Following an incredible year which saw three Irish teams gain Olympic qualification, Irish youth athletes claim a host of European Championship medals and many other successes, the stars of Irish equestrianism were honoured at the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) medal reception last Thursday.

Held at Killashee House Hotel in Naas, Co Kildare, the medal reception saw a host of Ireland’s top athletes, owners and breeders gather to celebrate a fantastic year. The event also marked the launch of a rebranding of HSI.

Dressage divas

History was made at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam in August, when the Irish team of Judy Reynolds, Kate Dwyer, Anna Merveldt and Heike Holstein, led by chef d’Equipe Milan Djordjevic, clinched Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020 – the first time Ireland will have a dressage team at an Olympic Games. All four members of the team were in attendance and along with all Irish medal winners from the season, were presented with awards.

It was another outstanding year for Irish eventing, with Cathal Daniels claiming individual bronze at the European Championships at Luhmühlen in Germany with the Irish Sport Horse mare Rioghan Rua. Daniels was also part of the team along with Sam Watson, Sarah Ennis, Padraig McCarthy and Patricia Ryan that secured World Championship silver and Olympic qualification.

In October, the Irish show jumping squad of Paul O’Shea, Shane Sweetnam, Cian O’Connor, Peter Moloney and Darragh Kenny qualified for the Olympics with victory in the Longines FEI Nations Cup world final in Barcelona.

Young athletes shine

The Gain Irish under 18 show jumping squad of Kate Derwin, Harry Allen, Jack Ryan, Ciaran Nallon and Seamus Hughes Kennedy, managed by James Kernan, were honoured for their bronze medal win at the European Championships at Zuidwolde in The Netherlands, where Kate Derwin also claimed individual gold.

The Gain Irish under 16 (pony) show jumping squad of John McEntee, Niamh McEvoy, Tom Wachman, Francis Derwin and Max Wachman, managed by Gary Marshall, took team gold at the European Championships in Strzegom, Poland, with Max Wachman also claiming individual gold.

The Gain under 16 (pony) eventing squad made up of Grace Tyrell, Alex Connors, Brian Kuehnle, Tiggy Hancock, Olivia Swan and Susan Shanahan secured team bronze at the European Championships at Strzegom, Poland, under the guidance of team manager Becky Cullen.

Once again Irish horses and riders excelled at the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses. Seamus Hughes Kennedy claimed victory in the seven-year-old championship with Cuffesgrange Cavadora (ISH), bred by Eamon Sheehan and owned by Clare Hughes.

Jason Foley and Rockwell RC, bred by Ronan Byrne and owned by Kevin Crumley, also took victory in the final for five-year-old horses, while Kildare’s Mikey Pender and Chacco Bay finished as runners-up. Pender also stood on the podium in the six-year-old final, following another runner-up finish with MHS Cardenta (ISH) bred by Thomas Brennan and owned by Marion Hughes and Miguel Bravo.