2022 proved to be a poignant year for Irish dressage following the sad loss of Joan Keogh, the visionary founder of Dressage Ireland.
Joan would have been delighted to see the future promise of the selection of three world championship debutants Sorrell Klatzko (Turbo), Alex Baker (Dutchman) and Abi Lyle (Giraldo). The Irish quartet in Herning, Denmark was completed by the experienced Anna Merveldt (Esporim).
HSI dressage high performance director Johann Hinnemann’s Team Ireland selection followed an announcement in July by Irish Tokyo Olympian Heike Holstein that she had sold her home-bred mare Sambuca to the USA. The previous month the pair scored a hugely impressive 74.605% for third place in the Grand Prix Kür at Wellington CDI3* in Great Britain.
With just three counting scores, the Irish team finished in 16th place on 201.723% in Herning following the unfortunate elimination of Sorrell Klatzko and Turbo.
Olympian Anna Merveldt had another consistent season which saw her score 69.500% for third place in the Grand Prix at San Giovanni in Marignano CDI3* in February. Anna scored 68.830% at Ornago CDI3*, Italy in October for third in the Grand Prix Special class. Merveldt recorded top 10 placings in Gössendorf, Austria, Stuttgart in Germany and Fritzens-Schindlhof in Austria.
Season to remember
British-based Team Ireland rider Alex Baker scored an international personal best of 70.425% for sixth place in the Grand Prix Kür class at the Le Mans CDI3*, France in October. A couple of weeks later, Baker announced on social media that her team world championships partner Dutchman is on the market. Just two weeks ago, it was announced the 14-year-old gelding was sold to German under-25 rider Emma Lienert.
Co Down native Abi Lyle had a 2022 season to remember. Uniquely, Lyle was the only Irish rider to qualify two horses for the 2022 world dressage championships, Giraldo and Farrell. In May, Abi and Giraldo won the consolation Grand Prix at Compiègne CDI3* in France. A score of 69.532% saw them place fifth in the Grand Prix Special at Hartpury CDI3* in July. The British-based Lyle and Farrell clinched a world championships qualification when scoring 68.848% for sixth place in the Wellington CDI3* Grand Prix in June.
Abi recently moved from Northamptonshire to a new yard in Wiltshire to be closer to her trainer Carl Hester. Abi and Giraldo finished their year with a flourish at the five-star London International Horse Show. A personal best of 70.395% for seventh place in the FEI World Cup Short Grand Prix class followed by a debut top 10 in the FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix Kür (Freestyle to Music) on 75.250%, only the third Irish international dressage rider ever to score 75% or above at this level.
Martha Jobling-Purser won two FEI Junior team tests with Ivan Carlos at Keysoe CDI in October \ Aisling Deverell Photography
Personal best
In April reigning Irish national champion Dane Rawlins (Espoire) placed fourth in the Grand Prix at Le Mans CDI3* in France.
July saw Comber rider Carolyn Mellor and VSH Gouverneur M score an international personal best of 70.185% for third place in the Grote-Brogel Grand Prix Kür in Belgium. Sorrell Klatzko and Turbo’s score of 67.340% for fourth place in the Grand Prix Special at Grote-Brogel CDI3* placed them ahead of Irish Olympian Judy Reynolds (For Fun 51) in fifth.
Amsterdam-based Jennifer Harnett and Eximio made an impressive international debut at Meerle CDI3*, Belgium with a top-10 finish in the Grand Prix on 67.935%, securing the first of two qualifying scores required for the 2023 FEI Dressage European Championships.
In October, Aberdeen-based Fenella Quinn purchased Carl Hester’s former British team horse, Hawtins’ Delicato with a view to competing at Grand Prix level in 2023.
There are three Paris 2024 Olympic team qualification slots on offer at the 2023 FEI Dressage European Championships. The Irish horse and rider combinations qualified, as at the end of 2022, are Abi Lyle (Giraldo and Farrell), Anna Merveldt (Esporim), Dane Rawlins (Espoire) and Sorrell Klatzko (Turbo) with Jennifer Harnett (Eximio) and Judy Reynolds (For Fun 51) on one qualification score, of the two required.
New dawn
In June young rider Victoria Campbell (Iotti Van Bergsham) from Rostrevor, County Down, scored 66.078% for fifth place at Wellington CDIY. The Irish pony team of Oscar O’Connor, Lilly Larkin, Ellen McDonald and Jessica Grogan placed 13th in the team competition at the FEI Pony Europeans in August at Strzegom, Poland.
October saw a new dawn for Irish dressage, three young riders won four classes at the international dressage show in Keysoe, Great Britain, an unprecedented achievement for the sport in Ireland. Martha Jobling-Purser won two junior classes, with pony rider Ellen McDonald and children on horses competitor Maeve Deverell both winning a class apiece.
Reflecting on Keysoe at the time, HSI Youth Dressage High Performance Director Anne Marie Dunphy commented: “We have never had this number of wins from three different young riders at one international show and I’m really delighted with the results this week.”
Joan Keogh’s vision of international success for Irish dressage, at all levels, is becoming a reality.