Horse Sport Ireland Young Handlers Qualifier at Roscommon Show

The 4^th leg Young Handlers Series qualifiers took place on Saturday the 18^th of August at Roscommon Agricultural Show. A total of €25,000 has been made available by Horse Sport Ireland for this Championship, with a prize fund of €3,000 for each qualifier and a prize fund of €10,000 for the final.

 The next qualifier will take place on Saturday 1st September at Clarecastle Agricultural Show, Clarecastle GAA Grounds, Clare, Co. Clare.

 Philip Scott (Judge) said: “There was large number of entries and a high standard of turnout of both horses and ponies. Clearly the young handlers had a great bond with their animals and had great fun in all aspects of showing.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that lots of young men were interested in this initiative. I believe that this is a brilliant series for the next generation. It’s a great incentive to keep young people interested in showing horses”.

Junior Division:

In a strongly contested Junior Division it was Niamh Sheridan that took 1^st place with her pony George-Wyndham Limelight. Also qualifying at this venue were David Browne with OBS Quality Gem in 2^nd and Holly St Hill with Morwyn Bronze Aristocrat in 3^rd.

1^st – George-Wyndham Limelight exhibited by Niamh Sheridan, Co Donegal.

2^nd – KBS Quality Gem exhibited by David Browne, Co. Kildare.

3^rd – Morwyn Bronze Aristocrat exhibited by Holly St Hill, Co Roscommon.

(L:R): Jack Doyle (Judge) with Niamh Sheridan (1st) (Photo Ballynargan Photography)

(L:R): David Browne (2nd) with Jack Doyle (Judge) (Photo Ballynargan Photography).

Senior Division

In the Senior Division Lorcan Glynn took home 1^st place with Crannaghmore Pearl, followed by Conor Wixted in 2^nd with Rockonfoxey. Cathal Newell secured the final qualifying spot in 3^rd place with Kilcahill Sapphire.

1^st – Crannaghmore Pearl exhibited by Lorcan Glynn, Co Roscommon.

2^nd – Rockonfoxey exhibited by Conor Wixted, Co Clare.

3^rd – Kilcahill Sapphire exhibited by Cathal Newell, Co Galway.

(L:R) Conor Wixted (2nd), Philip Scott (Judge), Jack Doyle (Judge) and Lorcan Glynn (1st)

Lorcan Glynn (Winner Senior Division) said:“I first heard about this new young show person competition on Facebook and I was excited to take part from that day, it sounded like it was going to be an interesting experience where I could possibly learn more and improve my knowledge on handling my horses, I attended the most recent qualifier at Roscommon agricultural show where I proudly won the qualifier which now gives me another day out to look forward to at the ploughing championship. The qualifier was a great learning curve as we were all inspected closely by the judges and marked on individually, the two judges then gave me good feedback which I will use to improve where necessary. I love horses and I am always interested in learning more and furthering my knowledge on the animal. That is why I believe this is a brilliant competition for all young equine lovers to be a part of”. 

Conor Wixted (Reserve Senior Division) said: “The competition is a great initiative for Young Breeders as it creates a platform to become known within the industry. It also enables us young breeders to be more effective at both showing and marketing horses and I think this is quite important as these can be areas of downfall amongst some breeders and producers.

The series is also a great source of knowledge as there are very influential people involved who are not afraid to share their expertise. The added incentive of generous prize money, is also a great help as it allows us to invest back into the sector whether it is used for paying stallion fees, broodmare expenses or educational trips and events. Without breeders there would be no sport, therefore it is vital that us young breeders are supported and educated to allow us to breed saleable Irish sport horses”. 

 The final of the HSI Young Handler Championship Series will take place on the 18^th of September 2018 at the National Ploughing Championships.