2/04/09 EIGHT Irish riders have qualified for Badminton Horse Trials this year, which takes place from May 7th to 10th on the Duke of Beaufort's historic Badminton estate in Gloucestershire, England. The Trials, sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors, are one of the biggest in the world with over 200,000 spectators expected to attend the famous three day event, at which riders and horses from ten nations will compete. The event, now in its 60th year, and which attracts 1.3 million tv viewers at its peak, actually takes four days to run as the dressage phase takes two days to complete. The horses and riders from Ireland who have been accepted are: Mandalious; Clare Abbott Kilkishen; Capt. Geoff Curran Watership Down; Louise Lyons King Bob; Michael Owen Kilpatrick River; Elizabeth Power Old Road; Michael Ryan Fernhill Clover Mist; Patricia Ryan Horseware Bushman; Sam Watson Horse Sport Ireland's High Performance Coach for Eventing, four-time Olympic medallist Ginny Elliot, said that she was pleased that so many Irish riders would be competing.

13/03/09 THE FINAL of the 4 and 5 year-old Future Event Horse League took place at Dollanstown, Co. Kildare today (Sunday). The full results are now downloadable here.

10/03/09 OLYMPIC Team Bronze medallists, Spring Along (ISH) and Daisy Dick (Gbr) took second place in the CIC 3* at Barroca d'Alva in Portugal. In the same event, Ireland's Patricia Ryan and Fernhill Clover Mist (ISH) finished in third. On the showjumping circuit, Rich Fellers (USA) and Flexible (ISH) enjoyed great success at Thermal in California. The duo finished in first place in the $25,000 1m45 class on Friday. On Saturday, the pair finished second in the FEI World Cup Grand Prix, taking home their share of the $50,000 prize fund. Full results and breeding information are detailed below.

08/03/09 BANDON'S Trish Ryan finished third in the three-star eventing competition at Barroca d'Alva, Portugal this evening (Sunday) with Carol and Tom Henry's Irish-bred 'Fernhill Clover Mist'. The Irish Olympic rider took a dressage score of 52.5 on the first day, but covered Barroca's cross-country course without penalty, and faulted just once in show jumping today to add another four points to her tally, bringing her total penalties to 56.5, just 8.6 behind Portuguese winner Duarte Sabre. Another Irish-bred, 'Rathmolyon Flight' was ridden into 14th place in the three-star competition by Melanie Ashe. In the two-star event Sacha Pemble was best of the Irish with a creditable third place on 'Just Maisie II', while Trish Ryan's husband Michael took a sixth on Thomas Kibbe's 'Annestown Emperor', with Pemble slotting the Irish-bred 'The Magic Monkey' into 11th for good measure. In the one-star Michael Ryan placed sixth with 'Ballylynch Sky High', Jodie Ronan seventh on 'Art Attack ', and Trish Ryan eighth with 'Ballylynch HP'.

28/02/09 IRELAND'S Michael Ryan went clear all the way on the cross-country phase of the two-star event at Barroca d'Alva, Portugal today (Saturday) and rose from 17th position overnight after dressage to a promising sixth place this evening. Cork-based Ryan is riding Thomas Kibbe's eight year-old Irish-bred grey gelding 'Annestown Emperor', and will now try to catch Australian leader Clayton Fredericks in Sunday's show jumping phase at the Portuguese event. In the one-star event, meanwhile, Sacha Pemble was best of the Irish after today's cross-country with a 17th place on another Irish-bred gelding, Lou Furlon's bay 12 year-old 'The Magic Monkey'. The one-star is currently led by Belgium's Lisa Sabbe.

22/02/09 CORK-based Michael Ryan was best of the Irish at the new one-star event in Portugal's Herdade Vale Sabroso today (Sunday), with a third place on Thomas Kibbe's 'Annestown Emperor'. Ryan, who moved up from ninth place after first day Dressage, went clear all the way on the eight year-old Irish-bred grey gelding to finish on a score of 52.2. His wife Trish Ryan, meanwhile, slotted 'Ballylynch HP' into 11th overall at the end of the show jumping phase today, dropping from her Dressage third place and adding 18.2 penalty points to finish with a score of 65.5. The Portuguese One-Star was won by Florinoor Hoogland from the Netherlands, with a final tally of 45.5 on 'Captain Hennessy'.

22/02/09 HORSE Sport Ireland has confirmed that the young rider class at Tattersalls had been changed to an Under 25** class. Entries will be restricted to riders in the year of their 19th birthday in 2009- to the year of their 24th birthday in 2009. The change was approved by the FEI last week and has come about following discussions between Horse Sport Ireland's Junior and Young rider coach Cmdt. Brian McSweeney and Tattersalls. Brian McSweeney said: "The major benefit I see from my position as Young Rider coach is that it will greatly increase the competitiveness of the class, and make our riders up their game a little bit. It will also attract overseas riders who will be looking for a good two star event to go to if they are planning, say, to compete at Bramham a fortnight later. But I do hope we'll get an Irish winner." The Managing Director of Tattersalls, George Mernagh, said: "This is the only class that there is a change to this year, and we believe that by making it an under-25 class it will attract more riders."

20/02/09 HORSE Sport Ireland's Eventing High Performance Coach Ginny Elliot has announced a new development squad for senior riders. The squad will consist of riders with potential who currently have a horse competing successfully at two star level with a view to progressing to three star level during 2009. The full squad is: Clare Abbot; Mandalious Melanie Ashe; Rathmolyon Flight Anna Calder; Willows Springer Gilly Crawford; Mr Aero Luke Drea; Avoca Feile Sarah Ennis; The Underdog Rachel Ferres; CCH Allure Richard Irwin; Youngstars Mombasa Denise O'Brien; Tommy B Good Kim O'Gorman; Six Hills Sapphire Katie O'Sullivan; Shannondale Que Aoife Sisk; Master Crusoe Camilla Speirs; Portersize Just a Jiff

19/02/2009 HUSBAND-and wife duo Michael and Patricia Ryan kick off the Irish international Eventing year when they line out with four other riders at Herdade Vale Sabroso in Portugal this weekend for the one and two-star events. Cork-born Patricia, one of Ireland's 2008 Olympic team, competes with 'Ballylynch HP' in the one-star and the Irish-bred 'Ballylynch Skyport' in the two-star. Husband Michael, meanwhile, travels with two more Irish-bred horses - 'Ballylynch Adventure' for the two-star event and 'Annestown Emperor' for the one-star. The Ryans are joined in Portugal by Carol Gee, who will campaign 'Viper' and 'Tarco' in the one-star event, alongside Ian Walsh on 'IPW Nom De Plume' and 'Weerings Junior', Jodie Ronan with 'Primus' and the Irish-breds 'Millridge Aurora's Diamond' and 'Art Attack'. Also taking part in the one-star is Melanie Ashe with two more Irish-bred horses, 'Rathmolyon Flight' and 'Roll On Dargle'. In Gothenburg, World Cup show jumping continues with Jessica Kurten lining out with her top horse 'Castle Forbes Libertina', together with 'Castle Forbes Cadeau Z' and 'Miribel D'Auvray'. Tipperary's Denis Lynch brings out 'Hello Popsie', 'Nabab's Son' and 'Upsilon d'Ocquier' for the four-star Swedish show.

21/01/09 TATTERSALLS Ireland has taken the decision today (Wednesday) to proceed with the 2009 Tattersalls Ireland International Horse Trials incorporating the only Irish qualifier for the HSBC sponsored Eventing World Cup. Tattersalls Ireland Managing Director George Mernagh said: "Following our announcement last month a number of sponsors have committed their support and we are delighted to be able to confirm that the 2009 Event will take place on the weekend of May 28th - 31st. We are extremely grateful for the positive response we have received, particularly from Horse Sport Ireland and Eventing Ireland, without whose help it would have been impossible to stage the International Event here at Tattersalls Ireland in 2009". Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said, "Tattersalls have shown tremendous commitment to the sport of eventing in recent years and Horse Sport Ireland is delighted to support the event again in 2009. "This is a genuinely world class event that was voted the sixth best in the world by international riders last year. The fact that it is going ahead is a real boost to equestrian sport."