THE phrase ‘the future is bright’ is often thrown around in sport but it was never truer in Irish show jumping after a weekend of phenomenal competition at the FEI Youth European Championships in Gorla Minore, Italy, resulted in two team gold medals, as well as an individual gold and silver.

That haul follows on from the Pony European Championships in 2022 when Ireland won team gold and a clean sweep of gold, silver and bronze in the individual rankings. Ireland’s underage show jumpers are well used to winning medals, but the exploits over the last few years have been nothing short of remarkable.

Under team manager James Kernan, both the Young Rider team and the Junior team won team gold on Friday and Saturday, followed on Sunday morning by Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy taking individual gold in the Young Rider final, and Tom Wachman moving up to take individual silver in the Juniors.

Kernan arrived home to Crossmaglen on Sunday night totally wrecked but overjoyed with his week’s work. “It was very long days and the heat was draining. I jumped a every fence with the teams all week, that was a lot of fences,” Kernan told The Irish Field with a laugh.

Exceptional teams

It was his first time to win a team gold medal after six years at the helm, and to win two was the icing on the cake. “It is unbelievable, but I was going there with three exceptional teams and I knew that. We had so many experienced people on the ground – Ger O’Neill, Greg Broderick, Cian O’Connor, Denis Flannery and Jason Foley.

“A special must go to [team vet] Seamus McSorley who never stopped working and kept the horses in top condition; the conditions out there in Italy were very hot. It was a huge team effort. I think Michel Robert paid the nicest compliment to me when he said, after watching the first two days, that Irish horses and riders were a different class. We actually stood out from the rest and it is very nice to hear other countries admiring the Irish; they were getting sick of the Irish national anthem!

“It was a week you dream of, an emotional week and a tremendous feeling, I was very proud of every rider. A special mention too must go to the families who put in exceptional commitment to prepare the kids and take them across Europe to these shows. It takes a lot of hard work and training and it’s a serious commitment, they need more support too.”

Experience

Kernan added: “It is so important what we keep investing in the youth and we keep getting out and getting experience at these big shows. Down the line, when these riders are riding senior Nations Cup, they will know what it is like to have ridden under big pressure and that makes it so much easier, this youth programme sets riders up going forward. Any one of that Young Rider team could go to any three and four-star international and win, they are phenomenal.”