SRNC Kilronan EC \ Beatrice Gates-Hardiman

AFTER a three-year hiatus in the international student riding calendar, Dublin’s Kilronan Equestrian Centre witnessed the return of competitors from across Europe in the first Student Riders Nations Cup (SRNC) competition hosted in Ireland since October 2019.

IURCA, the Irish Universities Riding Clubs Association, and its Organising Committee (OC) had its hands full this year. The team of Becky Coonan, Lydia Dawson, Ana Desmond, Peter Dillon, Pádraig Flanagan, Emer Hegarty, Caelan Kelly, Beatrice Gates-Hardiman, Shane Maher, Ronan O’Flaherty, Anastasia Ripolin, and Ed Tottenham and their immense organisational achievement in putting the event together at such short notice deserve special praise.

Fully arranged within two months – a full 10 months fewer than competitions such as this normally require – the enthusiasm to get back to student riding helped transform this organisational miracle into reality, much to the delight of the international competitors and supporters.

On home soil, Team Ireland’s Co Longford’s Ciara Dennigan (WIT), Co Dublin’s India Rogers (DCU), and Co Antrim’s Jess McConnell (QUB), won the Team show jumping title with India placing fifth individually. They also placed fourth in the Team dressage competition, with Ciara placing sixth individually - an excellent achievement for this team of newbies!

Overall it was Team Germany who truly took the competition by storm, winning both the Team dressage and Team Overall Combined titles. German riders Annika Dechert and Nele Lubina placed third and fourth respectively in the individual dressage competition, while Antonia von Baath and Giulia Himstedt placed first and sixth respectively in the individual show jumping competition. Antonia’s performances in both disciplines saw her take home the title of Individual Overall Combined Champion. The Individual dressage title went to Britain’s Di Bevan.

Impressed

National dressage judges for the event, Derval Diamond and John Lyttle, presided over the individual first round and team dressage tests. Diamond was suitably impressed with the competition, saying: “I thought the standard and turnout of all the horses was exceptional. Each and every horse was perfect for the job. So interesting to see the way they responded to each rider. Please pass on my huge congratulations to all of the team, equine and human.”

Student rider veterans, Germany’s Gerd Küst and Belgium’s Michel van Gerwen, made up the international judging delegation, and their continued support of and enthusiasm for student riding is unparalleled.

Technical Delegate for the event, Germany’s Andreas Heinz, applauded the OC for an enjoyable and harmonious tournament, expressing delight at the thought of Ireland hosting another SRNC, even requesting to be TD for future events.

Christopher Byrne, of Coilóg Equestrian Centre, was responsible for providing the technical equipment and course planning that allowed show jumping riders to be tested to their limit.

Challenges overcome

Despite travel chaos, cancelled flights, and the many difficulties faced by competitors in obtaining visas, the event still ran as a 15-team competition as originally planned. Moreover, the international portion of the competition was also preceded by the Irish National Interprovincial Championships, combining two separate events into a week’s worth of continuous competition.

Student riding as a discipline is comprised of both dressage and show jumping phases. Competitors’ mounts are unknown to them prior to the event and are supplied to them by the OC. The riders, therefore, have mere minutes to accustom themselves to their mounts before they enter the competition arena, requiring both immense skill and a strong nerve.

Student Rider Nations Cup competitions such as these, run under the auspices of AIEC, the World University Equestrian Federation, and operate on a voluntary non-profit basis. Thus, they rely heavily on sponsorship to function.

Many past and present Irish student riders were instrumental in supporting this competition, to whom the OC wishes to extend their gratitude: Susanna Cawley, Ian Cassells, Tori Dixon, Eoin Fives, Gary Flynn, Will Lalor, Fiona O’Meara, Paul McDermott, Hannah Wentges, and Rosie Wentges.

Supportive

Many equestrian and non-equestrian businesses, both Irish and international, provided valuable sponsorship, without which this type of competition could not take place. The OC wishes also to extend their immense gratitude to the following sponsors: The Enfer Group, Dearbhla Quinn Equine Reproduction, Ballylinch Stud, Connolly’s Red Mills, Wilson’s Auctions, Coonan Cawley Solicitors, W. Lalor Equine Sports Medicine, PMD Sport Horses, Poo Pans, Agri Health Ltd., Arbonne Independent Consultant, Botanica International, By Wilton Denmark, Dressage Ireland, Dubarry of Ireland, Fernhill Sport Horses, Hayagreva, HKM Sports Equipment GmbH, Horse Sport Ireland, Ian Cassells Eventing, Liwa Performance, My Breeches, Nutri Science, Ogilvy Equestrian Inc., Red Bull, Stierna Equestrian Sportswear, Uhlan Equestrian, Winston Equestrian, and Zarasyl Ltd..

Last but certainly not least, none of this could have been achieved without the heroic efforts of Lydia Dawson, the team of staff and livery owners in Kilronan, and the wider Dawson family. Their generous provision of the facilities of Kilronan Equestrian Centre made for a spectacular location for this event.