Magnificent hat-trick of medal wins for Ireland at Lanaken World Championships

Ireland’s proud record at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for young horses in Lanaken, Belgium continued today, with Irish riders winning three of the nine World Championship medals on offer, including two precious golds.

The 7-year-old final was totally dominated by Irish horses and riders, with Kildare’s Mikey Pender and HHS Mercedes (ISH), bred in Co Kilkenny by Marion Hughes and Miguel Bravo, taking the gold medal after an outstanding performance.

Four of the seven riders who made it into the jump-off were from Ireland, however it looked as though Belgium’s Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui would give the home fans victory when he took the lead with a clear in 38.66 seconds. However Mikey Pender had other ideas and he shaved .36 of a second off the leading time when last to go to take the gold medal. The bronze medal also went to an Irish horse and rider as Galway’s Michael Duffy guided BP Royalty (ISH), bred by Greg Broderick Ballypatrick Stables to third spot on the podium (40.30). Derry’s David Simpson and Mambo NR 5B finished fourth, while Niamh McEvoy and Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z made it four Irish in the top 10 with a seventh place finish.

The earlier 5-year-old final also saw a gold medal win for Ireland, after Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy partnered Orange De Baugy to victory. A massive 232 horses and riders started the 5-year-old qualifiers on Thursday, with 54 of those going forward to the final. Twenty combinations jumped clear in the first round, including five representatives for Ireland to set up a thrilling jump-off.

McEvoy and the mare Orange De Baugy (KWPN) (Dominator Z x Barbarian), owned by Tipperary’s Greg Broderick, Ballypatrick Stables, produced a stunning clear in 36.15 seconds which left them with over two seconds to spare over their nearest challenger at the finish. Italy’s Diego Pagano and Zuly claimed the silver medal, while the bronze went to Dutch rider Lotte Teuns and Jolidiams Des Tocrias. Niamh McEvoy’s win came less than 24 hours after she also took victory in the 5-year-old consolation class in Lanaken with BP Lucky Clover (ISH) who was bred by Greg Broderick Ballypatrick Stables.

The 6-year-old World Championship final saw Kilkenny’s Vincent Byrne and the Eleanor Byrne-bred Gone Girl VB (ISH), owned by LMG Enterprises finish best of the Irish. They completed a double clear performance on their way to an eighth place finish. Germany’s Katrin Eckermann took the gold medal aboard Sascinora NRW (WESTF), while she also took the bronze medal with Iron Dames Earl Of Alice (BRAND).

Irish Horse Board Director General Alison Corbally said:
“Sincere congratulations to Mikey, Marion and all the HHS family and to Niamh, Greg and all the Ballypatrick team and to Michael Duffy with BP Royalty. This success in the seven-year-old classes is a real indicator of how we have developed over the years – the strength in-depth that we have now with Irish-bred horses winning at this level is tremendous.

“On the same day we won two Gold and one Bronze medal at the Young Horse World Championships in Lanaken, an Irish horse and rider won the CCI-S 4* for 8- and 9-year-old event horses at Blenheim Place and across the Atlantic, CSF James Kann Cruz (ISH) won the $340,000 American Gold Cup in the USA. The tremendous success of the Irish-bred and Irish produced horses at Lanaken resulted in even more enquires to the Irish Horse Board for quality Irish performance horses during the show and I am confident that some will lead to significant sales abroad.”

BREEDING
HHS MERCEDES (ISH) & Michael Pender (IRL) 2017, Mare. By Can Ya Makan (HOLST), Out Of Chester Lass (ISH) By Couletto (Old) Bred By Bravo Hughes Ltd, Co. Kilkenny. Owned By Bravo Hughes Ltd, Co. Kilkenny.

BP Royalty (ISH) & Michael Duffy (IRL). 2017 Bay gelding, by Comme Il Faut (WESTF), Out of Goodwins Loyalty (ISH). By OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) Bred by Cheryl Broderick.

GONE GIRL VB (ISH) & Vincent Byrne (IRL) 2018, Mare. By Emerald Van’t Ruytershof (BWP), Out Of Bellisimo (ISH) By Cobra (HOLST) Bred By Eleanor Byrne, Co. Kilkenny Owned By LMG Enterprises, Co. Louth