KATE Dwyer’s historic win in the Grand Prix Special at Doha (CDI5*) in late February with the 14-year-old British-bred gelding Snowdon Faberge concluded her only competitive trip abroad in this pandemic-affected year.

Judy Reynolds didn’t compete internationally during 2020 but the two other riders who had also secured a team place for Ireland at the now postponed Olympic Games, Anna ‘Petzy’ Merveldt and Heike Holstein, both did so. The former first had to recover from breaking her wrist when falling down a narrow wooden staircase in January.

Merveldt, who competed at four international shows with the 11-year-old Lusitano stallion Esporim, finished in the first six in all eight classes she contested, placing fourth in world-ranking Freestyle classes at two Hungarian venues.

Having finished sixth in the Freestyle at Lier, Belgium (CDI4*) in March, Holstein travelled on to Dortmund (CDI4*) in Germany were she and her Samarant mare filled the same position in the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the show, which had been taking place behind closed doors, was cancelled on the final morning as further Covid-19 restrictions were implemented.

During the summer, Holstein (like others on the high-performance squad) received online training from Horse Sport Ireland’s senior team coach Johann Hinnemann after which she headed to Keysoe (CDI3*) in Britain where she partnered Sambuca into fourth place in the Freestyle.

Other senior riders who competed internationally this year included Alex Baker, James Connor, Rachel Dowley, Robbie McNeill, Fenella Quinn and Dane Rawlins. Junior rider Rory Kavanagh was quickly out of the blocks, competing on Salancio in the CDIJ at Le Mans, France in mid-February.

With Anne Marie Dunphy as chef d’equipe, a contingent of six pony riders competed at the CDIP in Keysoe in March. The half-dozen comprised Martha Jobling-Purser, Cillian Curran, Rachel Carr, Oscar O’Connor, Isabella Murray and Shauna Fitzgibbon.

The first four were later selected for the European Pony championships in Budapest, Hungary where they finished seventh of 11 in the team competition. Individually, England-based Jobling-Purser fared best when 25th on Valido’s Starlight with whom she rounded off her international campaign for 2020 with two wins and a second-place finish back at Keysoe in October.

Another pony rider to have declared for Ireland is Louise Hooijen who lives in The Netherlands. She made her international debut at the Grote-Brogel CDIP in Belgium in July.

Judges’ committee

After a visit to Addington in January for List 1 and 2 judges’ training with Linda Whetstone, the judges’ committee of Dressage Ireland were unable to run training or upgrading exams this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“We are about to move training online,” reported committee chairperson Dermot Cannon. “In January, we start training by Webinar with UK FEI judge Jo Graham. She will run these sessions on various topics specifically for our lower listed judges who will receive training directly to their own homes and can give scores anonymously. We will further develop these sessions for all judge levels.

“While Dane Rawlins is no longer running dressage at Hickstead, which DI has used for a number of years to run List 2 and 1 exams, I am currently in discussions with the new organiser to continue our upgrading programme at this venue.”