By HSI
Photography: Wendy Conlon, FEI/Leszek Wójcik, FEI/Mariusz Chmielinski
Ireland’s youth, both ridden and breeding teams, have been at the forefront of equestrian competition in the past few weeks with the GAIN Equine Nutrition Youth Eventing teams enjoying huge success at the 2022 FEI European Youth Eventing Championships in Hartpury, England, where the U18 (Junior) team claimed the silver medal, and the U21 (Young Rider) team took home bronze.
Not to be outdone by his eventing colleagues, Ireland’s Harry Allen claimed the U21 (Young Rider) individual bronze medal at the FEI European Showjumping Championships in Oliva, Spain while the U18 (Junior) team brought home bronze. The Irish Sport Horse Studbook Young Breeders (ISH YB) team were crowned World Champions at the WBFSH International Young Breeders World Championships in the Netherlands, coming in on top out of 139 competitors representing 20 studbooks from around the globe.
The ISH YB Junior team of Camilla Snow Coyne, Shane Donohoe, Edward Hennessy and Aoife Kirby were overall winners of their section. Aoife Kirby finished in second place individually just ahead of teammate Shane Donohoe in third. The Irish Senior team of Maria Cairns, Colin Doyle, Amy Finn and Annie Madden finished in third place in their section with Maria Cairns the highest-placed senior individually for Ireland in eighth. The combined scores of the Irish Junior and Senior teams saw them claim the overall World Championship title. The ISH YB team is a joint initiative between Horse Sport Ireland and Teagasc (Wendy Conlon).
Then was the turn of the pony riders at the FEI European Championships for ponies (U16) in Strzegom, Poland, winning the eventing team gold medal and an individual silver, while in showjumping, in a history-making performance, Ireland filled all three spots on the podium in the individual final after a phenomenal display – to add to their team gold medal.
It was Harry Allen that started this European medal haul with Over Lux (ISH). The Lux Z (Hann) sired gelding had been competing with fellow Irish rider Eoin Gallagher before Harry Allen took over the ride and featured on the Irish Nations Cup team that finished second in the EEF Nations Cup show in Drammen, Norway before travelling to Spain for the FEI European Showjumping Champion-ships and his individual bronze medal.
Bred in Co. Mayo by Padraic Egan, Over Lux (ISH) is out of the mare Thornfield Camille (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH], who herself is a half sister to Hugh Knows (ISH)[TIH] by Able Albert (TB) – the former mount of American eventing rider Karen O’Connor.
Next up was the turn of the U18 (Junior) team consisting of Westmeath’s Francis Derwin and AHG Whiterock Cruise Down (ISH), Clare’s Rhys Williams and Cowboy Balou, Tipperary’s Tom Wachman with Lazzaro Delle Schiave, and Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy with Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick (ISH). The Irish squad also included Conor McLaughlin and Kilbarron Rue (ISH) who jumped clear in Tuesday’s opening speed round... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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