The Grand Finals of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series 2009 will take place at the Tattersalls Ward Union Hunt International Show, which runs from 24^th to 26^th July in Ratoath, Co. Meath.

England 1.00pm:  The Irish team lie in third place after this mornings first round of the Meydan Nations Cup at Hickstead in England .

Mayo's Cameron Hanley recorded 8 faults when first out for the Irish with Southwind VDL and was followed by the same score by Cork's Shane Sweetnam with Amaretto d'Arco.

Cian O Connor recorded Ireland's best score lowering just one pole with Rancorrado while Billy Twomey's 18 faults with KEC Maximum Joe was the discard score.

In a historic day for Irish Dressage, Yvette Truesdale from Co. Down today (Thursday) secured her slot at the 2009 Alltech FEI European Dressage Championships in Windsor with a seventh place in the three-star Grand Prix at Hickstead, England.

Truesdale, trained by leading international dressage trainers Conrad Schumacher and Ferdi Eilberg and riding 'Has to be Fun' owned by Jim
Burgess, also ensured Ireland's second qualification for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) at Kentucky in 2010, alongside Anna Merveldt.

The Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show 2009 was launched yesterday at the world famous RDS Showgrounds.

Seán Walsh supports the FEI Year Of Youth 2009. Here is a statement from the FEI regarding the FEI Year Of Youth:

The FEI extends a warm welcome to young equestrians all over the world to unite in the Year of Youth, 2009. 

The British are the ones under pressure going into the penultimate leg of the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series on their home ground at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead in England on Friday.

Horse Sport Ireland has announced the Pony Show Jumping and Eventing Teams for the European Championships which take place in Moorsele in Belgium from July 29th to August 3rd.

The Pony Show jumping Team is:

Alex Buller with Kadia Mouche
Emily Turkington with Sambo Lino
Emma O'Dwyer with Edna
Kellie Allen with Ballyowen Maybell Molly
Michael Duffy with Sillogue Darkie

Seán Walsh finished the Summer Jumping League at Maryville in Co. Cork in style by winning both the 1.20m and 1.30m finals last Thursday. He won the 1.20m competition on the 6 year-old Captain Clover stallion Modern Clover and the 1.30m Class on the 8 year-old Coolcorron Cool diamond gelding Dundanion. The former is owned by Mr. Noel Rowland and the latter is owned by Irish Chef d'Equipe Robert Splaine. Modern Clover also finished joint second in the 1.30m final.

There was a German victory in the Grand Prix Acqua Uliveto – 13th Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge, thanks to the spectacular performance of Toni Hassmann riding Lolita H. In front of 5000 people on the grandstands, Hassman prevailed over the other eight riders in the jump off. He was, unfortunately, the first to enter into the ring for the final round, but thanks to a fast clean round (33”49’) he kept his lead through to the end of the Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge.