IRELAND has a new European Champion, after Waterford’s Jack Kent and the 11-year-old bay stallion Double Pleasure, owned by Stephen Whitaker, won the 2024 FEI Jumping European Championship for Ponies at Sentower Park in Opglabeek, Belgium, at the weekend, after the Irish team had taken bronze.

Team manager, Gary Marshall had selected Kent on Double Pleasure, James Derwin on Rincoola Babog (ISH), Ruben Foley with Cracher, Senan Reape with Fernando and Lily Tunney with Fireman to contest the team championship and it turned out to be quite a challenge.

Competition ran from Thursday, July 25th until Sunday, July 28th and the Irish riders made a strong start, with James Derwin on Rincoola Babog winning the first 1.30m qualifying class, followed by Kent and Double Pleasure in fifth, with both combinations jumping clear rounds.

Kent continued his form in the second qualifying competition and team final, with a clear first round, matched by his teammate Reape riding Fernando.

The other team members had a few difficulties, with Derwin incurring seven faults in the first round, Lily Tunney had an uncharacteristic eight faults and Foley finished with 12 faults.

This put Ireland on a total of 15 at the halfway stage.

The team showed great maturity and huge determination, as they fought back in the second round, with Kent and Reape completing double clears, while Derwin and Foley dug deep to jump without penalty in round two.

Tunney also improved on her first round score, with just an unfortunate four faults second time out.

This meant there were no further penalties to add, putting the team on a final score of 15, which secured them a place on the podium, finishing in the bronze medal position.

Great Britain took gold on eight faults and Germany took silver on 12.

The Irish Pony team of Lily Tunney, James Derwin, Senan Reape, Jack Kent and Ruben Foley, pictured on the podium with Team Manager Gary Marshall, after winning bronze at the 2024 FEI Jumping European Championship for Ponies at Sentower Park

Kent’s tally of clear rounds with Double Pleasure left him as one of only six riders on a zero score going into the individual final on Sunday. The pair earned a place in the jump-off, where the fences were raised to 1.35m, and, even under that level of pressure, they managed to jump yet another clear round (making it six out of six), in a brilliant time of 39.17 seconds.

Only one other rider managed to jump clear again in this final challenge and that was Dutch rider Lieselot Kooremans on Elando van de Roshoeve, but they were over two seconds slower (41.37), making Kent the worthy winner of the prestigious title.

Jack Kent standing on top of the podium after winning the 2024 FEI Jumping European Championship for Ponies at Sentower Park

Special

“It has been an unbelievable story for Jack and Double Pleasure,” said team manager, Gary Marshall.

“The pony is a little bit special. Jack only got the ride half-way through the year. In the later rounds, he started to trust the pony and the pony started to trust him. It’s always a two-way relationship and they really clicked, getting better and better.

“I have to say, the championship was a really good championship. It was a difficult track, catching people with a lot of different jumps.

“Also, because there were mistakes in the first round, there was real excitement as they fought back and I’ve won golds that didn’t feel as good as this bronze as a result.

“That fighting spirit is something all the teams I’ve had have in common.

“This is a fantastic team though and I’m delighted for them. It says a lot to learn from the mistakes and correct them and that’s what earned them the team bronze.

“To cap that off with Jack winning the gold, made it a fantastic championships, which for these group of young riders, is their Olympics. I couldn’t be happier for them.”