IT may only be the inaugural year of the new WBFSH Studbooks Global Champions Tour Trophy but DHF Alliance has set a record that future contenders will strive hard to match.

Three wins, including the eight-year-old final, was a stunning performance from the Army Equitation School’s Commandant Geoff Curran and this mare, bred in Co Tyrone by Paul Douglas (see Breeders’ 10, page 87).

Naturally, it will take time before Valkenswaard becomes as familiar as other World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) championships such as Lanken, first held in 1995, and the upcoming young event horse championship at Le Lion d’Angers.

However, this new studbooks concept got off to a flying start, impressing, amongst others, the Hannoveraner Verband’s Thomas Schönig.

This studbook had much to celebrate, (as had the consistently-placed Anglo European Studbook) finishing the championships as the leading German studbook.

Home ground studbook - the KWPN - scored in the seven-year-olds final and it’s interesting to see the predominance of KWPN sires among the Irish Sport Horse team, as well as three traditionally bred Cruising grandams represented too.

Tom Meagher’s late Hannoverian stallion Lux Z is also prominent amongst grandam bloodlines, including the ultra-consistent DHF Alliance.

The Oldenburger stallion Tullibards Benny’s Legacy is also a grandson of Lux Z, who himself competed at Lanaken in his young horse days.

Household names such as Darco, Toulon, Vigo d’Arsouilles among the prize winners add an almost vintage element among the European bloodlines.

There is no place for sentiment or nostalgia in modern show jumping breeding - it is the results that really matter - but equally, there is also something timeless about an Irish Army rider at the top of the prize winners line-up on an Irish-bred horse.

2023 Global Champions Tour Studbook Champions

Five-Year-Olds

First – Hanoverian Association (HANN)

Dicardo 7 (Diacontinus x Calido’s Chalet); Diarello 3 (Diamant de Semilly x Cascadello); Constable (Contendro x Diarado)

Second – Zangersheide (ZANG)

Victory Music Z (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Elle van’t Ameldonk Z);Boeff van de Molen Z (Bamako de Muze x Kannan); Libelle Asborne Z (Lector van de Bisschop x Calvaro Z)

Third – Anglo European Studbook (AES)

Moneypenny (Golden Eye x Classe); Z7 Pink Panther (Cuick Star Kervec x OBOS Quality 004); Espeshelli (Zambesi TN x Karandasj)

Fifth – Irish Sport Horse (ISH)

Jennifer Crowley & Sean Keyes’ Realteens Orestus (Orestus VDL (KWPN) – Realteen, by Cruising (ISH) (TIH). Breeder: Owners. Rider: Richard Kerins).

Jane Gibbons’ Ceide Candy Heart (Garryduff Jar of Hearts (ISH) – Ceide Heather Honey, by Sligo Candy Boy (ISH). Breeder: Mary Walsh. Rider: Stephen Gibbons).

Edel Dore’s Cape Tribulation (Womanizer (KWPN) – Creevy Quinn Lass, by Cruising (ISH) (TIH). Breeder: Peter Killeen. Rider: Kian Dore).

Six-Year-Olds

First – Belgian Warmblood (BWP)

Ransome 111 (El Barone 111 Z x Der Senaat); Rhapsody van het Netehof (Chacoon Blue x Darco); Rythm-K van’t Kattenheye (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Cornet Obolensky).

Second – Danish Warmblood (DWB)

Feldborgs Cantonelli (Cantolar x Cabachon); Syvhoejegaards Final Edition (Comme Il Faut Plus x Royal Z); Emmett H DWB (Emerald x Cancara).

Third – Anglo European Studbook (AES)

Millfield Lottery (Plot Blue x Mr. Blue; Chrysler Key SR (Comme Il Faut x Calido I); Heart of Cicero (Cicero Z Van Paemel x Heartbreaker).

Seventh – Irish Sport Horse (ISH)

Susanne Kerins’ RSK Quality Cruise (O.B.O.S Quality 004 (OLD) – Another Cruise by Cruising (ISH). Breeder: Charlie McElhinney. Rider: Richard Kerins.

Bernard Reynolds’ Kathleen’s Candy Clover (Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) – Green Road Tulip (UNK). Breeder: Kathleen O’Reilly. Rider: John Mulligan.

Linda O’Connor & Robert Splaine’s Coolcorron Lone Ranger (Tyson (KWPN) – Jokers Bell C, by Slyguff Joker VII (WNTR). Breeder/rider: Robert Splaine.

Seven-Year-Olds

First – Royal Dutch Sport Horse (KWPN)

Let’s Wait and See HX (Entertainer x Colman); Loekie-Douglas (Douglas x Corland); Lavesther (Elvis ter Putte x Guidam)

Second – Anglo European Studbook (AES)

Wild Star HF (Big Star x Oklund); If Evers Girl (If Ever x Arko III); Gmail (Cornet Obolensky x Diamant de Semilly)

Third – Selle Français (SF)

Giorgio d’Ellipse (Prestigio LS x Kannan); Grand Duc du Paradiso (Vagabond de la Pomme x Toulon); Gengis Kann de Londe (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly)

Sixth – Irish Sport Horse (ISH)

Mimi Falb’s Shannondale Anzac (Shannondale Sarco St. Ghyvan (BWP) – Shannondale Maria, by Lux Z (HANN). Breeder: Martin Walsh. Rider: Alfie Bradstock)

Paraic Kenny’s Bennys Lass (Tullibards Benny’s Legacy (OLD) – Patrick’s Polly by Nad Elshiba (TB). Breeder: Thomas Hutchinson. Rider: Owner).

Baden Powell’s Curraghgraigue Jack Bro (Orestus VDL (KWPN) – Curraghgraigue Errigal by Errigal Flight (ISH). Breeder: Owner. Rider: Michael Duffy)

Eight-Year-Olds

First – Westphalian (WESTF)

Ballerina 328 (Balou’s Diamond x Cachas); Project One (Pilothago x Lamoureux II); Lajacuma (Lycon x Rockwell)

Second – Zangersheide (Z)

Tirelire T&L Z (Toulon x Darco); Bobby Prova Z (Billy Congo x Andiamo van het Kapelhof Z); Ecuador DW Z (El Torreo de Muze x Quasimodo van de Molendreef)

Third – Danish Warmblood (DWB)

Calgrafi DWB (Boegegaardens Grafs Stakkato x Cajus); Soendervangs Matilde (Catoki x Cassini II); Untouchable Olympic (Untouchable x Akan)

Seventh – Irish Sport Horse (ISH)

Patrick Peare’s WEC Mermus Rua (Mermus R (KWPN) – DRS Chattanooga, by Abalou Verte (KWPN). Breeder: Ray Brown. Rider: Paddy O’Donnell).

Minister for Defence’s DHF Alliance (Ard VDL Douglas (KWPN) – Rosie Bee, by Lux Z (HANN). Breeder: Paul Douglas. Rider: Comdt. Geoff Curran).

Denis Gallagher’s CBI Karhari (Goodluck VDL (KWPN) – CSF Karina, by Kroongraaf (KWPN). Breeder: Aidan Carroll. Rider: Jonathan Gordon.

What they said:

“We are ecstatic with how “Nan” [DHF Alliance], as we called her, performed. To win three days in a row is just an incredible performance from a young horse and testament to the mare’s resilience and toughness - qualities that can sometimes get overshadowed with the thirst for carefulness and scope. The mare has been in super form. We thought winning the Breeders’ Classic seven/eight-year-olds a few weeks back was the highlight, but to witness her triumph in the Longines Tops International arena was really special. It is a fine testament to Jess Stallard and Geoff’s production of her. We are very excited to have a yearling full-sister to Alliance and Rosie Bee has a super, big, blood Comme Il Faut colt this season.” - Paul Douglas, breeder of DHF Alliance.

“I bred Rosie Bee [DHF Alliance’s dam] and owned the grandam Lisselton Pearl who was a Clover Hill mare. I have the half-sister to DHS Alliance, by Cornet Obolensky, so I’ll find a nice stallion for her!” - Ronan Tynan, breeder of DHF Alliance’s grand-dam Rosie Bee.

“The WBFSH Studbooks Jumping Global Champions Trophy is a welcome addition to the international calendar for young horses. The competition format is closer to a Nations Cup style class and a different challenge to these young horses. It was very well received and we look forward to continued improvements in years to come. To be able to select a studbook team for Lanaken of 21 horses, and a further 20 for Valkenswaard shows the strength and depth of young horses in Ireland and credit is due to the owners, breeders and producers.

“From a breeding perspective, HSI continue to develop the Young Horse Pathway, from foals through to the High Performance programme. This event presents another opportunity to compete in a young horse championship, facilitates a valuable addition to their performance pedigree and to gain additional recognition for Irish breeders, owners, producers and riders of quality Irish-bred horses. It’s wonderful that eight-year-old horses are included and perhaps in future we’ll see horses graduate from Valkenswaard into the EEF Development Nations Cup league and senior teams.” - Dr Sonja Egan, HSI Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development

“The conditions in Valkenswaard were really great. The arrivals, stables and the place were all perfectly organised, simply an outstandingly well-organised event. From a sporting point of view, the success was of course really outstanding for the Hannoveraner Verband, especially with the five-year-olds. With the clear rounds of the five-year-olds we showed what kind of high quality horses we have and were superior in the lead. In the six-year-old class we lacked a little bit of luck, sometimes the poles fell, sometimes they didn’t but we were nevertheless placed fifth. It was the same with the seven-year-olds, which is of course another great success.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get an eight-year-olds team together, but we definitely want to change that for next year. The Hannoveraner Verband will be happy to participate again in the next WBFSH Studbooks Jumping Global Champions Trophy.” - Thomas Schönig, Hannoveraner Verband