It is almost a certainty that the majority of the country’s sport horse breeders will be found around Millstreet on the Friday night of the international show. This year was no exception with a great crowd in attendance for the Irish Farmers Journal Young Irelander final.

By then, the 20 top three-year-olds had been called back to be put through their paces for a final time by the judges – former show jumping Olympian Tom Newbery, former British junior and young rider show jumping chef d’équipe Mike Florence and Rowland Fernyhough, former British Olympic show jumper.

In a very competitive loose jumping display, three horses were (unusually) called back in for the judges to take another look and decide the top three placings. The first of these was Larav Vendi by Ars Vivendi out of a Ard Alley cat dam. This one is owned by West Cork breeder Yana Verling.

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The second recall was ICB Darc Cavalier, a gelding by Ustinov bred by Kieran O’Gorman. The third horse back before the judges was Jockeyhall Midas, a grey stallion by Baloubet Du Rouet out of a Coevers Diamond mare, owned by the Kennedy family of KBS.

Second time around, the jumps were bigger and wider with the double lengthened considerably. In the end it was Yana Verling’s impressive dark bay mare that emerged victorious.

The judges complimented the mare on her scope and temperament and a delighted owner told The Irish Horse that she was absolutely thrilled with the win. This mare comes from a family of performers, Yana said, and has performed on every outing she has had. She was reserve call-up for the loose jumping competition in Dublin, was third in the West Cork Breeders loose jumping competition and has qualified for the Select sale in Barnadown, where she will heading in the coming weeks, “unless I’m offered huge money before then”, said Yana. For now she will spend the week in the field before coming in in preparation for the select sale.

The impressive grey stallion by Baloubet du Rouet was second with Kieran O’Gorman’s Ustinov gelding taking third spot.

Pony Young Irelander

Terence Leonard from Ballynoe, Castlemahon, Co Limerick, was the handler of the Pony Young Irelander winner, Summer Clover. This 137cm strawberry roan is owned by Donal Shine. The pony will now be broken and produced.