THE year 2024 can be remembered as one which produced some of the most impressive young horses and riders ever witnessed on the national show jumping circuit.

The 1.50m Plusvital Premier Series is the richest competition of the year and offers vital qualifying points for the Dublin Horse Show. This year, it was Wexford’s Patrick Hickey who was named the 2024 National Show Jumping Champion, following his victory in the final round of the Plusvital Premier Series in Tattersalls in July with Casago II.

Supported by The Underwriting Exchange and ShowJumping Ireland, the class offered a €20,000 prize fund and turned out to be a superb competition. Hickey placed in four of the six legs, including the win and a second-place finish at Cavan with the stallion his family stand at Garryrichard Stud in Co Wexford.

Speaking after the win, Hickey said: “I am delighted to have been named National Champion. I wasn’t expecting it. I went up just trying to win the class, I did that and then [to] have earned the points to win the series and do the double on the day is brilliant.

“I was disappointed last weekend in Balmoral to miss out on a place to compete at the five-star show in Dublin. It would have been great, but I’m delighted to have turned it around here today and get this win.

“The horse deserved to win all year, I thought to be honest, things just didn’t go our way in one or two of the jump-offs, so it was great to get it done here today.

"We were very lucky to get Casago really. Ronan Clarke owns him and we are very thankful to him for letting us have him.

“I’ve been riding him for just about a year now, just slowly getting him going. We moved up to Grand Prix level at the start of this season and he has barely put a foot wrong. I never expected to be named National Champion. It just shows you that, if you get the right horse, anything is possible.”

National Grand Prix series

The 1.40m Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix league begins at the end of April and runs throughout the summer until the final held at the Irish Breeders’ Classic in September.

After a mammoth 23 rounds, it was Francis Derwin Jnr who emerged as the victor. Riding Parvati AEG, the pair accumulated 58 points to secure the league title. “It has been a great year and it’s super to win this National League,” Derwin said after collecting the title. “The mare has been super-consistent and, in every leg that she competed in, she either won it or was in the line-up.

“The plan at the start of the league was to try and claim the title and thankfully it paid off. It is a team effort in achieving these goals and I would like to thank my dad [Francis Snr] for all his support and help.”

Katie McEntee and Kinmar Bespoke were runners up on 32 points, while Vincent Byrne and Quantino were third on 29.

Francis Derwin and Parvati AEG, winners of the GAIN/Alltech National Grand Prix league \ Tadhg Ryan / Bit-Media

Spring Tour

The 2024 National season began with the 1.35m ShowJumpers Club-sponsored Spring Tour. Used by many as an introduction for younger riders to Grand Prix level, as well as a way to step a young horse up.

Held over 14 rounds during February, March and April, it was Britain’s Annabel Shields who came out on top. Based with some of her horses at Sven Hadley’s yard, she travelled back and forth to compete in the league, and the commute proved worthwhile.

She guided her own Creevagh Carisma to three wins; taking the top spot in the first round at JAG in February, Wexford at the start of March and then again, just two weeks later, in Killossery Lodge.

The duo also recorded third place on St Patrick’s Day in Warrington, as well as a fourth in Mullingar and then another third place at the final round in Coilóg.

Seventeen-year-old Gary Dooley emerged as the leading junior/young rider, following a duo of wins aboard CSF Olympic Jewel. Niamh O’Connor Barry was named Leading Pro-Am Rider, having earned runner-up spots in the rounds at Killossery and Broadmeadows with her own nine-year-old gelding, Drumiller Vegas.