IRELAND has a new European champion after Seamus Hughes Kennedy held his nerve to win the individual gold medal at the FEI European Show Jumping Championships for Young Riders, while Tom Wachman secured individual silver in the Juniors.

Hughes Kennedy was part of the Gain Equine Nutrition Irish team who won team gold in dominant fashion on Friday, and was brilliant on board ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) to land the Under-21 individual prize.

Hughes Kennedy went into this morning’s final with the horse bred by Ennisnag Stud and owned by his mother Clare lying in fifth place overall, with compatriots Niamh McEvoy and Rhys Williams occupying the first and second positions.

With McEvoy unlucky to have four faults on Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick (ISH) and Williams the same with Playboy JT Z in the first round of the final, it meant the Kilkenny man sat in top spot as they entered the arena for the final time.

That final round proved to be just one too far for McEvoy and Williams, whose scores of eight meant they finished in sixth and seventh, respectively. With the buffer of having one fence in hand, Hughes Kennedy did have four faults before drama struck for those watching the live feed.

With the cameras failing and screens going black, Irish supporters faced an anxious wait to see if Hughes Kennedy and ESI Rocky could come home with no more to add. That they did, and Ireland have a new European champion, with Hughes Kennedy topping the podium ahead of Sweden’s Beata Hermelin with Obsession Night and Holland’s Skye Morssinkhof on board G-Vingino-Blue.

Hughes Kennedy said: “I’m happy out, this is great. I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved - it’s been a long road in getting us here. A special thank you to Ennisnag Stud, my uncle who lives just down the road. He bred the horse and we bought him as a two-year-old.

“We’ve had him for the last six years at home and brought him along to this point. It’s great to have something like this to show for it.”

HSI CEO Denis Duggan added: “What an achievement for Seamus, his mum Clare Hughes, who owns ESI Rocky, and everyone involved behind the scenes who have helped them achieve this, my warmest congratulations. To win a European Championship is just incredible and we are all delighted for Seamus and ESI Rocky at Horse Sport Ireland.”

Wachman secures silver

The Junior (18) European final was also saw Irish success, with Tipperary’s Tom Wachman and Cathalina S taking individual silver to add to the team gold they had already won. Wachman produced two clear rounds on the final day to climb up the leaderboard to finish just 1.82 penalties behind Anastasia Nielsen who took the gold medal for Monaco.

Kilkenny’s Eoin Brennan finished in sixth place with Eskola M, while Clare’s Coen Williams and Conthanja finished eighth.

They were all also part of the Junior team that won gold on Saturday, making it a fabulous weekend for Irish underage show jumping.

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