SOARING temperatures, blazing sunshine and high humidity did not faze Ireland’s riders and horses for Thursday’s opening day of the Young Horse World championships in Lanaken, Belgium.

Each rider hopes to have top performances from Thursday and Friday qualifiers to earn their world finals start list place tomorrow (Sunday).

Waterford’s Francis Connors, who jumped four clear rounds with two seven-year-olds in Lanaken, has qualified for the world finals of the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses on Sunday.

Connors finished on zero with both horses Pembrook Milenia and Primo Troy to secure his place in the exclusive world final after two days of magnificent riding. His placings put him well up the final scoreboard of Sunday’s top 40 seven-year-olds.

Peter Moloney also slotted into the top 40 qualified seven-year-olds for Sunday’s finals with Esi Carvalho, by Padinus out of a Quidam Junior mare.

Meanwhile Mickey Pender qualified the five-year-old Z Seven Caretina for Sunday’s five-year-old final after jumping his second clear round on Friday. Bred by Marion Hughes and owned by Team Z7, Seven Caretina was ridden to perfection by Pender who secured his place at lunchtime just prior to The Irish Field deadline.

feel good factor

The feel good factor was prevalent as Ireland’s team of five-year-olds were on top form to jump five opening clear rounds at the FEI World Breeding championships for Young Horses. Second day scores saw a few faulters, but overall performances were impressive.

Supporters from Ireland arrived in droves as once again, scopey young horses and talented riders, including two traditional Irish Sport Horses on the Irish team kept Ireland to the fore. In addition to the team selected riders, Ireland also received wildcard invites which added to the excitement. However an Irish-bred for Bulgaria finished second in the first batch of seven-year-olds which was excellent PR for the Irish studbook.

The opening seven-year-old qualifier saw Irish Sport Horse Csf Mr Kroon take second after a well-ridden round from Rossen Raitchev.

Mr Kroon, a dark bay gelding by Kroongraf out of a Cavalier Royale mare, bred by Shane Connolly and owned by Iron Horse Farm, gave winner Patrick Spits of Belgium and Bellissimo Z a run for his money with a clear in 28.66. The chesnut mare by Barnako de Muze out of a Chin Chin dam galloped home clear in 27.98.

Five-year-olds were blessed with clear rounds all day Thursday. Michael Pender partnered Z Seven Canya Dance (ISH), a chesnut mare by Can Ya Makan (Holst) out of the Cavalier mare HHS Chantilly Lace to a clear, repeating the performance on Z Seven Caretina by Coltaire Z, both bred by Marion Hughes.

Gabriel Slattery’s Captain Clover bay stallion Castlelawn Capt Junior out of the Diamond Lad mare Diroe, bred by Elizabeth Gallagher, went clear with Shane Dalton.

Darragh Ryan also recorded two clear rounds in five-year-olds with Boleybawn Actor by Ars Vivendi and ESI Star Struck by Lamm de Fetan. GBBS Int Ltd owns both horses with Ennisnag Stud in partnership on ESI Star Struck.

Friday’s early scores saw Darragh Ryan and ESI Star Struck go clear again in the five-year-olds, looking positive for Sunday. The strong first day six-year-old qualifier, which had the Dutch occupying the first three placings, saw a serious challenge from Gerard O’Neill on Killossery Kaiden. The bay gelding by Lux out of the Cruising mare Killossery Kruisette finished fourth for KM Sporthorses with an impressive time of 29.78.

foot perfect

Michael Pender on board Paul Walsh’s Rainstown Majestic, a grey mare by Manhattan out of a Grange Bouncer dam bred by William Masterson, put in a foot-perfect round in a creditable time of 31.23. Darragh Ryan slotted into 20th with Ballypatrick Flamenco, a bay gelding by Je T’Aime Flamenco out of the Cruising mare Cruise Leaf, bred by Dr Noel Cawley and owned by Greg Broderick.

Broderick’s Santa Catalina, a grey mare by Capitalist out of Ghareeb dam was unfortunate to knock a pole as did Francis Connors with the Luidam-sired Castlefield, owned by Mary Ann Papp.

Opening day for seven-year-olds was a red letter day for Peter Moloney and Francis Connors. Moloney on the Padinus-sired Esi Carvalho out of the Quidam Junior mare Cyndara rocked into 13th place with a clear round in 31.25. Connors steered Pembrook Milenia, a bay mare by Diamant de Semilly, bred by Joanne Fox and Finbarr Mulligan of Kilmashogue Stud and owned by Michael Meller, into 14th with a time of 31.26.

He then produced another clear on Primo Troy, a bay gelding by Clinton, in 32.28 for 25th place to the delight of owners Michael Hayden and Paul O’Shea.

Connors was literally unstoppable.

On Friday he made little of the imposing track with clears on Pembrook Milenia and Primo Troy now looking like a tough opponent for the final. Tholm Keane and the Luidam-sired stallion BMH Big Time, bred by Paula Abbey and owned by James Buckley, were also on a clear, but Gemma Phelan on Rory Costigan’s Loughnavatta Indigo by Luidam were unlucky with four faults.

Other riders in seven-year-olds were Stephen Murphy with Chantelle, eight penalties phase two, Conan Wright, Ard Golden Crisp by Luidam, four penalties phase one. Eighteen-year-old Conan, a wildcard recipient, was delighted to compete in Lanaken having spent time competing in Europe and helping his mother Heather Dean Wright with their younger horses at Ard Cherry Mount, Clonmellon, Co Westmeath.

Opening day for Sires of the World in the main arena saw Punchestown rider Edward Doyle finish in the prize money with a seventh placing on Chirokko M by Diamant Semilly.

The bay nine-year-old stallion is owned by Kristopher Marshall from Co Antrim and is out of a Chin Chin mare.

Hallowberry Cruz, the excellent Irish-bred stallion by Cruising out of a Clover Hill mare ridden by Alexander Butler and owned by Caroline Byrne, also impressed with an opening day clear in Sires of the World for a superb 16th placing in 80.89 seconds.

Derryinver Luxury Cruise, the grey Lux Z/Cruising stallion, bred by Tom and Linda Magee, tipped one fence with Edward Doyle for 40th. He was also a finalist here as a youngster when competing with Harry Marshall.

Jerome Guery won the Sires qualifier on the Casall-sired Alicante in a winning time of 67.26. Japanese rider Hikari Yoshizawa was runner-up on the Cardino-sired Clicksem with Denmark’s Rikke Haastrup in third with Charleston K by Carinjo.

Friday horses with four faults included ESI Carvalho, Ballypatrick Flamenco, Rainstown Majestic, Curra Clover Flight and Loughnavatta Indigo.

Some 40 five-year-olds will qualify for Sunday and up to 30 from each of the six and seven-year-old classes.

The Irish Horse Board breeding team with Alison Corbally, Michael Dempsey and Nadia Rea kept everyone up to date with Twitter and Facebook feeds and their well documented promotional material ensured the Europeans were well advised on pedigrees and riders. Comdt John Ledingham, chef d’equipe, meanwhile had three age classes to follow and 15 riders and horses to supervise.

(The final lists for Sunday’s finals were not announced until late Friday evening after The Irish Field deadline.)