The Irish Young Rider Eventing squad claimed team Silver at the FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders and Juniors at Strzegom (POL).
Dag Albert’s Irish squad of Ben Connors, Godfrey Gibbons, Tom Nestor and Momo Sheehy lay in fifth place after two days of Dressage, but added just 3.9 Cross Country penalties to their Dressage score to rocket into gold medal position after the phase. Individual Irish competitors, Amelia McCarthy and Oleana Cowna also moved up the leaderboard to 15th and 17th respectively after Saturday’s highly influential Cross Country. Amelia was one of just 8 riders to clear inside the time with Finsceal Endeavour, and did so with the fastest time of the day.
Ireland had less than two fences in hand over second place France heading into the final day’s Show Jumping, but the French team produced two clear rounds and took only one pole and 0.4 of a time penalty to add to their total after Cross Country, meaning that Ireland’s collective 16.8 SJ penalties saw them finish in Silver.
In the individual standings, three Irish riders finished inside the top 10: Momo Sheehy with HHS Noble Call (ISH) were best of the Irish in 8th, just ahead of Godfrey Gibbons and Maurice Coleman’s Kilroe Lego Land (ISH) in 9th and Ben Connors with the homebred OLS King Aragon (ISH) in 10th.
Individuals Oleana Cowan and RCA Royal Mist finished 17th while Amelia McCarthy with Finsceal Endeavour (ISH) finished 25th.
Meanwhile Sue Shortt’s Irish Junior Eventing team finished eighth of eleven teams in their Championships at the same venue. France claimed another gold medal, with silver going to Belgium and bronze to Spain.
Carla Williamson and Powers finished best of the Irish in individual 12th place aboard Powers, whilst Ciara O’Connor finished 20th with Cooley Farm’s Cooley Rebound. Ali Fitzpatrick with Kelly finished 35th, just ahead of Gearoid Bolger and Into Mischief (ISH) in 36th, while Katie Gibbons with Milchem Free Spirit (ISH) finished 43rd.
