THIRTEEN-year-old Anabelle Heffron from Co Tyrone scored a superb win in the Children on Horses (U14) Grand Prix in Hagen, Germany, last Sunday.

The Irish teenager, who is trained by Johnny O’Connell, beat of an international field of 54 riders to scoop the top prize with the Irish Sport Horse Porsha (Porsch x Touchdown).

A total of 13 combinations jumped clear in the opening round to make it into the jump-off. Heffron, the only Irish representative in the second round, posted the winning clear in a time of 41.97 despite been drawn to jump early in the jump-off.

Sweden’s Ingemar Hammarström finished second with Cascara, and Dutch rider Cejay Joosten took third place on the podium.

A delighted Heffron said afterwards: “It the first Children’s Grand Prix I’ve won and it’s a real honour to win. This is my third year so to win it is an incredible feeling.

“My mare is very very quick so I knew I would have a chance, but at the end I wasn’t too sure. Luckily, I had gone for it and they started to make a few mistakes trying to be quick so it just paid off.

“She’s the most honest mare you will ever ride, she will just give you 110% and you know when you go into the ring you are with your best friend so it makes it a lot easier.”

Coincidentally, the 14-year-old mare Porsha, who was bred by Edel Reel and owned by Diana Heffron, is out of a dam by Touchdown, famously ridden by James Kernan who is team manager for the Irish young rider, junior and children’s teams, who produced outstanding results this week in Hagen.

In the Junior (U18) Grand Prix, Cormac Foley scored a runner-up finish with Ballylynch Wizard (Kannan x Ryon D’Anzex), a 15-year-old gelding who was previously the event mount of Ireland’s Michael Ryan.

In the 11-horse jump-off, Foley produced a brilliant clear in 44.67 seconds, only to be pipped by two-hundredths of a second behind German winner Max Haunhorst riding Charis.

Speaking from the German venue, Kernan was full of praise for Heffron and Foley. “This was an incredible result for Anabelle. She really was superb to win the class being drawn early in the jump-off.

“Cormac Foley was also excellent to finish second just a fraction behind the winner. He hasn’t knocked a fence here all week, which is incredible. All our riders have been brilliant here all week and deserve huge credit.”

In Friday’s Nations Cup competitions, both the Young Rider and Junior team finished in the runners-up position on the podium.

EQUAL SECOND

The junior team of Jessica Kuehnle (Chrysander H), Cormac Foley (Ballylynch Wizard), Patrick Hickey (Quandurina) and Mackenzie Healy (Quick Jack (ISH)) finished on a two-round total of just eight faults – the same score as Germany and France who shared second place with the Irish team. Austria took the winners trophy on a zero score in a competition that saw 12 nations compete.

Both Foley and Kuehnle produced foot-perfect double clear rounds, while Patrick Hickey and Quandurina finished with one fence down in each round.

The Irish Young Rider team of Jonathan Smyth, Sophie Slattery, Lucinda Roche, and Hannah Patterson also finished second on the podium. They were on 17 faults at the halfway stage and a brilliant second round performance saw them add just four faults.

Jonathan Smyth and Charlton Clio (ISH) picked up eight faults in the first round and jumped a perfect clear second time out. Sofie Slattery and Valentine Du Bois Pinchet finished with five faults in the first round and eight faults in the second. Lucinda Roche and WCE Falco (ISH) lowered a single rail in the first round before a foot perfect clear in round two. Hannah Patterson and Daberlina M had nine faults in the opening round and lowered just one fence in the second round.

This left Ireland on a 21-fault total, the same score as Denmark who shared second place with the Irish. The Italian team took the winner’s prize less than one fence ahead of Ireland on 18 faults, in a competition that attracted nine teams.

Kernan said: “I am so proud of our riders, I could not be happier. The Young Rider course here today was Championship level, 1.50/1.55m and to come here to Germany – the home of show jumping, and push the home team off the podium in an incredible achievement. We were the fighting Irish today, coming back from fifth place at halfway to finish joint second.

“Our Junior team were outstanding and they all rode brilliantly to also finish second in a really tough competition. I firmly believe we have the best riders in the world. I am delighted for each and every one of them,” he added.

The Irish pony team then went on to finish third in Saturday’s Nations Cup to round off a fantastic weekend for the underage teams.

Irish pony team manager Gary Marshall saw his side of Harry Allen, Charlotte Houston, Lucy Shanahan and Ciaran Nallon finish on a two-round total of 12 faults. Home team Germany took the winner’s trophy on seven faults with Denmark second of six teams on eight faults.

Harry Allen had one fence down in each round with Cassandra Van Het Roelhof, while Charlotte Houston produced an outstanding double clear with Lea Du Genier.

Lucy Shanahan riding Cinderella Girl had a fence down in each round. Ciaran Nallon knocked a single fence in the first round before finishing with a clear round second time out to leave Ireland in third place overall.