“IT was a good learning trip with a lot of encouraging performances by our younger riders,” said Janet Murray, chef d’equipe to the Irish team at last week’s World breeding championships for young horses in Le Lion d’Angers.

“Some of our senior riders had a disappointing time and it was particularly so for Sophie Richards who just made one of those errors on the cross-country that takes so long for you to get over. She put her head down and galloped after jumping the third last, the spider, and just went the wrong way at the next.