THE countdown is on to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and for the first time in 16 years, Ireland will have a show jumping team at the Games. Hallelujah!
2019 was another drama filled year on the international show jumping scene with ups and downs (Europeans) for the Irish team, but the only day that really matters is October 6th last when Ireland finally secured their golden ticket after three times of asking under Rodrigo Pessoa’s reign.
I was lucky enough to be at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona that day to witness the calmness of the team beforehand and the elation afterwards, first when Darragh Kenny (Balou du Reventon) jumped that clear round (with a time fault) to secure team qualification and then when Cian O’Connor (PSG Final) produced another clear to pile the pressure of the Belgians.
Paul O’Shea (Skara’s Glens Machu Picchu) ended their year on a high note when producing yet another clear round, while Peter Moloney (Chianti’s Champion) finished his first season in the top ranks, which included his first senior championship, with four faults.
When Gregory Wathelet had that run out at the penultimate fence, Pessoa leapt into the air. “Mission accomplished,” he said afterwards. Ireland are finally on the ‘Road to Tokyo’.
New leader
The Pessoa era is now over as he turns his attention back to riding for Brazil, while Michael Blake was this week announced as his successor. Blake comes into the role having been assistant to Rodrigo for the last three years and always ultimately looked like he would be the ideal candidate to lead the team to the Games.
Blake’s commitment to the team has been unwavering, and many of the senior riders were united in wanting him to take the reins of what can sometimes be a turbulent chariot. He, of course, will know that and can also be praised for his man management skills.
The one-year contract will bring him through to the end of 2020 after which their Olympic fate will be known, but before that there are tough decisions to be made – picking the best three combinations (and one reserve) from the pool of riders being the number one priority.
BETWEEN Rodrigo Pessoa, Michael Blake and Taylor Vard, Ireland fielded 16 senior teams in 2019, resulting in 12 podium places, including two Division 2 victories and that FEI Nations Cup Final win in Barcelona.
Ireland finished second in two Nations Cup competitions during March; first in Abu Dhabi and then in Wellington. The team of Daniel Coyle, Lorcan Gallagher, Shane Sweetnam and Paul O’Shea lost out to the USA in a jump-off at the Florida venue, while in Abu Dhabi, brothers Shane and Trevor Breen, David Simpson and Mark McAuley finished behind the Germans.
Ireland didn’t get off to the best start in the opening European Division 1 Nations Cup of the season in La Baule. Although some good performances all round, they slipped off the podium to finish fourth.
A week later the team of Peter Moloney, Mark McAuley, Darragh Kenny and Cian O’Connor finished runner-up in Rome, a non-points Division 1-scoring leg. It was Moloney’s Division 1 debut with Princess Haya’s Chianti’s Champion, who was purchased for the Waterford man from Dutch rider Frank Schuttert, and they produced a first round clear.
The first of a brilliant Division 2-winning double came in the three-star Nations Cup in Drammen, Denmark, when a team with only two senior caps between them landed a comprehensive victory. Guided by Vard, Aidan Killeen (Fair Play) and Susan Fitzpatrick (Fellow Castlefield) were making their senior debuts, and were joined by Ger O’Neill (Castlefield Vegas) and Jenny Rankin (Benny’s Legacy).
The second win for Vard’s team came a week later in Uggerhalne when they again took victory in a jump-off with Rankin delivering a brilliant winning performance.
The Irish team of Ger O'Neill, Susan Fitzpatrick, chef d'equipe Taylor Vard, Jenny Rankin and Aidan Killeen won the three-star Nations Cup in Uggerhalne, Denmark \ Wiegaarden
Michael Blake managed the Irish team a week later in Langley, Canada, to finish second. Jordan Coyle (Eristov) and Jonathan Corrigan (Loughnavatta Indigo (ISH)) made their senior debuts, alongside Daniel Coyle (Farrel) and Cormac Hanley (VDL Cartello), who had made his senior debut earlier in the year at the Palm Beach Masters and was double clear in Langley to earn a share of the $50,000 bonus.
On the same weekend in Lisbon, Greg Broderick made his return to team duty with Duco and was one of two double clears for Ireland alongside Richard Howley (Dolores).
Trevor Breen and Alex Duffy made up the team who finished third.
Ireland were unlucky not to collect the maximum 100 points in their second points-scoring Division 1 Nations Cup of the year in Sopot, Poland. Shane Sweetnam (Alejandro) and Paul O’Shea (Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu) were double clear. Bertram Allen made his first team performance of the year with Harley VD Bisschop. O’Shea went head-to-head with Belgium’s Pieter Devos in the jump-off, with the Belgian eventually sealing victory.
Pessoa’s side also finished runners-up in Hickstead. Back at the West Sussex venue to defend their title, double clear rounds from Anthony Condon (SFS Aristio) and Paul O’Shea (Imerald van’t Voorhof) just weren’t enough to keep victory from a polished Swedish team.
There was huge disappointment at the European Championships when Ireland failed to secure qualification for the Olympic Games when finishing seventh and fourth of the team seeking the three qualification places.
Michael Blake guided the Irish team of Daniel Coyle (Farrel), Captain Brian Cournane (Armik), Dermott Lennon (Gelvins Touch) and Conor Swail (Koss Van Heiste) to third place, from 10 teams, in the BMP Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows.
A BRILLIANT Dublin Horse Show was crowned with an Irish winner in the Longines Grand Prix of Ireland on Sunday at the famous RDS Arena. Shane Breen wowed the packed crowd when landing victory with Ipswich van de Wolfsakker, five years after the last Irish winner (Bertram Allen in 2014).
Breen was elated afterwards, especially after coming close of a few occasions. “You’re just knocking on the door for so long wondering will you ever get it done, so to win it is just so fantastic. I’m so so delighted.
"The one Grand Prix that I really wanted to win was this one. For me, this is as good as winning any medal, it means everything.”
Co Louth’s Mark McAuley won the Leading Rider title after two five-star wins in the Speed Derby (Miebello) and Longines Dublin Stakes (Utchan de Belheme). “It’s a dream come through to win this title at the show. It is such a great reward for all the work and planning that went into this week,” he said afterwards.
Other Irish five-star winners included Elizabeth Power, Paul O’Shea, Cormac Hanley and Cian O’Connor. Another big story of the show was 20-year-old Susan Fitzpatrick’s fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix with Fellow Castlefield, who was later sold to Athina Onassis.
Britain won the Aga Khan Nations Cup in Dublin for a record 27th time. The result saw them move from the bottom of the table and qualified for the FEI Nations Cup final. It was a sensational performance from Di Lampard’s team of Ben Maher, Scott Brash, Holly Smith and Emily Moffitt who finished on one fault, 11 faults ahead of second-placed Italy.
The Irish team of Cian O’Connor (PSG Final), Paul O’Shea (Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu), Shane Sweetnam (Chaqui Z) and Darragh Kenny (Important de Muze) finished third. O’Shea produced a fantastic double clear round to bring the Dublin crowd to their feet.
AS in 2018, there were six Irish winners of five-star Grands Prix worldwide this year.
Limerick’s Paul O’Shea won his first ever five-star Grand Prix in February at the Palm Beach Masters in Florida. Riding Imerald van’t Voorhof, he came out on top in the $210,000 Longines Grand Prix. It was to be the start of an excellent year for O’Shea.
On the same weekend on the other side of the world, Denis Lynch won the $400,000 Grand Prix at the Hong Kong Longines Masters riding a new horse to his stable, Chablis.
Darragh Kenny landed a brilliant win in the €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix at the five-star show in Knokke, Belgium, at the beginning of July. Riding his European championship mount Balou du Reventon, it was the start of a fantastic run of form for the number eight in the world.
Just two weeks later, Kenny and Balou du Reventon won another five-star Grand Prix – this time in the Global Champions Tour in Chantilly, scooping €99,000 – and also bagged their ticket for the Super Grand Prix in Prague, where they went on to finish second.
Kenny finished the year ranked eighth in the Longines FEI world rankings and placed second in the Rolex Top 10 final in Geneva last week riding Romeo 88.
Darragh Kenny winning the €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix at Knokke with Balou de Reventon \ Scoopdyga
Greg Broderick won his first five-star Grand Prix in Gijon, Spain, at the beginning of September with the 11-year-old gelding Westbrook, owned by Kerry McCahill, before Shane Breen went on to win in Dublin with Ipswich van de Wolfsakker (see Dublin Horse Show panel).
TIPPERARY’s Max Wachman went one better than 2018 when securing the individual gold medal at the FEI European Championships for Ponies in Strzegom, Poland. He guided Cuffesgrange Cavalidam (ISH) to five clear rounds of jumping, the only combination to do so.
Earlier in the week, Gary Marshall’s team repeated the success of two years ago when winning the team gold medal. The team of Max Wachman, his brother Tom, Niamh McEvoy, John McEntee and Francis Derwin beat Britain in a jump-off to secure the top place on the podium.
James Kernan’s junior (under 18) team of Kate Derwin, Harry Allen, Jack Ryan, Ciaran Nallon and Seamus Hughes Kennedy put in a fantastic performance at the European Championships in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, to win the bronze medal from 21 teams.
Kate Derwin celebrates after winning the individual gold medal at the Junior Europeans Championships with AHG Whiterock Cruise \ Tomas Holcbecher
Derwin then went on to win the individual gold medal with her father Francis’ AHG Whiterock Cruise Down (ISH). The combination didn’t touch a single pole over five rounds to be crowned European champions. “After being fourth last year, a gold medal was the goal,” she said.
Mikey Pender made history when he became the youngest ever winner of the Hickstead Derby at the end of June when only 19 years old. Riding Hearton Du Bois Halleux, Pender rode a sensational round, despite a slight heart-attack moment when he had a flier to the huge open water.
The combination went on to share victory in the Puissance competition at London Olympia on Wednesday night and in doing so, became the first pair to ever win both competitions in the same year.
Max Wachman on his way to gold with Cuffsgrange Cavalidam at the FEI European Championships for Ponies in Strzegom, Poland \ Mariusz Mchmielinski
MIKEY Pender won two medals at the 2019 WBFSH Breeding Championships in Lanaken, Belgium, where Irish horses took three of the nine medals on offer.
Seventeen-year-old Seamus Hughes-Kennedy claimed gold in the seven-year-old final with Cuffesgrange Cavadora (Z Wellie 72 x Luidam), who was bred by Eamon Sheehan and owned by his mother Clare Hughes.
Jason Foley (18) claimed the second gold medal for Ireland when winning the five-year-old final aboard the Ronan Byrne-bred Rockwell RC (Kannan x Guidam), owned by Sean Cubitt. Amazingly, he did so with a dislocated shoulder!
Pender’s silver medals came in the five-year-old final with the foreign-bred Chacco Bay, and in the six-year-old final with the Thomas Brennan-bred MHS Cardenta (Cardento x Diamond Serpent).
At the home internationals, Donegal’s Kenneth Graham won the €10,000 Horse Sport Ireland bonus after winning both the international Grand Prix in Millstreet (with George) and Cavan (on Beir Bua). Thomas O’Brien won the one-star Grand Prix at the Millstreet Welcome Tour with Miss Darco at the beginning of the year.
Michael Pender claimed victory in the two-star Mullingar International Grand Prix aboard HHS Burnchurch, while victory in the two-star Balmoral Grand Prix went the way of Greg Broderick and Charly Chaplin S.