The SJI European Viewing Trails for Children on Horses, Juniors and Young Riders concluded this afternoon at Barnadown with today's Grand Prix classes providing Riders with the opportunity to Qualify for this year's European Championships which take place at Vejer De La Frontera in Spain at the end of July.
2012 was a record breaking year in any respects for the Equestrian Industry in Ireland and amongst the many medals won in various categories, the Irish Junior Show Jumping Team collected a first ever European Gold Medal.
Under the watchfull eye of Chef D'Equipe, Comdt. John Ledingham, over the last three days, the riders were put to the test with some excellent tracks built by Interational Course Desinger, Alan Wade. Each day, riders were tested in various ways in order to gain FEI Accreditation for the European Championships and today's courses will have provided lriders and parents with a good idea of what lies ahead at the European Championships.
In today's opening Grand Prix for Children on Horses, Kilkenny rider, Jack Ryan recorded a memorable double of wins following up from his win in Friday's Nations Cup Format competition.
Riding Sandballin, owned by his mother Marguerite, Ryan was the only double clear of the competition.
He faced just one rival in the jump with Jessica Kuehnle attempting to go one better than she had the previous two days, when taking second in both warm up classes.
Ryan was first to go in the Jump off and although he left plenty for Kuehnle to work with when crossing the line in 44.78 but most importantly, left all the poles in the cups.
Kuehnle then had to chase Ryan's clear round and despite beating the leaders time in 37.95, a pole on the floor left her in second place.
Local rider, Mark Finnerty slotted into third with a good round on Belle Amis having a fence down and just going over the time allowed to finish on five faults.
The Junior Grand Prix proved to be just as competitive and the track set posed many problems which whittled the field down to just three horses with two riders, Tom Foley on Paddy Fly and Zamir and Max O'Reilly Hyland on Wales.
Foley was first to go with Zamir and put plenty of pressure stopping the clock in 36.01 and with th luxury of having a second horse in the class, Foley held control of the competition.
O'Reilly Hyland was next to go with Wales, and the 6th Year Student who had provided himself with a foot perfect first round, unfortunately couldn't reproduce the same round and finished with 25 faults but they still took third.
Clare's Tom Foley had already won the class when entering on his second mount, Paddy Fly and the pair went for a steady clear round to ensure he took second also.
The Young Rider Grand Prix, sponsored by Pegus Horse Feeds, was the biggest track of the day and many of the combinations provided excellent rounds but found a fence along the way.
Once more, there was a head to head in the deciding round with Sven Hadley and Vincent Byrne recording foot perfect rounds.
Daniel Coyle was very unlucky on Jamelle McCaughey's Lady Porschell, knocking the first fence but finishing with the fastest time of those on four faults.
Byrne was first to go in the jump off with Mr Rockefeller and he put plenty of pressure on Galway's Sven Hadley when breaking the beam at 36.65.
However, Hadley threw caution to the wind with Adelgonde Z as they recorded a blistering time of 34.18 to take his second win of the weekend.
This year's European Viewing Trials was again kindly sponsored by ShowjumpingIreland and Pegus Horse Feeds and it was supported this year by Mackey Ireland and Barry O'Connor.
SJI European Viewing Trials - Barnadown
Children on Horses Grand Prix (Saturday)
1st Jack Ryan/Sandballin 0/0 44.78
2nd Jessica Kuehnle/Best Lady 0/4 37.95
3rd Mark Finnerty/Belle Amis 5/- 81.87
SJI European Viewing Trials - Barnadown
Junior Grand Prix (Saturday)
1st Tom Foley/Zamir 0/0 36.01
2nd Tom Foley/Paddy Fly 0/0 43.08
3rd Max O'Reilly Hyland/Wales 0/25 57.61
SJI European Viewing Trials - Barnadown
PEGUS HORSE FEEDS Young Rider Grand Prix (Saturday)
1st Sven Hadley/Adelgonde Z 0/0 34.18
2nd Vincent Byrne/Mr Rockefeller 0/0 36.65
3rd Daniel Coyle/Lady Porschell 4/- 75.04
SJI EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
Children On Horses - Nations Cup Format (Friday)
1st Jack Ryan/Sandballin
=2 Jessica Kuehnle/Cosima 189
=2 Jennifer Rea/Miss Contradiction
SJI EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
JUNIOR NATIONS CUP Supported by Mackey Ireland (Friday)
= 1 Tom Foley/Paddy Fly 0/0
= 1 Daren Hopkins/Mt Cruise 0/0
3 Cormac Hanley/Lux Nice 0/4
EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
Young Rider Nations Cup Format (Friday)
1st Sophie Dalm/Vaillant S
2nd Michael Duffy/Carthago II Z
3rd Daniel Coyle/Javas Wild Child
SJI EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
Children on Horses (Thursday)
1st Cian Harrison/Shaggy 9 0/0 35.90
2nd Jessica Kuehnle/Best Lady 0/0 36.50
3rd Sandballin/Jack Ryan 0/0 37.67
SJI EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
Juniors (Thursday)
1st Darragh Ryan/Miss Souri 0/0 28.80
2nd Tom Foley/Zamir 0/0 29.82
3rd Cormac Hanley/Lux Nice 0/0 30.08
SJI EUROPEAN VIEWING TRIALS - BARNADOWN
Young Riders (Thursday)
1st Sven Hadley/Adelgonde Z 0/0 26.75
2nd Daniel Coyle/Special Leap 0/0 27.62
3rd Peig Van Amerongan/Graf Red Dawn 0/0 29.90