CRATLOE show jumper Conor McMahon has been accepted into the Young Riders Academy for 2022.

The 22-year-old is among just six riders from 24 candidates to make it into the full programme this year, alongside Zoe Osterhoff and Philipp Schultze-Topphof from Germany, Joseph Stockdale from Britain, Sofia Manzetti from Italy, and Ignatio Astolfi from Spain.

Based at Richard Howley’s HK Horses in West Yorkshire, England, Conor follows in the footsteps of his older brother Eoin who graduated from the programme in 2017. He was selected by the panel of Jean Maurice Bonneau, Otto Becker and Emile Hendrix, as well as the YRA board, following a few days of assessments at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in The Netherlands. The youngsters are assessed on their attitude, motivation, and technical skills.

Commenting on his selection, McMahon said: “I am very lucky and grateful for this opportunity. I am a believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”

A further five athletes were accepted onto the educational programme - Joanna Schildknecht and Gilles Müller from Switzerland, Egor Shchibrik from Russia, Alexander Housen from Belgium, and Gaj Riossa from Slovakia.

Emile Hendrix, who has been a member of selection panel since the first year, commented: “The level of applicants is clearly growing year by year; the consequence is that being good is not enough. The new young riders have serious goals, and they are eager to work hard for them. We, as observers, are looking for those qualities that make differences; of course, talents and goals, but ambition, emotion and management are key nowadays”.

Otto Becker added: “Primarily, I want to thank those who have believed in the program and supported it. The fact that all National Federations, including the major ones, aspire to include their young talents in the YRA program, is indeed proof of the validity of the project.”

The training group for 2022 will be coordinated by chef d’equipe Jean Maurice Bonneau and includes Jos Lansink, Franke Sloothaak, Marco Kutcher, Ben, Wim and Gerco Schröder, and former Dutch chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens. Both programmes will begin in the coming months.