JAMES Kernan took two relatively green teams to Zurich last week to compete in the penultimate leg of the 2024 FEI Youth Nations Cup Series and they certainly lived up to the challenge.

The Irish junior show jumping team of Alex O’Connor (Kingsborough Verdiva), Isabel O’Brien (Javas Gucci), Alice Wachman (Atlantic Du Seigneur) and Martha Hughes Bravo (HHS Figero) with Charlotte Coffey (Stakklinton) in reserve finished second in what was a tight competition.

The Swiss juniors repeated their success from the previous year and won the home nations prize with just eight penalty points. Ireland finished on 25 with Denmark in third on 29.

Alice Wachman had the only Irish clear in the first round added just four faults in the second. Isabel O’Brien had eight faults in the first round and delivered a super clear in the second. Marta Hughes-Bravo had nine penalties in the first round and four in the second. Alex O’Connor had 12 faults in the first round and this was the discard score.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix event Isabel O’Brien and Javas Gucci were the best placed Irish combination, finishing a very impressive third place as one of only five combinations to go double clear out of 48 starters.

Ireland’s Children On Horses team of Arielle Allen (Kandice Z), Matilde Hughes Bravo (Miss Belgium 111), Misha Lennon (Anthem In My Heart) and Henry Sinnott (Ridge Douglas Lady) were also thrilled to place third in what was each one’s first ever team event.

In fact Matilde Hughes Bravo was so delighted she told team manager Kernan that “it was the best day of my life”.

Again it was the Swiss who emerged victorious on a team total of just eight penalties.

In second place was team Italy on 16 and Ireland were third on 25.

Allen had just one down in the first round but added 12 penalties in the second which had to be counted as Sinnott was the discard on a total of 22. Both Lennon (five penalties) and Hughes Bravo (eight penalties) faulted in the first round but came through with the goods in the second, both going clear to help clinch the podium spot.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix event, Hughes Bravo, Lennon and Sinnott all had a respectable one pole down each in the first round while Allen was clear to progress to the second where she had a very unfortunate fall.

“It was a great experience for them,” said Kernan of his Children on Horses team.

“Every day I could see them improving and getting more confidence and they were all great in the Grand Prix.

"Arielle did super, she had one of only eight clear rounds but unfortunately she had a fall in the second round just coming around a corner with a bad stride, so she was unlucky.

“Overall it was a fantastic experience for them and it was a nice show for their first time on a team. The highlight was getting on the podium of course it was great for their confidence.

“Our juniors were also outstanding. Martha was the only one who had ridden on a Nations Cup team before so again it was a new experience for those riders.

“The all went good, poor Alex had a mishap in the second round but his first round counted toward the team placings. Alice Wachman had a fabulous clear in the first round and then Isabel came through and jumped a super clear in the second round to get us on the podium.

“The courses were full up to height and clear rounds were hard to come by. It was a fantastic show for the first timers and the podium finish puts us at the head of the leaderboard for the series final in Lier in two weeks so I’m looking forward to going there.

“The pony team is also heading their leaderboard going to Lier and the Children on Horses team are second. I’ve been second with my teams in the series final twice now but have never won it so I’m feeling very confident for that.”

Kernan thanked all of the parents and coaches involved as well as Cian O’Connor, Marian Hughes, Miguel Bravo, Ronan Kinsella and Dermot Lennon for their support.