IRELAND’S student riders enjoyed a successful start to the year when they brought home multiple prizes from the 2026 World Finals. AIEC, the governing body for international student riding, held the annual culmination of their Nations Cup series at Leuven in Belgium from December 31st to January 3rd. The Irish team of John Carr, Ciara Dennigan and Jane Fitzgerald contested the Gold League Final and finished second in the show jumping, fourth in the dressage and third in the combined section.

Student riding competitions provide a unique challenge, whereby riders compete on unfamiliar horses after a very limited warm-up. This format did not phase the Irish contingent however, all of whom finished in the top six individually in the show jumping. John Carr, who is also the President of IURCA, the Irish Universities Riding Clubs’ Association, finished in bronze position while his team mates Dennigan and Fitzgerald finished fifth and sixth respectively.