IRISH eyes were smiling at the Hagen Future Champions Nations Cup fixture in Germany when all four of the Irish underage teams took a place on the podium in their repective Nations Cup competitions.
On Saturday, the James Kernan managed Junior quartet of Max Wachman (Brooklyn De Hus), Caragh Charlton (Galina), John McEntee (Hip Girl) and Tom Wachman (Atlantic Du Seigneur), finished on a total of five faults to claim victory. Poland were second with eight faults, while Germany finished third of the 11 teams.
Max Wachman and Brooklyn De Hus were foot perfect in both rounds, finishing with a double clear, one of only two in the competition. Charlton and Galina picked up a single time fault in the first round before going clear in round two. Tom Wachman and Atlantic Du Seigneur were clear first time out before faulting once in round two, while John Mc Entee and Hip Girl had eight and 12 faults.
The victory comes just weeks after Kernan’s team won the Nations Cup in Wierden with three of the same team members.
Later that evening the Irish Young Rider team landed a runner-up finish despite only having three team members. Sean Monaghan with EMS Adelaide (ISH), Kayleigh Soden with ARD Leaderman (ISH) and Jason Foley with Clyde VA, managed by James Kernan, finished on a score of nine faults.
All three were clear in the first round; Soden produced a fantastic double clear, Foley picked up a single time fault and Monaghan finished with eight faults in round two. Germany lifted the trophy when they finished on a score of six, with The Netherlands sharing second place.
On Sunday, Kernan’s Children on Horses team of Emily Moloney with GVS Goodwins Queen (ISH), Kian Dore with CSF Olympic You Too (ISH), Chloe Hughes Kennedy with Zuidam and Katie Nallon with Javas True Colours (ISH), also recorded a runner-up finish in the Nations Cup. They were unlucky to miss out on the victory after a jump-off with Belgium, where both team finished on eight faults but Belgium had the quicker time.
There were fantastic performances from Moloney, Hughes Kennedy and Nallon, who all produced double clear rounds, and Hughes Kennedy also went on to be clear against the clock.
On Sunday, Gary Marshall’s pony team of Eoin Brennan with GCS Daisy Lux (ISH), Marta Hughes-Bravo with Carrickaduff Pet (ISH), Chloe Hughes Kennedy with Still Got Me and Katie McEntee with Valmy De Treille, also managed a place on the podium when finishing third.
It was a family affair on the team as Brennan, Hughes-Bravo and Hughes Kennedy are all cousins.
In a high scoring competition, Ireland finished on a total score of 24 faults, with the only clear round coming from Katie McEntee. France were spectacular to win on zero faults, ahead of Sweden in second on a score of 22.
Team spirit
A delighted James Kernan said: “All our teams on horses and our pony team really made their mark here on the European stage this weekend, they were fantastic. The team spirit was unbelievable with everyone rooting for each other. These kids really appreciate putting on the green jacket and tried their hearts out producing fantastic results.
“These were big testing tracks, some of the toughest I have seen and we are now really looking forward to the European Championships which are coming up in Portugal in July. I want to thank all the owners, trainers, parents and support teams for their fantastic support over a very successful weekend.”
Hughes-Bravo win
The Irish contingent got off to a strong start with Marta Hughes-Bravo winning two classes with her mother Marion’s HHS Mustang Sally, by Annaghmore Boomerang and bred by Una Connors. The pair won Thursday’s pony 1.25m clocking the fastest of 30 clear rounds in the huge class of 67 starters, in 59.84 seconds.
On Friday, the combination took another win in the 1.25m, this time posting the best of 17 double clear rounds in 30.57. Emily Moloney and Vinnie Duffy’s Valmy de Treille also kept the poles in place in 33.26 to finisd in fifth place, while Annie Gibson finished 10th with Calimero.
Fourteen-year-old Katie Nallon and Bally Fair Deal took sixth place in the Children on Horses 1.25m when she came home with nothing to add in 65.49 seconds.
The following day, Nallon delivered another double clear in the COH 1.25m, this time with Javas True Colours in 36.04 for seventh place. In the Junior 1.40m on Thursday, John Mc Entee and Hip Girl also took a sixth place finish when they kept all the poles in their cups in a time of 39.67 seconds.
The Wachman brothers finished sixth and seventh in Friday’s 1.40m Junior Grand Prix. The pair were among 12 combinations to make it through to the jump-off, where they both picked up four faults. Tom finished sixth with Dinaro, ahead of Max and Dorette in seventh.
McEntee runner-up
Katie McEntee was runner-up in Saturday’s 1.35m Pony Grand Prix with Valmey de Treille. The pair were one of four double clears and just two hundreths of a second French winner Lola Brionne when crossing the line in 37.80.
Tom Wachman finished seventh with Cuffesgrance Cavalidam after picking up a time fault in the first round. Further down the line in ninth place was Marta Hughes-Bravo and Carrickduff Pet, who had one down in the first round.
Jason Foley was best of the Irish in the 1.45m Young Rider Grand Prix, claiming eighth place aboard Sinead Brennan’s MHS Jersey Girl (Cardento 933 x Quidam Junior).
On Saturday, Chloe Hughes Kennedy and Zuidam took sixth place in the Children on Horses Grand Prix when finishing with four faults against the clock.