BRITAIN has a new world champion in 25-year-old Yasmin Ingham who rose from second to win the gold medal after today’s show jumping at the FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni, Italy.

On a roller-coaster afternoon when nothing was sure until the very end it was Germany who told the team gold medal, ahead of Team USA in silver and New Zealand in bronze.

The Irish team of Sam Watson, Padraig McCarthy, Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor, managed by Dag Albert, secured Olympic qualification Paris 2024 when finishing in fifth place.

Lying individually second going into the final jumping phase, Ingham produced another spectacular jumping clear round from Banzai du Loir to pile the pressure on longtime leader and German superstar Michael Jung who was bidding to set a new record finishing score at the level.

With fischerChipmunk FRH, Jung had a fence in hand but cruelly saw his second individual world title slip from his grasp with two down, including the last fence. Silver went to team-mate Julia Krajewski, the first female athlete to be crowned individual Olympic champion when coming out on top at the Tokyo 2020 Games last summer with her mare Amande de B’Neville, while New Zealand’s Tim Price and Falco claimed double-bronze.

“I can’t believe it, I really didn’t think this would happen,” Ingham said. “Banzai was impeccable, I’m just over the moon and can’t explain how happy I am, I’m shaking.

“It was extremely pressurised and nerve-wracking, but I tried to treat it as a normal competition and blocked everything else out. He just delivered out there today and was perfect. I look up to all of the other members of the British team and now I’ve managed to do it – I’m just speechless and I dropped to the floor when it happened.”

The gold medal-winning Germany team was Julia Krajewski, Michael Jung, Christoph Wahler and Sandra Auffarth.

Irish climb

Ireland were in 12th place on Friday evening following the opening dressage phase, before an outstanding cross-country performance on Saturday saw the Irish climb seven places to fifth. Ireland were one of only a handful of countries who managed to complete the cross-country course without jumping penalties but they still had some work to do in the final show jumping phase before a ticket to Paris could be confirmed.

Susie Berry and Monbeg By Design (ISH) gave Ireland the perfect start this morning with a clear round as first to go for the Irish in the jumping arena, with Berry finishing on a final score of 46.4. That became an important counting score when Sam Watson and SAP Talisman (ISH) had a tough day over the coloured poles, picking up 25.2 faults to finish with a final score of 65.0.

Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue picked up eight faults and completed on a final score of 41.0 which was best of the Irish individually in 18th place, while Padraig McCarthy with Fallulah had four fences down to finish with a score of 49.4. That left Ireland on a total final score of 136.8 in fifth place overall of the 16 teams that competed.

Horse Sport Ireland’s acting High Performance Director Dag Albert said: “We are all delighted, we can relax a bit now with Olympic qualification assured. They all performed brilliantly especially in Saturday’s cross-country. We all walked the course together and made a plan. They all stuck to it and rode brilliant – everyone played their part.

“Susie got us off to a perfect start in the final show jumping and the rest all did their best which was enough at the end. I want to thank all involved, the owners, grooms, riders and the all the support staff who helped us to have a successful Championships.”

Horse Sport Ireland CEO Denis Duggan added: “I want to offer huge congratulations to Dag Albert and his squad of Sam Watson, Padraig McCarthy, Susie Berry, Austin O’Connor and Felicity Ward on an outstanding performance to secure Olympic qualification. To have full teams in show jumping and now eventing qualified for Paris 2024 is a massive achievement and gives us the maximum possible time to prepare for Paris. A special word of thanks to the owners of all our horses, to the grooms, coaches and all those working behind the scenes that helped to make this happen.”

BREEDING

Susie Berry with Monbeg By Design (ISH) [was Eskerhills Elixir] – 2012 gelding by Pacino (BWP) out of Eskerhills Lexis [ISH] by Puissance (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Fiona Molloy (Offaly). Owner: Helen Caton. Groom: Crisy Salmon

Padraig McCarthy with Fallulah (WESTF) – 2009 brown mare by Fidertanz 2 out of Devona by Di Versace. Bred by: Michael Norris, Owner: Amanda and Nicholas Boyle, Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattel and Padraig McCarthy. Groom: Jess Elliott

Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue (SHBGB) – 2009 grey gelding by Jaguar Mail out of Rock Me Baby by Rock Kind. Bred by Mellon Stud, Owner Austin O’Connor and The Salty Syndicate Groom: Francesca Denning

Sam Watson with SAP Talisman (ISH) – 2011 bay gelding by Puissance (ISH) out of Ali Row (TB) by All Royal (TB). Breeder: Rosemary Ponsonby. Owner: Hannah Watson and Julia Watson. Groom: Hannah Watson

Felicity Ward with Regal Bounty (ISH) – 2011 black gelding by Orestus VDL (KWPN) out of Edge of Reason (ISH) by Senang Hati (TB). Breeder: Miriam De Feu. Owner: James O’Callaghan. Groom Ronan Kinsella.