Ireland enjoyed an outstanding 2026 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Finals at Peelbergen, The Netherlands, after an incredible season with many victories and podium finishes throughout the series.
Last weekend, the Irish Pony team were crowned champions, while the Junior and Young Rider teams both claimed bronze medals and the Children on Horses team finished third in the Challenge Cup.
It was a hugely successful conclusion to the FEI Youth Nations Cup season, with Irish teams competing for medals across all four age categories and demonstrating the depth of talent within the country’s youth jumping programme.
The Irish Pony squad of Robbie Sheehan with Daytona, Jack Dore with K-Little Hero, Ella Rush with Galaxy V, Charlie Flynn with HK Zena and Ted Fagan with Ballyfore Rosie, produced the standout performance of the weekend to win the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Final.
Ireland completed the Pony Final on a perfect score of zero faults, becoming the only team to finish without adding a penalty to their score to secure victory. The Netherlands finished second on four faults, with Great Britain third, also on four.
The achievement was complemented by bronze-medal finishes for the Irish Junior and Young Rider teams in their respective Finals on Sunday, while the Children on Horses squad finished third in Saturday’s Challenge Cup.
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Youth Jumping High Performance Manager, Denis Flannelly, said the results reflected not only the talent of the young athletes but also the strength of the wider HSI youth programme.
He said: “It’s been an outstanding week for Irish youth jumping. Firstly, to have all four Irish teams qualify was a historic achievement, something I was extremely proud of as only the best teams in the world qualify for the final. To finish on the podium across the four categories is a fantastic achievement, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud of their success.
“The Pony team were exceptional in the Final. They had been building throughout the week and when it mattered most, they produced a superb performance to finish on a zero score and take gold. But equally, to see our Junior and Young Rider teams both make the podium, and our Children finish third in the Challenge Cup, shows the depth we have across the entire programme.
“These Finals are incredibly competitive as only the top 12 teams in each category qualify to jump here in Peelbergen. There is a huge amount of pressure on the riders. Unlike the European Championships, there is no individual category so this is all about team jumping. They have to ride for their teammates, and I was very impressed with how they supported each other and handled that pressure.
“There is a huge team behind these results – the riders, horses, owners, parents, grooms, coaches and support staff – and everyone deserves recognition. HSI has built a programme which puts a strong emphasis on team spirit, education and development, and we are continually looking at how we can improve.
“The talent coming through these four age groups is very encouraging. Our job now is to keep supporting these young athletes, give them the opportunities and experience they need as they progress and provides a clear pathway towards senior international competition.”
“A great emphasis is placed on the European Championships each year, and rightly so. The Jumping Nations Cup Youth Finals, however, are also an incredibly important event and you can see by the make-up of the teams competing in Peelbergen just how important it was for the other nations.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Liz Brennan, who helps me run the programme; Chair of the selection committee, Sally Anne Tobin and my co-selector Denis Lynch. I must express my gratitude to all of the team in HSI, who have given tremendous support since my appointment as High Performance Youth Jumping Manager and trainer of these young athletes.
“I’m now looking forward towards 2027.”
Ireland’s Pony squad had also been responsible for a series of excellent individual performances throughout the week. Sheehan won the Ponies Big Tour with Pjotr van de Groenheuvel in Thursday’s opening competition, while Lucia Keane, competing as a team member in the Children on Horses category, won the Ponies Big Tour two-phase special with RDJW Merclov, with four Irish combinations finishing inside the top five including Keane herself in fourth on Clonbrock Against All Odds.
Friday brought another Irish victory when Ted Fagan won the Ponies Big Tour with Kilkillahara Beauty, while Sheehan finished runner-up. Fagan and Kilkillahara Beauty then claimed another victory on Saturday, while the final day saw Charlie Flynn win the Ponies Big Tour two-phase special with Royal Remark 259.
The Irish Junior team also produced a strong performance to take third place in Sunday’s FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Final.
Isobel Sheehan with Athea Clover Trend, Bríd Ryan with Cariati d’Elsendam Z, Annie Boland with Calisto Blanc and James Derwin with Amos L Z finished on a final score of six faults.
Belgium took the gold medal on four faults, with Switzerland second on five, leaving Ireland just one time fault behind the silver-medal position in a tightly fought competition.
The Irish Juniors had made an excellent start to the finals, finishing second in Thursday’s opening qualifier on four faults. They followed that with another four-fault performance in Friday’s second qualifier before producing the performance required to secure their place on the podium in Sunday’s Final.
Ireland’s Young Riders also secured a place on the podium, themselves finishing third in a highly competitive Final.
The team of Eoin Brennan with Augustus Z, Billy Sinnott with Macgyver, Alice Wachman with Killarney, Coen Williams with Dominante Z and Ben Walsh with Adastra Milo finished on eight faults.
Sweden took the title with a clear score, while France finished second on eight faults, edging Ireland on the combined team time. Ireland’s time was 228.85 seconds compared with France’s 227.49.
The Irish team had finished fifth in Thursday’s opening qualifier on eight faults before moving up to fourth in the second qualifier, again on eight. Their consistency across the week was rewarded with a podium finish in Sunday’s Final.
There were also strong individual performances from the Irish Young Riders, with Ben Walsh and Adastra Milo finishing third in Thursday’s Young Rider Big Tour 1.45m class before going one better with a second-place finish in Saturday’s 1.45m two-phase special.
There was also a fitting conclusion to the week for the Irish young athletes when Ruby Lily Gaines won the Junior Big Tour two-phase special with Royal Cornet MRO on Sunday, with Coen Williams taking second with Rolex van’T Schawijke to give Ireland an impressive one-two finish.
The Irish Children on Horses team also enjoyed a highly successful week, finishing third in the Challenge Cup on Saturday.
Charlotte Foley with Cillbhrid Excel, Ellie Sheane with Monbeg Hendricks, Bláthnaid Murphy with Godiva Quality and Lucia Keane with Elia produced a superb performance in Thursday’s opening qualifier, with all four riders jumping clear to put Ireland at the top of the standings.
The standard was exceptionally high, with all of the leading teams completing the opening competition without a fault.
While Friday’s second qualifier proved more challenging for the Irish team, they regrouped for Saturday’s Challenge Cup to secure third place.
The result provided another podium finish for Ireland across the four age categories and further underlined the depth of talent emerging through the HSI youth programme.
There were also individual highlights throughout the week, with Colm Widger and Jerenice Dysenbeeck Z finishing second in the Children Big Tour, while Bláthnaid Murphy and Godiva Quality took joint third in Saturday’s 1.25m two-phase special.
