ONE can get bogged down in statistics, but they make for interesting reading at times. No more so than this season as, thanks to Eventing Ireland and partners EquiRatings, we learned that Steven Smith topped every table based on national and international results in Ireland this year.

A member of the Northern Region, Smith had the advantage of being able to plan his 2025 campaign from the outset. He had 95 starts compared to the 65 of his nearest rival, John Tilley, who also finished second regarding cross-country jumping clears (81 to 56), cross-country clears inside the time (54 to 38) and the number of finishes on dressage scores (38 to 22).