On a day of days for Irish eventing, Ian Cassells brought home a pair of shiny new trinkets from the World Championships in Le Lion d’Angers – Ireland’s first medal wins in 10 years.
Cassells, who has enjoyed a sensational season in the saddle which included a senior European Championship team silver medal, added another silver as well as a bronze in France this afternoon.
He finished runner-up in the 6-year-old division at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses with the Irish Sport Horse Rutland Flamenco, and followed it up with a second podium on board Noa W in the 7-year-old division.
Cassells becomes the first Irish athlete to medal at the championships since Sophie Richards won bronze in 2015 and he couldn’t contain his excitement after his medal win with Rutland Flamenco.
He said: “It’s been an amazing week – the mare (Rutland Flamenco) has tried so hard for me all week and I couldn’t be happier with her.
“We’ve only had her since the start of the year and have produced her quite slowly. Every time she’s run she’s done better and got more comfortable. She just keeps trying her best for me.”
Lying in fourth position overnight in the 6-year-old division, Cassells needed a clean round of jumping in the final phase and Rutland Flamenco delivered in spades, coming home faultless to finish on his dressage score of 28.9, just 3.3 penalties behind Belgium’s Lara De Liedekerke-Meier with Tara Van Het Leliehof.
There was even more work to be done in the 7-year-old category as he sat in seventh position going into today on his dressage score of 32.8. Adding just 0.4 time penalties to that tally, it meant there was no room for error for the combinations placed in front of him.
With poles dropping, Cassells continued to climb the leaderboard, with just Tom McEwen with Brookfield Danny De Muze and De Liedekerke-Meier to jump with Helios.
A Clear from McEwen and just the one pole down from the Belgian meant a bronze win was Cassells’ result, one Ireland’s Chef d’Equipe Debbie Byrne, taking charge of her maiden championships, was immensley proud of.
Byrne said: “It’s been an incredible weekend – just fantastic. I joked that I should probably quit while I’m ahead!
“To have two podiums, one in each age group, three six-year-olds in the top 12 and three seven-year-olds in the top 12 also, we can’t complain.
“I’ve been really lucky with the people we’ve had here all week – owners, grooms, riders etc – there’s been a great feeling and ambience in the barn. Everyone has been rooting for everyone else and it’s made my job easier – they’ve been great to manage.
“It’s been a long season for these young horses, they’ve been chasing qualifications, but we’re already looking forward to next year. I’d like to thank everyone who has gotten us to to this point, from Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine, to all of those who have put such incredible work into these horses – it is days like these that make it all so very worthwhile.”
Dr Sonja Egan, Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development at Horse Sport Ireland, added: “Ian Cassells’ double podium today at Mondial du Lion marks a historic achievement for Team Ireland, ending a ten-year wait for an Irish horse-and-rider combination to medal at the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Young Eventing Horses in France.
“My sincere congratulations to all connections of our outstanding horses and to Debbie Byrne in her first year at the helm of the young horse eventing team. Under her guidance Ireland secured an excellent team performance with all 6-year-old combinations inside the top 12, and four combinations in the 7-year-old top 20.
“This is a significant day for the Irish Sport Horse studbook which once again proves the strength and consistency of Irish breeding on the world stage.
“Credit to all of our fantastic breeders represented at this championships – far too many to name – however I do wish to recognise the breeders behind today’s medal winning horses; Donal Callery breeder of Brookfield Danny De Muze (ISH), 7-year-old Champion, Eugene McEntee breeder of Rutland Flamenco (ISH), 6-year-old silver medallist and Ciara Kinsella breeder of Tykillen Tango (ISH), 6-year-old bronze medallist.
“Participation in these championships is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I wish to thank them for supporting Team Ireland to achieve these excellent performances on the world stage.”
Cassells was joined in the top 10 of the seven-year-old division by Patrick Byrne and Belline Castle ONR Candy (ISH) who finished eighth, with Noel Dunne in 13th on Kief Rhapsody of Belline. Sam Watson and Ballybolger Goldman (ISH) also scored a top 20 finish.
In the six-year-olds, their was also superb results for Aoife Clark and Harry Horgan, who finished 11th and 12th on Lislee Honey (ISH) and HHE Fernill McCoy (ISH).