IRELAND’S excellent record at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for young horses in Lanaken, Belgium continued today (Sunday), with Irish riders winning three of the nine World Championship medals on offer, including two precious golds.

The seven-year-old final was totally dominated by Irish horses and riders, with Kildare’s Mikey Pender and HHS Mercedes (ISH), bred in Co Kilkenny by Marion Hughes and Miguel Bravo, taking the gold medal after an outstanding performance.

Four of the seven riders who made it into the jump-off were from Ireland, however it looked as though Belgium’s Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui would give the home fans victory when he took the lead with a clear in 38.66 seconds.

However Mikey Pender had other ideas and he shaved 0.36 of a second off the leading time when last to go to take the gold medal. The bronze medal also went to an Irish horse and rider as Galway’s Michael Duffy guided BP Royalty (ISH), bred by Greg Broderick Ballypatrick Stables, to third spot on the podium (40.30).

Mathieu Bourdeaud'hui , Mikey Pender and Michael Duffy \ Hippo Foto Media- Dirk Caremans

Derry’s David Simpson and Mambo NR 5B finished fourth, while Niamh McEvoy and Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z made it four Irish in the top 10 with a seventh-place finish.

"I am happy that I was able to win another World Title here,” commented Pender who won gold in the five-year-olds last year. “HHS Mercedes was trained by Molly Hughes Bravo and together they won the final for the seven-year-old horses at the Sunshine Tour this year.

“We then made the plan that I would ride her here during the World Championship, but because of the amount of shows that I do, the preparation was not always easy. She is really a fantastic horse to ride and I am really lucky that I have such a good horse under my saddle for the second year in-a-row to win another gold.”

McEvoy stardom

The earlier five-year-old final also saw a gold medal win for Ireland, after Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy partnered Orange De Baugy to victory. A massive 232 horses and riders started the five-year-old qualifiers on Thursday, with 54 of those going forward to the final. Twenty combinations jumped clear in the first round, including five representatives for Ireland to set up a thrilling jump-off.

Niamh McEvoy and Orange de Baugy \ Hippo Foto - Dirk Caremans

McEvoy and the mare Orange De Baugy (KWPN) (Dominator Z x Barbarian), owned by Tipperary’s Greg Broderick, Ballypatrick Stables, produced a stunning clear in 36.15 seconds which left them with over two seconds to spare over their nearest challenger at the finish.

Italy’s Diego Pagano and Zuly claimed the silver medal, while the bronze went to Dutch rider Lotte Teuns and Jolidiams Des Tocrias. Niamh McEvoy’s win came less than 24 hours after she also took victory in the five-year-old consolation class in Lanaken with BP Lucky Clover (ISH) who was bred by Greg Broderick Ballypatrick Stables.

“Orange de Baugy is without a doubt one of the best five-year-old horses I have ever had under saddle!” McEvoy said afterwards. “I knew I could ride fast in the jump-off because she is really very careful. But of course, with 20 combinations in the jump-off, you never know how it will go. So I'm really happy that after my second place last year I managed to take home the gold this time.”

Byrne best of Irish

The six-year-old World Championship final saw Kilkenny’s Vincent Byrne and the Eleanor Byrne-bred Gone Girl VB (ISH), owned by LMG Enterprises, finish best of the Irish. They completed a double clear performance on their way to an eighth-place finish. Germany’s Katrin Eckermann took the gold medal aboard Sascinora NRW (WESTF), while she also took the bronze medal with Iron Dames Earl Of Alice (BRAND).

Team Ireland chef d’equipe Taylor Vard was delighted with the results, commenting: “After a week of ups and downs across the age categories, that was an incredible way to finish. It’s a real tribute to the breeders, the owners and to the riders that we have such quality horses to come out to Lanaken year after year and have a successful show.

“The standard of production in Ireland is second to none, and I look forward to seeing these horses progress on in their career and hopefully appearing on some senior Irish Nations Cups teams in the years to come. I want to offer my congratulations to not only the Michaels, Pender and Duffy, to David Simpson and Niamh McEvoy who had such an incredible day herself, but to all the riders who represented Ireland so admirably this week.

“I also want to congratulate the owners who put their horses forward to compete in Lanaken, to the breeders, the trainers, vets and everyone involved in getting the horses to this level.”

BREEDING

HHS MERCEDES (ISH) & Michael Pender (IRL) 2017, Mare. By Can Ya Makan (HOLST), Out Of Chester Lass (ISH) By Couletto (Old) Bred By Bravo Hughes Ltd, Co. Kilkenny. Owned By Bravo Hughes Ltd, Co. Kilkenny.

BP ROYALTY (ISH) & Michael Duffy (IRL). 2017 Bay gelding, by Comme Il Faut (WESTF), Out of Goodwins Loyalty (ISH). By OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) Bred by Cheryl Broderick.

GONE GIRL VB (ISH) & Vincent Byrne (IRL) 2018, Mare. By Emerald Van’t Ruytershof (BWP), Out Of Bellisimo (ISH) By Cobra (HOLST) Bred By Eleanor Byrne, Co. Kilkenny Owned By LMG Enterprises, Co. Louth

Source: Irish Horse Board, HSI and Zangersheide