NOT to be outdone by their eventing counterparts, the Irish pony and junior show jumping teams won gold and silver, respectively, at last week’s FEI Youth Nations Cup Finals.
Hosted at Sentower Park in Belgium, James Kernan’s junior team of Eoin Brennan (Eskola M), James Brennan (MHS I’m The One), Coen Williams (Conthanja) and Stephen Gibbons (Cassius Z), competed in four classes following a season of 10 legs across Europe beginning in March.
The juniors competition was capped off with a thrilling jump-off between The Netherlands and Ireland with the Dutch team finishing on four and Ireland on eight. Eoin Brennan rode Ireland’s only clear with James Brennan and Williams on four faults each and Gibbons with the discard score of eight. Team USA was third behind fourth-placed Germany and Sweden and Denmark rounded out the top six.
Ponies top podium
Ireland’s gold medal moment came in the ponies final, a great triumph after leading the standings at the end of the season. A qualifier on Thursday whittled down the field in each class to just six teams, and the scoring started from zero, except for the ponies, where all seven federations competed and carried forward their faults from earlier in the week.
Ireland’s pony riders went sixth out of the seven entries and finished on a clean sheet. They brought forward four faults from day one to Belgium’s zero, but with Belgium’s final competitor Robin Vermeir picking up 12 faults aboard Kristal Sparkle Van Begeveld, no jump-off ensued. The Netherlands finished second on 10 faults while Britain finished third on 12 faults. Belgium and Germany, who were in the top three prior to Opglabbeek ended their season in fourth and sixth, respectively, with Sweden in fifth.
No secret
Irish pony team chef d’equipe Gary Marshall spoke proudly of his team, made up of Kian Dore (Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey), Emily Moloney (Lady Crown), Paddy Reape (Fernando), and James Derwin (Rincoola Babog).
“There’s no secret,” he said when asked how they handled the course designed by Rafael Suarez. “Success breeds success,” he added. “We have a team system at home.”
Sweden, under the direction of chef d’equipe Hendrik Lanner, brought home the trophy in the Young Riders category, ending the day on zero penalty points. Denmark and Belgium joined them at the prize giving, earning the second and third positions.
The Dutch had a second chance to hear their national anthem in the Ashford Arena when their athletes also won the children’s class ahead of second-place Belgium and Italy in third. France finished just one penalty behind third-place Italy, with Ireland and Switzerland taking fifth and sixth.
Individual success
Ireland’s children’s team comprised Conrad Sweeney (Easy 103), Lily Tunney (Caravago), Ruby Lily Gaines (Castle Lux Clover) and Cian McMunn (Limited Edition). Individually, three of Ireland’s children’s team riders finished inside the top six in the Children on Horses Grand Prix on Saturday (Ruby Lily Gaines on Castle Lux Clover, Cian McMunn on Limited Edition and Conrad Sweeney on Easy 103) and junior team rider James Brennan (MHS I’m The One) finished individual third in the Junior Grand Prix.
On Friday, Irish pony riders also filled four of the top five places on the 1.30m Grand Prix for Ponies. Lily Tunney and Fireman were first, Kian Dore and Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey were second, James Derwin and Rincoola Babog were third and current European champions Paddy Reape and Fernando finished fifth.