to Lanaken I should bring him, so we’re here and the rest is history I suppose!

“The horse was actually unbelievable today, he was like an old head on young shoulders, it was his first time against the clock. I trained a little bit coming back on a few verticals and he felt really good at home but that was over two or three simple fences. I said to Greg, ‘that horse can actually go very quick if I’m in the final.’ [Laughing] ‘No chance,’ he said. ‘You’ll be going double-clear and we’ll be happy!’ But he changed his mind when he was third last to go.

“The horse was unbelievable; he has really, really, good instincts, he has all the scope, he definitely shouldn’t be jumping the double at the speed I went down to it, so I have some admiration for that horse and he’ll be a big star of the future.”

Six-year-old final

Ethen Ahearne and ABC Saving Grace (Kannan x Cruising) went up against 270 combinations in the six-year-old competition, with 40 making it through to Sunday’s final. Only 14 combinations managed to conquer course designer Eugène Mathy’s test in the first round to go forward to the jump-off. Ahearne and ABC Saving Grace were the only Irish representatives, bringing the gold medal home in style in 36.74 secs.

Ahearne said of his mount: “Well obviously she handled it brilliantly, she was the winner, but the first round, the first one or two jumps she was good and then she had a little spook at the water and then we just kind of got it done from there. After that she went back in the second round and got more confident and she tried her heart out.”

Having previously been ridden by Catherine Thornton, Ahearne and the gold-winning mare have been together less than a year. “I got ABC Saving Grace in November when I started my own stable and competed with her for the first time in February or March,” he explained. “But so far she has only jumped at national level.

“Last month in Dublin we were able to qualify for this World Championship, [laughing] so this was actually the first time we competed at international level and it was also my first time participating in the World Championships.”

ABC Saving Grace was bred by Patrick Kehoe who has already had plenty of people knock at the door. “It’s been interesting, she hadn’t even the second round done and I was talking to a lot of people. It’s grand to have that interest in her, you kind of know you have a proper one, but it wrecks your head a little bit as well because you’re there thinking the plan coming out is she’s a broodmare and now you have to think, what’s next?” he told The Irish Field in Lanaken.

Runner-up

Galway’s Jessica Burke was particularly unlucky in the finals with a couple of rubs stealing her strong chances, but her impressive second place podium finish on the mighty Billy Utah bred by Donal Barnwell (Cevin Z x Vecta) in the Seven-Year-Old Consolation was well-deserved.

Burke told The Irish Field: “Billy Utah had been fantastic all year, was very unlucky not to qualify for the final! I’m so delighted with her result in the consolation, she’s a wonderful horse and will be very competitive in the future.

“Billy Be Boss felt brilliant in the six-year-old final and was very unlucky to roll the middle part of the combination, I knew he would have been quick if he got into the jump off, but he put in a very good performance. Billy Etna was amazing all week jumping clear both days in the qualifiers and I unfortunately made a bad call on the distances to the triple bar double, which cost us a clear round. For two new partnerships I am very proud of the way the horses jumped in Lanaken and think they are both very exciting horses.”

Max O’Reilly Hyland and BP Limitless ISH (Elvis ter Putte x Laughton’s Flight) claimed fourth place, another Ballypatrick-bred success of the weekend. BP Limitless, a former winner of the Irish Breeders’ Classic was bred by Austin Broderick.

Camaraderie

There was a particularly special feeling at the show this year, it would bring a lump to the throat of the hardiest equestrian to watch the camaraderie and support within the Irish ranks as they gathered at the pocket to support each other.

The roar of the Irish crowd out-cheering all other nations, and the celebrations in the Horse Sport Ireland stand as they watched on, all illustrated why there’s so much to be proud of after the weekend’s sport, both in and out of the ring.