It was a wonderful year for our pony, junior and young riders. Among the plaudits our young guns received was a gold medal for pony rider Susan Fitzpatrick and another for the Irish Junior eventing team.

Third place for Irish ponies at Fontainebleau

Ireland’s pony team of Matt Garrigan (Dr Spot), Killian Norris (Java’s Alun), Michael Pender (Blackwoodland Rock) and Susan Fitzpatrick (Rock Dee Jay) took joint third place with Belgium in the Nations Cup at Fontainebleau, France. The Irish finished on 16 faults behind winners Britain on zero faults and runners-up Germany on four faults. In the Individual CSIP Grand Prix, Tim McDonagh and Imagine If One were best of the Irish, taking second place.

The pony team had to again be content with third place at Hagen in Germany, collecting just six faults in a tightly fought Nations Cup that involved 10 teams. The competition was won by Britain with just one fault, with Germany in second place on two, and Ireland third on six faults.

Young Breeders success in Sweden

The Irish Sport Horse studbook young breeders’ team finished overall reserve at the WBFSH International Young Breeders’ Championships, held at Bollerup in Sweden. Over 20 studbook teams took part in the championships, which are held every second year. On the combined junior and senior sections, the ISH studbook finished as overall reserve champions, second to the Holstein studbook team.

Ireland win Mounted Games

The European Mounted Games championships, held at Tattersalls in Co Meath, threw up some good results for Ireland. The U-17 competition had a nail-biting finish that resulted in a popular win for Ireland. The Irish team had to fight hard to fend off the persistent challenge from Scotland, only three points adrift on 124 at the end, with England on 120.

Silver medal for Bertram Allen

Ireland’s Bertram Allen took the individual silver medal at the Junior European Show Jumping Championships in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain. The Wexford rider was on board Ballywalter Farms’ grey mare, Molly Malone. Allen was a member of the Irish team that won the gold medal in 2012.

Individual Gold for Fitzpatrick at Europeans

Killkenny girl Susan Fitzpatrick won the individual gold medal at the European Pony Championships in Arezzo, Italy. Riding Barbara O’Reilly-Hyland’s Rock Dee Jay, Fitzpatrick went into the final round of show jumping carrying four faults but kept a clean sheet to hold off the other 29 international finalists. Fitzpatrick and Rock Dee Jay were one of three combinations with four faults going into the final, while France’s Ninon Castex seemed assured of the gold, carrying only a single time fault. However, the French rider and her pony, Quabar des Monceaux, incurred a refusal that left her with nine faults on her card, relegating France to seventh place overall. Britain’s Millie Allen collected an extra four faults with Song Girl in the final round, leaving her in silver medal position, while Denmark’s Jessica Toelstang and Nikolina had a pole on the ground in the final round to earn her bronze.

Team Bronze for Pony show jumpers

A final clear round from Susan Fitzpatrick and Rock Dee Jay secured a team bronze medal at the European Pony Championships for Ireland. Lying equal second after the first round of the 10-country Nations Cup, an intense battle for the top three contenders took place in a competition that eventually saw only one fence separate them in the end. Germany took gold on four faults, with Britain in the silver medal position on eight faults. Ireland, under Horse Sport Ireland’s pony show jumping high-performance coach Tom Slattery, had a final tally of 12 faults.

Eventing Bronze for Irish

With a bronze medal already in the bag for show jumping, Ireland’s pony eventing team added a second team bronze in Arezzo. Lying fourth after dressage and cross-country phases, two superb clear rounds from Lucy Latta on Nono and Shannon Nelson with Millridge Buachaill Buí ensured a European bronze medal place for the Irish quartet. France dropped from overnight first place to second, allowing Britain to take gold, while Italy lost their second place after dressage and cross country to finish fourth overall.

Bertram Allen takes Millstreet Masters

In the precursor to the Grand Prix, Ireland’s Bertram Allen showed his class when winning the 1.50m Millstreet Masters. Allen was riding Romanov, the former mount of Billy Twomey.

Titanic milestone

It was also a significant year for Michael Blake from Tuamgraney, near Scarriff, as his loyal campaigner Titanic, now 23 years old, had his 50th career win at the Green Glens in Millstreet. The milestone was reached by young Conor McMahon from Sixmilebridge who won a 1.10m class on this occasion.

Gold for Juniors and Bronze for Young Riders

The Gain Horse Feeds Irish junior eventing team took the gold medal after the final show jumping phase of the European Championships at Haras de Jardy in France, while the young rider team took an impressive bronze medal. The junior team were lying in bronze-medal position after dressage, but brilliant clears on the cross country track on Saturday from Cathal Daniels on Rioghan Rua, Elizabeth Hayden with Miracle and Harold Megahey on Chuckelberry moved the Irish up to the team silver medal position before the show jumping competition. However, an appeals hearing on Saturday night found the German team had incurred a refusal, which had not been recorded. As a result, the Irish team moved into gold medal position before the final phase. For good measure, Elizabeth Hayden and her Irish Sport Horse Miracle, who were lying third overnight, took the individual silver medal after a superb clear round in show jumping.

In the young rider championships, the Irish took a convincing bronze behind France and Britain. The team of Michelle Kenny (Fernhill M2S), Melanie Young (Riverstown Express), David Hannigan (Red Baron), and Caroline Marwood (Jazzin Along) had 13 points to spare over Switzerland.

pony team second in Switzerland

Anna Carway, Tim McDonagh, Lucy Allen and Susan Fitzpatrick took second place in the Swiss Nations Cup for ponies at Chevenez in Switzerland. Meanwhile, in the junior competitions, Bertram Allen scored two top-five places. Riding Ajaccio, the Wexford teenager placed second behind Switzerland’s Jean Maurice Brahier and Caipirina in a two-phase competition.

Megahey wins British Eventing Championships

One of Ireland’s rising stars, Harold Megahey won the British Young Rider Eventing Championship at Weston Park. The Co Antrim-born rider was riding Britt Megahey’s Chuckelberry.

Fitzpatrick takes Enschede Grand Prix

Ireland’s European pony champion Susan Fitzpatrick continued to dominate the international stage as she recorded another victory, this time at Enschede in the Netherlands. The 14-year-old Kilkenny rider was best in the Pony Grand Prix on Barbara O’Reilly-Hyland’s talented 11-year-old gelding Rock Dee Jay.

Euro date for Millstreet

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has confirmed the date of the 2014 European Pony Championships to be held in Millstreet, Co Cork. The governing body has revealed that the championships will take place from Wednesday, 30 July to Sunday, 3 August 2014.