By Horse Sport Ireland / HSI
Photography: © Sportfot

From September 18-22, the 29th edition of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championships for Young Horse was hosted by the renowned Studfarm Zangersheide in Lanaken, Belgium, showcasing the finest young horses in a prestigious competition.

This year, Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Studbooks were represented by the Team Ireland Equestrian Young Horse Jumping Squad, returning to Lanaken with high hopes of repeating their success of recent years.
Last year saw Irish horses claim four medals, including a gold, silver, and bronze clean sweep in the five-year-old division for Michael Pender, Niamh McEvoy, and Ger O’Neill respectively. Leah Stack claimed silver in the six-year-old final, and though he was riding an Italian-bred horse, Ireland’s Harry Allen claimed gold in the seven-year-old final.
Once again, 2024 saw the Irish squad leave their indelible mark, with chef d’equipe Taylor Vard being quietly confident in what his team could achieve.

Mixed fortunes

The first of the three Grand Finals proved to be one of mixed fortune for Irish riders, though it was certainly not the case for a history-making performance from Niamh McEvoy who cemented her dominance of that age-group category. In 2023 she earned herself a silver medal with Boleybawn Alvaro (ISH), and just 24 hours before this year’s final claimed victory in the Consolation Final with BP Lucky Clover (ISH).
Drawn 85th to go in a 129-strong field, McEvoy and the five-year-old mare BP Lucky Clover (ISH) showed that luck was no factor when galloping home in a time of 59.22 seconds, just four-hundredths of a second ahead of second-placed British rider Thomas Pritchard and Princess SW (AES) in 59.26.

Bred and owned by the Thurles-based Ballypatrick Stables, this will be a particularly memorable victory for the Broderick family with this mare sired by Mylord Carthago (SF) being a daughter of Arraghbeg Clover (ISH), who was herself crowned as five-year-old world champion when ridden by Greg Broderick to victory in the 2013 edition of the WBCYH in Lanaken. Fast forward to the 2024 five-year-old Final and McEvoy followed up by taking the gold medal on board the Ballypatrick Stables owned mare Orange de Baugy (KWPN).
Twenty horses made it into the jump-off, and while no Irish-bred horses were counted among that number, four Irish riders were: Jason Foley was double handed with both Castlefield Future (OS/st: Cornet Obolensky x Balou du Rouet), and Ti Amore van de Doornhaag (BWP/m: Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Toulon); Sophie Richards with Top Gun vd Bisschop (BWP/g: Comme d’Api vd Hacienda x Heartbreaker); Michael Duffy with Jericho de Hus (SF/st: Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Levistan); Niamh McEvoy with her recently acquired Dutch mare Orange de Baugy. The latter’s sire, Dominator 2000 Z stands at Studfarm Zangersheide where McEvoy made history by being the first rider to win both the Consolation and Grand Final in the same age category at the same show... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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