Emer Bermingham

THERE was a good turnout for the inaugural Mounted Games Association Awards ball last Saturday at the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise. Over 100 guests celebrated the evening, with riders and supporters travelling across the country and Britain to mark the occasion.

MGA chairman Conor O’Leary conducted the award ceremony, ably assisted by Pat Wall and Damian McDonald of Horse Sport Ireland.

Winners were announced across several different categories.

Pat Wall praised the riders for their achievements and complimented the Association saying he was “impressed with the wealth of talent amongst the members and how as a country, Irish competitors are up there with the Mounted Gamesmanship elite.”

The following riders were honoured for their 2014 achievements:

Open European Team Champions; Jake, Ben, Kate and Craig O’Connor and Mark Devitt.

Open European individual Champion; Alan Keoghan.

Open World team reserve champs, Jake, Kate and Craig O’Connor, Jamie Reavey and Alan Keoghan.

Open world individual Reserve Champion, Craig O’Connor

Under 17 individual World Champion, Peter McCarthy

Under 17 world pairs champions, Peter McCarthy and Phillip Weldon

Under 12 World individual Reserve Champion Darragh Carolan.

All riders who had competed for Ireland throughout 2014 on teams also had their achievements recognised.

The MGA took the opportunity to also honour riders for past achievements including 2013 under 17s European champions Peter McCarthy, Phillip Weldon, Graham Beirne, Andrew Devitt and Niall Hughes.

Others were 2010 world team champions in Geneva and Ireland’s first ever world champions Mark Devitt, Aido Hanlon, Shonagh Harpur, Craig and Jake O’Connor and Peter McCarthy, Peter won the European champs in 2013 while Craig O’Connor was part of the team that won the World Championships in 2010.

Special awards were presented to those who work voluntarily for the sport including Fiona O’Connor, Jerome O’Connor, Pat and Ann Devitt, Frances Whooley, Kieran Hanlon and posthumously to the late Tommy Ryan who died peacefully in his sleep at his home on Friday night.