THE Gain Equine Nutrition Ireland Junior eventing team put in a huge effort to win the silver medal at the FEI European Championships in Stzregom, Poland, last Sunday.

A superb performance from the team secured the Irish runner-up finish, with Tom Nestor also winning individual silver on board Cooley Diamond Dancer (ISH) after a fantastic weekend of eventing action.

Matthew Love with DSL Allegra (ISH), Alex Connors with OLS King Aragon (ISH), Oleana Cowan with RCA Royal Mist, Tom Nestor with Cooley Diamond Dancer (ISH) and team manager Sue Shortt produced a brilliant performance from start to finish to take a silver medal on a total of 94.9. Germany topped the podium on 91.1, while Great Britain landed bronze on 100.4.

Ireland lay in second position after dressage, just 0.8 penalties behind leaders France before they moved into gold following the cross-county phase. Nestor also led individually on his dressage score of 25.5 as less than four penalties separated the top six individuals, with Alex Connors (dressage score 28.3) sitting in fifth ahead of the final show jumping phase.

After Cowan, Connors and Love had jumped, Nestor and Cooley Diamond Dancer were the final combination into the arena, knowing a clear round would secure team and individual gold.

Following a flawless round, a desperately unlucky pole down at the final fence meant that Nestor as an individual and Ireland as a team finished in second, capping off an excellent competition and continuing Ireland’s magnificent run of podium form at European Championships.

In 2022, Ireland’s U18 and U21 eventing teams took home silver and bronze team medals at the Championships when they were held in Hartpury.

Top tens

In the overall standings, Ireland also had two other top-10 finishes as Connors was seventh overall with OLS King Aragon and Love was ninth with DSL Allegra.

Cowan and RCA Royal Mist were 19th overall, with Gearoid Bolger finishing in 31st place individually on board Into Mischief.

Also at Stzregom, the Young Rider eventing team finished just off the podium in fourth place.

Keeva Johnson with Cornasaus Lad (ISH), Tara Murphy with Monbeg Maximus (ISH), Isny O’Donnell with Vital DK Z and Godfrey Gibbons with Milchem Miami (ISH) finished on 151.9 penalties. Great Britain topped the young rider team podium on 93.3 penalties followed by France on 94.9 penalties and Germany took the bronze medal on 98.2 penalties.

Tom Nester and Cooley Diamond Dancer (ISH) in action during the Cross Country phase at the 2024 FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders \ Leszek Wójcik/ Strzegom Horse Trials

Proud coach

“I’m incredibly proud of the whole squad who competed at the Europeans in Stzregom last weekend,” Sue Shortt said.

“For our Juniors to be lying a close second after dressage, almost seven penalties in front of Germany, is a testament to our coaches’ (Gerald Blooomer and Heike Holstein) expertise.

“And of course, with John Ledingham coaching the show jumping, he’s brilliant and a font of knowledge not about show jumping, but conditioning and the mechanics of how the horse works, physically and mentally. It’s really amazing having all those coaches with all that knowledge.

“The riders showed their class over a big technical cross-country course, and all jumped well on Sunday with an unlucky pole costing us double gold.

“They were certainly the biggest and most technical show jumping and cross-country tracks I’ve seen, definitely for the juniors, it was a real riders’ course, a proper championship course.

“To come home with a team and individual silver medal and team fourth with an inexperienced Young Rider team is an incredible achievement and it shows just how bright the future is for these athletes.

“I knew we had a strong squad going out there that were definitely capable of winning all the medals if we just had a bit of luck on our side. Sitting in gold going into the jumping was where they deserved to be.

“It was unfortunate that Alex just hit the back rail of the triple bar, Matthew jumped a smashing clear round and Oleana’s mare started off very well, but got a little bit strong through the middle of the track, and had two down. Tom rode a super round and just had that rub at the last - they really deserved to take home the double gold but double silver is not bad either!”

Shortt made special mention of the effort of team vet J.P. King and HSI administrator Aileen Cartwright for their huge support in the lead up to and during the event.

“Also a huge thank you to Dag Albert for traveling over to help with the various course walks and for sharing his advice and expertise,” Shortt concluded.

Irish breeding

Milchem Miami (ISH) is a 2016 mare by Glasgow Vant Merelsnest out of Mullentine White Diesel, bred by Ralph Conroy. Cornasaus Lad (ISH) is a 2008 gelding by Imperial Heights out of Cornasaus Lady, bred by Amanda Vogan. Monbeg Maximus (ISH) is a 2010 gelding by Emperor Augustus out of Pilltown Clover Rose, bred by Patrick Doody.

OLS King Aragon (ISH) is a 2011 gelding by Samgemjee out of Just Beauty Queen, bred by Kieran Connors. DSL Allegra (ISH) is a 2014 mare by Jack of Diamonds out of Aquila, bred by Messrs Wright and Bjoerk. Cooley Diamond Dancer (ISH) is a 2012 gelding by Jack of Diamonds out of Lucy Blue, bred by Claire McDonnell. Into Mischief (ISH) is a 2014 gelding by OBOS Quality 004 out of Savanna Twist, bred by Brianne Stanley.