THE sheer level of talent displayed at the 2022 National Young Horse Championship Finals at the Dublin Horse Show illustrates that the future of Irish show jumping is in safe hands.

After a long two-year wait, riders were finally able to bring their young horses through the qualification process during the summer, and then have the opportunity to see the very best of them compete at the five-star venue in August.

Noel Cawley further strengthened his already impressive reputation as one of Ireland’s leading breeders of show jumpers when his mare Laurina won the five-year-old Flexible National Championships.

Ridden by Leah Stack, Laurina is by Stakkato Gold out of Cawley’s Grand Prix mare Rincarina which Greg Broderick rode to Grand Prix level. Some 16 combinations qualified over two days for the final in the main arena. Of these, 10 posted a clear first round to progress to the jump-off against the clock. Stack and Laurina were last to go and used the best draw to their full advantage to cross the finish line in 30.45, just ahead of her stablemate Niamh McEvoy to secure the win and the title of five-year-old national champion for 2022. McEvoy then rode BP Tiny Dancer (Plot Blue x Concorde) to a clear in 30.51 to slot into the runner-up spot, while third went the way of Harry Wood with Mendoza (Harley VDL x VDL Cardento).

Pender double

The national champion Mikey Pender needed to be in two places at nearly all times during the 2022 Dublin Horse Show and among his international wins were the five-star Speed Stakes, Speed Derby and Land Rover Puissance. He was also dominant in the national arena, winning both the six-year-old and four-year-old final.

HHS Rose, a mare by Lamm de Fetan x Don Juan de la Bouverie, owned and bred by his boss Marion Hughes, won the six-year-old national championship for the Cruising Trophy.

Sixteen combinations qualified for the final in the six-year-old division. Of these just six produced a clear first round to proceed to the jump-off. Brendan Murphy finished in second place with Susan Fitzpatrick’s Grennanstown Max A Million (KEC Maximum Joe x OBOS Quality), ahead of Vincent Byrne riding Killavallig Farm’s stallion Quality Time Van het Heieinde (Elvis Ter Putte x Kashmir Van Schuttershof) in third.

Flonix dominates

Pender’s four-year-old mount HHS Flonix completely dominated in the four-year-old National Championships; winning both qualifiers as well as securing the highest score in the final.

By Aganix Du Seigneur out of Echo Peach, by Clover Echo, the stallion was bred by Brendan McSorley and is owned by him in partnership with Marion Hughes. Hughes gave the stallion huge credit, commenting: “He is very talented, I think he is one of the best horses I have ever had in my stable. The plan is to keep him and produce him.”

Lorraine MacGuinness’ VB Gone Girl (Emerald x Cobra), ridden by Vincent Byrne, was the runner-up. Deane Rogan took third place with Declan McGarry’s Leestone Cascornet (Cornet Obolensky x Cascarillo).

Williams on the money

The seven and eight-year-old class is the only one which is open to international competitors. It serves as an excellent showcase for those horses which are ready to make that next step up to the bigger classes.

Following a further qualifier at the show to earn a place in the finals, it was Co Clare young rider Rhys Williams who partnered his family’s Playboy JT Z to the win on the final day.

The Belgian-bred seven-year-old gelding is by Presley out of Prada JT Z, by Plot Blue and has been with the Williams family since he was a five-year-old.

Some 23 combinations lined out for the final for which Tom Holden had set a challenging track. Following round one just three seven-year-olds and four eight-year-olds went forward to the timed decider. Williams was second into the arena and set the target which was never beaten.

Nations Cup rider Denis Lynch and Dark Chocolate produced a nice clear and came closest to catching the leader for the runner-up spot, ahead of Jason Higgins and the seven-year-old Heritage MBE (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Otangelo) who finished third.