AWAY from the senior glory, young horses and underage riders continually delivered medals on the international stage.

Ireland’s good form at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses at Lanaken in Belgium continued when Ger O’Neill and Ethen Ahearne delivered two brilliant gold medals.

O’Neill and the Irish Sport Horse BP Goodfellas (Stakkato Gold x OBOS Quality), bred by Kevin Babington and Ballypatrick Stables, were crowned five-year-old world champions. The result completed a hat-trick of World Championship wins for O’Neill, who won the six-year-old World title with Killossery Kaiden in 2016, and in 2017 with Columbcille Gipsy.

Ahearne guided the Patrick Kehoe-bred and owned ABC Saving Grace win the six-year-old world title, a first for rider and breeder. By Kannan, the mare is out of Ardnehue Diamond Cruiser (Cruising).

Ger O'Neill punches the air after winning gold with BP Goodfellas at the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Jumping Championships \ www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Stefan Lafrentz

Underage medals

Athlone’s James Derwin led an Irish whitewash at the FEI Pony European Championships, landing individual gold with the incredible Irish-bred pony Rincoola Babog (Luidam x Cruising), bred by the late Harold McGahern. James Brennan won silver for Ireland with MHS Glow (ISH), while Coen Williams took bronze aboard Saxton Freedam (ISH).

The trio were joined by Paddy Reape (Valma de Fougnard) to win team gold earlier in the week, guided by chef d’equipe Gary Marshall.

In the young rider ranks, Harry Allen finished his underage career by adding an individual bronze to his haul, making it five in total, at the FEI European Championships in Oliva, Spain. With the lovely Irish-bred Over Lux (Lux Z x Cruising), he secured the bronze with a super performance over four days, while Max Wachman just missed out in fifth.

Harry Allen riding Over Lux to the individual bronze medal at the 2022 FEI Jumping European Championship Oliva (ESP) Young Riders Individual \ FEI/Hervé Bonnaud

Meanwhile, at the same venue, the junior team won team bronze, led by James Kernan. That team was Francis Derwin Jnr (AHG Whiterock Cruise Down), Rhys Willaims (Cowboy Balou), Tom Wachman (Lazzaro Delle Schiave) and Niamh McEvoy (Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick).

Home internationals

There were just three home internationals in Ireland in 2022, two of which were won by 18-year-old Niamh McEvoy and the lovely mare Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick. McEvoy’s first international Grand Prix win would come at the two-star Balmoral in May, before going on to win the two-star Grand Prix in Mullingar a month later.

The pair would go on to have big success through the year, including the aforementioned European bronze, a four-fault round in the five-star Dublin Grand Prix to finish 10th, and they concluded the year by winning a three-star Grand Prix in Vejer de la Frontera.

Ballina-based Jake Hunter won the Grand Prix at Millstreet CSI2* in August, riding Carl Hanley’s Chapp Chey.