RECOGNISING equestrian excellence is at the very heart of our annual The Irish Field Horse World Awards and it was with great pleasure this week that these prestigious awards were presented to our very worthy winners across the key disciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing.

Normally our awards ceremony takes place in The K Club before the winners’ family and friends which could not happen this year due to the pandemic and so were presented virtually to the recipients.

Riders, senior and junior alike, who have earned one of these prestigious awards during their careers in the saddle, always remark how special it is to receive due recognition at home for their talents.

Many congratulations to our 2020 winners: Meath international dressage rider Kate Dwyer received The Irish Field Dressage Rider of the Year Award, while Tipperary’s Denis Lynch was delighted to be honoured with The Irish Field Senior Show Jumper of the Year Award.

Galway international event rider Cathal Daniels is no stranger to having his name on The Irish Field Senior Event Rider of the Year Award and is also a past Junior winner, but was thrilled to win it again, taking time out of his Tokyo schedule for the virtual presentation.

A very special mention for our two Junior award winners: Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan won The Irish Field Junior Show Jumper of the Year Award, while Galway’s Godfrey Gibbons won The Irish Field Junior Event Rider of the Year Award. Both Jack and Godfrey are hugely talented young riders, steadily rising through the ranks, with impressive wins to their records.

On behalf of us all here at The Irish Field, we warmly congratulate our worthy winners and wish them continued success – please see report and photographs on pages 78-79.

At long last the Tokyo Olympic Games officially opened yesterday (Friday), as Heike Holstein’s prepares to be the first rider sporting the green jacket into the fabulous stadium this weekend, we wish Heike and Sambuca the very best of luck at the Games. We will be bringing you full equestrian coverage of Tokyo 2020 as the Games unfold.

Follow Judith Faherty’s Tokyo Olympic reports online at www.theirishfield.ie