A BRILLIANT performance in the final cones section saw Dublin’s Emma Golding secure ninth place overall at the FEI Para Carriage Driving World Championships at Exloo in The Netherlands last Sunday.

Golding and her one-eyed pony Mossy, a 13-year-old Lippizaner gelding, were in ninth place after the opening dressage section on Friday and maintained that position following Saturday’s marathon.

An excellent fourth place in the final cones saw Emma Golding and Mossy secure a ninth place overall finish in the Grade 1 competition with a final score of 185,68. The gold medal went to Tracy Bowman (USA) with Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars on a score of 132.23.

Speaking after the event, Golding said Mossy was simply ‘amazing’ during the cones phase, achieving one of only five double clears with only three teams finishing faster. “The cones have been a bogey for me all year so I was absolutely thrilled with him and feeling very excited about the future.”

Golding was also full of praise for her team member Ciara Lattimore who offered some critical insights throughout the event.

Golding has now represented Ireland at seven World Championships and hopes the FEI will announce another Para Carriage Driving World Championships for 2024.

“I recently changed to harness racing reins which has made an immediate improvement and once we get more used to that I’m feeling positive that we can shave off time and improve our dressage score so we are really looking forward to next year,” she said. Golding will take a break from competing over the winter and next year, with the help of sponsor Irish Ferries, looks forward to more international competition, both para and able-bodied.

“At the national level in Ireland, I’m currently the only para driver competing in the full marathon, she said.

“Due to the limited number of para drivers in Ireland and the UK, we do not have separate competition classes.

“Consequently, I compete against able-bodied drivers, which challenges and improves my skills as a competitor. The presence of more competitors always enhances the competitive experience.”