Kernan’s pride at podium finishes for Juniors and Children at Nations Cup in Zurich

The Irish Junior team of Alex O’Connor, Isabel O’Brien, Martha Hughes Bravo, Alice Wachman  and Charlotte Coffey in Zurich

James Kernan was thrilled with the performances, and podium finishes, of his teams at the FEI Youth Nations Cup Series in Zurich.

Horse Sport Ireland Youth Show Jumping team manager Kernan took two teams to Switzerland, both almost exclusively comprising of debutants, and they duly delivered.

The Irish Junior team of Alex O’Connor, Isabel O’Brien, Alice Wachman, Marta Hughes Bravo and Charlotte Coffey took silver behind hosts Switzerland, a result that was enough to secure an overall first-place finish in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth 2024 – Europe final standings.

They, and the Children team, will now bid for global honours as they take in the World Series final in Lier, Belgium next month.

Kernan said: “It was an absolutely fantastic weekend – all the kids bar one were appearing on an Irish team for the first time and they excelled themselves to finish on the podium.

“It really is remarkable that the Juniors are number one in Europe and the Children are number two – and now we’ll travel to Lier for the World final in a few weeks time to pit ourselves against the likes of America and Canada too.

“What we have done as a programme shows how much progress has been made and that goes for Gary Marshall’s Pony team too – they finished first in Europe and will also travel to Lier.

Ireland’s Juniors had competed in four heats of the competition, winning in Hagen, as well as the silver in Zurich and the same in Opglabbeek, adding to an eighth-place at Compiegne leaving them at the summit of the standings on 325 points, ahead of Germany and the Netherlands, who both finished on 320 points.

The Irish Children team of Arielle Allen, Matilde Hughes Bravo, Misha Lennon and Henry Sinnott finished third in Zurich

With the Irish youth show jumping programme enjoying unrivalled success in recent years, Kernan was particularly happy with the experience gained by his young athletes.

He added: “What was particularly pleasing for me was how they grew in confidence over the course of the weekend and how they really battled for each other.

“What we want to do is give them experience of the team environment, experience the pressure of being on a team. The way the grew – and the way they all stuck together, both riders and parents, I’ve actually never experienced it and it made the weekend one of the most pleasing for a long time.”

The Children team of Arielle Allen, Matilde Hughes Bravo, Misha Lennon and Henry Sinnott were third in Zurich, a result which saw Ireland finish second in their overall standings, having gained two wins, a third and a fourth at the same events as the Junior team.

On their season, Kernan continued: “It is a fantastic bunch of Children this year, the standard has been getting higher and higher and the courses are getting bigger and bigger.

“The horses are getting better and the riders are getting better, and I think that this season will prove to be a great platform for them as they move into Juniors.

“Now we travel to Lier in a few weeks and we’ll hope to be just as competitive there as we have been all season.”