Sally Parkyn

BY any standards, 2014 was a rollercoaster year for international eventing. From an Irish perspective, the season produced an Olympic qualifying result at the World Equestrian Games, as well as a further haul of medals from our under-age teams. Irish bred winners of the early four-star fixtures at Rolex and Badminton set the year off in good style for breeders and producers and, influenced by the latter, the Irish Sport Horse studbook claimed yet another number one slot on the WBSFH rankings.

Impressively, Irish bred horses also filled five of the top ten (and 10 in the top 20) places of the British Eventing equivalent rankings and demand for the Irish event horse appears as strong as ever.

OVERSEAS ROUND UP

The four-star series kicked off in America in May, where William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero scored a convincing victory in the Rolex at Lexington. Making only his second run at the level, the Bryan Maguire-bred son of Cult Hero headed a leaderboard that featured fellow Irish exports Ballynoe Castle RM (Buck Davison) in third and Trading Aces (Philip Dutton) in eighth.

Just two weeks later, the event world was gripped by the action at Badminton. Much to the surprise of many, new course designer Giuseppe della Chiesa opted not to play safe in his first year at the helm but delivered a track which echoed the drama and toughness of bygone days. Unfortunately, torrential rain accentuated the rigours, which ultimately saw 25 eliminations and 18 retirements.

Countering that were some brilliant performances, none more so than Sam Griffiths’ winning run with Paula Cullen’s homebred Paulank Brockagh. The seven-year-old daughter of Touchdown was only the fourth mare in history to take the title, leading fellow Irish-breds Wild Lone (third) and Kilronan (fourth). Irish riders also fared well, and the quartet who completed was Austin O’Connor (Ringwood Mississippi), Geoff Curran (Shanaclough Crecora), Clare Abbott (Euro Prince) and Joseph Murphy (Sportsfield Othello).

Irish breeding remained at the forefront when the in-form Aoife Clarke and Fenyas Elegance landed the feature spoils at Bramham in June. Having headed the equivalent Blenheim field six months earlier, the British-based pair added yet another CCI*** to their CV, and strengthened their WEG prospects in the process.

Later the same month, popular Kiwi rider Tim Price riding his Tattersalls’ victor Wesko, picked up his first four-star win at Luhmuhlen. Celebrations were muted however, and the weekend was a dark one for the sport. Despite all efforts to make eventing safer, the venue also witnessed the fatal fall of the young German rider Benjamin Winter. Unbelievably and within hours, further news filtered through from England that Canadian rider Jordan McDonald had also lost his life in a novice competition at the Nunney International.

From here on, all eyes were firmly focussed on the keenly anticipated World Equestrian Games in Normandy. Unusually the competition was split between two venues, and this combined with a seemingly inadequate infrastructure led to a disappointing experience for both competitors and spectators.

Beset with problems throughout, the unseasonably wet weather played havoc on cross-country day and for a change those who watched the action from the comfort of their armchairs appeared to be the winners. Out on track, the favourites Germany claimed the gold, from Britain in silver and the Netherlands narrowly taking bronze.

Despite falling victim to the over-enthusiastic crowd in the dressage arena, Aoife Clarke and Fenyas Elegance emerged as best of the Irish in 21st place. Making little of the going, the pair stormed around the country, as did Sam Watson with the foot-perfect pathfinder Horseware Bushman. Although adding jumping penalties, fellow team members Joseph Murphy (Electric Cruise) and Sarah Ennis (Horseware Stellor Rebound) also completed to help Ireland fill sixth spot and thereby secure the invaluable Olympic qualification.

Special mention must also go to the diminutive Portersize Just A Jiff (Camilla Speirs), who after a crunching fall at the London Olympics and a subsequent lengthy box rest, returned to complete at championship level.

Just a few days later, and in entirely contrasting conditions, Kiwi rider Andrew Nicholson travelled to Burghley where he historically landed the four-star title on Avebury for the third consecutive year. Riding the Jumbo gelding who had already clocked up seasonal international wins at Gatcombe and Barbury, Nicholson turned the tables in the show jumping phase, finally heading last year’s disqualified winners Jock Paget and Clifton Promise.

A delighted Nicholson commented afterwards: “Winning this means an awful lot. I really wanted to win a medal in Normandy and didn’t – so I’ve put myself under a lot of pressure to do well here.”

Having had a fairly quiet international season until then, Joseph Murphy moved into top gear in the autumn. As one of only three runners to return within the time at Blenheim, he picked up a top-10 placing with young Westwinds Hercules, and then came agonisingly close to landing his first four-star win in Pau. Denied his chance only when the second-placed Electric Cruise was harshly eliminated in the final veterinary inspection, Murphy progressed to take fifth spot with his Ballindenisk CIC*** winner Sportsfield Othello.

Rounding off the championship season, the WBSFH finals for young horses took place at Le Lion d’Angers. Running over a softer track than in recent years, the team honours fell to the host nation’s French Anglo Arab studbook, with Ireland slotting into fifth spot.

HOME INTERNATIONALS

The home international calendar opened with Ireland’s inaugural Nations Cup fixture at Ballindenisk. Staged in early April, it came too soon for many, but challenging at the Co Cork venue were an experienced team from France and an unproven one from Britain.

Ireland’s team manager Nick Turner selected a strong home squad but in the end it was the all-girl British team of Izzy Taylor, Ros Canter, Lucy Wiegersma and Nicky Roncoroni who took the top place on the podium. Riding as an individual, Ballindenisk regular Oliver Townend headed the CICO*** with Cooley Masterclass, while Sarah Ennis and Sugar Brown Babe were best of the home side in sixth.

Having filled the runner-up spot to Townend at Ballindenisk, Britain’s Izzy Taylor went one better at Tattersalls, where she landed the feature The Irish Field CCI*** showcase aboard Allercombe Ellie. Recording her first ever three-day win, Taylor was one of 64 British riders to attend the immensely popular fixture, which attracted record entries from 13 countries and was visited by an estimated 23,000 spectators. The class was also notable for the emergence of Sarah Ennis’s talented Horsewar Stellor Rebound (who later went on to take his place at WEG) and Ciaran Glynn’s young hope Killossery Jupiter Rising. As a result of his fourth placing, the latter (by Master Imp) was awarded the Rising Star trophy as the most promising Irish-bred horse.

All roads led to Munster for the summer internationals at Kilguilkey House and Camphire. The former staged a very well-presented CIC** fixture, while Camphire attracted record overseas entries for its three-star fronted schedule. The weather was at its most glorious for both events, and once again Camphire’s enthusiastic promotion team ensured that gate receipts reached their highest levels. Heading the Camphire results, Sam Watson came back from injury to win the CIC*** with the exciting Horseware Lukeswell, leaving British visitor David Doel to land the CCI** with Miss Caruso.

The season closed as it opened with a well-supported fixture at Ballindenisk. The Fell family’s flagship Johnson and Perrott International Horse Trials presented a strong cross-country challenge together with some thrilling competition and a runaway Irish win. Much to the delight of all, Clare Abbott and Euro Prince put their disappointing run at WEG firmly behind them, to head the feature CCI*** by an emphatic 12 marks.

UNDER-AGE INTERNATIONALS

Millstreet became the latest addition to Ireland’s international calendar when it hosted a widely-lauded pony European Championships in August. Dipping their toe into the water for the first time, the Duggan family, under the guidance of designer Mike Etherington Smith and course builder Danny Dulohery, unveiled a cross-country track that was literally breath-taking. Making full use of the terrain and the historical features of the demesne at Drishane Castle, the course was an undoubted triumph and gave promise of far bigger things to come.

Honours fell to the French squad and disappointingly it was not to be Ireland’s year. Fielding a fairly inexperienced squad, the home side were off the pace from the outset to finish last of the five competing teams.

Earlier in the season, however, the juniors and the young riders swept the board at their respective European championships. At Bishop Burton in Yorkshire, Debbie Byrne’s squad of Susie Berry, Nessa Briody, Cathal Daniels and Lucy Latta outperformed 15 nations to lift gold at the junior championships, as well as collecting an individual silver medal for Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua).

This was a significant achievement for all the riders, but especially for Daniels, who has now collected a haul of four gold medals and one silver medal from his pony and junior appearances.

Completing a golden month, the young riders also led the field in Vale Sabroso, Portugal. Mentored by team manager Sally Corscadden, the squad of Elizabeth Hayden, Harold Megahey, Jodie O’Keefe and Joshua Pim headed both the Germans and the British teams, with Hayden claiming individual bronze.