It was a great week for Ireland’s young guns individually and in team competition as our young representatives performed very well under pressure at Hagen in Germany.

The young riders came under pressure from some of the standout riders of Europe. In the international Pony Grand Prix, Cork’s 14-year-old Abbie Sweetnam was the popular winner.

Sweetnam, a niece of US-based Irish international show jumper Shane Sweetnam, registered the only double-clear round of the hotly contested class with the gelding Spartacus Reape.

Ireland also claimed fourth place when Michael Pender and the Irish Sport Horse Imagine If One came home with just four faults. Kayleigh Soden also took an eighth place for Ireland in this Grand Prix with four faults in the first round on Castle Hill King.

In the young rider Grand Prix, Jonathan Gordon was best of the Irish, taking eighth place with Emma Brown 2, with victory going to Germany’s Maurice Tebbel and Chaccos’ Son.

Nations Cup

In the Pony Nations Cup, the Irish team of Olivia Roulston and Ballygawleys Little Ferro (ISH), Abbie Sweetnam and Spartacus Reape, Luke Garrigan and Dr Spot and Hannah O’Shea and More Clover (ISH) under chef d’équipe Tom Slattery finished equal second to Britain.

The young rider team of Eoin McMahon and Prophan, Jeremy Sweetnam and Tango d’Ecry, Michael G Duffy and Bocello, and Jonathan Gordon and Emma Brown 2, under Comdt John Ledingham, finished equal fourth of 11 teams competing.

The young rider Nations Cup saw Italy triumphant on six faults, while Ireland shared fourth place with Germany on 28 faults.

The Irish junior team of Philip Carey and Belle Rock (ISH), Anna Carway and Ajaccio, Lucinda Roche and WCE Falco (ISH), and Cormac Hanley and Caracter took third place in their Nations Cup on a score of 14 faults, with France the victors on five faults.

Adding to Ireland’s impressive tally at Hagen, the children on horses team of Jack Ryan and Cavalier Teaca, Harry Allen and Wild Thing L, Isabel Fitzpatrick and Ulster, and Ciaran Nallon and Ciao Bella finished second in their Nations Cup after a jump-off with Germany and Britain.