Eleven Irish Sport Horses qualify for Sunday’s Young Horse World Championship finals at Lanaken in Belgium

The Irish Sport Horse Studbook has 11 horses qualified for tomorrow’s (Sunday) final of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) Show Jumping Championships for Young Horses at Lanaken in Belgium, from a total of 709 horses entered and representing the world’s best studbooks.

Members of the Irish team for Lanaken 2018 (Photo: Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net)

Speaking ahead of the final, Irish Chef d’Equipe for the championships, Comdt. John Ledingham said:

“It is wonderful to have such a young age profile in our qualified athletes, Jack Ryan, Mark Finnerty, Susan Fitzpatrick, and Mikey Pender who are teenagers, and Kevin Gallagher who is 21-years-old and Darragh Ryan (22). This augers very well for the future of young horse production in Ireland.”

Also qualified for the final, are five-star Grand Prix winners Cameron Hanley and Richard Howley, along with Kilkenny’s Ger O’Neill, who won the six-year-old championship at Lanaken in 2016 and 2017 and aiming for a record three-in-a-row.

Over 30 Irish Sport Horses have made the journey to Lanaken this year and have been very well-supported by Irish breeders who have turned up in their hundreds to these Championships. Earlier this week, they saw Kilkenny’s Susan Fitzpatrick producing an outstanding performance to win the seven-year-old qualifier with Keatingstown Z Wellie Two (ISH).

John Ledingham added:
“We wish all the breeders, riders and their Irish Sport Horses the best of luck in the finals tomorrow. Special thanks to Horseware for sponsoring the Young Horse Championship Irish representatives here at Lanaken, their support is very much appreciated by all the riders.”

The Irish finalists are;

7-Year-Olds
ESI TOULOUSE (ISH) 2011 G by SIEC LIVELLO (HOLST) out of CATINA (BWP), by QUASIMODO VD MOLENDREEF (BWP). Bred by CIAN O’CONNOR. Owner/ Rider: CAMERON HANLEY

HHS GENEVA (ISH) 2011 F by O.B.O.S. QUALITY 004 (OLD) out of CLOVER Z (ISH) by CLOVER HILL (ID) bred by MARION HUGHES owned by MIGUEL BRAVO & GEORGE L BRENNINGER. Rider: MIKEY PENDER

KEATINGSTOWN Z WELLIE TWO (ISH) 2011 M by Z WELLIE 72 (KWPN) out of MARCHIONESSE (ISH) bred and owned by SHARON FITZPATRICK. Rider SUSAN FITZPATRICK

LACKAMORE STORM (ISH) 2011 M by KROONGRAAF (KWPN) out of CURRABAWN SHAUNA (ISH) by INDOCTRO (HOLST) bred by IAN HESLIN owned by GRETCHEN JOHNSON. Rider: DARRAGH RYAN

ALL ACTION (ISH) 2011 M by ASKOLEAN JUDY (ISH) by TOUCHDOWN (ISH) bred and owned by RORY FINNERTY. Rider: MARK FINNERTY

6-Year-Olds

BBS MCGREGOR (ISH) 2012 G by CARDENTO (HOLST) out of RANDOM CHANCE (ISH) by MARK TWAIN (TB) bred and owned by MARGUERITE RYAN. Rider: JACK RYAN

CUFFESGRANGE CAVADORA (ISH) 2012 F by Z WELLIE 72 (KWPN) out of CUFFESGRANGE CAVALIDAM (ISH) by LUIDAM (KWPN) bred and owned by CLAIRE HUGHES. Rider: GER O’NEILL

5-Year-Olds

HHS VANCOUVER (ISH) 2013 by INDOCTRO (HOLST) out of LA JUANITA (ISH) by DON JUAN DE LA BOUVERIE (SBS) bred and owned by MARION HUGHES. Rider: MIKEY PENDER

MHS NEW YORK (ISH) 2013 G by QUIDAM JUNIOR I (KWPN) out of CAVALIER KELLS LADY (ISH) by CAVALIER ROYALE (HOLST) bred by THOMAS BRENNAN, owned by SINEAD BRENNAN. Rider: MIKEY PENDER

PRESIDENTIAL BALL (ISH) 2013 S by CLINTON (BE)(HOLST) out of ECHO PEACH (ISH) by CLOVER ECHO (ISH) bred and owned by BRENDAN MCSORLEY. Rider: KEVIN GALLAGHER

CSF SIR GEORGE (ISH) 2013 G by SIR SHUTTERFLY (HANN) out of NORRIRA (ISH) by CAVALIER ROYALE (HOLST), bred by SHANE CONNOLLY and owned by MOLLY TRACY. Rider: DARRAGH RYAN