Ireland’s Young Rider team takes Bronze at European Eventing Championships

DESPITE being deprived of a discard score in today’s final show jumping phase at the European Young Rider Eventing Championships in Strzegom, Poland, the Irish team held on to their overnight Bronze Medal position after yesterday’s cross country element.

With all three scores counting today, the Irish Gain Horse Feeds team finished on a total of 164.80, holding off a challenge from the Swedish team, who completed on 181.90. Gold went to Great Britain with 128.10, while Silver was claimed by Germany with a score of 140.40.

Ireland’s last man to jump, Galway’s 18 year-old Cathal Daniels, not only helped seal his team’s medal position with a clear round on the Irish Sport Horse Rioghan Rua, but also secured him sixth place in the overall rankings.

The elimination of team member Harold Megahey with Chuckleberry on Saturday’s cross country course meant that today’s show jumping phase had no margin of error for Ireland, with the scores of all remaining three team members counting towards the final tally of penalties.

Susie Berry with Carsonstown Athena (ISH) came home with four jumping faults, while Tony Kennedy and Westeria Lane (ISH)(TIH) collected eight jumping faults and two time faults, but the zero score of Cathal Daniels helped to ensure that the Irish team held its overnight third place in the ten-team contest. Sally Corscadden was Chef d’Equipe to the Irish squad at Strzegom.

Ireland has had a notable run of success in under-age European equestrian championships in the last number of weeks, with Jennifer Kuehnle claiming individual Gold at the Children on Horses show jumping final in Austria, the Junior team of Philip Carey, Susan Fitzpatrick, Anna Carway and Cormac Hanley taking Team Silver, and the Young Rider team of Eoin Mc Mahon, Michael G. Duffy, Michael Duffy and Jonathon Gordon claiming Bronze.

The Irish pony team of Olivia Roulston, Abbie Sweetnam, Luke Garrigan and Michael Pender also took the Silver Medal at the European Pony Show Jumping Championships in Malmo, Sweden earlier this month, while Zara Nelson was Individual Bronze medallist in Pony Eventing.

Young Rider Eventing Squad. From left to right, Jamie Nolan, Tony Kennedy, Kelley Hutchinson, Susie Berry, Harold Megahey and Cathal Daniels.