By Horse Sport Ireland / HSI
Photography: Irish Eventing Times; Libby Law Photography
The 2024 edition of the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials took place from May 7-11, and the event saw a stellar field of Irish Sport Horses take to the field. From a starting field of 82 horses, 29 were Irish bred, and 28 represented the Irish Sport Horse Studbook.
They were competing with riders representing Ireland, Great Britain, the United States of America, and New Zealand.
Of the 29 Irish Sport Horses, 16 successfully completed all three phases of Badminton’s 5* event to finish in the top 40, with no fewer than nine finishing in the top 20. This once again highlights why the Irish Sport Horse was the leading studbook for eventing horses in 2023, maintaining its position from 2022 as the number one studbook on the WBFSH rankings.
Taking the win in the CCI5*-L was Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) by the prolific sire of eventing horses, Cavalier Royale (Holst). Bred by Michael Callery in Co. Meath out of Greenacres Touch (ISH) by Touchdown (ISH), Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) is a full sister to the event horse Drumnaconnell Downton (ISH), formerly ridden by Ireland’s Stephen Smith. This family also includes the international competitors Liberation (ISH), Ringwood Isabelle (ISH), Good Lux Lucy (ISH), and Donogue Doctor George (ISH).
Ridden by New Zealand’s Caroline Powell, the 2013 mare Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) was making her second CCI5* appearance in Badminton having made her debut at the venue in 2023 where the partnership finished 30th overall. The partnership had previously finished fifth in Pau (FRA) in 2022 and sixth in the CCI5*-L in Maryland (USA) in 2023. They had also recorded multiple top 10 placings in Ballindenisk (IRL) CCI4*-L, Blenheim (GBR), Bramham (GBR), and Burnham Market (GBR) CCI4*-S. Powell is no stranger to success at the highest level with Irish Sport Horses, given her previous 2010 victory in the CCI5*-L in Burghley (GBR) with the phenomenal Lenamore (ISH)[TIH].
Fifth place went to Britain’s Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift (ISH) by Shannondale Sarco (BWP). This combination also placed fifth in 2023 at the prestigious Gloucestershire venue. Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift (ISH), bred by Jeanette Glynn in Co. Clare out of the Lucky Gift (TB) mare Lucky Crest (ISH)[TIH], had previously taken the runner up spot in Burghley CCI5* 2022, and in the seven-year-old WBCYH in in Le Lion d’Angers 2018. In 2023, Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift were part of the British team who competed at the 2023 European Championships in Le Pin au Haras (FRA)... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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