TAKING inspiration from their senior counterparts, the Irish pony show jumping team continued their winning ways in the FEI Youth Nations Cup in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, last Thursday afternoon.

Under the guidance of High Performance manager Gary Marshall, the squad of Abbie Oakey, Annie Boland, Chloe Hughes Kennedy, Emily Moloney and Gary Dooley were the only team to finish with a team score of zero, after two rounds of top class jumping, and finishing well ahead of France and The Netherlands in second place on 12 faults.

Emily Moloney guided her mother Miriam’s Lady Crown to a brilliant double clear round, as did Abbie Oakley aboard James Oakley’s Boutade Ste Hermelle and Chloe Hughes Kennedy with Melvyn Kennedy’s HK Zena, the sole Irish-bred on the team – a nine-year-old mare by Starpower TN who was bred at Ennisnag Stud out of the Lissabon mare Linssy. Annie Boland picked up an unfortunate four faults in the first round with Mary Boland’s Jimtown, but corrected her mistake in round two and Ireland finished on a perfect score of zero to take a convincing victory.

Sweden and Italy were fourth and fifth on score of 28 and 32 penalties respectively.

Speaking about the victory, Gary Marshall said: “It was a tough course from fence one, you had to know your numbers and be thinking until the end. It’s what I call a rider’s course and they all rode very well. We had three clears and a fence down in the first round and four clears in the second. They were all fantastic.”

On the same day, Ireland’s Iseult Fleming won the CSIOP 1.30m big tour at the venue riding Andrew Fleming’s 13-year-old gelding Oscar van de Beekerheide. The pair posted the fastest time of 71.58 in the one round speed competition, while Wexford’s Lauren Adams slotted into third place with Dale Adams’ Lexius E van het Juxschot (0/ 73.13).

Lightening fast

Adams then won Friday’s 1.25m Table A aboard Corradino Du Bary in a lightening fast time of 63.54 seconds, almost three seconds faster than compatriot Gary Dooley in second place with Coppenagh Gatsby, owned by Sheila Aylward.

Lauren Adams was also best of the Irish in Saturday’s 1.30m CSIOP Grand Prix with Lexius E van het Juxschot. The pair picked up four faults in the first round to finish sixth. In a three-horse jump-off, victory went to Britain’s Harriet Hodge with Little Charlie.