THIS year’s World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse (WBFSH) eventing rankings are building up to a close-ran race, according to the penultimate results released last week. The August rankings show the Irish Sport Horse studbook gained a narrow lead in the eventing category over the KWPN, due to an epic Burghley for Irish-breds. In the show jumping division, the ISH studbook remains in 14th place.

For the past 22 out of 24 years, the Irish studbook has claimed the eventing title. However as the rankings enter the closing stages of the WBFSH’s calendar year, just 27 points now separate the ISH and the KWPN, its nearest rival. In fact the Dutch studbook has recorded its strongest results in the WBFSH rankings in recent years, as the KWPN also tops the latest dressage and show jumping pecking orders.