w Initia
Championship and Mare Eventing Championship for five- and
six-year-old mares in 2015. The two separate Championships
had a prize fund of 15,000 and each aimed to identify,
evaluate and reward owners of mares that are capable of
performing at the highest level in showjumping or eventing
and are suitable for producing progeny that would be
competitive in that discipline.
The inaugural HSI Mare Show Jumping Championship took
place at Wexford Equestrian Centre on the 1st November
2015, where Cruicerath Flexianna (ISH), bred by Gerard
Campbell, Kildare, and owned by USA Young Jumpers LLC,
was ridden to victory by Eddie Moloney.
The inaugural HSI Eventing Mare Championship was held
on the 13th September, 2015 at Lisgarvan House, Co. Carlow.
Graf Maypole (ISH), ridden by Lindsay Graham and owned
by Gilbert Graham took first place. This 2009 mare is by
Metropole (KWPN), out of Graf Phantom (ISH), by Porsch
(BWP) and was bred by Brian Livingstone, Co. Down.
City was unveiled. Launched at Shelbourne Park Greyhound
Stadium by Simon Coveney TD, the then Minister for
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Jumping in the City took
place in greyhound stadia in Limerick, Cork and Dublin on
Friday nights during the month of June. It hoped to attract
not just showjumping fans, but also people looking for an
alternative experience on their Friday night out.
Run by HSI, in conjunction with the Irish Greyhound Board
and Showjumping Ireland, Jumping in the City saw three
di erent classes of competition each night -- an amateur
series for grassroots riders, a Grand Prix for Ireland's top
riders and crowd favourite, the puissance, where riders try to
jump a huge red wall as it is built progressively higher. The
new initiative was met with enthusiasm from the industry,
with entries being well oversubscribed. HSI was delighted to
engage The Underwriting Exchange as Grand Prix sponsors,
Devenish as sponsors for the puissance and Westwood Ifor
Williams as sponsors of the amateur series. Jumping in the
City was in support of Special Olympics Ireland equestrian
athletes travelling to represent Ireland at the World Summer
Games 2015.
The overall series was a resounding success, attracting
1,500 attendees to Limerick, 2,000 to Cork and 3,500 to
Shelbourne Park. Jumping in the City attracted top riders
based both in Ireland and abroad, with top Irish internationals
Bertram Allen, Billy Twomey, Cian O'Connor and Dermott
Lennon lining out to compete.
Jumping in the City Underwriting Exchange Grand Prix.
collects her new horse box from Alan Cole of Westwood/Ifor Williams.
Jumping in the City 2015. The pair went on to win the Underwriting
Exchange Grand Prix at Shelbourne Park.