Mikey is magic once again in Lanaken
Day 1 of the 2025 FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horse in Lanaken, Belgium proved to once again be happy hunting ground for Irish riders, horses and members of the Team Ireland Equestrian Young Horse Jumping Squad supported by Monoshield Equine.
Champion of the 7-Year-Old division in 2024, Michael Pender had a busy opening day when leading off as the very first rider to jump in the 5-Year-Old qualifier when proceedings got underway at 07:45 local time.
A strong opener to the day’s competition as he was also the first to jump clear alongside HHS Evorra (ISH).
Ballypatrick-based British rider Harry Wood followed immediately with Boleybawn Alexa (ISH) and also left all poles intact to jump an all-important opening double clear.
Pender returned to the Ratina Z Arena later in the day, an arena that has been a success for him on many previous occasions just like in 2024 when he steered HHS Mercedes (ISH) to win the 7-Year-Old Championship, and in 2023 when capturing the 5-Year-Old Championship with HHS Ocala (ISH).
This time however, he came armed with the duo of chestnuts; HHS Flonix (ISH) and HHS Venice (ISH), jumping double clear with both. His jump-off time of 28.85 with HHS Venice proving unbeatable in this opening qualifier.
There was further success for Irish connections in the Top 10 as 6th place went to Belgian rider Nick Vrins on the Irish-bred Realteens Orestus (ISH).
Formerly ridden by Co. Sligo’s Richard Kerins, the gelding was bred by Sean Keyes & Jennifer Crowley in Co. Roscommon and was a member of the team that represented the Irish Sport Horse Studbook in the 5- and 6-Year-Old divisions at the WBFSH Studbooks Jumping Global Champions Trophy held in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands in 2023 and 2024 respectively with Kerins.
Recently crowned Irish National Champion Niamh McEvoy who made history in Lanaken in 2024 when winning both the 5-Year-Old Consolation Final and the 5-Year-Old Championship finished in 9th place in the opening 7-Year-Old qualifier with her Wildcard entry Seguela V/D Gravenhoeve (BWP).
In the first of the 5-Year-Old qualifiers held in the Alme Z Arena, 121 horses jumped double clear to divide the class.
Accompanying the aforementioned clears from Pender and Harry Wood were a further 13 double clear rounds from members of the Team Ireland Equestrian Young Horse Squad representing the Irish Studbooks or Wildcards managed by Chef D’Equipe Taylor Vard, or individual entries.
The 6-Year-Old horses first qualifier took place in the Ramiro Z Arena and saw 85 horses jump double clear. Best of the Irish was Gerard O’Neill who finished an eventual 13th place with JM Louisiana (ISH), with Cathal Daniels and Tullibards Pandora (ISH) finishing in 18th position and Pender with Tiara V/D Berghoeve (BWP) rounding out the Top 20.
85 horses jumped double clear in the first qualifier, with 13 of them being either Irish-bred or Irish-ridden.
The Team Ireland Equestrian Young Horse Jumping Squad is supported in 2025 by MonoShield Equine.
Participation in the FEI WBSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, in Lanaken, Belgium is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under National Breeding Services
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