THIS year Ireland will host the most prestigious competition in the mounted games calendar – the world team championships. Sixteen nations will descend on the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, Co Cork from July 13th-16th, to battle it out for the coveted world title.

There are two world team title categories – U17 and Open – and the Irish Mounted Games Association (IMGA) has selected 10 of the country’s top riders and ponies to represent their country in both championship categories.

A LOOK BACK AT THE WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Competing against the best teams in the world is not something new to Irish mounted games riders. Irish riders have proudly represented their country at the top level of the sport for many years. Between 2000 and 2009 Irish open riders have scored seven top-six placings:

In 2010 Mark Devitt, Craig O’Connor, Jake O’Connor, Aidan Hanlon and Shona Harpur, with the help of team trainer, Jerome O’Connor made history when becoming the first Irish mounted games team to win the world title.

Since Ireland’s win in 2010 they have consistently ranked in the top three at every world championships they have attended. In 2015 Ireland travelled to the world championships in Lexinton USA where they finished just three points behind the winning host team. This year they are hosting the championships and they want nothing more than to win on their home turf.

2014 was the first year that an U17 competition was added to the world team championships and Ireland didn’t disappoint in this category either. Ireland’s young riders got the ball rolling with a 4th place finish and have continued to go from strength to strength - they too hope to claim top honours at Milstreet.